The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week:  ‘Double Talk’ by Jaakko Eino Kalevi

Jaakko Eino Kalevi is back, and here he starts with a little bit of guitar, some forward moving drums, and some melancholic snare instrumentals to accompany the ditto vocals. Which, by the way, get a bit help from some female vocals as well, doubling the lyrics. In the mean time the rhythm lines keep throdding this one forward, giving the thing a nice sense of pace. The synths take care of the atmosphere part, with the vocals singing that I like the words you use, and You think you’re in control. The funny thing is, that when he starts using “we”, the female vocals come in to do the Double Talk (getting that title now, eh?), which is a smart touch. It’s really the kind of track I like, with the dreamy, somewhat distant vocals, but still this sense of pace because of that bass and all that. Definitely a release to keep an eye on, I reckon.

‘Yes It Is’ by B-Jam

All that drums sure lay down the funk, especially when the guitar line comes in, that immediately lays down the law. Add to that those vocals, which sound lovely dancey and soulful, and you’ve got a nice dancefloor track going on. The fragmented, loop-y feel gives it this nice discotheque vibe, with the vocals doing that '80s pop-funk thing a la Janet Jackson. Not that it is her, mind you, as this is a rework of ‘Cest Toi (It’s You)’  by Angela Winbush, which was released in 1987. And B-Jam sure knows how to handle that one, giving it some extra attitude whilst keeping those vocals doing their thing. I love a good rework like this, and I love how he handles that combination of the repetition of the instrumentals and the layered continuity of the vocals. B-Jam also knows how to keep that soul alive in a rework, definitely showcasing that ability here yet again.

‘Solsidan’ by HNNY

HNNY immediately tries to build in some vibe by flipping the channels at the start, eventually settling for some of that percussion to get the funky going. The way he slides into this new sound, with the airy vocals doing a day-dreaming “tu-du-du-du-de” line, that’s awesome. Especially if, moments later, he does the old switcheroo, adding an understated little bassline to it all when the vocals are taken away for a moment. In the mean time, still, the percussion doing its thing, making sure this one keeps moving forward. The great thing about HNNY is that he always manages to infuse his tracks with some of that soft, warm flavour, and here he definitely does that as well. There are some jazz vibes in there too, and I just love how it has this breezy quality, but still with this funky undertone. Did I already mention that this has been released on one of my fav labels, Let’s Play House? That’s two marks of quality, right there.

‘Lights Down’ by The New Sins (Waze & Odyssey Remix)

Certainly, nothing breathes club music more than this cut. It already starts with the robotic, female vocals saying “Me and you, in the club”, you’ve got some old school house synth sounds coming in at about the 45 second mark, and the title is “Lights Down”. I mean, really. Something like at 1:10, when it strips away all the instrumentals and you only have those vocals saying “lights down” in ever more robotic fashion, that’s dance music 101 as well. Not so much that, as the fact that obviously you need to get back to the beat and bass and stuff, and that’s a momentum moment right there. Living alongside the robotic hypnotic vocals is a more soulful male voice, though even that has some production on top of it. It’s easy on the ear this one, very accessible, and if you want to make a wider kind of crowd do some dancing, this has all the tools to achieve just that.

‘Heartbeat Speed’ by Cyclist feat. Jocelyn Alice

Cyclist has enlisted Jocelyn Alice to do some of that talking, feeling that her beau has a lover that she wants to be. That is established before Cyclist contrasts all those emotions by doing a nice, bouncy synth and beat combo that has a bit of that piano house vibe to it. At 1:45 he ups the volume a bit, adding some guitar in for the punch-and-a-half. When the guitar fades, Jocelyn comes back in with her rhythmic vocals, though also featuring a hint of emotional heartbreak. Just before the big three:00 mark Cyclist kills the percussion for a minute, using a short synth stint to work its way back to the beat. Cyclist then combines the guitar and the vocals, giving the end this sense of going-all-out, which he has build up to nicely. Lovely track, and very easy-on-the-ear to boot.

