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Tuesday 7 July 2015

Nothing But Thieves - "Trip Switch"

Nothing But Thieves are a 5-piece band from Southend, England, who have been gaining momentum through a couple of single releases, backed by some interesting videos. In my opinion their latest release "Trip Switch", for which the official video came out last week is my favourite tune of theirs so far. The first thing that you notice about the song are the vocals provided by Conor Mason. The band's biography describes his vocals as "angelic and soaring", and that description is certainly apt in terms of describing his contribution to this song. When I hear the vocals there is a certain similarity to the way that Matt Bellamy from Muse sings his lyrics, where he beautifully varies from a delicately beautiful touch in the verse to a powerful soaring delivery in the chorus. It's a pretty funky tune, but with a rock edge to it, which seems to be a thread heard throughout their music. The guitarists, Dom and Joe, compose some interesting guitar melodies that accompany the vocals really well. There is a really cool riff in the verse, accompanied by a muted guitar part that comes in and out, that feels that it goes out of key and then resolves itself right at the end of the line. From listening to their tracks it feels like that scale is somewhat representative of their approach, they have enough unusual elements that will separate this band from the legions of rock bands that pop up on the landscape of British music every year. Another element being a dark and moody video that never quite lets you know where it is going to end up.

An album is scheduled to be released in autumn and let's hope it does not fall victim to the album delay element that can stall many a promising young bands career.

Sunday 28 June 2015

Mele - "Ambience"

I first came across this tune while listening to Annie Mac's Friday night Radio 1 show last week. I subsequently discovered this was being released on Lobster Boy, which is run by Redlight, who is an artist that I am a huge fan of. When I first heard this tune I had no idea that it was a UK producer, as I was a bit behind the curve with Mele, as he has been releasing tracks for a few years. He was born in Wirral and is now based in London.

The track itself is a track that owes a lot to the funk carioca sound of Brazil, combined with what you could identify as a female vocal that you could find in house music as it is particularly powerful, but in this case it is utilised in a way that reminds me of a lady leading the carnival procession right at the front. She alternates between moments of encouragement, screams and sung phrases, which is so effective. The beat has the type of drums you would expect to find in Brazilian music. I love the way the beat moves along with the main bass drum sound (which I think is played by a surdo drum in Brazilian music featuring prominently.

This is definitely a tune that should be big in the summer. It is a brilliant piece of music! I think people would be surprised to know it comes from a Wirral based producer, but that is the beauty of the eclecticism that is found in British music. "Ambience" is available for pre-order now.

Tonight (Sunday 7th June) I will be going to see Run The Jewels, which I am really looking forward to. My sense of anticipation has been heightened by the discovery of Until The Ribbon Breaks, who will be the support act at Kentish Town Forum tonight. Upon researching their origins they began as a solo project by Pete Lawrie-Winfield, from Cardiff, and expanded into a 3-piece, featuring James Gordon and Elliott Wall. Their debut album "A Lesson Unlearnt" was released at the beginning of this year and upon discovering it I instantly appreciated its fascinating qualities. First off their music has been described as being an eclectic fuse of genres (often a dangerous tag!). I would put them down as R&B, but with a bit of a twist, in a way similar to an artist who I really appreciate, Jamie Liddell. From their album my favourite track is "A Taste Of Silver". It is definitely a mix of genre's, featuring a funky drum break that you would commonly find in hip-hop, a twanging country style guitar-line, the main verse vocal being sung in a falsetto, the chorus vocal being sung in an old-school R&B fashion and a pulsating electronic synth bassline that could easily belong in electronic music genres such as drum'n'bass or dubstep. It is such a brilliant piece of work and features as the third track on the album. There is something about the line in the song that says "When you've had a taste of silver and the pennies won't do", that feels really appropriate to the way I feel. It is so exciting to find artists that excite you, even if they have existed for a number of years. I guess when people who seek out music like I do start paying attention it is a sign they are getting bigger (not that I would ever claim to be a tastemaker!). I can't wait to see how they translate their excellent material to the stage and hopefully we'll see the collaboration that they had with Run The Jewels called "Revolution Indifference" tonight too.

