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The Weekly Froth! - 20161118

  • 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: ‘Walls To Build’ by KLLO (Mall Grab remix)

I love the vocals, which are right there from the start. The rhythm that’s put underneath is nice and bouncy, and it’s stopped for a moment just after the minute mark, where the vocals are put in the spotlight with only a small percussion element. Then, the rhythm is thrust right back in there, and this time around the vocals are clearer and cleaner, which is a nice effect, a nice change-up for the track. They still are lovely and dreamy though, a bit apathetic, a bit removed; a tone that fits the deepness of especially the synth sound that works in conjunction with the beat. At about the 3:30 mark, again, a short stop, this time accompanied with higher pitched synth sounds, though quickly the deeper ones return to help the transition to the bass and beat again a little while later. Released on the Ghostly International label in America, which says it all, really.

 
 
‘Is There No End’ by Shit Robot (New Jackson remix)

New Jackson gets this one going with a beat to do some of that House club jackin’ to. The atmospherical sounds give it a slower, more melancholic feel, whilst the clean beat design also shows off some of the intricacies in the drum pattern. At 1:40 there’s a wobbly synth sound that arrives in there, though the big shake up comes after the two minute mark, when the bass takes over. The tone of the track stays intact though, even when the talking vocals come in. These are alien, from outer space (or from out-er-that-vocoder-thingy-over-there), and New Jackson subtly shifts in the rhythm department underneath all that talking. It’s a lovely, hypnotic track, of which the original was part of Shit Robot’s What Follows album, which was released earlier this year.

 
 
‘On Hold’ by The XX

This track, really, has all the hallmarks we have come to know from the band. The somewhat detached vocals, the melancholic sound, and the interplay between the male and female voices. Building up to the chorus though, they bring in the more orchestral, the bigger sounds, with the chorus getting a helping hand from a more punchy, rap like male vocal. The sounds underneath are also a tad trippier than I remember from when I saw them tour their debut album, which seemed to have a more minimalistic approach to it. The core sound though, the essence of the band, that’s still there, and it still has that little something something that made them go from 0 to 100 in 60 seconds.

 
‘Disco Child’ by Sean Sounds

How about that riffin’ to start this one off nastily, along with the bass and, immediately, the female vocals taking you right into that Disco Queen party. And why not, as we are all disco children, really, aren’t we? And this one gives you the riff, the bass, the percussion, and, of course, those horns (ah, the horns!) to get some dancing done to. With the vocals leading the band, talking about how in the ye olden days she was already imbued by them dancing sounds, and now she’s quite hooked. Given how Sean Sounds picks up that rhythm after she finishes her choruses, no wonder, because that just makes you want to boogie down, now doesn’t it? At the three minute mark we are treated to some percussion and some of that disco innuendo (Take that beat, now, why don’t ya?), after which the horns are put to some good use before la diva returns for the next chapter in her disco origins story. It’s got the disco flavor down pat, and the euphoria is as addictive as the riffs at the start.

 
 
‘Trust Me’ by Mr. Tophat feat. Robyn

Mr. Tophat is about to take you for a ride, giving you those house club sounds with that deep, rich beat as his base for (at least part of) his ten minute extravaganza. To juxtapose that, just listen to those sounds way back in the mix that are there even before he picks up the pace with some extra percussion just after the minute mark. Near the two minute point Robyn comes in for her first set of vocals, which also seems to be the cue for Mr. Tophat to move a bit more into the space territory. At about 3:05, again, a little pick-me-upper in the percussion, with Robyn helping out, her vocals becoming more pronounced and tied in with some disco inspired sounds. And after Robyn and the disco, the space and the deep rhythm sounds come back in, which apparently is so shocking to Robyn she gives out a few good yelps on top of a galloping rhythm that moves into some slick bass action. Mr. Tophat does that so well, keeping it weird and quirky, but also grounded in the origins of the genres on display. The rhythm in there is diverse, but all the transitions work well (although the real shocker at about the six minute mark is another thing yet again), and then there’s Robyn to add some of that typical vocal work that befits the tone of the track. It requires some trust (…), but the result is an eclectic funbox with the first part taking on the classic dancing genres and bringing it home.

 
‘That’s What You Told Me’ SR Edits

SR Edits adds some percussion, adds some drums, though already from the start we hear some of those original sounds right back in the mix, slowly moving forward, waiting until y’all on the dancefloor are ready for it. And a good minute in, they decide you are, as the beat takes over and the horn and piano sounds come in a bit clearer than before, giving you that good ol’ disco feel. At 1:40, the female vocals come in, quickly followed by their counterpart, as they sing about how the other is going To be loo-hoo-hoo-hoo-ne-ly. Just before 2:30, the male vocals, super silky smooth, giving you all that sweet soul and a bit more, giving you that whole Motown thing that Ashford & Simpson are known for (albeit, admittedly, this was a track released after). It’s a sweet soul disco track, and this edit highlights the latter, the dancefloor part, for some of them good times.

