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The Weekly Froth! - 20161202

  • Published in Columns

 

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: ‘Used to Hold Me So Tight (Dr. Packer rework)

This starts out as something that you’ll be wanting to dance to, giving you the kick, the drum, and, a tad later, some of that bass to kick up that pace. Then, shortly after, the vocals, singing the title words, reminiscing about those good times when you Used to hold me so tight. And then, at 1:50, there comes la lady Houston, giving you some of that vocal prowess right there, letting you know who is the lady in our midst. Quickly in, the horns, giving her to work something off against. Then the verse, laying it out, laying it down, before coming back to the title words again, with Houston herself riffing up some magic as the backing singers mention again that there used to be a time where You used to hold me so tight. It’s just one of those beautiful disco mixes for a good night out on the dancefloor, and add those kind of vocals in there (and use them, like Dr. Packer does) and you know it’s all going to be quite all right.

 
 
‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’ by Prince (Rayko Super Disco Lover re-edit)

Now, who can get enough of Prince, really? This one starts with a booming, slow bass, but the little guitar riff gives you the balance, with the drums kicking in at about the thirty second mark. Rayko rides those sounds for a while, occasionally crashing a cymbal, adding something else in, before smoothing it out until changing it up again at 1:40. And he does that a few times, keeping the bass at its core around which the rest give you a little bit of that slow down funk right up until all the deep sounds are booted out and the high pitched vocals of Prince come in, saying that he needs your lovin’, That’s all I’m living for. And then, obviously, it works up again for the rhythm section to barge in, with the bass and the drums giving you that dancing thing again to ride this one out.

 
 
‘Pacify’ by Kauf

Kauf starts this one oh so quiet, oh so still (kind of in keeping with the title then perhaps), bringing you something that, in a way, resembles bird sounds to me. Then the heavier, somewhat grainy deep instrumentation comes in, providing the canvas for all the lighter instruments to appear and shine on (white works better on black after all). At about the 1:20 mark you get some of that tropical vibe going, with the vocals coming in as well, singing that You forced me into the sun, with the vocals being a bit more slowed down, contrasting the instruments nicely in that. Those vocals get a bit of room to work, with just the smattering synths, after which the rhythm and tropical come back in for a bit, for some of that closed eye dancing with a drink in the hand.

 
 
‘Canyons’ by Clubfeet

They build up a bit of that wall of synth to start, but soon the drums break through it, giving you the dancing rhythm and the slightly detached male vocals. The other vocals, heavily worked, are a bit more immediate, a bit more punchy, giving you that different kind of feel. When the male vocals come in we get some extra percussion, making sure there is a clear thing to dance to there, a base of the track they are sure to not let up on. Although, for a few seconds, around 2:20, it’s just vocals, but quickly the bass is put in there, but it’s the only deep sound against the lighter vocals and instrumentation surrounding it. The band is releasing an EP late January, including this track, so that’s a 2017 thing already ready and rearing to go (with a pick-me-upper in terms of pace at 3:20 again to do the same to you when listening to this).

 
 
‘1 Of These Nites’ (LNTG remix)

Someone’s musical taste, surely, one way or another, is influenced by their mum and dad (whether it stays and remains or heads fleeing out the door), and the Eagles are certainly something I remember from my growing up days. LNTG gives you all the high pitched marvels in that track, and boosts a bit of that bass in there, bit of that rhythm, especially at the two minute mark, where he runs with it, powered by the guitars as the beacons through which the ships pass. Then we really get into the track, with the verse, with the the plurality of guitars, and then the high pitched chorus again, doing the Oooooh, coming right behind you, swear I’m going to find you one of these nights. After which he quickly returns to the ruggedness of the verse. I mean, it’s not a nostalgic dancefloor thing, but it is a nostalgia thing, and LNTG makes it a dancefloor thing, and growing up listening to this track I’m sure getting a kick out of this (especially when that screaming guitar comes in at about 4:20).

 
 
‘I Still Reach Out’ by Lenny Williams (Alkalino rework)

Four seconds in you already hear the former Tower Of Power frontman working it, with one of the better voices this side of the atmosphere. In the mean time the bass is getting da rhythm right, with the little guitar riff coming in at the forty second mark to finish off that funk thing they’ve got going on. The ladies in the back also rear their heads not too long in, helping out the man in the middle who is taking a backseat to the rhythms of the night. He himself only returns after 2:30, yelping out some Ahh babies, but, with that voice, so that makes a difference probably. Alkalino then briefly dials it down before he gets all the bass and the drums running again with the girls in the back leading the way. Short but sassy funk number, with some drippings of Mr. Williams vocals as the icing on the cake.

