Review: Ragz, Riddimz & Rollerz - C@ in the H@

C@ in the H@ has repeatedly demonstrated himself to be one of the most versatile DJs in this scene. Tackling genres as diverse as dubstep (link), house (link), and even Balkan beats (link), he’s shown himself to be consistently adept at whatever genre he takes on, all whilst maintaining his signature big bass sound. As a result, when listening to his sets, one will often find themselves experiencing a high-speed whirlwind of different sounds and styles, but without any of it ever seeming incongruent with the rest.

With this new release, C@ in the H@ has chosen to focus on the drum ’n’ bass sound, or more accurately, swing ’n’ bass. Pioneered by the likes of Phil Mac and Mista Trick, swing ’n’ bass has grown to become one of the most popular and successful subgenres of electro swing, as demonstrated by the Swing & Bass compilation album released earlier this year (link). Its fast tempos and high energy make it the perfect style to accompany some of the more upbeat and intense swing samples, and it thus works incredibly well on the dancefloor.

The EP opens with ‘Chicago’ featuring MC Navigator, who brings elements of dub into the mix as well. Alongside somewhat of a verbal description of the genre contained within the lyrics, this track features the signature C@ in the H@ bass behind a heavy, classic brass sound, and serves as the perfect opener. The next track, ‘Beer Baron’, introduces the use of vocal samples from vintage films, a very typical C@ in the H@ technique, and one which recurs throughout the release. We then have ‘Cat & Mouse’ – an absolute DnB banger – which is easily the standout track of the EP. I predict that this one will be heard at festivals all across the country this summer.

Moving on, ‘Smoke Out’ begins on a similar vibe to ‘Cat & Mouse’, quickly transitioning into almost electro-esque sounds, before returning to the signature C@ in the H@ bass sound. The brilliantly titled ‘Young Wild West’ is the most jazzy track in a way, with some really engaging interplay in the brass samples, before delving into some ridiculous descending basslines. And we end with ‘Shelter’, which stands as a complete contrast from the rest of the album, as – aside from a lone trumpet line – there is no swing or vintage element whatsoever. A strong DnB number though, and an interesting way to end the release.

The tracks featured on this EP collectively seem a lot stronger than many of the others one may find within the swing ’n’ bass subgenre. I feel that a large reason for this is through C@ in the H@’s treatment of the breakbeat. The reliance on the standard DnB breakbeat doesn’t seem as heavy as it often can in certain releases, and rather than simply stick an Amen break under a swing sample, the musicality shines through to the point where one’s familiarity with drum ’n’ bass isn’t even necessary. This says a lot for C@ in the H@’s producing ability then – that he’s able to keep the music interesting outside of the standard genre conventions. As such, through releases such as this one, we can plainly see why he does so well at every genre he undertakes.

Electro Swing Cinema

There’s been some fantastic music films made over time. I’m not necessarily talking musicals, but rather films made on the subject of music. Of course, these will always have music in them, so they inevitably end up becoming musicals of a sort, but not really in the conventional sense. Some of the more notable examples of these include This Is Spın̈al Tap, High Fidelity, The Blues Brothers, Almost Famous, and The Commitments.

What has yet to be seen is an explicitly electro swing movie. It’s certainly quite possible that we’ll eventually get this with time, but no filmmaker has chosen to do it just yet, at least not in an obvious way. However, there are a few films that I think approach the subject matter in more subtle ways. I’ll present here five that I believe would make enjoyable viewing for the electro swing audience – no particular order, I’ve simply listed them chronologically.

