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.
Sunday, 28 June 2015
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.
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