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: ‘Slow Motion Cowboy’ Hot Toddy vs. IPG

The percussion gets this one started, putting the rhythm in tight before the wobbly industrial sounds come in, including the emotionless robotic voice. But at the minute mark he moves away from that, putting in a big bass to get that boogie going, helped out by some horn sounds and a bit of that woodwork percussion rhythm. The voice comes back though, including the other computer sounds, but again, Hot Toddy dives back in there with some solo blues and jazz sounds moving on top of the horn and bass that bring you the bounce. So he is really marrying those two feels, but above all the base of the track is just really danceable, really is a hip mover for sure. And on top of that, taking from both worlds, he brings in a core set of sound from which he adds and subtracts, and adding plenty of new stuff in there on occasion (like around the 4:15 mark with that change-up to move to the more mechanical again before returning to the bass). A near 8 minute corker from the Nottingham man.

‘Wonderland’ by Earth Wind & Fire (Late Nite Tuff Guy muscle mix)

The label Midnight Records offers a chance for a “free” download (for a tune and a whistle) of a LNTG muscle mix of that ol’ Earth, Wind & Fire classic. Just one that all y’all know, all them dancers in the club know, and which moves along so smooth and tightly that how anyone can not start doing their disco thang is beyond me. LNTG brings the vocals from the get go, telling you to Dance, and Boogie, falling short of adding the “wonderland”, but you know that is coming. You know it is coming for sure when the track starts building it up with the horns, and there it is, at about 2:30, long and drawn out, followed by more horns and piano. In the mean time the track keeps the disco dancing at full throttle as they add the male verse after the three minute mark, doubling the line with the female vocals before they dive into the chorus again. The bass is amazing, the edit super smooth, and the recognition factor is through the roof. A great mixture of the original and the current dancefloor, not losing either one’s essence in the process. The spectral of the NY sweat clubs reigns supreme in the current discotheque right here.

‘The Look Of Love’ by ABC (Moonlight Matters Rework)

Moonlight Matters always know how to get that party going, and they start this one no holds barred. There’s the galloping rhythm, and then the string section giving you the feisty as well. At the 48 second mark they turn it around slightly, taking the beat out of there, but even without it there’s still a sense of up speed manic right up until the 1:22, when they strip almost everything aside from the synths and the disco horns that they allow to enter the fray. At 1:50, bam, there come the old school vocals singing the title line supported by an incessant beat, but also the percussion rhythm, the strings, and all those sounds that link the early Eighties with that disco sound from them NY clubs. A change-up like at about 3:30 gives it a playfulness, a cheekiness that fits (in my mind) in that Eighties aesthetic, before going a bit more darker and New Wave at the end to hit this one home.

‘I Can Never Be Myself When You’re Around’ by The Chromatics

The audio of this one has been floating around for ages now, but really gearing up for their release The Chromatics thought they’d throw a video out there as well. Good thing for me, because I’ve been just about obsessive with this track the past few weeks again. You’ve got the stabbing, high tempo synths, then the beat and drums come in to give it the tempo, and the vocals juxtapose it with their wispy, dreamy, alienated voice singing that Baby, it’s not that easy, I can never be myself when you’re around. Which, precisely, is that whole The Chromatics vibe that you love and that hits home straight through the heart. There’s the guitar in there as well, primarily adding to the atmosphere. It’s pretty much up tempo, and, moving through that, the emotional coming to terms as they tried To reach so hard, but still we hit the ground. There’s a sense of resignation, the smile to each other that you love and tried all to get to that perfect place, and the tear that, as if fatalistically, you just don’t quite manage to get there. It’s an absolute gem, and I can’t wait for the album to drop (and I need to restrain myself to write the rest of this column and not just hit repeat over and over again).

‘A1’ by Prins Thomas (Gerd Janson Prinspersonation mix)

Both Prins Thomas as well as Gerd Janson are veterans on the scene, so they won’t be holding back for sure. The track starts out peppy and weird, with the space synth coming in at about the forty second mark, relatively deep to announce the arrival of the dark forces. Next to all the synth stuff there’s a beat in the background, which is relatively deep as well. At about the 1:35 mark the track gets a kick in its rear end, speeding up a bit also thanks to the lighter percussion sounds that arrive. Throughout the track it hits patches where the weird and cosmic take over, but always, like at 3:45, sliding back to the dancefloor by a change of pace or focussing more on the rhythm again. 4:20, again, has a nice change-up waiting for you as well. The track has a nice flow to it, a bit of a spacey vibe, and it’s just what you’d expect really from a team up like this one.

‘Jazzy Days’ by Cisco Cisco

Cisco Cisco bring it down, especially at the start, bringing a bit of that Jazzy nightclub vibe in there. Then they bring a little rhythm in with the cymbals, though it takes until the 35 second mark before the actual beat arrives. Even that one, though, is lower paced, giving this a drug fuelled slowed down vibe for the after hours with a martini somewhere. On top of the bass sounds there is an instrument continuously solo-ing it up, and then around the two minute mark we get some vocal work from ‘Born This Way’ (the old disco classic rather than the Lady GaGa one, just sayin’). The edited vocals sing they are Happy, I’m carefree, as in the mean time the hypnotic rhythm keeps moving on. Around 3:30 they get the beat out there for a minute, but soon it comes back with a slight bounce in its step. This track will be released later this month and includes a remix by Ron Basejam, which I’m sure will be well worth your time also.