The Aristocats (1970)

So I have a bit of a theory about this, in that I reckon that the majority of musicians producing electro swing today will have had their very first experiences of jazz and swing through the medium of Disney films. Another good example could have been The Jungle Book (which unsurprisingly was the Disney production made prior to this one), and there’s a whole host of other instances of swing in their films; but I think that The Aristocats demonstrates the jazz influence more so than any other, due largely to the fact that this music forms an essential part of the plot. Resulting from this Disney exposure, there’s a significant amount of Disney covers and remixes within electro swing; a perfect demonstration of this would be the Electric Swing Circus’s cover of ‘Everybody Wants To Be A Cat’:

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

This film very much did for early American folk what electro swing is doing for the music of the jazz age. Featuring a great soundtrack with instances of the genre throughout, a large part of the film centres around the protagonists forming a bluegrass group called the Soggy Bottom Boys. Indeed, author Robert Loss has said of the film that:

“O Brother and the new millennial folk revival it stimulated implied the return of something good, some “original newness” worth saving from the remainder bin of history”

There’s some obvious parallels with electro swing here; much of the music of this particular genre can certainly be said to be returning jazz and swing to a level of contemporary relevance. One may also note the brilliant Skeewiff remix of ‘Man of Constant Sorrow’:

Midnight in Paris (2011)

In terms of the type of esteem often given to the jazz age, I feel that no film exemplifies this better than Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. Whilst holidaying in Paris, the protagonist – played by Owen Wilson – discovers a time vortex that leads him directly to this era, and he proceeds to spend every night exploring the past and becoming more and more involved in the lives of various historic figures. The idea of recreating the past being so central to certain elements of electro swing – this film sums up to a great degree the mindset of many of the fans of this genre. Those figures whom Wilson interacts with throughout include Josephine Baker, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. And speaking of F. Scott Fitzgerald…

The Great Gatsby (2013)

If there were a single example of a genuine electro swing film, this would be it. This is the only example I’m aware of, of a film with an electro swing soundtrack (albeit a rather unimpressive one), and much of the imagery of contemporary electro swing has come directly from this film. Speaking of his soundtrack, director Baz Luhrmann would state that:

“When [Fitzgerald] wrote that book, he was a modernist, he was in the moment, and the music of the moment was African-American street music called Jazz, and when he put Jazz music in Gatsby, everyone was like ‘What are you crazy? It’s a fad.’ […] If Fitzgerald coined the phrase ‘The Jazz Age,’ then I think we’re living in ‘The Hip Hop Age.’”

Thus, Luhrmann elected to include a soundtrack which both pays homage to the original jazz of The Great Gatsby, whilst staying relevant for a modern audience more inclined to styles such as hip hop. Sound familiar? As stated however, the choice of music was quite unremarkable, including pieces by contemporary pop artists such will.i.am and Fergie, where the more established electro swing artists would likely have performed much better:

La La Land (2016)

The last entry I’ll include is La La Land, which famously narrowly missed out on the Best Picture award at the 2017 Oscars – although it did win six others, including both Best Original Score and Best Original Song. With a plot entirely centred around contemporary performances of jazz, the most poignant line for me is when John Legend’s character argues:

“How are you gonna be a revolutionary if you're such a traditionalist? You're holding on to the past, but jazz is about the future”

This line sums up the entire philosophy of electro swing to me; this music is taking the original music of jazz, but pushing it in a completely new direction. Arguably, this is precisely what jazz is supposed to be about. Whilst the Messengers – the band that features in the movie – aren’t specifically an electro swing act, their music is certainly heading in that direction, most clearly so in this rehearsal scene:

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There’s possibly several more, but I think these five films would make a nice viewing experience for the electro swing enthusiast. The collective runtime would be just over nine hours, so it’s definitely possible that one could devote a long evening to it if they wanted a bit of a movie-marathon. Maybe I’ll do it someday. I’d love to hear if anyone has any suggestions that they think I should add to this list, so please comment below if you can think of any more. And perhaps one day we will have an all-out, fully electro swing movie that’s a complete celebration of everything we all love about this genre.

