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The Weekly Froth!

  • 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:  ‘Let It Carry You’ by Jose Gonzalez (Holy Ghost! remix)

I always love Holy Ghost!’s disco & synth sound, and here from the get go you get this lovely feel again. It’s got a nice drum beat to it, then you get the rhythm synth, and then a more atmospherical synth sound as the boys show off their hardware. Then the vocals come in, which add a hint of melancholy to the dancey affair. What I also like is how restrained the vocals are, but sometimes at the end of a line there’s this touch of rawness, which is nice. There are also some backing vocals in there at one point, and at 3:20 you have this moment where they’re really building up the sound for a minute just to have it all float back to this understated disco sound. There are multiple moments where you can definitely find them playing around with structure and flow like that. If you like the albums they’ve put out (and you should, gosh darn it!), then this is one to throw in that playlist too. Love the mixture of the tone in combination with this unrelenting drum & synth-for-a-touch-of-dancing action.

 

‘Holding On’ by Julio Bashmore feat. Sam Dew

The start definitely has this happy vibe to it, like you’re about to have fun. Julio’s got some glitchy looping going on, which is a nice modern contrast to the vocals. Which are, indeed, #broadwalk, as the SoundCloud page indicates. It’s got this old school vibe, but the looping keeps it grounded in the modern. At 1:20 it moves away from that a little bit, with the main sound now being a relatively poppy dance beat, which I can see the whole of America doing these lip dubs to. Also because it has this sense of happiness, and it does have this theatrical flair to it as well (also thanks to the multiple layers of vocals). There are moments where the beat is turned down to go back to those looping bits with the vocals, obviously to shift back to the fast paced pop action again a little bit later. Definitely a catchy tune this, with the different elements nicely keeping this one in balance.

 

‘Chicken Heads’ by Bobby Rush (Leo Zero edit)

Leo Zero brings the blues back to the dancefloor. He gets a nice little loop going for this edit of a Bobby Rush song, who is one of those blues guitarists from that time when there were still blues guitarists (and ones that were not victims of elder abuse at that). Leo Zero makes sure you get plenty of that blues vibe, bringing in loads of vocals and, more importantly, that nice little guitar riff that he rides and rides as he should. Obviously there’s also plenty of drums and percussion in there, as it is a dancefloor track, and a change-up like at 2:15 makes that abundantly clear (and makes it work, too). Now, I love me some blues, and these fellas know all about bringing some attitude to the mix, and Leo Zero makes sure he doesn’t forget to include that ingredient here. It’s just a really good edit of a blues man that includes the blues guitar, those blues vocals, a bit of spoken word as well, and even something that kind of resembles a chorus with the Let me in, let me in, let me in lines. It’s got the dancefloor rhythm and it’s got plenty of the original as well, and that’s all you want, innit? And for that I’ll forgive some of that production trickery like at 5:35-5:40. Don’t sweat it, just the kind of guy I am.

 

‘Slip And Do It’ by Betty Wright (Disco Tech Edits)

Got to have some Betty Wright in your life every now and again, don’t ya? And Disco Tech makes sure there’s a bit of a beat as well as a bit of the funk in this edit of Betty’s ‘Slip and Do It’. Just before the minute mark she comes in, with all the attitude she can muster, and the Disco Tech boys make sure she brings a bit of that guitar and some of those horns with her as well. She sings that When it feels so good, will you slip and do it?, which effectively summarizes the age old question of heart over head or not. And, luckily, she doesn’t mind being the other woman, so there you go. At the two minute mark she gets a bit of help from the girls at the back, as Disco Tech makes sure you can do some grooving to the bass that’s getting it on in the background. This is really an edit in that there are so many elements of the original, and Betty gets all the spotlight the world can buy, and that’s what makes it work. But the bass and the beat do make sure you can get funky to it on the dancefloor in your modern discotheque, and that’s all we want on a Saturday night (and whenever we’re at home, alone, with a bottle of whatever at our lips).