 
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The Weekly Froth! - 20161111

  • 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: ‘Bestissimo’ by Tiger & Woods

Tiger & Woods come out of the gates huffin’ and puffin’ with this one, providing us with a loop again that they create, re-create, and which you come to anticipate. The first recreation comes when they add the vocals and the bass, which give it the rhythm and flavor. At the minute mark, the next instrument comes in, some strummin’ and drummin’, which then gets complemented by the horns a little while later. In the mean time, the main canvas still is in place, with the bass as prime rhythm part. And so, for the remainder of the five minutes, they add and subtract, but with even more eye to momentum than ever before, as witnessed by everything that takes place around the two minute mark. It’s not solely about the hypnosis of the loop, but sometimes they shorten the window of change to get momentous joy in the ranks before resorting back to the main sounds. Awesome track by the duo.

 
 
‘Cruise Control’ by Jeffrey Paradise

Jeffrey Paradise gets the percussion in there first, slow and steady winning the race there. Then, a nice little guitar riff, one of that tropics kind to go with some of the vibes of the percussion. The bass sound nicely tops that off as well, slowly turning this one into a low-paced disco burner that makes your mind drift to the islands and a little beach party with cocktails and the likes. At about the 2:10 mark we get a bit of that nifty guitar playing coming through there, which then smoothly transitions to the synths. After about three minutes, for the first time, we get some far away vocals, and the instruments that come in after give it a little bit of punch to keep the defense honest. After which that guitar comes in again, and now who doesn’t love a bit of that?

 
 
‘Rising Youth’ by Luvless

I love the kick to start with, being balanced nicely by the constant synth and the snapping and shaking sounds that give it a bit of that extra percussion. Just before the minute mark the beat gets turned down, the synths take over with the aforementioned other sounds, and then the rhythm is added back with a deep bass. Then, the vocals, singing that they Love you more than before (and now who doesn’t love hearing that?). In the mean time it’s all building up that anticipation for the kick to come back in, and Luvless makes sure to tease before the please, building up that wall of synths until about 2:40 when the drum and everything comes back with a  vengeance, working with the vocals to give you that full house vibe. You get that same turn-it-down-to-build-it-up later on the track as well, still working it’s sweet magic for that dancefloor.

 
 
‘Deep Fry’ by Snacks (Fouk remix)

This starts with all the percussion sounds, including some pretty sharp sounding ones at that, which then gets juxtaposed with a little bit of that slappin’ of the snares before the bass rhythm fully comes in there (and with it, some horns to give you a smattering of that extra joy). At 1:20 the track really gets rolling, putting everything on those two instruments, which sets that disco dancefloor alight. Love the sounds at 1:35 or thereabouts, that just is so in tune with the genre. Fouk dials it down slightly a bit later, though they are still keeping it moving. Then it’s snare upon snare, with the drums and bass setting the tone for the horns to come up on over. They even start adding some piano to the proceedings, to really get you that funk and play, the latter which they sure show with the transition at about 3:50 and the subsequent build up. Some of that modern disco for all those pretty dancers to get it going on to.

 
 
‘Take it Back’ by Figgy feat. Angelica Bess

I love the vocals here, reminds me a bit of that Eighties Madonna action, and the track does have a sort of pop vibe going on as well. Angelica is singing that you are just giving all your love to Take it right back. In the mean time the track is moving forward with some drum, snare, and bass action, the latter especially prevalent in the choruses, where the vocals get some help and echo. At the two minute mark the vocals are given a bit of room, singing that she Will be all right, after which the drums already announce the coming of the chorus. Angelica Bess is also part of Body Language, so you know that was going to be all right from the get go, really.

 
 
‘Emotions’ by Saucy Lady

From the start you know you are getting a bit of that downtown jazz club action, and when they start slapping that bass you know for sure it is in that club where that soul is going to go down. The guitar is helping out a bit, giving you that short riff play before the woman du jour comes in with that glittery long gown soul singer voice, singing that your love brings her through the day as the bass keeps helping this one chug along to shake them shoulders to. Loads of piano action is in there as well, giving that jazz backing band vibe all the way on through. At about the 3:20 minute mark you can hear all those instruments at work very clearly, seconds after which the vocals return for another go around. Another lovely release on that Street Muzik label.

 
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