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: ‘Peace’ by Kenton Slash Demon (Lone remix)

I like how this one starts with that deep synth riff, that then gets juxtaposed by the higher pitched pianos. Then, at 25 seconds, the beat, the bass sound that reminds me of something but I don’t know what (do tell in the comments if you do have it) giving it a bit of that funky, R&B feel. I love how that slower bass gets mixed with, alternately, the piano and the beat, the latter giving it a bit more punch. At 2:20 Lone almost goes full piano for a moment, before the beat comes in to help that out, moving a bit more to the dance side of it. At the three minute mark that bass comes back in to give it some attitude, which it does crazily effective. The mixture of these elements, and also knowing when to put them on, when to turn them down, and when to slow down the pace entirely, is what makes this track so good and great to listen to. After slowing it down the bass comes back one more time, before clearly working it down to a close at the five minute mark.

‘Since You’ve Gone’ by Loframes feat. Anoraak

Loframes start this one with rhythmic vocals, under which melancholic tones emerge. At the 18 second mark we get the drum and a little guitar riff, as the male voice sings that the doesn’t know How to feel at times, as, apparently, someone has left. Slowly a more rhythmic undercurrent is put in (as the original drum sound didn’t have that particular function), as the vocals go from higher pitched to a bit deeper voiced. At the 1:48 mark there are some catchy synths as the track builds towards a moment where they pick up the pace, in the mean time the singer sings that he wants to close his eyes. It’s a lovely track, catchy in the right places, a nice build-up, but also a tad melancholic, not forgetting the emotion already alluded to by the title. Loframes get a bit of help from Anoraak, who I rate highly always, so that’s a sign of quality right there.

 ‘Come Back Lover’ by Fresh Band (Alkalino rework)

Alkalino takes on the Fresh Band, and it is clear where Alkalino is heading from the twenty second mark on, putting that frenetic guitar riff in on top of that steady dancefloor beat. More percussion at the fifty second mark, so that there’s really no mistaken that, yes, this is for the dancefloor, with Alkalino keeping the pace up on this '80s tune. Just after the 1:30 mark we get a nifty bassline in there as well, giving you more to do that boogie to. This is balanced by the horns, first rearing their heads around the two minute mark or so. Three minutes in they go a bit piano on us as well, letting that celebrate some freedom, and thirty seconds later the vocals come in for the first time. And they are singing, nay, pleading, Come back, lover, come back. The vocals, at all times, keep that distant feel, with the instruments remaining the center of attention. Only late, after the six minute mark, we hear a more forceful, less edited vocal sing Come on baby, in a more urgent manner than before. In the mean time the bass keeps rolling, the drum keeps hitting, and the piano/horns/guitar keep providing us with all that goodness to have that dancefloor boogie going on.

‘Set Fire To Me’ by Willie Colon (SanFranDisko mix)

SanFranDisko immediately pumps this up, indicating dance dance dance from the get go. The pace is real high, getting a bit juxtaposed by the synth sound that comes at about 50 seconds in. At 1:10, the vocals for the first time, with at 1:20 Willie Colon entering the verse as he sings that You’re the one for me, take control of me. The percussion and the rhythm of the vocal give it a Caribbean slant for me. And the trumpet at 2:45 as well, which is real fun, because you don’t quite hear that kind of horn sound very often in there. In the mean time the vocals keep imploring to set fire on them as, at 3:35, the piano comes in, which then slides into a bit of funky rhythm with the bass and the percussion. SanFranDisko deliver again on a funky remix that, through its original, gives it a particular slant to get on the noise, get on the funk.

 ‘Chemical Love’ by Animal Feelings feat. Nomi Ruiz

Animal Feelings recently released an album, with this cut being a slowed down electronical track with a steady, low-paced beat on top of which the keys provide the feel for this song. Which is helped by the dreamy, wispy vocals of Nomi Ruiz, which at the minute mark get a moment sans the beat and with some backing vocals as she sings she Can’t resist it. Then Animal Feelings pick it up again, giving both a steady groundwork for Ruiz as well as some additional help with the synths in terms of evoking the right feel. At 2:20, again, the beat gets tuned out, with just the vocals and piano doing some work as, first, the synth is added to Ruiz’ vocals before everything else is added again. At the end, as Ruiz has clocked out, the drum gets a tad more forceful, though the piano balances it out again. A nice, dreamy track, helped in part by the Ruiz vocal turn.

