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: ‘Be A Better Man’ by Situation (Greg Wilson & Derek Kaye remix)

This one starts with a nice synth and a mid-paced beat to get it all going on. Soon, though, we get a little riff in there— which sounds amazing— and the cymbals also do their work. Then, more keys, on top of more guitar, and then a bass sound is added for some extra rhythm. Greg Wilson and Derek Kaye really build this deeper disco sound out nicely, giving something extra every so often to keep it wheeling and dealing, and then, at 1:50, the flush, with the vocals coming in, saying they Go down anywhere you are. I love the vocals, so lush, and the transition from with vocals to without is superb, hitting the right tone with the instruments right there. When the vocals come in, they come in with a little bit of immediacy, adding some momentum to the track. I love the rocky edge the boys give this tune a little bit later in this track, which is the sound they work as they fade out the rhythm for a moment before, obviously, working that one right back in there at 5:20 (doing it with the bass, let me tell ya). Just a real dancefloor corker by the two veterans who just know about how to do all this.

‘My Own Throne’ by Pat Lok feat. Claire Mortifee

I love the secondary sound next to the thudding beat, that vocal line of dah-dah-da-da, a bit higher pitched to juxtapose the other sound at the start (aka , the beat) nicely. After that, some actual singing, saying that she will claim her throne, which is then helped out by a synth sound. After the first verse ends we go a bit glitchy with all the sounds, though that gets balanced out by that same vocal line as at the start (which is a find, let me tell ya). At about the 1:45 mark Pat Lok dials down the beat, going for the vocals and a more gentle percussion sound. At 2:30, after a short build-up, again primarily the vocals, though after that one the main sounds of the song start up again to do some dancing to. The vocals by Claire Mortifee really make this one gel together, not just with the singing, but especially the more rhythm lines she produces, which keeps intact that delicate balance.

‘Atmo’ by Nicholas feat. Paul Cut

I love Nicholas’s dancing chops, and here he starts out by a nice, galloping sound produced by a percussion that helps out the beat. Then, more dancing perc sounds. Whilst all that is going on we hear The People talk and jive and stuff as, just before the 1:30 mark, Nicholas turns up the beat once more, this time getting some of those piano sounds in as well. And, at 2:15, he really gets jazzed up, putting the piano as primary marker, and even continuing the solo as the dance beat returns. Around 3:30 we get the bass that starts plugging along, paving the way for another turn up of both the beat and the piano sounds. It’s just another House music stomper by Nicholas, who just knows how to get them people moving. You can slide this one in on any set, really, helping to keep the big Mo alive.

‘Am I Wrong’ by Anderson Paak (Sammy Bananas Bootleg)

Love how the looping starts, the cymbals and beat laying down the groundwork on top of which the same sound repeats itself at the same moment. Then, at about the forty second mark, the deeper drum, and also already a semblance of vocals, which first audibly come through at about the minute mark with a well placed Well I … Then a subtle, jazzy bass comes in, giving it this nice R&B vibe. The vocals, subdued-yet-soulful, start getting in more lines, now a Only one at a time, which then gets repeated a few times before a little break that is the prelude for a little riff and, especially, a little bit of them horns. Those work up to a return of the bass and the other rhythm sounds, bringing back the vocals as well.  That break-n-horns thing gets repeated a little bit later on, but then the return sees even more horns and even more of that part of the vibe, aside from the rhythm instruments. It’s a lovely slow burner, intricate and one to dream away to at that beach fest as the sun shines.

‘Strong Feeling’ by Superprince

How about immediately starting with that super catchy guitar riff, with the bass working underneath to keep this one moving forward. It immediately sets the tone and pace for this one, which is only added to by the horns that come on, adding the funk, adding the dancefloor soul. Then, the old school vocals, with the gentlemen singing Carry on, as everything keeps Rolling, rolling on. Then, after the unison, the individual vocals, with one man stepping forward and giving you that slick-interpersed-with-a-little-growl-now-and-again vocal turn. When he is done we get the boogie guitar, as the bass sound is still providing the groundworks on which one can dance to. And they sure know how to keep that funky business high up there, not letting up and not letting go of that what gets people on the floor. High paced, high energy, and people can be working up a sweat for sure on this catchy little tune right there.

‘Brick House’ by The Commodores (A Young Pulse Friendly Re-Work)

Young Pulse takes on that old school Commodores sound, giving you all of the good ol’ disco dancefloor stuff that you can handle. Obviously with the drum and bass sound as prime sounds to keep that rhythm right. But also, the horns and the vocals, singing that she is a Brick (horns) house. I love the multiple horn layers in the verses, and then all that funk in the chorus, with that lovely bass second to none. When Young Pulse moves into that chorus, such a smooth endeavor how they funk that up. During the interlude at 2:50 there are some woodwork percussion sounds, then those big, bold sounds we feel we remember those times by, and then, for a moment, they dial it back with just the higher pitched sounds there before the bass re-enters moments later, with the big brass section to help them out. One of those instantly recognisable tracks where Young Pulse makes sure that it brings the funk and the fun for all ages, really.