‘Baby I Just Wanna Love You’ by Jonelle Allen (Alan Mooney’s Edit)

How about some of that slow burning disco, eh? This one starts with a nice & slow bassline to get that groove going, with Mooney upping the pace a bit after the minute mark as he brings the vocals in first, and the beat in second. The lines of the vocals succeed each other in rapid succession, singing that they Wanna love ya, over and over, with no time being spared. Alan slows it down a tad  againat about the three minute mark, dialing the vocals down so you’ve only got those slow grooving elements again, though he does add some of them drum beats in there to give it a bit of a body, and to make sure the people can do a little slow dance to it. Obviously he works his way up again, and give it a minute or two (and enjoy that little guitar line while you’re at it), and sure enough those vocals come right back in. If you like that old school disco feel and you love a sloooow burning groove, this is one to bring some of that lovin’ to the discotheque.

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week:  ‘Coastal Love’ by HONNE

The lads of HONNE will be releasing a new EP in May, and this is a cut off of that. I like the start, catchy enough, but not obtrusive. And that is a good quality here, as the melancholic vocals talk about him being a dreamer, and he is convinced (oh the foolishness of youth!) that this long distance thing is going to work with his loved one. And the synths and percussion, as said, it does have a slight catchiness to it, but it is exactly the right tone to go with the vocals and subject matter. And I do love the vocals, and in the chorus it even gets some help from a little guitar riff that they put in, which is a nice touch. The synths lay down the right atmosphere as well, and this is one of those dream-away thing whilst road tripping and the sun shines through that car window and lets you bathe in its light. Something to look forward to in May, I reckon.

‘Love Myself’ by Ebony vs. Bicep

Ebony and Bicep cross the continents to do some work together, and apparently that should mean we have to "Be happy", as the female vocals repeat those two words at the start, even before the song gets going. Then the synths build it up and up and up, and then it’s just waiting for that bubble to burst. That, it does at about 1:30, when the house beat comes in, with some fast talking vocals, and some strong synth lines. The track definitely has some attitude to it, with the pace of the beat, but especially the way the synths are used. That deep, short little synth line just pounces through, it definitely gives the thing some oomph. At about 2:45 we get some drums in, for the people who know how to dance to that fast percussion kind of thing. The vocals have returned to the “be happy” singing of the start, though it is a layer below the percussion, though still pretty much audible. Then those starting synths come back as well, building it up once more before the collaborative group of Ebony vs. Bicep brings back the beat to ride the last few minutes out. Definitely a punchy affair, for if you’re not in that soft kind of mood.

‘Falling In Love With A Memory’ by Monarchy

The boys from Monarchy are back, and the start with the synth and piano already indicates this sort of pop bigness. The track gets a little extra oomph from the drums and the vocals, which then slides into a more soft synth-pop sound when the vocals pace it up a bit. At this point, you just get this happy dancing vibe from the instrumentals, really catchy and fun, and the vocals are a slight counterweight to that as you do have the idea that the narrative story isn’t quite as happy-dancey as the track itself. It’s been a while since I interviewed them for this site when they were getting ready to release their first album, and this song is a good example of why we did that. It’s just got this lovely pop vibe to it, giving you some strong vocals and some catchy synths, but then there is also, for instance, that more subdued piano to end it with. Their new album is, I believe, almost ready to go, so if you like those synths that make you dance (and who doesn’t), this is one to have a listen to when it arrives.

‘System 90’ by Holy Ghost!

So what do you get when you put two hardware nuts in a room with two synthesizers (new System 55 and System 35 modulars, apparently), and you give them roughly five hours to play with them? Apparently, this synth ditty-jam. First you put the kind of bass rhythm in, and then you start piling layer upon layer. It is just fun to hear all the different synth sounds, and how they are floating ideas around on top of the base rhythm After the two minute mark they do seem to mix that base layer up a bit as well, even getting rid of it completely for a moment to get some of that jazz improvisation going (but, synth style, obviously), and then it is cool to see how they fizzle this thing out. It is definitely a jam, and not a perfect piece of song that they always do manage to get when creating an album. But it is cool to see two guys trying new stuff out and finding a way to create a four minute piece that, surprisingly, actually has quite a bit of structure (In just a few hours yours truly probably wouldn’t have stumbled upon such a thing, I’m sure).