Friday 5 June 2015

Jesse James Solomon - "We Do"

Jesse James Solomon is a young MC who came out with an EP last year called "Jesse From SE". The best thing about it was the old-school sensibilities that could be found within the work, whether it is Jesse's laconic flow or chilled out production. He has returned with a track called "We Do", which feels like he has continued a progression that will one day see him crowned as one of the premier rappers in UK hip-hop. On the track Jesse is reminiscing about the days of his childhood and some of the antics that he used to get up to. But there is nothing sinister involved; it's just a laid-back reminiscing over getting bagels, playing football and having his Mum told that he needed to do better in school by teachers whom he thought were fine. In this era of what I call "council-estate rap" where various London youths make cheap YouTube videos around the council estates of London with wordplay intimating that they are eager to dish out some kind of violence, it's a refreshing outlook. The production work suits the vibe that Jesse is going for in an amazing way. There is a vocal sample that has been treated and sounds almost tribal in origin. Backed by a beat that begins with a ticking sound, that reminds me of the sands of time ticking away. The beat never rushes; it is almost like the beat is in no rush to arrive at it's destination, with a lilting feel tracking it all the way. For me personally it is interesting to hear Jesse reminisce about his adventures in school, as I was actually working in the school that he is remembering in his rhymes. He certainly was a talented footballer and the stoned flavour to his raps is no exaggeration! I remember there was a match in year 11, where I was managing and he was my most talented player. Then he got excluded from school a few days before a cup quarter-final for getting caught smoking weed in the toilets, throwing my tactical plans into chaos! However this is no misguided youth. He is an extremely positive person who I am glad to say I know and have been following his musical progress with interest. "We Do" is another example of the growth in this future hip-hop hero.

Tuesday 19 May 2015

Fake Blood - "Hornets/Hornets EP"

Fake Blood, whose real name is Theo Keating, yesterday (18th May) released an EP entitled "Hornets", which was released by the Food Music label. The EP features the title track, 2 remixes and another track entitled "Music Box". My favourite Fake Blood tune is "Mars", which came out in 2008. And in the drum beat for "Hornets" I can hear some of the qualities which grabbed me from the first time I heard "Mars". It goes along at 128bpm, but has more similarities to fidget house, with a funky shuffling drumbeat propelling the beat along rather than a straight-up four to the floor house beat. The true aspect of innovation in the track is how the sound of hornets is appropriated, firstly through the evil sounding laugh that is sampled through the piece. Also when the bass drops there is a certain amount of venom within it that reminds me of some of the sounds that were prominently featured in UK grime music at one time, as the bass makes minimal pitch movement and it feels it is there more as an effect for feel.

When the piece moves into it's second section after the intro there is also this really cool buzzing sound, that could well be real hornets sampled. There are also a few other sounds that give you the feeling of a bunch of hornets flying. Also on the EP are remixes by Benton & Pluto.

"Music Box" is another really enjoyable track, coming in at around the same tempo, but with a gentler feel in what I would call the music box section. There is a great bit with a real heavy bassline that starts around 2:12, which then combines with the music box element. There is still a heavy dose of something funky going with the drums, with a kind of jazzy sound then making way for a more straight-ahead rhythm. This is definitely an EP worth checking out; the remixes are really good, but I really love Fake Blood's original creations!

Friday 15 May 2015

Everything Everything - Regret

Everything Everything will release their third album "Get to Heaven" on 15 June, through Sony RCA. Earlier last week (6th May) the video for the second release of the album, "Regret", was released. The genre that Everything Everything have been placed in is art-rock. I just think their material is very danceable, with some obscure references and smarter lyrics than some run-of-the-mill rock. Which is probably some of the key features of art-rock.

"Regret" is the second offering to be heard from the album, after the excellent "Distant Past". It has a really effective start, with a direct sounding drum part, accompanied by Jonathan Higgs vocals in conjunction with strong backing vocals singing the words "regret, regret" at the end of each line. It's really effective, giving it a call and response feel, until the chorus, with the words "But did you imagine it
In a different way?
Did you imagine it
(But did you imagine it)
In a different way?"
I think regret is one of the foremost human emotions, that comes to the fore on such a regular basis, whether it is for small or large things. In this song it is sung in a wistful way, appropriating the sentiment of the song, doing so in a way that feels more flowy than the verses, which have a stop-start quality to them, due to the lines kind of stopping everytime the words regret are repeated.

The video is interesting. The protagonists seem to be members of a cult, being indoctrinated deeper into the cult, in some sort of baptismal ritual. It is strikingly effective. When you think about it, who has more to regret than those individuals who have fallen prey to the charms of a cult? There's a great bit at the end where the leader is engulfed in flames and seems to be dancing in a shamanic sort of ritual. Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing what will come next from this band; third albums are often where their confidence has been established and chances can be taken, with a loyal fanbase established.

Thursday 14 May 2015

Nero - The Thrill

Something that has invaded my mind periodically over the past few months has been, "When will Nero's new album be coming out?" They released "Satisfy, claimed that a new album would be released before the end of the year, then went mysteriously silent. Now nearly a year later they have returned with "The Thrill".

