Weekly Column - The Froth!

Track of the week:  ‘International’ (Brother J Disco Dub) (Superbreak)

I’m kind of hesitant about something being called a Disco Dub, because for me when you put a dub beat in a disco song, they kind of annihilate each other I always think. Luckily this is not that. It’s got more this cheeky house vibe to it, which is just amazing and totally fits on the Superbreak label, of which I always thoroughly enjoy the output. The horns that come in at 1:45, those are wicked. So much fun, and better still, it are not just things quickly thrown in there and easily ditched, but these horns actually are about the main sound for a good minute before the beat comes back in. Love stuff like that, love it much more than when they pick one thing and are too scared to deviate from it (where in actuality they would’ve had to in order to not let the track succumb to dullness). At 3:49 you again have a nice little change-up, which then gets into a sort of 1-2 punch with the horns. For the ending they bring back the beat, probably because then you can more easily mix in something new. Catchy and cheeky little tune this, lovely.

‘Turn Your Love Around’ by George Benson (Alkalino remix)

Is it a guilty pleasure to see George Benson perform in recent years and just love it to bits? It’s almost over the top smooth perhaps, also the way he performs stuff like ‘On Broadway’, ‘Give Me the Night’, and this track, ‘Turn Your Love Around’. Originally a “radio” song, so no longer than four minutes, but Alkalino shows patience and puts some repetition in. The great thing about that is that he doesn’t just go ad nauseum on the chorus or anything, but he gives it a longer build-up, which I always like better than when someone just throws in a bucketful of the main line. Don’t expect the full dancefloor treatment for this one, it really stays within the soul and R&B of the original. Just, longer, really. There are some moments that, in my honest opinion, could’ve been patched up a bit (I’m looking at you, 4:20!) and if it were an official release and not a free download for the fun of it, probably he would have I’d think. Then again, that bit that starts about 4:50 with the double vocal lines is fun fun fun. Now, if you didn’t like the original, or if you want to have a beat under it or something, you can give this a pass. But if you’re one for “guilty pleasures”, as a journalist of that earlier mentioned concert called it, then this one will have you in smiles.

'Obsession’ by Craig Bratley/Magic Feet

Oh wow, that voice, that really puts down the mood for this track. The vocals, along with that main sound, it give it this stalker/I’m being chased vibe. This dark tinge it gives to it, that’s just really nice. I like it when there’s a distinct aesthetic to a track, whatever it may be. In the mean time you’ve got the beat that makes sure the song keeps moving forward so that all those sounds laying down the feel and emotion of the song can freely play around. Even though that main sound does help the rhythm part of it. The lyrics add to the feel, as that deep, dark voice keeps saying that You have become his obsession, after which they put that synthy sound  in, which feels like you are witnessing a chase in some sort of horror/sci-fi B flick or something. Which I love, so not hating there. Kind of reminds me, in terms of vibe, of that stuff Antoni Maiovvi did with that Shadows of a Bloodstained Kiss record, though in terms of the actual music that wasn’t deep house like this is. In a vaguely lit underground club, near the end, this would be fun to play. Basically at that time when that sense of being a pray or praying becomes sexual and not scary, probably.

‘Shake’ by Lou Teti

Lou Teti isn’t in a hurry with this one. It starts with this lazy beat, on top of which he slowly introduces the cosmic and the spacey. The vocals are also distorted in a way that fits the space feel at first, though after the initial bit they get a bit more disco. They implore everyone to shake, and to keep on moving, as you gotta be grooving. After the initial set of vocals he puts in some nice auxiliary sounds that again fit the more cosmic mode of it all. Kind of a mixture between this spacey groovy thingy and this more disco like tune with the bass and the vocals&lyric combination. That gives it a slightly odd feel which I do really like listening too, though I have to have a think if or where I could put this in a set. Then again, with the greats that are on remix duty (Drop Out Orchestra, JKriv, and Toby Tobias), maybe it’s just a matter of flipping the record, really.

‘Tick of the Clock’ by Chromatics (Visione’s The Stroke of Midnight remix)

You know, since the source material is Chromatics, that this is going for mood over anything else. You can also see that from the title, The Stroke of Midnight, which indicates some sort of magic, always, whether for good (Cinderella) or for bad (Werewolves, etc.). The track keeps that typical Chromatics vibe that we all love so much from that Italians Do It Better label. Visione’s version makes it this hypnotic groove with some moments where it goes for a bit more bang, starting at about the two minute mark. 2:30 sees this kind of garage vibe come in that gives it a bit of an edge, which he rides for about a minute before a little beat is put on to get this baby home. It has this hypnotic vibe, it has the atmosphere, and it has some slight turns up his sleeve not to bore anyone with some sort of “vibe” music that just drones on and on (and on...). Kind of feels that I didn’t get the full effect though, that it should be about 1 1/2 minute longer. But maybe that’s a good thing, most songs outstay their welcome anyway.

‘Bill Murray Came To My House Party’ by James Welsh

Would Bill Murray listen to deep house? Somehow I doubt that. Then again, he does karaoke in Tokyo, so who knows, right? As iconic as anyone for “my generation” I think, as the only films I ever see on TV ever are Groundhog Day and Ghostbusters. Aside from culturally signifying where you’re coming from, I don’t see how the title has anything to do with the track itself. It’s not like they’re singing that Bill Murray is coming to my house, my house or something. It’s just a really nice house tune. It’s got that deep house beat going on, and they really put some classical house vocals on top of that. Those kind of vocals that just really fit that genre, you know? Some nice percussion elements in there as well, and I like that just before the vocals come in for the first time they halt the instrumentals for a moment, as if to say, Look what we have singing at our show. He is basically constantly singing the same line, but that gives that nice bit of repetition that is so important in dance music, and it gives that next to the beat, which obviously repeats itself a tad as well. There are some moments there where they stray from the beat, though probably you always have either the beat or the vocals, which is a good thing for this song. Just a lovely deep house song which you can slide into any such set perfectly I’d reckon.