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.

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: I’m A Cliche edit service 44 by Marcello Giordani

Can I just say that I love that cheeky synth sound at the start? That’s just awesome, just like those first additions to the song are at about 30 seconds in, those are lovely too. A minute in, again, he manages to throw a great synth line out there. In the mean time, in the background, you do have the percussion line going along with a rhythmic synth, but these are so secondary to all the loveliness that is up front you hardly hear them. Not to say they’re not needed though, always good to have a backbone for the dancing, but all those synthlines, these atmospheric sounds, and just that whole Italian flavor: it’s just there in all it’s awesomeness. It’s basically a master class in how to use synths, that’s all I’ve got to say about it. And who doesn't like a good master class that’s fun for the dancefloor to boot?

‘The Who’s Who Of Who Cares’ by Museum Of Love

Museum of Love is a band from the DFA roster, and that is pretty evident. It’s got the catchy that most on the label have, but it also has a certain aloofness as well. The synths and those talky vocals examplify want I want to describe pretty well, though at about 1:40 you get the horns in there, which kind of break through that magnificently. Those horns do give it kind of a jazzy vibe, which does give it a slightly different feel compared to the other bands that are working these sounds. At about the four minute mark that jazzy vibe kind of takes over from the more calculated, clinical synth driven first part, kind of making this track a cross between labelmates The Juan MacLean and ‘Golden Years’ Bowie I would say. It’s a lovely track, and with the album out now it’s well worth a listen I’d say.

‘Two Bodies’ by Flight Facilities feat. Emma Louise (HNNY remix)

These two names together, that can only mean something good is about to happen. Flight Facilities have made some deliciously catchy synth-pop tracks in recent years, and HNNY really knows how to get in some R&B flavors and how to work repetition and patience. So, in essence, these are guys that know how to create tunes, and they have different qualities. Combine them together, and apparently, you get this. It starts with some African drums, and then it slides into this chilled out synth vibe that HNNY uses to build up this track. So that’s the patience right there. After about a minute the dreamy vocals of Emma Louise come in, and HNNY keeps the sound behind her chilled out, which fits nicely. My guess would be that the original track went more for the dancey, and you can still hear the catchy qualities and the more pop-ness in there, but that’s been overtaken by the overall vibe. There are some nice drops in here, where the rhythm synths and the drums are stripped away, and you get some atmospheric synths supporting the dreamy vocals of Emma Louise. After the first drop the track comes back in with a bit more focus on the rhythm to make sure that people know that they should be dancing to this. And after the second drop, HNNY does this again, but even more so. So you get a catchy tune, with a bit of a chilled out vibe, but with the percussion still giving you that boogie feeling. Add some dreamy vocals to it, et voila, a very nice track indeed.

‘Water Come Down’ by Rosie Lowe (Pional remix)

This one starts out with just the vocals, which work nicely in unison. After that you get a little piano, but slowly a slow, deep beat comes in that already indicates that those vocals will get some body underneath to buff the track up a bit. After that slow beat you both get a light piano as well as a synth line in there, with Rosie Lowe’s vocals coming in shortly after. It is more of an atmospheric piece than anything else, a bit of electro experimental that works really well. Pional uses the combination of different synth and piano sounds to perfection, and together with the other elements he manages to craft an intriguing piece which has a slight air of mystique to it, also thanks to the (multiple layers of) vocals. Pional ends it with a bit of punch, working the asymmetrical beats and with the final beat being a quite deep and forceful one. A piece not so much for the dancefloor, but definitely one to have a listen to and be captivated by.

‘I Love Video’ by New Paradise (Gilbert Cohen & Vidal Benjamin edit)

This one starts out in such a way that just screams Dancing to me. It wastes no time with like, say, slowly introducing the track, it just starts out with all the pace it has and then hopes you get swept along by it. As a matter of fact, the pace seems to steady a bit with the introduction of some of the other sounds, which kind of tone down the illusion of full-on-speed. This includes all the disco vibes they throw in there, but also the talky vocals that you get. In the mean time, sure, the backbone of the track still keeps chugging along so it definitely doesn’t come to a grinding halt or anything. I like that slow down just after the two minute mark, with the track going back to its roots thanks to a very happy sounding little sound. Which, arguably, might sound too peppy for some, but I kind of like it in this kind of track. In the second part of the song you get the actual singing vocals, pleading to save the video, and this argument is given an extra boost by the horns that they manage to get in there. So if you either love video, or you just love dancing on happy sounding disco tunes, this might just do the trick for you.

