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The Weekly Froth - November #3

  • Published in Columns

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:  ‘What’s Your Name’ by David Bowie (LNTG’s Hypnotizin funk remix)

How about a slow funker by mister Late Nite Tuff Guy? He knows how to do a nifty little edit like no other, and here he takes on Bowie’s delightful ‘Fame’. He starts out by slowing it down to a trotting pace, with first just that funky guitar bit, then coming with the bass, and then adding a downpour of ice cold utterances of “fame”, after which the bass and guitar take over again. And you don’t just get that funky guitar line, but he adds some of that solo guitar as well. The way this guy plays with all those guitar sounds is just amazing, using it for all sorts of things, and in the mean time that track just keeps on going in that slow funk. About 2:30 in you get the Bowie vocals like we know them from the original, and they juxtapose the soul that is in the funk so well. The vocals are still from that American soul era, but they still feel like fame has sucked the life out of it and put the mechanical in. After the vocal bits, again, that lovely interplay between the different guitar lines, not to mention the bass, and near the end he throws in another stretch of vocals with Bowie asking if it’s any wonder that he rejected all that fame at first. I always look forward to LNTG’s edits, and this is again a perfect reminder why.

 

 

 

‘TR 707’ by Dabuell feat. Holybrune

Are you kidding me with those vocals? That is just pure genius, right there. It just feels like one of those power R&B ballads from a couple of decades ago. It’s got the male and female vocal interplay, it’s got all kinds of throwback instrumentals, and it’s got this lovely slow pace that gives all of it plenty of time to come through the way it should be coming through. The title, likely, a nod to the TR 707 Roland, which I’m assuming was used to get some of those sounds in (and no wonder it sounds throwback in that case, as the TR 707 is from about the 80s I reckon). I like the fade out ending as well, with some piano thrown in there. It is just a lovely, old-school sounding pop track that hits all the right marks as far as I’m concerned.

 

 

 

‘Invisions’ by Luca C & Brigante feat. Roisin Murphy

The song starts out with a deep beat, but that’s immediately juxtaposed by a very light, bell-like sound. After that the track quickly veers more into dance pop territory, with that catchy, poppy synth that underscores Murphy’s vocals, which just about fit on top of everything. The second verse gets some extra oomph by a new bassline as well, and in the chorus Murphy gets all kinds of help. When the vocals come back in again there’s just this awesome stretch that just epitomizes catchiness to me, and that synth line just doesn’t let up. And rightfully so, if you’ve got something that works, ride it. And if you do need to bench it for just a moment, there’s no better sub to throw in there than that bassline. Which works in two ways, as the bass is deeper, and it gives you some extra variety. It is a nice, catchy track that mixes the dancefloor with a nice topping of pop vibes. Not sure where the entire track has gone to on SoundCloud, but here’s at least a BBC radio rip to get a bit of an idea.

 

 

 

‘Pick You Up’ by Lxury

This is really comes out of the gates with a bang, with the strong vocals immediately singing/shouting that “I’ve come to love you” on top of a house beat. So if that doesn’t get a track going, I don’t know what does. About forty seconds in Lxury reigns it all back a bit, going for an instrumental, synth-based web-o-atmosphere, after which he immediately dives into the dancefloor feel again with the vocals and some snappy, quick percussion dictating the pace. Floating underneath those two elements there’s still a dreamy synth line, though that one soon gets drowned out by the more straight-up house elements. After about two minutes in there’s again a little break in the action, but luckily a totally different one than the way he did it earlier on. So loads going on in the mere four minutes this track runs, and if you do it like this perhaps it’s a good thing that it doesn’t go on longer as that would definitely overdose anyone listening. But it sounds like a very modern approach to take some of the characteristics of house music and condense that into a 4-minute modern tune that can also (will primarily?) work outside of the club.

