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:  ‘Gin ‘n Tears’ by Guiddo feat. Georges Perin (Burnin Tears remix)

When such sounds are used at the start, you kind of know that this is one of those tracks that’s going to make you dance. They’re about the most effective sounds to slide a beat (or other rhythm element) under to suddenly get people moving, and indeed the bass follows within the minute to get you all going. Those vocals, these really set this one apart, they’re so high, giving it this nice extra layer and variation in feel. In the mean time the bass is still going on, as the synths and other rhythm sounds provide some extra layers and depth to hold on to. At about 2:30 they’re, again, setting the dancefloor up for an eruption, even using some of those around-the-world kind of drums, going from left to right like in those power anthems you had in the '90s. Then those vocals come in (and they’re always such a lovely surprise), just before they get back to the base rhythm sounds to get the dancefloor dancing. The instrumentals kind of sound anthemic, almost designed for a big audience, but the vocals and some of the auxiliary sounds do draw this one out of a too mainstream and too well-known sound. It’s pretty catchy as well, by the way (and a free download, and from the Tim “Beats in Space” Sweeney’s label).

‘(Got Me) Runnin’’ by B.G. Baarregaard

There you go, a nice slice of vocal house by B.G. Baarregaard. I like the pace, not too fast, not too slow, exactly right for some of that dancefloor action. You’ve got the beat in the back, the synths a bit up front, and the soulful vocals saying that, apparently, You’ve kissed her lips (you naughty boy, you). So you’ve got the loving going on in this one, though Loving you, she says, Was her mistake. After the two minute mark it slides from a more disco sound to a bit of a deeper feel, mostly because the synth sound changes. After forty seconds of that you get some extra keys in there to not make it too deep for too long, and at the three minute mark you even get some of that shimmering, floating synth to get it on a higher plain. Watch for the short break with just a moment of vocals only, after which the beat gets slid back in and it moves into the more disco house territory again. As said, just a lovely slice of vocal house, and that’s my favorite house genre out there, so you know I’m enjoying this one.

‘Some Things Never Seem To Fucking Work’ by Kindness

I love both Kindness and Solange, and I’m pretty happy I managed to see them both play live in recent years (thank you, come again please!). This one is definitely not a straight up cover, with the start seemingly taken from that Psycho scene (try to unhear that now. You’re welcome). Kindness makes the track a little bit more broody, as he almost huskily sings the track’s lyrics in his deepest voice as the background sounds swell upwards and upwards. They, too, way more ominous than the more funky and playful original. It’s like the narrator in the song was finally done in by the events, and the track has been run through his now warped mind. In that sense it is definitely an intriguing cover with a totally different function from the original, though that also means that if you’re looking for some of the catchiness of either the original or Kindness own work, well, welcome to Twin Peaks, enjoy your stay.

‘Christine’ by Christine And The Queens (Paradis remix)

Anything by Paradis gets my heart throbbing, so even a remix is a must listen for me. This is a remix of a song by Christine And The Queens, whom I’m not really familiar with, so the surprise is all mine, I’m sure. I like the vocals doing the humming thing at the start, providing a little bit of softness to the rhythm. That softness is increased soon after, getting a bit of help by the new instrumentals that come in. Apparently, Christine and her Queens are from France as well, singing the track in a language I don’t quite understand. The voice, though, is a lovely one, very smooth and clear, maybe if you throw it in the comparitron you’ll get Sade out of it. It also has that loungey vibe a bit, though the drums at the back make sure it’s not just for sipping hot drinks in a hipper-than-thou bar. I love some of the change-ups after the end of the vocals, and as a surprise you get some male vocals to help out a bit as well. The rhythm makes sure this one dabbles forward at exactly the right pace for something with this feel, and all that French makes sure it’s one that’s easy-on-the-ear as well (and quite beautiful, too).

‘Back Then’ by Formation

I like the drums at the start, but what I especially enjoy is the quick build-up of the pace as the track transmorphs into a 70s rock/punk track, propelled by those throbbing drums and the rocky-hazy voice of the singer. Obviously, a bass like that certainly helps, as the vocals have a certain urgency and anxiety in them, increasing the sense of pace. They do build a moment of peace and quiet in, but slowly they get the organ going again and they all build it up, adding some cowbell for good measure (and who doesn’t love a little bit of that). Vocals again semi-shout that he just wants to be back then, and the bass and cowbell help the crowd to dance to it’s end. Lovely little mixture of those genres, with as it’s biggest assett this feel of pace that it creates through all these different elements.

‘Cruel Summer’ by Bananarama (Casio Social Club edit)

Major drums to start this one off with, soon aided by a little bit of a beat, and an '80s overpowered synthesizer to get you in the right mood for when that funky guitar riff comes in. At about 1:45 the girls from Bananarama walk onto the set, definitely adding to that poppy vibe from back in the day (which is helped by some of that guitar and the piano sounds that are playing in the background as well). The girls remind you that it certainly was a cruel summer, leaving me here on my own. Casio Social Club go for the power drums and synths to keep both the '80s vibe alive whilst adding some dancefloor feel to it (though that high pitched percussion that starts at about 4:20 definitely aids both vibes as well). And naturally, when the girls and the guitar enter the fray, that brings you back right there. Just enough edit to get the dancefloor dancing and smiling in all it’s retro-ness, and still plenty of those old vibes and new elements that further enhance those times.