 
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The Weekly Froth! - 20160902

  • Published in Columns

 

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: ‘Casualty’ by Pional

First we hear sirens, the sounds of the urban city, and then a drum to dictate the pace. And, almost church like singing, but not necessarily the angelic kind. We get more percussion sounds, going slightly tribal even, to intersperse that with both the vocals and some synth play. Then, in the background, more piano and synth sounds, though the rhythm is all percussion based. The vocals are singing Welcome to the paradise, before Pional again finds that balance between the darker rhythm sounds and the more heavenly atmospherics. I love the layering of the vocals, that definitely adds something to the proceedings here. Near the end the main rhythm is still there, but the synths have slowly taken over to draw this one to a close. Apparently a cut from an upcoming album, to be released near the end of this month, and if this is anything to go by then that’s going to be one well worth checking out.

 

‘Sfire3’ by Sfire (John Talabot’s Tribalist rework)

That tribal vibe is what you get from the get go, with that typical percussion rhythm that marks it like that. In the background you hear this real atmospheric, a bit ominous, a bit melancholic sound just floating on through, giving this track a certain load that sets it apart from your every day fare. Then, the police sirens as well, in keeping with the mood created as those synths get more and more up front. Around the two minute mark Talabot dials the beat down a bit, adding the vocals, sliding the beat underneath them a few seconds later. The vocals are ghostly, definitely in keeping with the vibe of the instruments playing. At 3:40, the synth is moved away for a minute, putting more emphasis on the sirens wailing and the rhythm synth that has joined the percussion in the mean time. The structure for this track is lovely, and the way they create the mood but all the while keep the momentum for the dancefloor going as well is just ace. Yet more evidence Talabot is just one of the better players out there for my money’s worth.

 

‘Shine (This is It)’ by Soul Clap feat. Nona Hendryx (Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca Erodiscomix)

Dimitri from Paris & DJ Rocca know how to get that discotheque a rockin’, taking on new Soul Clap release with the piano, the bird sounds (…), but most of all that disco bass and beat to shake them hips to.  The piano gets a bit of solo time after the minute mark, soon helped out by a bass sound before the percussion comes in to provide some extra rhythm before the drum beat gets back. I don’t know how they always do it, but it just sound so festive and joyous, giving you that entire party mood with all those sounds that make it feel just fun. Plus they know how to keep it going, for instance with the second break with mainly the piano, this time there is a secondary sound that wasn’t there the first time. Just changing it up a little, you know? Then there is a period with primarily bass, but soon the piano rhythm is back for that lighter party touch. And, just a moment later, everything is thrown back in there, for that full discotheque delight. If you want to get that party vibe going, this is one of those Erodisco things that you can’t go wrong with for fun times to be had by all. And especially when nearing that end, when the horns come in, as who can resist, really?

 

‘You’ve Got A Hard Head’ by Johnny Guitar Watson (Ronny Hammond Break-A-Leg Edit)

I love the funky way this one starts, immediately getting that little riff going before we get a male voice saying Wait a minute, wait a minute, but of course we will not as the boogie is already well on its way with the guitar riffing it up. The male voice then starts to talk about the origins of the track, the species, and everything, though it’s that electric gui-tar that does most of the talking with, underneath, the rhythm pushing this one forward with exactly the right amount of pace. At 1:40, that pace gets a slight bump, and at 2:14 the horns came in to add some more funk flavourings in there. At 3:20 they’re called in for a minute, the track going back to its starting roots with a minimal beat and the guitar riff looped on top of it, though that guitar is let loose a little while later, bringing us that blues solo stuff right there. Ronny Hammond has delivered a fab track build around that guitar, but giving it slightly different slants with, for instance, the horns coming in, or the occasional vocals. 7 1/2 minute to love that guitar baby.

 

‘Oh What A Night’ by Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons (Alkalino rework)

Alkalino brings in some insistent drums to help out this classic cut from the years of yore. That instantly recognisably piano (slightly sped up I reckon) soon comes in, so you know what you’re in for. First though, we get some wobbly instruments taking a stab at the main riff of the track, but quickly Frankie Valli comes in with the piano backing him up. The next time through the guitar rears his head as well, as Frankie Valli sings Oh what a lady, what a night. Sometimes the boys in the back come in to repeat the title track as well, as in the mean time the main instruments get looped until about 2:30, where we get the horns interlude. Alkalino brings what you want here, with all the goodness of the original, and plenty of it, but in the mean time also suited to get some dancing done in the modern times. Just lovely fun, this edit of one of those tracks.

 

‘Dear Tommy’ by The Chromatics

This one starts with some sad piano stabs and a pretty deep drum sound, over which the autotune vocals come in, saying Dear Tommy, if I could hold you in my arms, an expression of longing for something that has, ostensibly, sailed by. Then the synths and bass sound come in, picking up the pace, though the slow, deep drum still is the one that anchors the defense here. It is, by all accounts, more menacing than dreamy, more anger hiding in sadness than the dreams that can come out the longing. And, as always, perfectly soundtracked by the instrumentals that the band comes up with. I was binge watching Twin Peaks the other night, and had to think of The Chromatics and their sound while watching. Nothing in this track has done anything to untie that connection in my mind. Can’t wait for a new album from their hand, though going off this track we might be talking to the ghosts that haunt instead of those showing a future that might be.

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