 

 

 

‘It’s All About You’ by Kim Ann Foxman

Kim Ann Foxman you might know as the jumping-jack on the Hercules And Love Affair stage, touring as a member of that troupe for their first couple of tours. Now she’s doing her own thing, and she is definitely leaning more towards the tech-house side of the spectrum. There are certainly vocals in there, but they are more haunting than soulful, and it’s definitely not vocal driven, with the tech sounds coming through in spades. And the girl knows her dance, that’s for sure, so this is one to get some of that late night clubbing done to. It ticks all the boxes, it’s got a danceable beat, it’s got the percussion, the synth for flavor, the vocals for good measure, and some extra sounds like that one at about 3:25 that adds some ownership to her sound. Not to mention she’s got the structure down pat, adding extra lines when needed, and coming with that quick, momentum building percussion to indicate a change is going to come. Just a well-executed dance track from Foxman, who has just started her own music brand that we will undoubtedly be hearing from in 2015, especially on the club side of things. Not one to water the club sounds down for radio play she is, from all I’ve heard coming from her thus far.

 

 

 

‘Holding On’ by James Fox (The Revenge remix)

I love the way the vocals start this one off, with a female voice saying that she doesn’t want to lose control. A nice, bassy synth line is slid underneath that, and you can already hear some percussion coming through, and after about a minute in you get this lovely beat. I love those drums, I really do, especially combined with that bass, it just has this awesome attitude and flavour. And The Revenge surely does know how to build it all up. The female vocals have moved into actual singing by this time, exclaiming that The love you had before, burns inside of you. The “don’t want to lose control” line is kind of tongue-in-cheek I reckon, as the whole thing about dancing is letting go of any control and rigidness, and they sure do their best to let you dance with those a-typical drums. The second part has some more lighter synth sounds, and I like the different ways the singer is using her vocals, adding something different every time she comes on. A lovely, layered track by The Revenge, which shines in terms of structure.

 

 

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The Weekly Froth - July #4

  • Published in Columns

 

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: ‘Deep Into The Night’ by Ali Love (Hercules & Love Affair remix)

I really loved that Hercules and Love Affair album they put out this year. Just such a sassy record that one is. Haven’t heard the new Ali Love LP though, so curious to see how this is sounding. Now, when Andy Butler does his remixes he tends to veer to the tech-house side a bit, and the start of this track certainly seems to go into that direction. That vocal pom-pom-pom sound, though, is definitely genius, and just the right thing to balance the main vibe of this one out. That synth sound that comes in at about 1:40 also is more house than tech, and those vocals are just brilliantly soulful and remind me of Azari & III a bit. So, all of a sudden, this track has morphed into this soulful tune with, as main instrumental feel, that 90s industrial house sound. Don’t ask how he did that one, but I’m just glad because I was definitely worrying my ass off after that start. Around the four minute mark he starts this huge build-up with the sexy “I want you” line repeated over and over, and exactly at 5:00 he throws some warm beat and bass sounds in there for the clubbers to get down to. So much to love, so much to dance to.

 

‘It’s All Over’ by Pional (John Talabot remix)

I like Pional, I like John Talabot, so you know, how the heck can this go wrong, eh? There are some deep drums in the background that kind of create the canvas, and then you’ve got the synths, the bass, and the secondary percussion floating around to create the right rhythm and vibe. Love that almost trombone like synth sound that comes in at about 1:10, though it really are the fab deep rhythm sounds that run away with this one. Talabot just sneaks them in there so that you’re like “fuck yeah” as it gives another oomph to dance to. You get the vocals in there along with some lighter snare sounds, which are soon ditched for a sort of break with just the vocals and a deep main sound. Slowly you get some woodwork percussion in the background as it builds up to the break-and-release that happens at about 3:15. It’s just what you expect from a Talabot remix, really. Skilled, layered, and smooth deep house with plenty of atmosphere in there for people also to just enjoy aside from the dancefloor. He does know how to create that dance momentum though, it works on all kinds of levels really. At about 4:30 you get another break as the music almost goes church on you with that organ-ish sound, and I would lie if I’d say that I think the part after that is as impressive as the first 2/3rds of the whole thing. Then again, that wasn’t really possible with the first part being just that good,  now was it? I do like the very, very end of this thing though.

