The Weekly Froth - October #4

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: ‘Death Jam’ by Frag Maddin vs. Kevin Over

I love the deeper bass sound that this one comes with, that combined with the deep voice that at one point comes in; it all lays down the vibe of that deep underground club where the down and the dirty is happening. The pace of the track is spot on for that as well, not a really pacey club beat, but the exact right kind for this one. Add to that this grainy, dirty synth sound that he adds, and it definitely lays down the right vibe. During the second part of the track the beat kind of slicks out a bit, it becomes a bit more continuous, except for the part that it gets stripped away in favour of a synth and vocal combination. After that break, you get this quick, military like drum pattern which is a nice change-up, and that ups the immediacy of the track a bit. After that, it moves back to the original sound, but a bit more danceable and club like, which, in my mind, is a nice ending to a pretty nifty build-up. Going by the fade out this is not the entire track, but this does make me want to check out a seven minute version (or whatever) of it.

‘Intergalactic Jam’ by Chesus

How about some of that house? This one certainly has that typical beat, and it has got this little quirk going on with the deep male voice constantly saying “thank you”. In the mean time the beat keeps playing on, and around 1:20 you get the change in the main sound with another house staple. That one, a little bit later on, gets combined with that beat again, so now you have the two heavy weights of dancing working together to keep you on the dancefloor. Next to the deep male voice saying "thank you", now another voice walks in on occasion, this one way smoother and singing "whoooaa, darrrling". In the mean time, all the house sounds just keep on coming and coming like a house on fire, with some variety in the beats and percussion to keep it fresh. But all varieties that are thrown in there all make sure that they keep the pace high and they are all there to let you stay in that dancing mood. An ace one for the dancefloor, I reckon, as it seems that everything that’s put in here is geared towards that. And effectively so, I might add.

‘Kavolrak’ by Mr. Top Hat & Art Alfie

This one starts with a lingering, high synth sound which gets juxtaposed by a much deeper beat. The additional sounds are of a more industrial nature, giving you that Berlin warehouse vibe a bit. I like the way they kind of build up momentum, that is nicely done, giving this track more and more urgency and energy, which should translate to the dancefloor. As the song progresses they start throwing in some of those ghostly sounds of the city, which really lay down the vibe of this track and which gives it plenty of atmosphere. Just before the fourth minute mark there is a short drop, which they use to bring back the beat and rhythm in a slightly different way, followed by different kind of sounds to help lay down the law of the land. Mr. Top Hat & Art Alfie are sure to never forgot what this track is all about though, and they keep the beat going so that everyone can keep on dancing. Sometimes they kind of tone it down, like around the six minute mark, which isn’t the song becoming boring, but it’s a sign of the lads being about to mix it up. Nice (deep-ish) House tune with that kind of industrial city vibe that I personally never mind.

‘Your Eyes’ by Majical Cloudz

Majical Cloudz certainly is an intriguing band. With minimal electronics and almost church-like chanting the performance is as bare as it is vulnerable. The way this song starts, again, one couldn’t put himself out there more if they would actively try. A bit later on, though, you get the drums that add some beef to the track, and the singing becomes more ballad-like and musical than it was at the start, spreading the word that he doesn’t need anything. The power behind this project is the fact that the minimal is combined with the outright emotional, giving it such vulnerability it starts to have a real effect on the listener (and if you’ve seen this act live, him on stage epitomizes the feeling a shy kid must have when trying his hand at some high school presentation or cultural event for the very first time. The sheer feeling of loneliness on that stage). The drums make sure that there are moments where the track does give you something extra, which is the variety it needs (if not for one song, certainly for a whole album).

‘J.U.N.E.’ by Nicholas

I just love Nicholas’s tunes, every time I hear this guy I’m thinking, "Yeah, this is House music". This as well, you have this great combination of the house-sounding beat, the slick and smooth vocals, and he throws this light piano sound in there for good measure. That cymbal+kick beat combo is this just so house, and you can definitely be dancing to it in the club. The good use of vocals give it this lovely flavor, exactly hitting my sweet spot. I just love vocal house, and this one definitely fits the bill. In the mean time there are plenty of auxiliary sounds to colour in the blueprint that the rhythm and vocals set, like that lighter piano, but also that kind of bass like sound around 2:15 which, briefly, helps out a bit in the rhythm department. At 4:35 he kinds of mixes it up for a moment, but soon the house beat comes back in for all to enjoy. One I would play in any mix of mine no doubt, it exactly is what I’m looking for, and it is a pretty deft execution of it at that.

‘Rhythm of Auld’ by Julio Bashmore feat. J’Danna

I love that disco like synth sound at the start, that really immediately sets the right tone as far as I’m concerned. The actual song starts at around 35 seconds in, where you get the kind of slower-to-mid paced beat with a slightly melancholic piano line. After a good minute or so you get J’Danna’s vocals, who really provide some punch to this one. Love the rawness of those vocals, which then get juxtaposed by the more slick vocals in the background. It gives the track a soulful feel, especially since it seems that they are asking the Lord. It doesn’t go all out gospel though, as there’s still enough slickness to the beat and rhythm to make it really easy on the ear, almost veering to the pop side a bit. I also like the synth sound that you can hear going right alongside the vocals, it gives the track a nice atmosphere. Definitely something that’s got a wide appeal I reckon, and not in a bad kind of way.