‘Believe in Me’ by Jamie Lidell

I must admit that I do have a soft spot for that voice that Jamie Lidell has. In this track you’ve got the understated, slightly haunting synth line that is on loop, and then you immediately get his vocals in there. And these are so powerful that it adds some instant strength and emotion to the track, and he does know how to play with them a bit as well. In the mean time, the synth is still going, and it gets some help from both a bit of percussion as well as some aerial sounds, as they relieve each other from duty every once in a while. As said, the vocals, he does know how to make them work. Sometimes they’re bolstered a bit, sometimes you’ve got some overlapping layers, and sometimes he adds a little humming there for good measure. And then, suddenly, something like after the three minute mark, where the main vocals really go for it comes in, even to the point they can ditch the synth line as, really, the vocals are near enough to hold the track afloat. I saw him live once when he was doing his ‘Multiply’ thing (guess my age now, eh), and although I do have to admit that I haven’t religiously followed his every step, I am always happily surprised when I get the chance to hear that voice doing something again.

‘It Looks Like Love’ (Rayko Super Extended Love Re-Work)

Because there’s always a need for your dosis of disco eh, and you know you can get it here weekly, right? This time thought I’d slide some Rayko in for you, doing his thing by putting the disco and the dancefloor in this old son-of-a-tune. You’ve got all those original sounds right in there from the get go, really laying down the vibe from it’s very moment of birth. But, obviously, you’ve got some beats to bolster the whole thing up as well. Add the little guitar riff, the violins at about 2:20, and you know the vocals are going to be coming in at any minute now. He’s a big tease though, and he rides those sounds out for a while, even doing one more change-up before getting there. And then, he gets there, the whispery vocals first, and the rest later. In the mean time, the disco groove is still going full throttle, as the vocals, by this time, are telling you that, yes, It looks like love. At this point, we’re just halfway of this nine minute disco monster, by the way, so better get your dancing shoes out for this one (and always, really). Just happy he did ditch that flute-from-Marocco thingy of the otherwise superb original.

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week:  ‘Jolene’ by Dolly Parton (Todd Terje remix)

Now, who hasn’t been waiting for this? ‘Jolene’ is just one of those songs that I’m always wanting a good edit for, and leave it to Todd Terje to bring the bass & groove out for this one. Add some of that percussion, and then slide it into that little country guitar about a minute in so that everyone knows what we’re talking about here. That guitar and the bass then form the base of the groove, and then it’s just waiting for madame Parton to enter the scene to narrate her tale of jealousy and love as she tells Jolene not to take the man she adores, Just because you can. It just is one of those tracks that secretly has that disco touch, that Girl-stay-away-from-my-hubby-because-flaws-and-all-I-love-that-man. The vocals, obviously, are amazing, and they just have that right slant for this track. Terje, in the mean time, keeps that dancing groove going, as well as that guitar line which he keeps looping to keep the track firmly rooted in its, erhm, roots. One of those edits I’d play anytime, any place, anywhere.

‘What Kind of Man’ by Florence + The Machine (Nicolas Jaar remix)

Mr. Nicolas Jaar has been keeping himself busy. Scoring a short film, scoring a feature length film, and then he’s here with a remix of Florence + The Machine. He gets the percussion going immediately, short and snappy, which then gets juxtaposed by that bassline to provide this lazier groove sound. After about a minute Florence her vocals come in, heavily distorted, sounding both electronical-yet-emotional, which is a nice contradiction to work with. In the mean time the bass is still going, and it gets some additional drums to keep that dancefloor vibe intact. In that sense, the base is not like a Jaar track as you have heard from either his debut album or his Darkside project, as the bass gives it more of a funky groove sound. Yet, it still is very much Jaar, as the auxiliary sounds as well as the moments he dials the bass down (like at 2;30) you get that industrial, that urbanite soundtrack that you have come to expect from the man. And then at the three minute mark he puts the dancefloor back in, to make sure you don’t forget to move your body in this twelve minute affair. Those lighter sounds he drops at 3:40, those are super sweet, and Jaar is just one of those guys who understands how to create this excellent soundscape. As said, it is a twelve minute affair, but rest assured, there’s plenty of variation in there (just head to 5:28 for a complete change-up for instance), Florence rears her head enough to really call this a remix, and both the vibe and the dancing are a-okay. So definitely worth the full listen.