 

‘Once In A Lifetime’ by Talking Heads (Joey Negro edit)

Joey Negro starts this one off with some percussion and big drums, and a big, bushy bass, which seems a bit padded from the original track. That original track being ‘Once in a Lifetime’, from that band that just knows how to bring that city anxiety alive (if you haven’t succumbed to that in real life yet). After the minute mark we hear David Byrne coming out from the back to the front of the stage, with Joey Negro still riding the bass and, now, the line “same as it ever was”. In the mean time he’s having a bit of fun with some anxiety inducing synths as well, but he strips it all down to give Byrne plenty of room to do his verse, bringing the bass back near the end. When they enter the chorus, he introduces the guitar as well, after which we simply get the next verse instead of Joey Negro putting the chorus on repeat. At the three minute mark we get a bit of saxophone thrown in there to go along with the bass and other rhythm elements, which is a nice way to give some extra length to this edit. Not that it ends with that though, as obviously we always need some extra Byrne before the credits roll as the vocals make their encore. By the way, if you have never seen the video clip of the original song, do have a fun time slapping yourself in the face with that one.

 

‘Alright’ by Church Boy Lou feat. Paul Randolph

Church Boy Lou’s music is deeply rooted in the history of African-American music, both in terms of the piano house it evolves into after about the one minute mark, but also in terms of the humming vocals and the sounds-from-the-audience. I love how the humming seems to multiply, giving it this community feel that has always been a staple in gospel, house, but also blues music. Whilst the vocals and the organ lay down the vibe, the beat and the piano still keep this one rolling for anyone fancying a trip to the club. Near the very end the percussion shifts, which could easily lead one into a new dance track with a new feel to it so that you’re night out will never stop. Now, I don’t know what happens at the two and four minute mark (and there is always the hope that it is an uploading error, however faint), but the rest of the track oozes this atmosphere of hommage and pride whilst still working as something one could be giving a spin at the club.

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The Weekly Froth!

  • 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:  ‘Baby Let Me Kiss You’ by Get Down Edits

How about a nice little slow burner, eh? Some nice synth and kick action to get this one started, adding a nice, lazy bass sound in there after about 50 seconds as the synth picks it up a little bit. Later on you get all those lovely rhythm & blues horns in there as well, with the vocals of Fern Kinney coming in after about the two minute mark, singing Let me do it to ya, let me kiss ya baby (oh, behave!). In the mean time this track just keeps on rolling on, slightly upping the pace at about 2:50. 3:10 sees the introduction of the backing vocals, adding yet another layer to this one (which has been build-up instrument for instrument, addition for addition). At about the four minute mark you get those synths in again, which just add this little bit of a different sound to the rest, to counterbalance the more downtempo feel all the other things exhume. I just love this slow burning disco sound, with a bit of cheekiness added with the vocals for some dancefloor flirting and fun. And it keeps rolling on for about eight minutes, which is all kinds of fine by me.

 

‘Nasty’ by Bill & Ted

Jacques Renault teamed up with Slow Hands to create a funky little number, which is pieced together quite nicely. I just love the female vocal lines doing the daya-du-da over that little guitar riff they came up with. In the mean time a female voice is saying that she cannot keep control, after which this one slides into a nice little instrumental bit at about 2:10, which then sees the female vocals coming out from behind to get a bit more front and center. Then, a short moment where they dial it down, after which they come back with the female vocals again, asking if Tonight, are you gonna come with me. Cue, some moaning over the funky base that they have been riding all throughout this song, with the guitar leading the pack and the bass providing the groove. Add some horns in around the five minute mark as the vocals go real old school before the boys get that bass back and working for some of that funky-dancefloor-lovin’. Admittedly, the fakir sounds around the six minute point seem a bit random, but then they slide it back into what can best be described as the chorus part with the female vocals asking if you think she’s a nasty girl, as they pick up the pace slightly. It’s a lovely, nine minute affair with some of that cheeky funk and groove. Not too fast-paced, but ideal for some dancing and having fun, with smiles all around.