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:  ‘Sur Une Chanson En Francais’ by Paradis

I always like me my Paradis, and this one is again such a good example why. It’s got a nice little drum beat at the start, but that’s not the main attraction as far as I’m concerned. The main thing that lures me in is that dreamy synth and those ditto vocals. They just give it this terribly fantastic(al) atmosphere, and the French narrative kind of transports it into the Nouvelle Vague realm of it all. After the first round of vocals they add a little, understated bass in there to juxtapose the higher sounding synth a bit, and they keep that one running even as the vocals return. They just manage to keep that atmosphere up so very elegantly, and it really has this wearing-your-trenchcoat-walking-through-Paris-in-graytones kind of vibe, and now who doesn’t love that? There’s this nice little transition around 3:30, where they up the pace slightly. And then, those horns that are added, my goodness! Aside from the tone of it all the track is also so very cleverly and delicately constructed. Paradis definitely hit the mark again as far as I’m concerned.

‘Loop De Li’ by Bryan Ferry (Leo Zero remix)

Bryan Ferry is the singer of Roxy Music, and I do believe a favorite for guys who like to remix, as both his band and he himself always seem to pop up at certain times. This remix is not a dancefloor killer, but rather a nicely forward-trodding affair with that slow pace. It’s the atmosphere that’s key, with the horns, the guitar, and the narrative vocals of Bryan Ferry who tell you that there is No place to hide. It’s a bit of a loungey affair, with the bass being the main rhythm proponent. The horns and guitar are other staples here, though there are definitely enough sounds in there to not make it a stale affair. ‘Loop De Li’ is the opening track of Ferry’s new album Avonmore, and at the very least this remix showcases Ferry’s voice once more. Not in terms of Whitney Houston-like note hitting, but in that theatrical telling voice he sometimes puts on display, and definitely does so here. Leo Zero’s understated remix definitely supports the vocals, with him nailing the tone. There are some nice transitions to be found here as well, and some very smooth introductions of new sounds, so if you don’t mind a track with a lounge vibe, definitely have a look at this one, apparently also coming out on vinyl.

‘Running’ by Blende feat. Gustaph

I like the start with that typical sound, it kind of fits the cover image with all the colours. It’s just got a joie-de-vivre to it I find, though the synth that follows it has a slight melancholic feel to it. Underneath you’ve got percussion to keep this one going forward, with additional percussion being added for some extra rhythm. The next synth has more of a club sound to it, and it kind of is the introduction to the powerful voice of Gustaph that comes in moments after. He’s got this big, gospel like voice which he already put on display with Hercules And Love Affair in the shows they did in the past year. After the two minute mark the track dials it down a bit, and at about 2:55 you get that nice sound from the start back in, which is definitely a fun transition in my opinion. It gives this track a sort of quirky quality which is nice, and that along with the solid execution and the powerful vocals you’ve got yourself a nice track indeed. Though I’m not the biggest fan of those “glitches”, as in, they seem to at points put a sort of one second delay in there that disrupts the flow of the beat. Very modern probably, but not my cup of tea. Enough here to make up for that though, so no real complaining here.

 ‘See Through You’ by Mighty Mouse feat. Ronika

Mighty Mouse immediately puts the beat in this one, so no wasting time here. The real love comes when the woodwork percussion and the bass come in though, those are the things we’re waiting for. Then they add Ronika’s vocals, and the essence of the track is off and running. She’s got this nice, rhythmic delivery which Mighty Mouse makes good use of, for example in the chorus, where they up the bass a bit to give it this funky dancing vibe. Ronika is saying that She’s got 20/20 vision, and can see right through, which gives a bit of attitude to this as well. There’s a nice change-up at about 3:20, where they seem to bring out the violins and, for a minute, lose the bass and percussion. First the latter, then the former find their way back in again pretty quickly though, after which they make sure they ride it out to (almost) the end. It’s a lovely little funker with some nice moments and a little attitude because of the vocals, so definitely worth a little dance to I reckon.

‘Romeo’ by Dan Bodan (CFCF groove remix)

From the get go you already get these pop vibes, and then you get the Dan Bodan vocals along with some finger snapping. Those soulful vocals are really up front in the mix, so they’re really the focus of this thing, which I think is lovely. It’s like CFCF  created an aura around them that kind of keeps the instruments relatively at bay. Until after the minute mark that is, when CFCF turns the groove on by adding that bass line, which he expands on a bit later to get the full groove effect out. CFCF is just one of those guys that has an amazing ear for sound, so you kind of know it is going to be something slightly different (how he uses the vocals), but he’s also going to manage to set out what he is saying he’s going to do (make it a groover). So there come the drums, the rhythm synths, and then the bass again to top it off and get people dancing. So if you’ve been waiting to hear a nice, bass-led groove with some soulful vocals that is pretty easy-on-the-ear to boot, there you go.

‘Keep on Lying’ by Jessie Ware (Pional remix)

I once saw Jessie Ware live, which kind of underwhelmed me, so yeah. But I do love Pional and his piano house tracks, so there’s that. This isn’t a piano house tune, unfortunately. It’s more of a trippy beat thing with an overload of percussion. Now, even though that concert underwhelmed me at the time, Ware’s vocals are still lovely and Sade like, so in that sense there’s no complaining here, as they are clear and audible and aren’t waylayed by the instruments. Some instrumental things are pretty nifty as well, with that percussion bit that starts a bit before the two minute mark, for instance. At 2:45 you kind of get the highlight of this remix, with Pional practically dialling down everything and Ware almost Christmas-Carrolling the line “If this isn’t love, I don’t wanna know”. So still some good stuff in here, though truth be told, it is kind of a one-time listen for me.