Review: Metropolis - Cut Capers

Cut Capers are an act I’ve been interested in for a while now. I mentioned in my previous article that they were one of the highlights of Swingamajig – certainly the highlight of the day festival – and the few other times I’ve seen them, they’ve consistently been incredibly entertaining. Their flawless blend of swing, ska, and hip hop makes them the perfect summer band to dance around to in the sunshine, and the release of Metropolis couldn’t have been timed better; with summer approaching I suspect I’ll be listening to this album on many hot days over the coming months.

This is the band’s second album, but their first on Freshly Squeezed, in which they seem an ideal fit alongside other acts such as SwinGrowers and the Sweet Life Society. Cut Capers have been establishing themselves within the scene for a while now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this album firmly puts them on the vintage remix map alongside their contemporaries. I’m always reminded of Deluxe when listening to Cut Capers, and I see no reason as to why they might not one day be just as successful as their French peers.

The album opens with ‘Get Movin’’, which with its lyrical allusions to Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman signals that the band knows exactly where their music stands in relation to their influences. There’s a few moments like this throughout Metropolis, such as the Reinhardt-esque gypsy jazz on ‘Let’s Start Again’, or the New Orleans style brass band sound on ‘One More Drink’; you really get the sense that the band are very aware of their place in history, and what’s come before them.

Moving on, ‘Wait Just a Minute’ is an early standout track, with a strong hook that’s impossible not to dance to; and the catchiness of ‘I Know’ demonstrates clearly why it was chosen as the lead single. In the very middle of the album, ‘El Viaje’ provides an interesting contrast to the rest of the release, both linguistically as well as tonally, through its use of particularly minor harmonies.

The harsh brass tones found in ‘Wait Just a Minute’ return even stronger in ‘Elephant’, which at 2.59 is the shortest track on the album and almost has a bit of a punk rock feel to it. And then ‘Feet off the Ground’ is the near opposite of this – without doubt the most musically explorative track of the album, and featuring some beautiful harmonies throughout. In both instances, Cut Capers demonstrate their ability to write and perform in an array of styles, each time to an impressive level.

Cut Capers’ music is fun, enjoyable, danceable, and what I love most is that there’s no element of pretentiousness to them whatsoever. It’s simply a group of friends having a great time making some music, and managing to do a fantastic job of it. The production of Metropolis is super sleek, the songwriting is excellent, and the overall feeling one gets when listening is just a huge sense of fun and happiness. I believe that we’re going to be seeing a lot more of Cut Capers.

Roaring City and Swingamajig: The Two Biggest Electro Swing Events on Both Sides of the Atlantic

I’ve had a bit of a whirlwind three weeks. On top of finishing and submitting my PhD thesis, I’ve also been lucky enough to experience both the Roaring City, and Swingamajig festivals: two of the biggest dates in the electro swing calendar worldwide for 2019. The former being held on the weekend of the 13-14th of April in Chicago, and the latter in Birmingham on the 5th of May – these two events have provided a perfect example of the ways in which electro swing is presented and enjoyed in both the US and the UK. What follows is somewhat of a review, somewhat of a comparison between the two events, and somewhat of an analysis into the various ways a genre can manifest itself across these two countries.

Roaring City

So this was quite a big deal. Not only is Roaring City the US’s biggest electro swing event of 2019, it’s in fact the very first event of its kind across the whole country. Electro swing has certainly been catching on in States for some time now – I’ve even seen posters for events held in San Francisco dating as far back as 2010 – but it’s yet to have a fully-formed festival such as this. Resultingly, Roaring City – much like the first Swingamajig back in 2013 – will be remembered as a momentous achievement in the story of electro swing’s development.

I first found out about this event in early February from Mr Automatic, who organised the event alongside DJ Vourteque. Knowing how important this festival would be, I figured I’d forever regret it if I didn’t seize the chance to go, and immediately bought my tickets and flights over to Chicago. Being a huge Blues Brothers fan, I also saw this as an opportunity to visit the city so central to one of my favourite films, and thus provided a bit of bonus motivation for the trip. Additionally, Chicago has been such an important city in terms of the development of jazz, and in this sense stands as what’s arguably the perfect location for the festival.