‘How About It’ by MDMC (JMMSTR Italo Edit)

There’s no time that’s a bad time for an all-out '80s edit, and not many tracks sound more Eighties than this song by the Dutch group MDMC. Add to that Jam Master’s italo synths, giving you just enough of that ol’ school Moroder flavour, and you’ll be expecting Falkor to swoop by any time soon. All the 80s vibe not withstanding, it also is just a fun, catchy edit that works to do some dancing to. The synths are catchy, and he throws in enough variety to keep the dancefloor going. The fun also comes from the talky vocals, which are just so fun and retro that it just adds an element of having a blast on the dancefloor. As said, in the mean time, the synths keep on coming, but there’s also plenty of other stuff going on, like for instance that little guitar that you can hear in there pretty well. If you’re not allergic to the 80s and don’t mind some played up corny, this should be a fun 7 1/2 minutes for you. Free download as well, by the way.

The Hot Five – My favourite new tracks of the week, usually rounded off with a classic, obscure or alternate track from my music collection.

Track of the week: David Bowie – ‘Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)’

David Bowie premiered new song 'Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)' on BBC Radio 6 show Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour on Sunday. The track, which features on forthcoming compilation Nothing Has Changed, is a heavily jazz-influenced Bowie classic. The first new material since 2013’s comeback album The Next Day was recorded over the summer in New York with producer Tony Visconti and the Maria Schneider Orchestra. 'Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)' is due to be released on 10-inch vinyl and digital download on November 17 alongside Nothing Has Changed.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – ‘In The Heat Of The Moment’

I can’t say that I’ve ever been a massive fan of Noel Gallagher’s post-Oasis releases. Having said that, the band’s new single ‘In The Heat Of The Moment’ demonstrates that Noel has clearly still got the ability to write a great hook or two. The single was announced this week along with details of a UK tour and new album, and Noel Gallagher also stated in a Facebook Q&A on Monday “I’ll headline Glastonbury if I’m asked”, having previously had a hit-and-miss association with the festival when headlining with Oasis in 1995 and 2004.  The High Flying Birds’ new album, Chasing Yesterday, will be released on March 2 2015.

Sego – ‘Wicket Youth’

Now we’ve got the more obvious tracks of the week out of the way, here’s something rather interesting. Taken from their debut EP of the same name, ‘Wicket Youth’ is a memorable example of intelligent electronic indie-pop from L.A-via-Utah newcomers Sego. Cheeky synth melodies compliment rhythmic interest in guitar parts and a melody that is carried fantastically by a strong vocal performance. The Wicket Youth EP will be released on October 27 via French label Kitsuné

Aubergine MACHINE – ‘Sundown’

Last week we had Bass Drum of Death, now I give you the (also) fantastically named Aubergine MACHINE. This electropop duo hails from Florida, and consists of producer Ian Carey (anyone remember ‘Get Shaky’ from 2008?) and vocalist Shanti Ellis. Here the duo creates a refreshing sound for this genre; this is a song driven by vocal melodies and synth hooks, but with clever rhythms and an evolving arrangement that helps to create a stimulating listening experience.

Hidden track of the week: The Hold Steady – ‘How A Resurrection Really Feels’

Currently powering their way through their latest UK tour in support of their new album Teeth Dreams, any Hold Steady fan will impressed and excited by the band’s recent set lists. Playing a range of material from all six of their albums, you can catch The Hold Steady live in the UK until October 23. ‘How A Resurrection Really Feels’ is the closing track to the band’s second LP, concept album Separation Sunday, and was the final song of their set at Birmingham’s O2 Academy on Monday night.

You can follow Tom on twitter @tom_fake 

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: ‘Big Foot’ by Ilya Santana (Rayko remix)

These two people together can only be good news. Ilya Santana knows how to put the Space in Space Disco, and Rayko sure as hell knows how to put in the latter. So what you get is a nice drum rhythm, and when the synths come in after about forty seconds you get the space vibe no doubt. At 1:10 you get that fist-in-the-air-bump moment when there’s another rhythm element added to give it a nice little boost, and about half a minute later you get some extra synths to add some extra space to the atmosphere. What I love is that Rayko just builds to those change-ups. The music, very naturally, lets your brain know when he’s going to alter the song, so you get that sweet anticipation. At the three minute mark, that’s just a stretch that I just love. You have the drums, the more rhythmic synths, but also the atmospheric synths to make sure there’s plenty of that vibe in there. It certainly is plenty danceable, and it manages to be both catchy as well as hypnotic. I must say, this instrumental track actually kind of exceeded my expectations, no small feat considering these guys are really up there in my mind.