When Nero first came out I was instantly reminded of Chase & Status, with one of the main reasons being that Nero were signed to Chase & Status' label. But there is a divergence in their sound and "The Thrill" is a clear indication of this. The main factor that gives them a difference is the consistent presence of lead singer Alana Watson's vocals. I've always thought they floated above the track in a beautiful way and on their best tracks her floaty vocals were accompanied by a robust anthemic sounding dance/dubstep beat behind it. The visuals for the song were released last week and they are quite intense. They are really dark, so that you really don't really ever get to see any of the band members properly. I'll have to believe they are the ones in the video! It feels like the visuals they may undertake in their forthcoming live shows, Already announced is the album title "Between II Worlds", which will be released on August 28th. The visuals for the video seem to inhabit a nether region in between the worlds. Well in my eyes anyway. It will be interesting to see exactly what world Nero will choose to exhibit on the forthcoming album.

Monday 11 May 2015

Lil Silva - "Drumatic"

I am excited, super-excited about the new 3 track EP, "Drumatic", which was released yesterday (May 10th) on iTunes. The three tunes on the EP are "606", "New Squeeze" and my personal favourite "Drumatic". I think when I truly 100% get excited by a tune is when I hear it and I think to myself that is the exact sound that I would like to make and "Drumatic" is a precise example of that. Lil Silva has ventured to many different places sonically, with last years EP "Mabel" being the first one to prominently feature his vocals and be more of a slight sidestep into ambient EP territory. This is not the case on the new EP. All the tracks are really uptempo, do not feature vocals and are definitely more club-orientated get-up and dance tunes. On "Drumatic" it starts with this tribal sounding high-pitched call, followed by a synth-part that sounds more like something you'd find in a rave track. And that is where this tune is particularly interesting because there are elements of this track that incorporate that sound. The bpm of the tune is around 134bpm, which is on the slower side of the breakbeat hardcore. There is also a fierce sounding bass line which has a really strong impact by having a syncopated feel, with a pretty African-tinge to it. I love the way that it has those African and European elements to it.

When I think of Lil Silva's career so far, it is amazing that he can come up with music that touches on so many genres, but maintains a sound that is uniquely his. I'd love to see an album and what element he would focus on, but until then these snapshots are such a great snapshot every few months or so.

Thursday 7 May 2015

JME - "Integrity"

JME's new album "Integrity" was released earlier this week, approximately 2 months after the video for the title track from the album appeared online, accompanied by a sparse, but effective video, which features JME rapping with a determined intensity to a single camera, surrounded by a hefty collection of records.
The track itself is firmly rooted in grime, accompanied by a beat that has strong dubstep influences. It's a really moody piece of atmospheric music. I love the way it features a bassline that alternates between 2 notes, held for about 4 beats. It feels like it keeps the track centered and is duplicated with a higher sounding synth playing the same notes. The whole beat is centered, giving JME a chance to tell his story, which is what I love about the track. I have always been aware of his existence since he emerged back in the mid 2000's as a member of the Boy Better Know crew, but what I find particularly intriguing is the bits where he talks about his dealings with major labels, when he had a hit with "Serious" in 2006, which is from around 2:30 in the track. With a more animated flow than he displays at the beginning of the track he details such experiences as "bare meetings with pricks". With Skepta reaching the top 20 and the performance that Kanye West put in at the Brits, featuring a number of prominent grime MC's it could be a very interesting time for the genre. But another truth is that it could lead to a rush of labels eager to sign young MC's, many who are building up their following through their YouTube plays, rather than the pirate radio days where Boy Better Know established their following. Is it strange that Kanye West's performance reinvigorated the genre's mainstream cache? (I say this as if you hear Skepta's track "Shutdown", it features a sample of an outraged critic who was intimidated by the visual of a gang of young men all on stage in black). I think the answer to that is probably.

Anyway, the JME album called "Integrity" is well worth a listen. The thing I appreciate most about JME's flow is the controlled intensity. That is featured throughout the album. I'd love for it to be a mainstream hit, showing you don't have to compromise anything to sell records. It won't, but I certainly appreciate his work and with some of the excellent reviews the album has received I imagine many more will check out his work.