From a personal perspective, I found myself particularly excited by the line-up of Roaring City. As much as I love Swingamajig, almost every act on this year’s bill is one which I’ve seen multiple times before – yet for Roaring City the exact opposite was the case. With the exception of Duke Skellington, who I first saw at last year’s Swingamajig, every single act was new to me: artists included Mr Automatic; Vourteque; Ninjula; Faith in the Glitch; Glitch Gatsby; as well as the three headliners: Sepiatonic; Slynk; and Defunk. The other major difference is that Roaring City spread itself out over two days, whilst Swingamajig has consistently opted to squeeze everything into just the one.

Over the course of its two days, Roaring City presented some fantastic acts. Stand-out performances came from Ninjula; Slynk; the Tripp Brothers; and My Pet Monster – the latter two I was unfamiliar with prior to their shows. My favourite moment was most likely the Rouge! party on the second day featuring both Mr Automatic and Vourteque; and I’ve got to give special mention to Duke Skellington as well for consistently killing it. The festival featured a bit of bad luck on the Sunday when a literal snow blizzard hit Chicago (bear in mind this is mid-April!!); whilst the entire venue was indoors, I suspect much of the audience elected to stay at home all day, and subsequently the turnout wasn’t so great for day two. Luckily however, this didn’t seem to affect the quality of any of the acts, and if anything, I probably enjoyed the second day more.

Roaring City was a fantastic experience – well-worth the horrific jetlag obtained as a result of a three-day holiday to a destination six time-zones away – and I can totally see it developing into an annual event. I’d love to see the US hosting its own yearly equivalent of Swingamajig, and whilst I doubt I’d be able to come every year, I would certainly return in the future. I’ve got to give a massive cheers to both Mr Automatic and Vourteque for putting on such a brilliant event, and I’m going to be keeping my eye out to see what’s next to come for American electro swing. From what I witnessed on this trip, there’s a huge potential.

Swingamajig

There’s no doubt that I’m always going to hold a massive love for Swingamajig. I’ve been to every event since it first started in 2013, including the one-off New Year’s party at the start of 2015, and the replacement event held after last year’s event was cancelled due to ongoing problems with the venue. Those problems have persisted to this year, and thus Swingamajig underwent a huge transformation for this event: being held in the grounds of Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens, enabling the festival to be family-friendly for the first time; and also being split into a main festival and an afterparty in a separate venue.

It was immediately obvious that the festival had a completely different vibe this year to all previous events. Being used to walking through the industrial archways of Digbeth – entering through a greenhouse filled with exotic flora was certainly a unique experience. There was even a rogue peacock wandering around the festival grounds. The site was beautiful, and an incredible setting to experience live music in; I only wish we’d had had slightly warmer weather. And although it was a bit of a hassle getting from the first venue to the afterparty (bloody taxis can be useless), Amusement 13 provided a fine location for the wilder side of the party, much more in line with how previous Swingamajigs have felt. If this arrangement is used again for next year, I will be completely satisfied.

The first highlight of the festival was the 30-second dance showcase, which Becca and I had entered ourselves. We performed a routine to Powello Bros’ ‘All Night Boogaloo’, which – due to an unusually low ceiling – had Becca literally crashing through the roof during one of our more ambitious aerials. Luckily for us we managed to recover well enough for it to not affect the routine too much, and we really enjoyed watching the other participants. Everyone involved was fantastic and the winner definitely deserved it. I’ve found Swingamajig to be increasingly welcoming to lindy hoppers year after year, which – as a lindy hopper myself – I love to see.

