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: ‘Mastermind’ by Roisin Murphy

Miss Roisin Murphy is back, starting this one with some lush synths through which we can slowly hear a rhythm synth emerging. After about thirty seconds we get the vocals, almost narrating a story in a mysterious, near menacing vocal turn. She says she is Scared out of her mind, she is Petrified, and that she Has been waiting for too long, for something wrong. So no pop diva vocals here, but a sort of performance poetry, though at 2:20 she strips the gadgetry, some of the music as well, and from that point on we get a very clear vocal, also with lighter sounds surrounding it, this for the full immersive experience. From the moment her vocals start, by the way, the track gets a little pulsing beat underneath, and from the three minute mark that one is also helped by some of that bass. Later that minute we get another change up in the form of an instrumental interlude, harking back to some dark italo bass synths coming from some soundtrack or another from the 80s. It is a really theatrical piece this (especially hitting home when the backing vocals hauntingly appear as well), and shows that Murphy still has plenty of creative juices left in her.

‘Lose Control’ by Shit Robot

Shit Robot leaves no moment unused, immediately getting that bassy vibe in there for some getting down to. At the thirty second mark we get the lighter percussion sounds to juxtapose the heavier rhythm line, and half a minute later we get even more drum & rhythm to shake our bootie to. It’s got this forceful feel to it, a nice pounding it gives you. At the 1:30 mark, the DFA go-to vocalist appears, with Nancy Whang singing that Every day I’m waiting for, you to wake up, wake up, wake up. The great thing about Whang is that she’s got a nice, rhythmic voice for this sort of work. In the mean time Shit Robot keeps it all rolling down, adding all kinds of drum and rhythm elements to the core that is always present, really making sure this is a dancing tune (and don’t you forget about it!). Whang’s vocals return, singing that she Can’t fight this feeling, Lose control, which are dancing words. After that, Shit Robot takes the beat away for a moment, just going with the rhythm synth, and then bringing it back in for that little push. Lovely dancefloor tune, as we are accustomed to from anything that has to do with either DFA, Nancy Whang, or Shit Robot.

‘Under One’ by Toomy Disco

Toomy Disco starts this one with a hard hitting beat, doing the glitchy a bit as well. After the thirty second mark we get more of a thudding main hitter to get that rhythm right, and a minute in we also get some diva vocals. At least, for a moment, soon traded in for the bass sound. But not too much later they show they can co-exist, with the bass still rolling, and the vocals urging you to Bump (pump?) the party. And this definitely is a party track, no bones about it. After the two minute mark, suddenly, it opens up, getting some of that piano in, stripping some of the rhythm sounds for a moment (and at about the 4:10 mark doing a similar thing as well). But Toomy Disco soon works its way to the beat and go, giving the people on the dancefloor not too much of a rest as they need to keep a movin’! And it certainly pounces that home, doing the party vibe and the hard going with this one.

‘Long Water’ by Wilson Tanner

Wilson Tanner is a combination of John Tanner and A.R.T. Wilson, giving us a peaceful moment at the start, with some piano and a little bit of that slow guitar to really set the tone. Then, to add, a bit of those sad & jazzy horns, putting us in that particular state of mind. And so, slowly, it adds certain sounds, but without any form of clutter. It is a real clear cut song, getting everything out of all the sad notes for all the sad sacks to reminisce and reflect to. It is an instrumental piece that would not be out of place at a Jazz festival, and definitely it gives you all that a good jazz tune is able to give you as far as I’m concerned. The atmosphere is constant, the sounds clean and packing the emotional feel they want to exhume, and that for a good six minutes straight on. A feat they pull off with confidence and skill.

‘Pleasure’ by Formation

Formation are a young British band putting the bass full in at the start for this electro track, one with a little bit of that punk intensity in there as well. The bass is really the main rhythm, but drum rhythms help to give it the dance vibe, while the punk-ish delivery and a certain rawness provide that intense quality. The drums and vocals, for the most part, give each other a moment of rest, and at the two minute mark there is a full stop. Just some vocals before, first, the drums come back, and after that, the whole works, but a little more upbeat and with a bit more air than at the start. Trading in the basement for something with a bit more sunshine.

‘Do I Believe In God’ by Prince (LNTG Muscle Mix)

After Bowie now Prince has left the building as well, but that doesn’t mean we cannot funk to either songs like ‘Fame’ or tracks like ‘Controversy’, a classic Prince tune where he talks about people wanting to know about other people and, Oh lord, is he gay or straight, is he black or white, and does the man Believe in God? Controversy! One of my favorite edits is the Late Nite Tuff Guy mix (which I was fortunate enough to dance to live when I saw the man perform behind the decks). Starts out with a lovely beat, but also already the guitar riff, building up the familiarity until, after a good minute and a half or so, it dives headlong into the track, giving us the funky to do the sexy to. The vocals come in, the rhythm is spot on, and you can get crazy to Prince saying that I just can’t believe the things that people say, as people are getting down on the dancefloor doing things that might give people actually something to talk about. There’s plenty of the guitar, plenty of the vocal work, and enough funk and catchy stuff to really get it going on too. One of my favorite mixes of an artist who has influenced many.

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.