Monday 4 May 2015

The Chemical Brothers feat Q-Tip - Go

I am extremely excited about the fact Chemical Brothers will release their new album "Born In The Echoes" on 17th July. They are now at that stage in a veteran act's career where a new album often can feel like an advert or an excuse for forthcoming tour or festival dates. And while Chemical Brothers will indeed by appearing at a number of festivals over the summer the 2 songs that have been displayed to the world as tasters for their new album are certainly adding tracks that will be worthy additions to their amazing live back catalogue. "Sometimes I Feel So Deserted" is a certain banging 4x4 thump track. There is a certain relentless to the track provided by the drum beat and the insistent hand claps and propulsing synths that are a wonderful feature of the track. And interestingly a few weeks later we get taste number 2 (also track number 2) which returns to familiar territory by featuring Q-Tip, who was utilised so amazingly on "Galvanise".

This track is certainly no carbon copy though. I love the drumbeat. When you have a house track that goes at 120bpm it often sounds really good I think because you maintain a sense of propulsion by having it at a relatively fast tempo, but by slowing it down from the typical house bpm of 128 you can give tracks an extra sense of funky momentum and that is certainly used here. Then to compliment that the bass line is funky, featuring lots of short little repeated notes in short bursts, followed by a rest. I love the effect it gives, like an exertion followed by a quick rest.

I love the bit where Q-Tip comes in, at first saying "can't think, can't sleep, can't breathe", then breaking into a beautiful flow, which emulates the insistent bassline, with a slight increase in tension as we hit the chorus. In that chorus there are some Euro-sounding synths, that isnt really a common Chemical Brothers thing, but here it gives the track an extra energy, with a subtle nod to some of the tracks we have heard in the intervening 5 years since Chemical Brothers last studio album; fresh, but classic sounding. If I were to take a guess it does feel like "Go" will be the track released as a single, whereas possibly "Sometimes I Feel So Deserted" is a track to start off the new live show. But whatever happens it's a near certainty these 2 tracks will be featured in forthcoming Chemical Brothers live sets and they are worthy and exciting additions.

The video is simple and effective, featuring women in what feels like a machine propelled around a futuristic district for indiscernible reasons. I like it as well.

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Jess Glyne - Hold My Hand (MJ Cole Remix)

Jess Glyne is currently at number 1 in the UK charts with "Hold My Hand", but rather than the radio version, it's the MJ Cole remix of the track that is my favourite. The element that I like most about the track is the UK funky style drumbeat that is at the song's core. It features only a snippet of Jess Glyne's vocal and instead becomes a tune within it's own right. MJ Cole is a producer I have been a fan of ever since he was creating the best album to come out from the UK Garage scene, "Sincere", which was released in 2000. I think my main thrill from hearing this track is that MJ Cole can still create something that is soulfully amazing, but maintains a wonderfully danceable element to it. It feels like a long time since I heard a piece of UK Funky music, but I always think it is a sound which is so appropriate for the summer months and this remix is a great example of this.

Monday 19 January 2015

Boxed In - "No Joke"

Boxed In is the name that London based producer Oli Bayston has chosen to give to his first solo venture. He used to be in a band called "Keith" (what a British name!) but now produces and contributes vocals to his own music. His debut album is out today (19th January) and sounds like a really interesting collection of songs. The most important element to his music is the sense of danceability that can be found. Generally the album consists of Housey style drums, in conjunction with a prominently featured keyboard/piano part. It's the sort of style that is reminiscent of Hot Chip and I have seen an article on the Guardian's music section where the similarities have been mentioned. It is definitely true that in the beats there are parallels, but where I can also hear it in Oli Bayston's voice which reminds me of Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip's voice. There is a gentle charm and tone which can be found in both of them. It's this endearing quality that has sustained Hot Chip through 5 albums and hopefully it will do the same in Boxed In's case.

There are many highlights on the album, but my particular favourites are track 1 entitled "Mystery" and track 5 "No Joke". There is this really cool, simple and prominent keyboard riff at the heart of "Mystery" which I love. I also love the fact it sounds like a 1970's funk track. "No Joke" has got a cool and smooth 2-step garagey beat at it's core, but played on real drums. And there is this real subtle bassline that keeps moving through the tune that I really like as well. And as I have mentioned before the gentle charm of Oli Bayston's vocals comes through into this track really well.

It's a really great way to discover that there are new UK acts coming through with such deliciously sounding danceable music that haven't been super-super hyped, but are just coming through with quality. It's the sort of stuff that makes you start thinking of festivals already. The album is released on Nettwerk Records.


