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: ‘Mastermind’ by Roisin Murphy

Miss Roisin Murphy is back, starting this one with some lush synths through which we can slowly hear a rhythm synth emerging. After about thirty seconds we get the vocals, almost narrating a story in a mysterious, near menacing vocal turn. She says she is Scared out of her mind, she is Petrified, and that she Has been waiting for too long, for something wrong. So no pop diva vocals here, but a sort of performance poetry, though at 2:20 she strips the gadgetry, some of the music as well, and from that point on we get a very clear vocal, also with lighter sounds surrounding it, this for the full immersive experience. From the moment her vocals start, by the way, the track gets a little pulsing beat underneath, and from the three minute mark that one is also helped by some of that bass. Later that minute we get another change up in the form of an instrumental interlude, harking back to some dark italo bass synths coming from some soundtrack or another from the 80s. It is a really theatrical piece this (especially hitting home when the backing vocals hauntingly appear as well), and shows that Murphy still has plenty of creative juices left in her.

‘Lose Control’ by Shit Robot

Shit Robot leaves no moment unused, immediately getting that bassy vibe in there for some getting down to. At the thirty second mark we get the lighter percussion sounds to juxtapose the heavier rhythm line, and half a minute later we get even more drum & rhythm to shake our bootie to. It’s got this forceful feel to it, a nice pounding it gives you. At the 1:30 mark, the DFA go-to vocalist appears, with Nancy Whang singing that Every day I’m waiting for, you to wake up, wake up, wake up. The great thing about Whang is that she’s got a nice, rhythmic voice for this sort of work. In the mean time Shit Robot keeps it all rolling down, adding all kinds of drum and rhythm elements to the core that is always present, really making sure this is a dancing tune (and don’t you forget about it!). Whang’s vocals return, singing that she Can’t fight this feeling, Lose control, which are dancing words. After that, Shit Robot takes the beat away for a moment, just going with the rhythm synth, and then bringing it back in for that little push. Lovely dancefloor tune, as we are accustomed to from anything that has to do with either DFA, Nancy Whang, or Shit Robot.

‘Under One’ by Toomy Disco

Toomy Disco starts this one with a hard hitting beat, doing the glitchy a bit as well. After the thirty second mark we get more of a thudding main hitter to get that rhythm right, and a minute in we also get some diva vocals. At least, for a moment, soon traded in for the bass sound. But not too much later they show they can co-exist, with the bass still rolling, and the vocals urging you to Bump (pump?) the party. And this definitely is a party track, no bones about it. After the two minute mark, suddenly, it opens up, getting some of that piano in, stripping some of the rhythm sounds for a moment (and at about the 4:10 mark doing a similar thing as well). But Toomy Disco soon works its way to the beat and go, giving the people on the dancefloor not too much of a rest as they need to keep a movin’! And it certainly pounces that home, doing the party vibe and the hard going with this one.

‘Long Water’ by Wilson Tanner

Wilson Tanner is a combination of John Tanner and A.R.T. Wilson, giving us a peaceful moment at the start, with some piano and a little bit of that slow guitar to really set the tone. Then, to add, a bit of those sad & jazzy horns, putting us in that particular state of mind. And so, slowly, it adds certain sounds, but without any form of clutter. It is a real clear cut song, getting everything out of all the sad notes for all the sad sacks to reminisce and reflect to. It is an instrumental piece that would not be out of place at a Jazz festival, and definitely it gives you all that a good jazz tune is able to give you as far as I’m concerned. The atmosphere is constant, the sounds clean and packing the emotional feel they want to exhume, and that for a good six minutes straight on. A feat they pull off with confidence and skill.

‘Pleasure’ by Formation

Formation are a young British band putting the bass full in at the start for this electro track, one with a little bit of that punk intensity in there as well. The bass is really the main rhythm, but drum rhythms help to give it the dance vibe, while the punk-ish delivery and a certain rawness provide that intense quality. The drums and vocals, for the most part, give each other a moment of rest, and at the two minute mark there is a full stop. Just some vocals before, first, the drums come back, and after that, the whole works, but a little more upbeat and with a bit more air than at the start. Trading in the basement for something with a bit more sunshine.

‘Do I Believe In God’ by Prince (LNTG Muscle Mix)

After Bowie now Prince has left the building as well, but that doesn’t mean we cannot funk to either songs like ‘Fame’ or tracks like ‘Controversy’, a classic Prince tune where he talks about people wanting to know about other people and, Oh lord, is he gay or straight, is he black or white, and does the man Believe in God? Controversy! One of my favorite edits is the Late Nite Tuff Guy mix (which I was fortunate enough to dance to live when I saw the man perform behind the decks). Starts out with a lovely beat, but also already the guitar riff, building up the familiarity until, after a good minute and a half or so, it dives headlong into the track, giving us the funky to do the sexy to. The vocals come in, the rhythm is spot on, and you can get crazy to Prince saying that I just can’t believe the things that people say, as people are getting down on the dancefloor doing things that might give people actually something to talk about. There’s plenty of the guitar, plenty of the vocal work, and enough funk and catchy stuff to really get it going on too. One of my favorite mixes of an artist who has influenced many.