 

‘Drop the Top’ by NSFW

Let me go a bit patriotic on you with this one, as NSFW is from my home country. About ten seconds in you get the drums for the dancing, and about 30 seconds in you get the synths which almost seem to transport you into an '80s edit (especially with that little guitar riff and that dash of piano he throws in there as well). Next to the beat there’s also the bass for the rhythm and the moving of it, and you already hear the vocals coming, as NSFW introduces them slowly to the masses. Just after the two minute mark (and the first kind of break) those vocals truly come out, and instead of some '80s soul&funk track (where I honestly thought this one was going) you get this hipperdy-hopperdy MC style vocals that he curveballs its way towards you. Rest of the track (luckily) doesn’t adapt too much of that style though (though that piano sound in the fifth minute sure sounds '90s-kitsch all of a sudden), and it’s all just merry dancing on that catchy, funky sound. Free download people, by the way.

 

‘Let’s Stay Together’ (Jean Claude Gavri soulful relief re-edit)

You know it’s Jean Claude Gavri if it starts out with those rhythmic bongo’s right there. And if it is that man, you better ready yourself for another funky edit of some old track or another. This one is ‘Let’s Stay Together’ by, well, a female vocalist, singing that you need to stay together with her, Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad. A line which is followed by a mega saxophone, which I love. There’s just so much old school soul and funk in this track, but also with plenty of rhythm for you to do some dancing to. But the auxiliary sounds really give you the right vibe, and those female vocals are really going all out, and they’re giving plenty of room (and are actually helped by all those original instrumentals) to put her heart out there. And she’s got the girls with the mics behind her to back her up. Vocals galore, and you have the horns, the organ, the bass, the whole lot really, and this one is there to sing along to on the dancefloor.

 

‘Lux’ by Ballet School

Some dreamy synth-pop from Berlin now, with Ballet School coming with a new track called ‘Lux’. You’ve got the light, tingling sounds which balance the percussion sounds, which are (of course) deeper. The vocals, courtesy of singer Rosie Blair, are an intriguing mixture of Bjork like yelping and a much deeper singing voice (though her range is, like, all over). When she goes high it sounds really atmospheric and dreamy, and when she goes lower it immediately veers a bit into '80s synth territory. I totally see her swaying around like Kate Bush in that one clip everyone knows the sight. Lovely sounding dream-pop, with the doubling of the vocal lines being perhaps the thing that attracts me to this one the most.

 

‘Do U Wanna Get Down’ (LNTG rework)

The antidote to any rough week you might have had is walking into the discotheque and hearing some big ass edit of any disco queen of your choosing (male or female, I don’t discriminate here). So leave it to Late Nite Tuff Guy to bring some joy back into your life and that warm, loving feeling back into your body. Here he takes on Donna Summer, taking the “Do u wanna get down” lyric from her ‘Bad Girls’ and riding that with all the disco sounds he’s got in his bag. So expect a little guitar riff in there, a beautiful bass that will help your hips move, and a beat for anyone that wants to be safe on the dancefloor. And, of course, horns and whistles, because, you know, it’s Saturday night in the discotheque after all. At about 2:50 he throws in all of Donna Summer, with the chorus and the verse of that aforementioned track of hers. So yeah, bad girls, talking about the sad girls, and the other way around, and they’re all so naughty, and what would your mother think? Thing is, even your mother can dance to this (whether you want to be watching that is another matter entirely), because this is just another smooth edit with all that disco stuff from the '70s. Though, luckily, with the beat, the bass, and the naughtiness for a lively night out on the town with all the young, scantily clad dames of all sorts.

 

 

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