Thursday 15 January 2015

Tinie Tempah - "Flash"

British rapper Tinie Tempah has released a new video for a track entitled "Flash", which is produced by London producer duo Splurgeboys. The video highlights what seems to be a particularly fun trip to Dubai for a one-off show. Well, it must be fun if you are a young and successful rapper! Beach shenanigans and driving around in flash cars is the name of the game. But you can never deny that Tinie Tempah does not deserve his success. The reason why he succeeded is because he always had a wittiness with his wordplay that was still apparent despite his mainstream success. There are some clever wordplay moments in this tune too, even in the midst of the decadent celebrations, and even a reference to the boring (in my opinion) British dinner party show Come Dine With Me
"So many shots, it's like gun crime
My semi cock, girl, let it pop
This Celebrity Come Dine
"

The beat is really quite dark and menancing and quite gritty. The powerful bass sound provided by the sub-bass and the leisurely tempo of the drumbeat are the components that give it this feel. Though I heard it on computer speakers that sound is magnified when you hear it on a really good set of speakers, ideally in a club environment.

Though Tinie Tempah is not speaking about something I have experienced I feel personally that the fact he can boast about what he actually has, as a British rapper, and the listener can actually think to themselves "Yeah, he's boasting, but he probably does have all this stuff" is a reason for celebration in my opinion. It's not clear what this surprise release is in aid of, but whatever it's for, it's an interesting slice of British rap music.

Wednesday 14 January 2015

Years and Years - "King"

Years & Years are a 3-piece electronic act that are one of the most hyped new acts to grace the UK music scene in 2015. They won the prestigious BBC Sound of 2015 polll, which I think about is almost a guarantee of a chance of success, by the nature of the poll as it is compiled featuring the input of a significant number of people who will decide which records will be played in the forthcoming year.

The lead singer of the group is Olly Alexander and he is what propels the 3-piece into a particularly intriguing realm. His voice sounds very dramatic to me; it is relatively high for a male, but emotional and melancholy at the same time. On their latest track "King" another example is provided of this element to their music. Alexander was quoted in an interview with The Red Bulletin saying about the inspiration for his songs being melancholy; "For me that’s usually painful emotions or feeling like I’m not good enough."

  In "King" the lyrics seem to be pointing towards a relationship where the singer has come to the realisation that the relationship he is in may not have been as positive as he once believed it to be. The lyrics are full of the emotions of being under control and wanting to break free. Olly's soaring voice, backed by a sort of 90's Balearic tune, with pop sensibilities and melodies accompanies this perfectly.

It is the album that will be the true test of their longetivity. The UK has seen a number of acts in recent years use House-type beats and propelled them to the upper echelons of the charts, such as Disclosure, Secondcity and Route 94. Years & Years feel like a continuation of this, but with a greater leaning towards synth-pop and the fact they are fronted by a male singer, rather than producers, with a rotating cast of guest vocalists. "King" is due to be released on March 1st on Polydor.


Tuesday 13 January 2015

The Prodigy - Nasty

The Prodigy have announced they are to return with a new album "The Day is My Enemy", which will be released on 30 March, via their own label Take Me To The Hospital. The first taster of the album is called "Nasty".

My first reaction upon hearing the track, is "They are back!" The beat clocks in at around 138bpm, which automatically gives it a different vibe and energy to the dance music that has been prevalent in the UK charts over the past few years, which has predominantly been at the classic house tempo of 128BPM. It sounds instantly familiar, which I feel is a strength of the track, and by that what I mean is it has a similar sound to that which was found on their last album, 2009's "Invaders Must Die". It has a belligerent sound, where the hyper-aggressive drums are accompanied mainly by a simple, pounding and aggressive riff, which features in the bass and the guitar/synth part, doubling the part for extra emphasis. It will translate extremely well live I imagine (which by the way is the best way to see The Prodigy. They are one of the few bands who can appeal across all genres, and you always hear reports of them smashing festivals. But my favourite place to see them is in Brixton Academy, as I have done three times.

Keith Flint's vocals have always been a crucial element to The Prodigy's mainstream success. By that I mean tunes like "Firestarter" and the all-important live element. When he did not play a main part in the group and it was primarily Liam Howlett producing it did not feel quite the same, and I know that the group has referred to it in previous interviews, particularly around the press of the last album. Keith doesn't over-power you with over-complex sentiments; the delivery is punky and full of attitude. It is a very British sounding delivery. The chorus is really catchy, but anthemic prominently featuring the word "Nasty".

And that quintessentially is what The Prodigy are to British music. They have been at the forefront of popular dance music for well past 20 years, but when they return as well as evoking the past, with things like Keith Flint's punk style delivery, it still feels like they represent a feeling of the current, whether that is frustration with some of today's current music, or with wider societal issues.

Roll on May, when The Prodigy will be touring the UK, and I can hopefully get tickets for their gig at Alexandra Palace on the 15th or 16th!