‘Heads’ by Bob James (George Kelly mix)

George Kelly starts with the percussion and a bass underneath, before diving into the beat a little while later. At the 35 second mark we get some higher pitched sounds in, and at about the 50 second mark we get into funkier territory right there and then. He establishes a nice groove, mixing all the parts smoothly, giving you this understated disco vibe to be dancing to (look at, for example, the change-up happening at around 1:55). He throws in some solo piano to boot, giving you something to marvel at as well. By switching and tuning in and out all these sounds Kelly crafts a smooth disco ride from this 70s Bob James track, going all instrumental on us for us to sway a bit in 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: ‘Cloud 9' by Kasper Bjorke

From the get go, there is this warmth in the synths that reminds me of why I love Kasper Bjorke so. At 49 seconds, another reminder, adding again to the whole atmosphere, diving into a sort of beautiful melancholia strengthened by the slower, deeper sounds he uses. Just before the two minute mark he adds a bit of extra percussion for rhythm purposes, and a good 20 seconds after he again infuses it with that typical synth sound. Bjorke really is an expert in creating and sustaining that feel. Even at 3:15, when he stops and just lets the ethereal synths take over for a moment, returning to slow and deep at about 3:45. This track has vocals (by Urdur), but this is the instrumental version of it. Since my favorite Bjorke tracks all do have vocals (think of the wonderful ‘Young Again’ or ‘Efficient Machine’ for example) I can’t wait to hear the upcoming mini LP this guy is releasing, because even sans the vocals this is a mesmerising piece of work.

'What U Do' by Moullinex & Lorenz Rhode

Apparently, a love for Stevie Wonder was the base for this house stomper, with Lorenz Rhode on vocal duties and Moullinex making sure the beat, the rhythm, and all the synth sounds are there for the dancefloor. First it’s primarily the beat that gives the dancers something to dance to, but after a good minute there’s a more pronounced bass, and then the synths start coming in as well. Soon though, the bass takes over again, with the synths moving away from rhythm duties. At 3:30 it gets a moment to its own though, with the beat and bass stripped completely. Then vocals come in, singing that You’re the only one, as the synths start building up and up, working towards a return of the B&B brothers for rhythm. Rhode implores you to Never stop, and with the rhythm provided by Moullinex there’s really no reason to.

‘Emmanuel' by JKriv & Free Magic

JKriv and Free Magic waste no time in getting the bass rolling in a mid-tempo kind of pace, bringing the loungy horns and piano in for some jazz vibes. And the write-up below the track isn’t lying when it talks about that jazz feel, because this certainly does transport you to a nightclub where people smoke with a smoke holder and do some jivin’ to the band on the stage. I love the piano that gets in there and gets increasingly more prominent, just to get some rhythm with that soft and sultry bass just before the two minute mark. The low key transitions are real nice, shifting its allegiances, small motion in the pace, and sometimes adding a bit of this, a bit of that. Apparently the A-side to this release is a party dance track, something which we’ve seen JKriv work often, but this one takes it back to NY '30s with the dresses and the lasses doing that slow dive jive late at night.

‘Don’t Tempt Me’ by Adam Chini

At about twenty seconds in the bass rears its head providing a nice dancing groove in just the right pace. Then, the super smooth vocals, asking Girl, don’t talk, don’t talk tonight, adding shortly after that She’s looking so fine. It really has that right pace with the bass to get close and do some of that love dancing to with the one you’re having your eye on. I like the instrumental interlude that follows. It is lengthy, but the bass keeps moving it forward, so you’re protecting that bit of funk to keep people dancing with each other. After the next batch of vocals, again, the instrumentals, adding some new ones but also returning to the sounds of the instrumental period before. It’s got this nice vibe of lovin’ in there to cozy up on the dancefloor to. The Soundcloud link is a teaser, for the full track go to the Bandcamp page.

‘U & Me’ by Alkalino

How about some of that House by Alkalino? The synths set the rhythm, but soon the bass and drums come in to give you the whole shebang. In the mean time, the soulful vocals are singing U and me, ohhhh! Alluding to some of that sumthing going on. In the mean time, Akalino is not stingy with the pace, giving us that good house speed with the rhythm, and providing all that for the right house vibes. Including the vocals, giving you that one line on repeat, and when it rests, the instrumentals are sure to pick up the slack. The full track gives you the whopping seven minutes worth of this, but it probably only takes these three minutes to hear the house in this one (so get those dancing shoes shined babes, we’re gonna go clubbin’ tonight!).

'1999' by Prince (Nightfunk remix)

Playing the tunes of those that have passed on does keep them alive a little bit, doesn’t it? Nightfunk takes on Prince, bringing in the dancefloor house beat, though he dials that back even before the track hits the minute mark. No worries though, an even more house like rhythm is brought back in (as in, old school house vibes there), with at 1:30 the high pitched vocals of Prince coming through the deeper beats. Around the two minute mark he dives into Prince a bit more, as he sings that we are Going to party like its 1999. Though the beat that re-enters definitely has its roots way before the millennium mark. Which isn’t a bad thing, as it allows for some old school jackin’. At 3:40 he starts working the original riff a bit, which definitely provides a touch of funk. Just another one of those Prince remixes that will help with the good vibes on the dancefloor.