My favourite acts during the day were Cut Capers; King Brasstards; and Catjam; as well as the Electric Swing Circus themselves, who are basically incapable of putting on a bad show at this point. I was glad to see the Swinghoppers on this year’s line-up, but unfortunately some real sound problems tainted what could have otherwise been a great performance. The afterparty provided some amazing electro swing acts; one look at the main room line-up reveals just how high the calibre of acts that Swingamajig attracts tends to be: Emma Clair; Tuxedo Junction; Mista Trick with Fizzy Gillespie; Dutty Moonshine; C@ in the H@; and A. Skillz. The highlight of the night was undoubtedly Tuxedo Junction, whose sets are just great fun from start to finish.

Although held on a slightly smaller scale than previous events have been, I think this year’s Swingamajig has been one of my all-time favourites. I can’t praise the organisers highly enough for the hard work that they put in, and I’m well aware of the various problems in the lead up to this year’s event. Huge thanks to Tom and the guys from the Electric Swing Circus; C@ in the H@; and the whole team for consistently putting on what is plainly the best electro swing festival in the world. The perfect way to celebrate my PhD thesis hand in!

Comparing the Two Events

The first thing to note is of course the scale. Swingamajig is incredibly well-established by this point: everyone even remotely involved in this scene will be well aware of the importance of such an event. Spread across two venues, and featuring four stages at the main festival and three at the afterparty, Swingamajig is far bigger than Roaring City, which – although longer – only featured one stage across the entirety of its weekend. Swingamajig also featured various food stalls, a vintage market, and numerous walkabout performances, whilst Roaring City only had a few local traders on either side of the room.

This is not to say anything negative of Roaring City however, in fact one could argue quite the opposite. The absolute highlight of Roaring City, even above all the amazing performances, was the interaction with all the acts there, meeting and making new friends, and feeling like a part of an incredible collective of people. Whilst this may say something for American’s openness and friendliness, I feel that the inclusion one felt at Roaring City would not have been possible at a festival the size of Swingamajig, no matter the location. Of course, this isn’t to say that Swingamajig isn’t also a welcoming environment – it undoubtedly is – and I really get on with everyone involved. It’s just a different environment, and this perfectly demonstrates how both small and large-scale events can be equally fantastic when run well.

I was also fascinated by the way in which Roaring City put the cabaret acts on a par with the music acts. The line-up was presented as a constant rotation between these various types of performance, in which their respective shows weren’t really treated as distinct at all. Swingamajig indeed featured many cabaret acts, but there were presented on their own cabaret stage (the one which Becca destroyed the ceiling of earlier in the day). I’m not sure if I have any particular preference as to which way I prefer it, but it was certainly interesting to see this distinction.

Both these festivals left me utterly exhausted and utterly delighted, and I feel very fortunate to be involved in such a brilliant scene. I will continue attending Swingamajig every year, and I’d love to make it back to Roaring City if I ever can. I genuinely can’t imagine any way in which someone could attend either of these two events and not have the greatest time. I hope that they both keep growing and improving – and for as long as I’m able, I hope to continue being a part of them.

Introduction

I’ve been thinking about setting up a blog for a while now, and this current moment seems like a perfect opportunity to actually begin. I’ll start by introducing myself.

Based in Cardiff, I’m a musicologist who specialises in the electro swing genre. I love listening to and writing about this style, and having recently submitted my completed PhD thesis, I figured that this would be a good way to allow myself to continue writing – perhaps in a less formal and academic style. There’s a few electro swing blogs dotted about on the internet, some of which I’ve written guest posts for in the past, but I figured it was time to finally do one myself.

This blog will combine various thoughts I have around the genre, around academic life, around relevant arguments and discussions to do with electro swing, or even any other genre that I decide to write about that day, or indeed anything else at all. Generally however, this blog will mostly feature my feelings on whatever is causing a big stir in the electro swing world, or vintage remix world (that particular debate will likely be a post itself at some point).

I can’t promise I’ll be able to keep the blog routinely updated on a regular basis, but I’ll try to write something new as often as I can. As I say, if nothing else, this will simply allow me to keep on writing now that the madness of my PhD has almost ended and I’ve got a bit of free time returned to my life.