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: ‘Casualty’ by Pional

First we hear sirens, the sounds of the urban city, and then a drum to dictate the pace. And, almost church like singing, but not necessarily the angelic kind. We get more percussion sounds, going slightly tribal even, to intersperse that with both the vocals and some synth play. Then, in the background, more piano and synth sounds, though the rhythm is all percussion based. The vocals are singing Welcome to the paradise, before Pional again finds that balance between the darker rhythm sounds and the more heavenly atmospherics. I love the layering of the vocals, that definitely adds something to the proceedings here. Near the end the main rhythm is still there, but the synths have slowly taken over to draw this one to a close. Apparently a cut from an upcoming album, to be released near the end of this month, and if this is anything to go by then that’s going to be one well worth checking out.

‘Sfire3’ by Sfire (John Talabot’s Tribalist rework)

That tribal vibe is what you get from the get go, with that typical percussion rhythm that marks it like that. In the background you hear this real atmospheric, a bit ominous, a bit melancholic sound just floating on through, giving this track a certain load that sets it apart from your every day fare. Then, the police sirens as well, in keeping with the mood created as those synths get more and more up front. Around the two minute mark Talabot dials the beat down a bit, adding the vocals, sliding the beat underneath them a few seconds later. The vocals are ghostly, definitely in keeping with the vibe of the instruments playing. At 3:40, the synth is moved away for a minute, putting more emphasis on the sirens wailing and the rhythm synth that has joined the percussion in the mean time. The structure for this track is lovely, and the way they create the mood but all the while keep the momentum for the dancefloor going as well is just ace. Yet more evidence Talabot is just one of the better players out there for my money’s worth.

‘Shine (This is It)’ by Soul Clap feat. Nona Hendryx (Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca Erodiscomix)

Dimitri from Paris & DJ Rocca know how to get that discotheque a rockin’, taking on new Soul Clap release with the piano, the bird sounds (…), but most of all that disco bass and beat to shake them hips to.  The piano gets a bit of solo time after the minute mark, soon helped out by a bass sound before the percussion comes in to provide some extra rhythm before the drum beat gets back. I don’t know how they always do it, but it just sound so festive and joyous, giving you that entire party mood with all those sounds that make it feel just fun. Plus they know how to keep it going, for instance with the second break with mainly the piano, this time there is a secondary sound that wasn’t there the first time. Just changing it up a little, you know? Then there is a period with primarily bass, but soon the piano rhythm is back for that lighter party touch. And, just a moment later, everything is thrown back in there, for that full discotheque delight. If you want to get that party vibe going, this is one of those Erodisco things that you can’t go wrong with for fun times to be had by all. And especially when nearing that end, when the horns come in, as who can resist, really?

‘You’ve Got A Hard Head’ by Johnny Guitar Watson (Ronny Hammond Break-A-Leg Edit)

I love the funky way this one starts, immediately getting that little riff going before we get a male voice saying Wait a minute, wait a minute, but of course we will not as the boogie is already well on its way with the guitar riffing it up. The male voice then starts to talk about the origins of the track, the species, and everything, though it’s that electric gui-tar that does most of the talking with, underneath, the rhythm pushing this one forward with exactly the right amount of pace. At 1:40, that pace gets a slight bump, and at 2:14 the horns came in to add some more funk flavourings in there. At 3:20 they’re called in for a minute, the track going back to its starting roots with a minimal beat and the guitar riff looped on top of it, though that guitar is let loose a little while later, bringing us that blues solo stuff right there. Ronny Hammond has delivered a fab track build around that guitar, but giving it slightly different slants with, for instance, the horns coming in, or the occasional vocals. 7 1/2 minute to love that guitar baby.

‘Oh What A Night’ by Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons (Alkalino rework)

Alkalino brings in some insistent drums to help out this classic cut from the years of yore. That instantly recognisably piano (slightly sped up I reckon) soon comes in, so you know what you’re in for. First though, we get some wobbly instruments taking a stab at the main riff of the track, but quickly Frankie Valli comes in with the piano backing him up. The next time through the guitar rears his head as well, as Frankie Valli sings Oh what a lady, what a night. Sometimes the boys in the back come in to repeat the title track as well, as in the mean time the main instruments get looped until about 2:30, where we get the horns interlude. Alkalino brings what you want here, with all the goodness of the original, and plenty of it, but in the mean time also suited to get some dancing done in the modern times. Just lovely fun, this edit of one of those tracks.

‘Dear Tommy’ by The Chromatics

This one starts with some sad piano stabs and a pretty deep drum sound, over which the autotune vocals come in, saying Dear Tommy, if I could hold you in my arms, an expression of longing for something that has, ostensibly, sailed by. Then the synths and bass sound come in, picking up the pace, though the slow, deep drum still is the one that anchors the defense here. It is, by all accounts, more menacing than dreamy, more anger hiding in sadness than the dreams that can come out the longing. And, as always, perfectly soundtracked by the instrumentals that the band comes up with. I was binge watching Twin Peaks the other night, and had to think of The Chromatics and their sound while watching. Nothing in this track has done anything to untie that connection in my mind. Can’t wait for a new album from their hand, though going off this track we might be talking to the ghosts that haunt instead of those showing a future that might be.