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:  ‘Thinking About You’ by TCTS feat. Leo Kalyan

Lets jack it up with this one, as it immediately comes out of the gates full throttle with it’s dancing shoes on. Fast paced beat, nice synth riff, extra percussion, and quite the vocals from Leo Kalyan who says that oh my, she certainly got the best of him. In the mean time TCTS is working that thing, keeping the beat going and making sure that extra synths and percussion either add to the rhythm or the sense of pace. Kalyan, in the mean time, narrates his tale of woe, saying that You hit me like a hurricane. I love the rhythm in this one, it is so dancey and catchy, and he adds the synth at the exact right time to get some oomph going. That 2:40 backtrack moment is some nice little trickery (though I could’ve done without, to be honest) that then allows for the illusion of pace when all the main elements come back in. TCTS throws in some piano as well, and this is just one of those vocal house tracks that just does it for me. If you know my column, I’m a vocal house kind of guy, and this is right up my alley.

‘Gone Fishing’ by Roisin Murphy

How about some Roisin Murphy, eh? She is back, and will be releasing her new album Hairless Toys later this year. This track doesn’t see her in all smooth and belt-out pop mode, far from it. Actually, am I the only one thinking it a bit Bjork-y? With those more experimental percussion and auxiliary sounds, but also the way she uses her voice, way more whispery than I’ve ever heard before. And then, at about 1:30, she goes a pitch higher, and that’s just so beautiful right there. Murphy herself has said this song was inspired by the indeed quite inspiring documentary Paris Is Burning, which tells the story about the ballroom/vogue scene in NY in the '80s. “So beautifully dressed”, Murphy sings, after which she says “My mother’s mistake / my father’s heartbreak”. The tune itself is not so much inspired by the music these boys were vogueing to though, mind you. Murphy said the song is more of a Broadway soundtrack to that documentary, which I can kind of see, though a wicked Broadway show that would be. It’s more out there, I reckon, than just about anything on her Overpowered album, so it will be intriguing to see what kind of listen her Hairless Toys is going to become.

Edit Service 52 by Marvin & Guy

I’m A Cliche is back again with the next in their Edit Service, which is all free for you to download. This time it’s Marvin & Guy’s turn to set the dancefloor alight, and they come with a nice bassy synth sound to keep this track rolling, throwing a dash of funk on top of it all. About a minute in you get the kind of robotic vocals, and the auxiliary sounds take a turn for the futuristic as well. Which is, I think, in nice contrast with that distorted bass sound with that funky feel in it. There is an element of fun here, in the sound, in the vocals, in the mixing of all these different things, so as you’re grooving on the dancefloor (it is a slow burner, this one) you might find yourself with a little smile on your face as well. Something like that sequence from 3:25 though, that’s just brilliant, the way they use that bass sound, the added padding in terms of the percussion, and then the auxiliary sounds followed by the vocals: that build-up and flow is pretty awesome. A slice of fun for the boogie on the dancefloor, in Italian, no less.

‘Pleasure Principle’ by Janet Jackson (Classixx Recovery mix)

Now, you know you want to be dancing to Janet Jackson, don’t you? And she comes in at the eighteen second mark practically by her lonesome, just aided by some percussion and, later, some aerial synth sound. But at about 50 second in you already hear a bit of the funky synthesizer that’s going to give you that 80s dancefloor filler vibe, though the main dance element is the beat that comes in after the minute mark. Classixx make sure that it’s Janet’s show, with her vocals front and center in this one. The beat is a soft thud, there enough to dance to, but not enough to distract or take over in a danceclub anthem kind of way. A little bit later that synth gets a bit more prominent a role, but even that is subdued into this summer beach party kind of feel. It’s more a slice of soft synth-pop (more Zoot Woman than Cut Copy even) with Janet explaining the principle of pleasure. Oh I’m sorry, you needed something more than that?

‘Just Like You’ by Chromatics

Oh Chromatics, how I love thee. I still fondly remember that Glass Candy and Chromatics gig I went to a few years back, so awesome. Here, the vibe, again, exactly right in that cinematic kind of way, and then those vocals, so dreamy and melancholic and just a tad removed. Those backing vocals at about the 50 second mark, amazing, such a nice contrast with the main vocals. Again, you’ve got that Italians-Do-It-Better synth going on with that slow drum to give it some body and something to latch on to. This tale ends with a pathetic He looks just like you / He even loves like we used to...” on repeat, which is quite heart wrenching indeed. Again, no one does this kind of atmosphere better than Johnny Jewel and his Chromatics, with those beautiful synths working to perfection, and then that lazy beat and those vocals topping it all off like cherry on the best cake ever. New album Dear Tommy is gearing up for release, and I know for a fact that people are excited for that one.

‘Like A Thief In The Night’ Night Bandit (Superprince Edit)

Yeah baby, lets get that funk going. Superprince edit this ol’ Night Bandit play-that-funky-music Eighties tune. So you’ve got a beat in the background to keep it dancefloor friendly, you’ve got the funk-a-delic sounds going on from the original, and then those female vocalists come in singing that, Like a thief in the night, you took her lovin’ (oh, behave!). I mean, this is just that funky disco that I just love to hear on the dancefloor. It’s got all those characteristic elements, it’s got quite a bit of pace to it, and it’s got those female vocals that just belong in this genre. And, of course, it’s about love and loving and love making, and that’s what you want to hear about if you’re on a night about town. Just super fun, no weirdo sequences to halt the momentum, this one just keeps rolling out all the good stuff from that era in such a way we can dance to it in the discotheque on a Saturday-night-going-on-Sunday. Have fun kiddo’s!