 

‘Let It Carry You’ by Jose Gonzalez (Dino Soccio remix)

This one starts out with this summery, laidback atmosphere. It’s got a nice, slow build-up with a little bass, some handclap-like sounds, some additional percussion thrown in there; and it isn’t until after about a minute that a beat comes in. But, a rather soft, understated beat, one you could dance to, but preferably at a pool party with a cocktail in your hands. Then the vocals come in, aided by a bit of acoustic guitar, and still that little bass to keep things grooving a bit. The vocals, too, pretty laidback. There’s just no immediacy to this track, just this groovy little pace that soundtracks your day in the Bahamas. Even so much so that the vocals at one point sing that There is nothing wrong. Even the build-up and subsequent pay-off is not for big club cheers instigated by massive drops, but it keeps it all tremendously mellow. The choice of instrumentation underlines the feel for this one, so if you just want to be chilling out a bit after a day of clubbing, this one might just do the trick for you.

 

‘Call It Love (If You Want To)’ by George FitzGerald feat. Lawrence Hart

This start takes you to the heart of Asia (before they get the beat in that is, assuming that this does not constitute as a typically Japanese kick or whatever), with then Lawrence Hart coming in, singing in his deep, reverbed aided voice, that If you want to call it love, you call it love. Which no one has ever said just before sliding on the ring and dropping down on one knee. At 1:45 the track really gets firing on all cylinders, as the vocals are there combined with not just the thuddy beat, but also with the layers of synth that kind of soften that sound. At about 2:15 there’s a break, after which George FitzGerald comes back with some superb piano, putting that one right front of center. Then the Asian sounds are flown in again (see what I did there?), and then the vocals come back with the beat to get this one to its end with a bit of pace to it. His album is currently streaming at different places, so if this takes your fancy, do give that one a spin.

 

‘Ghost’ by Lane 8 feat. Patrick Baker

I like the combination of the percussion, the melancholic vocals, and the sad piano to get this one started. After that you get the drums in to also give it a bit of a dancey vibe, though the synths keep this in the dancing-the-blues-away kind of realm. He breaks the drum & synth up for a minute, going back to the piano and the vocals combo, singing that Nothing works quite like it is supposed to. After that he slides the drums back in, giving everyone an opportunity to shuffle their feet again, with the ending really finding him in synth-pop realm despite the tone of the vocals and the narrative that goes with it (“Everything just looks so see-through”, which I’m sure is more awesome in puberty than when hitting adulthood). Lane 8 is gearing up to release his new album called Rise, this one being the lead-off single for that.

 

‘Who Shot Ya?’ by Kon

So probably you have, at one point or another, heard either Bob Marley’s or Eric Clapton’s version of ‘I Shot The Sheriff’ (but hey, at least I didn’t shoot the deputy!). Kon takes on a different version though, using Nile Rodgers' guitar and a more contemporary take on the tune (my brain is not functioning because of a cold, but it somehow reminds me of that N.A.S.A. one of not too pre-historic nature). Now, that version was already a bit more funky and catchy, but leave it to Kon to amplify that by a bunch, making it a nice dancefloor track with a little beat, but also the horns, the vocals, and thus a smithering of guitar as well. Just giving it that dash of funk that will help people shaking their hips a little. Love the bass and how that comes in after the “chorus” at about 2:15, gives it a nice kick, and that guitar just gives it that nice bit of edge that I like. As said, Kon knows how to create something and give it a bit of that funk or disco flavour, so anything by this guy and you know you have something extra to throw in your set and get people doing what they do when in the discotheque. And even the dad-rock enthusiasts among your friends can sing along with this one, claiming both bad-ass shooting skills and a merciful nature.

 

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