‘Sirens’ by Antony & Cleopatra

It starts with some sounds-of-the-streets, but then you get the atmospheric synth in, even though the real addition are the oooohh vocals. those two combined give off this delightful '80s vibe, but the beat draws it back into the (deep)house after-3-am-club feel soon enough. The female vocals do the spoken word first, and then get some rhythmic singing going on, with an R&B slant to them I reckon. In the mean time the beat has lightened up a bit it seems, and the male vocals are more soulful than bariton as well. And now, at about two minutes in, it has become more of a catchy dance-pop song than the deephouse club vibe you got at the beginning. And that feeling gets an extra oomph by the horns-alone moment that they add as well. So from 80’s and deephouse to 90s R&B in terms of the details, though in essence it is just a really catchy tune where I like the rhythm of the vocals a lot.

‘Dreams’ by Fleetwood Mac (Late Nite Tuff Guy version)

Because you can’t really get enough Fleetwood Mac, Dreams, or Late Nite Tuff Guy in a day, now can you? LNTG gets the bongo percussion out for that Florida disco vibe, but soon the bass and the Dreams synth line come in to provide you with that canvas, not to mention THAT sound from the original track (if you hear it, you know what I’m talking about). Sure enough, the Stevie Nicks vocals are in there, wistfully singing that You want your freedom, with the melancholic guitar coming in shortly after to finish the deal. In the mean time “regular” drums have kind of taken over as far as being the kingpin of the rhythm goes, and LNTG sure knows to let the royalty do their thing, almost putting the entire vocal track of the original in there. Thunder only happens when it’s raining, player’s only love you when they’re playing, say, women they will come and they will go, when the rain washes you clean you’ll know. And then that guitar. And that’s the ballgame, really, isn’t it? Seven minutes of this, by the way.

‘Out of Violence’ by Montmartre (Louis La Roche remix)

There is some of that snare drumming going on in the background, but the synth is the king at the start. Louis La Roche then puts a no-holds-barred beat in, as Montmartre narrates his tale with a voice that is powerful enough to hold their own against the beat (while still getting some of that emotion in there). And that is luckily what makes this work, because the beat is pretty big, but the synth and the vocals are not being washed away by any means. Louis La Roche also knows that, at times, it is a good idea to dial that beat down for a moment to give everyone some breathing space, which he does at about 2:20 for a fairly lengthy stretch. And then you get some handclap rhythms, a barrage of synths, and those vocals doing their things, before a slightly different beat seems to come back to provide the rhythm up until the end. A nice four minute affair where the mix is just right enough to make it all work.

‘Be’ by Citizenn feat. SYF

Citizenn gets that alienation going on with those dubby dub beats, though the contrast is quickly put in by those silky smooth vocals by SYF, as well as the synth sounds that come in at about the fifty second  mark. SYF sings “Get to know the real you”, which I guess can be done through dancing, because Citizenn slides some of those house sounds in underneath that original beat to give all the party boys something to be dancing on. SYF increases his repertoire, going from that one line into full verse mode, as Citizenn keeps toeing the line between giving people something to dance to and giving people that quirky, dub drum. At the 4:10 mark it’s just SYF for a minute, with some echoes and double vocal tracks, which is exactly what the track needed, as because it isn’t that straight forward house beat, it is a bit more demanding to listen to. And, besides, I just love those vocals by the former Azari & III singer, so there’s that.

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week:  ‘Dusk In Parts’ by Pale Blue feat. Jana Hunter

There we go, ride that thing! Pale Blue immediately set the pace with a delicious rhythm sound. There’s just so much mood in just that rhythm bit, I totally love it. For some extra structure there is a little snare drum added, just to make sure you’ve got something to hang your coat on. In the meantime, the vocals are delivering their story in a kind of alienated, spaced out tone. At one point, the lads take away the rhythm for a moment, and add some haunting auxiliary sounds to go with a light little piano, appearing so fragile as it is floating in the air. After that you get a little beat going, adding some oomph to the song. There is this lovely vocal ooooooh angelic/ghost like thing in the background, which together with the piano just lays it all down there. You can hear these guys are no rookies, with Pale Blue consisting of the masters Mike Simonetti and Mike Sniper. So no wonder  you can actually “feel” this track, with atmosphere there in spades.