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: ‘The Names’ by Baio (Wolfram remix)

Though Baio’s album hasn’t necessarily gripped me, Wolfram always manages to do just that with his expert synth work. First we get a little beat and some auxiliary sounds, but after about 16 seconds in we get those delicious synths that just have this sense of euphoria to them. A new, non-rhythm synth comes in around the fifty second mark, and after that what sounds like a ukelele gets in there. And so Wolfram builds this one up, constantly adding more and more until about the 1:30 mark, where he runs off with the rhythm synth and adds the vocals of Baio, singing that he can do that, If that’s what you really want. Shortly after Wolfram adds first the one drum, then the other to give the synths some help in getting the people to dance. There’s a short break, that is filled with first the vocals, after which he dives back into the synths again. At 3:30 another change-up, and Wolfram always manages to do them so smoothly. Just how he uses original elements, but then adds those lovely synths, and a bit of a beat to just add that bit of backbone; it just shows why this guy is at the top of my list.

‘Over It’ by Junior Boys

After a pretty long drought, Junior Boys now release yet another piece of original material, this one getting the pace of 80s dancing movies down with the kickdrum. Juxtaposing the quickness is the dreamy vocals, singing that hope is for the middle of the night. Though even the vocals have a pretty quick delivery. One layer down there is a light synthesizer that gains more prominence after the one minute mark, as the vocals go up a pitch in something that probably resembles a chorus. Sometimes the vocals are double layered, which adds some depth to it. At about 1:50 the horse comes galloping in, contrasting the moment where the beat is cut by half just a few seconds later. It is totally different from the other outing off of their yet-to-be released Big Black Coat, with this one going for a high paced synth-and-drum affair, with the vocals singing that You’re afraid to go home. And if this is the thing that they’re playing to get all your energy out on the floor, why would you wanna, anyway?

‘Everything Nice’ by Jaakko Eino Kalevi feat. Farao (Popcaan cover)

The flutey sound is a nice, airy contrast with first the deeper synth, then the deeper vocals, who are also aided by a deep beat. But then there are also the female vocals (courtesy of Farao) doubling the male voice, which is a nice touch, and lends a dreamy atmosphere to the whole endeavor. This before she has the chance to go at it alone, doing a fast paced spoken word thing. When the chorus is there Jaakko Eino Kalevi puts in a high-pitched synth sound, moving the deeper synth slightly to the background. The beat also makes sure you can do a little dance to it as well, as the two vocalists sing that Everything is nice, though that might be more longing than a factual statement. This is a sort of deep synth-pop version of a track by Popcaan, which it doesn’t resemble in the slightest anymore, in case you were wondering about that. Kalevi actually recently visited my country, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend, though friends said the music was definitely up to scratch. So there you go, if you like your second hand opinions fresh out of the oven and buttered over to be presented as something good and tasty.

‘Live Together’ LNTG No More War rework

Lets get some of that old school funk in there with Late Nite Tuff Guy doing an edit of Timmy Thomas’s ‘Why Can’t We Live Together’. The start is percussion heavy, though soon enough that classic piano sound of the track comes in, which is quite the identifier of a sound. LNTG rides the combo of those two things for a moment, which works pretty well, as the one can get you to dance, and the other sets the tone of the track. This slight melancholic feel. At about 1:50 those harsh sounds come in, indicating that LNTG is working up to those vocals. But first, some MLK, and then, tell me why, tell me why, tell me why, why can’t we live together? At 3:10 some extra rhythm percussion to bolster the pace a bit, with in the mean time still all those characteristic sounds of this 1972 track that, apparently, is still as relevant today as it was back then. And leave it to LNTG to make it a smooth, funky ride with loads of percussion, respect for the original, and obviously something that you can do a little dance to, celebrating that, yessir, most people are actually quite successful living together and helping each other out.

‘Gruff’ by Fouk

Apparently Fouk is comprised of two Dutchmen, so those are two fellow countrymen right there. More importantly, they’re getting the funky on, with a lovely little wobbly guitar riff, some fast paced drumming, and other percussion elements. At the thirty second mark we get some bass action as well to help out the beat in the rhythm department, and after the minute mark that bass is going to get loud and makes a dash for it. At 1:20 we even get more into the old school funk, including some female vocals doing a nice little jazz ditty. And, why not, lets add some wah-wah synths in there as well so that those cymbals are not there all by themselves anymore. At 2:40 there’s a short break where all the rhythm elements are stripped down, and a little piano is the cue to at least get some drums in there (though they’re not the dancefloor ones we’ve heard earlier). The bass comes back at about 3:14 though, immediately picking up the pace to get some of that mania going once more. The EP will be out first month next year, so that might be a nice way to celebrate the new year with a little funky dancing.

‘Get Serious’ by Jermaine Jackson (JKriv’s Not-So-Serious Edit)

The guitar gets that riff going from the start, with the beat making sure there’s something underneath to keep this one dashing forward. With intervals, some drums come in to rattle things up a bit, but the guitar doesn’t get rattled that easily, quickly moving forward again with that riff they’ve got going. After about the 1:10 mark the bass dives in as well, rolling along with the guitar to the point where the horns are added to strut their stuff. So we’ve got the whole complement going on, which means the vocals are not far away. And yessir, there they are, singing that they Toss and turn, fall asleep hugging my pillow tight. And why? Because he is thinking of that one special one, of course, making him walking around With a smile on my face. So how about that for a feel-good track, eh? As he proposes, Lets get serious, and fall in love. Right after that the guitar gets some of its time again, soon scorching the solo along with the horns. And that’s the ball game people, a near eight minute Jermaine Jackson funked up R&B love fest to feast your dancing shoes on. With the horns, the guitar, the vocals, the whole shebang to get that party going. Nothing like a bit of fun when on a night about the town, no?