‘Vicious Love’ by Midnight Magic

Midnight Magic is about to release an EP, and this is the title track off of that. This one starts nice and boogie, with the deep bass being contrasted by the horns that come in. The diva vocals are certainly present again, including a bit of echo to give them even more of a range. It really starts out as a lovely slow jam, just dreamy and sad enough for the star crossed lovers with darts in their eyes. She sings that she can’t conceal it anymore, as after all, love is vicious, though it certainly is time to take a chance. It certainly is a track with a narrative and lots of vocals, and for me that’s never a bad thing, especially as there is enough variety in them between the chorus and the verses. In the mean time, the instrumentals are keeping it slow jam disco, with the bass there, but also plenty of auxiliary sounds to set the mood as the drums and bass set the pace. At about 3:50 they put in the big guns with the horns, which get some lovely play to end the track.

‘Desire’ by Years & Years

Years & Years are really working towards an ace debut. They’re touring with Sam Smith, but more importantly they’ve released two killer singles already with ‘Real’ and ‘Take Shelter’, which are really top notch. This is perhaps their most overt attempt to pop out, with the other two leaning perhaps more heavily on the R&B side of things. This one seems slightly more up-tempo, especially the quick rhythm part that comes at the start of the chorus, that screams big pop track maybe a bit too much. Still, like the other two, it’s got some great vocals (not to mention multiple vocal layers on top of each other), some interesting drums, and it still has a high catchiness factor. No, I’m not as enamoured with it as with the previous two (they seem to have a bit more “air” and “space” in them, if you know what I mean, not as foot-on-the-pedal as this one), then again, that album is still being played the first day it hits the shelves no doubt (and certainly hoping to see them live well before that). The energy and those vocals just have me hooked, what can I say?

‘Supernatural’ by AlunaGeorge

AlunaGeorge certainly made some waves last year with their album, and based on this track I would say deservedly so. I love the whole rhythm behind the track, it’s so darn catchy and it’s got such a good pace on it. I also love the different layers, they complement each other nicely, with the rhythm in the back, and then the sparser dum---dum----dum in front of it. The female vocals slide the song nicely into the chorus, where the pace picks up and where she sings that it is all so supernatural, and her more soulful vocals contrast nicely with the altered male vocals, which are made to sound more mechanical. It’s a lovely, catchy slice of electro pop, the kind that actually makes me curious about what a whole album would sound like.

‘Down From The Rafters’ by Hundred Waters (The Field remix)

I’ve seen The Field live a couple of times, so it’s no surprise to me what’s coming next. You’ll get plenty of chilled out atmosphere, with a real hypnotic backbone that keeps the track in place and that will keep you entranced whilst doing some of that eyes-to-the-floor shuffling. There are enough subtle changes to keep this from becoming monotone, from little additions to the percussion to changes in the atmospherical synths that certainly paint the landscape you’re meandering in within your mind. The looping of certain elements, he does that so effectively, especially with that higher percussion sound, which is amazing, and then those haunting synths that keep floating over the beat throughout the whole song. Certainly, if you allow it to do so, this is one that will take you by the hand and lead you to this alternate world somewhere.

‘Don’t Wanna Dance’ Deep & Disco rework

If something is named ‘Don’t Wanna Dance’, and behind that you see that it’s reworked by Deep & Disco, you can be pretty sure that they’re gonna make you, no matter what. The build-up is splendid, from the funky guitar to the drums to the bass they slide in after about forty seconds: that’s how to get the catchy wanna-move-vibe in there. After about a minute you get a little break, but slowly you hear the track come back in, and the horns announce the return to full volume. Later in the track you get these lovely ol’ school vocals, asking you how you’re gonna do it if you really don’t want to dance. I love that moment at 3:26, when those soulful vocals come through full throttle announcing his advice with an “I say people” yelp. The cherry on the cake is when the song slides into the familiar “get down on it” sequence, which is just this fabulous moment where the dancefloor will either recognize the reference or will recognize the fact that it is just a killa’ moment to keep dancing to. Again, just a lovely, funky, catchy rework with the right amount of attitude to pull it all off.