‘Fernandez’ by Moscoman

How about some bass on the Cosmo Vitelli label, eh? Moscoman struts his stuff with some nifty bass lines, adding some guitar and drums to help out a tad. The guitar, especially, has a sort of western movie flick tinge to it, which definitely helps out with the overall mood. After about a minute in you get some extra auxiliary sounds, from synths to percussion to what to me sounds like a flute sound. Then the track slides into a quick-paced synth line, but like The Supremes, they always come back to the one microphone, whichever dance moves they are doing. And here, that is the bass, which is always the main motif in the track. Moscoman keeps adding different things on top of that bass base (…) though, going for some spoken word in the second part of this track as well. And, more of that gunslinger guitar, which is just an ace addition. If you like some of that bass, this is definitely one to be listening to. That I’m a Cliché label just keeps churning them out like that, apparently, like babies out of an animal that makes lots of babies. You know.

‘Feel on Fire’ by Waze & Odyssey

Waze & Odyssey go for that tough vibe with that deep, rough beat laying down the ground works from the get go. You do hear the synth come in from way back there though, providing a nice juxtaposition to the beat, especially in combination with that more floating synth sound the lads throw in. And so this one climbs to the heavens, going higher and higher in pitch and louder and louder in volume, summoning the vocals to get through that wall of synth bliss. First, relatively inaudible, but soon the soulful male voice gets free range to strut his stuff, saying that he feels Like I’m on fire. There is a fair stretch where the beat has been dialed down, providing first the vocals, then the synth rhythm line followed by the aerial synth sound to do their thing for a good minute or so. After that, obviously, the beat gets back in, the pace is turned up, and the boys bring this baby home. Different vocal turns and all.

‘Can U Feel It’ by Lo-Fi-Fnk feat. Duvchi (Rome Fortune Remix)

How about a little snippet from the boys from Lo-Fi-Fnk? It sure has been a while. This is a remix by Rome Fortune of a track they released not too long ago (after quite the hiatus, mind you). This one starts with one of those buzzing synths as the canvas, on top of which vocals and a little, tingly piano can be heard. After that, some of those lazy drums come in to help the boys narrate their little tale. It’s not a synth-pop happy dance tune, though later on you do get a little bit of a house piano thing coming through, but that one is quickly discarded for some darker, more menacing sounds, after which some rap comes in, giving it this hip-hop feel (not only in terms of vocal delivery, but also in sound). Is this a new line of clothing for the Swedes? Maybe we’ll find out when hopefully they are going to come with a new album one of these years.

‘Keep it Up’ by 78 Edits

How about some of that loopy dance music eh? 78 Edits get the loops turning on this one, giving it this techy/computer flavor which gets juxtaposed by the bass but, especially, that piano sound that comes in. After the minute mark they add another new layer to the loop, and they keep on doing that, even to the point you get some of those vocals appearing and re-appearing to do their thing. I love looping house like this, continuously working that momentum and weaving loops in and out and constantly adding new ones to the proceeding, this way changing up the mood, pace, and the sound whilst keeping that whole mojo in working order. At about 3:45 the loop they mix out is the beat, slowing the thing down and going piano and guitar primarily, before coming back with a more irregular beat sound again at about 4:25. I’m always pretty chuffed to hear whatever 78 Edits come up with, and this is no different.

‘Shanghouse’ by Max Skiba

I really like the start to this one, with the aaaahhh vocal bits and the bass, that’s some serious vibe that this one brings from about the thirty second mark on. There’s some woodwork percussion to get a bit of that rhythm going, with the piano following suit after about one minute in. This track has one of those groove flows that is just so easy-on-the-ear, with some nifty synth lines in there that suddenly crop up. The tone is light and airy, but with plenty to hang on to in terms of doing a little dance, having a little fun. There are some nice change-ups (like the one at 3:38), mixing up the vibe just a little bit as to not bore you to death. I especially just love the interplay between the vocals and the keys, really creates some momentum there as well. One of those things that just rolls ever so nicely, and not because it’s the same bass line all the time, but because he ties all those change-ups together so brilliantly and in exactly the right order, creating some of those euphoria moments while he’s at it.