When I started getting into
electro swing however many years ago, I remember Dunkelbunt being one the first
artists to really impress me. From the moment I discovered his music, I was
immediately struck by the fact that he was already stepping outside the formula
of the genre, and experimenting with what could be achieved – and I still think
that Raindrops and Elephants is one of the most beautiful albums this
genre has produced. Now, this new release, Asia Files (Days of Isolation) is
a little confusing. Depending on where one accesses it, there appears to be a
different number of songs, a different order of songs, songs have been given
different titles, and most confusingly – some of the songs seem to already have
been uploaded to SoundCloud up to nine months ago. For the sake of clarity, I’m
going to be reviewing the tracks as they appear on Spotify.
The first is ‘Two Dancing Cranes’,
which features some nice cut ’n’ paste techniques, with hip hop beats
superimposed over some real Oriental sounds – in a way very reminiscent of Chinese
Man. One keeps feeling like they’re getting lost in some extravagant exotic
setting, but never with the loss of that urge to dance. There’s a sincere
combination here of both ancient, and ultra-modern temporalities. ‘Hiroshima
Mon Amour’ then follows, in which the Eastern influences continue, with some
samples of foreign dialogue as well. There’s a particular string instrument
being used that I can’t identify exactly, but it’s fantastic; and there’s
plenty of other stimulating timbres throughout as well. Structurally, this one feels
very much like a complete song; it’s a fine example of compositional
arrangement. We then have ‘In the Fields of Musashino’ – called ‘Days of
Isolation’ on the Bandcamp page – a rather unusual choice to retitle then,
given that it’s effectively the title track. There’s a strong, heavy beat
throughout, and the piece features some catchy and memorable motifs. It
actually reminds me a little bit of the Deezguys review I published the other week in that there’s several elements that manage to sound both live and
sampled simultaneously.
Continuing on with the labelling
confusion ‘Velavan’ is the title of two tracks on this release, that don’t seem
to have anything to do with one another. The first is the ‘UFOs Over Bengaluru edit’,
and is likely the best song of the release. There are some really lovely Indian
vocal samples used heavily throughout, and some subtle glitchy effects too.
Like many of these tracks, the downtempo nature keeps the piece relaxed, but
there’s still so much going on as to stay lively – the piece always feels like
it’s moving. Then, ‘Modus Operandi’ immediately jumps out as a bit alien –
ironically, in the sense that it’s not alien. The sounds presented here are far
more familiar to the Western ear, although there’s still some brilliant
interplay with the foreign vocal samples. On top of being another quite glitchy
piece, I also really like the wildlife samples here that situate the listener directly
into a different environment. Finally, the second ‘Velavan’ – simply the ‘Radio
edit’ – demonstrates another oddity. There’s almost a Balkan feel here – it’s
still very much Asian influenced, but the offbeat rhythm carries a noticeable
Eastern European feel to it. Whilst this isn’t the best of the release, it’s
probably the one most familiar and accessible to those who know Dunkelbunt
already, although I prefer the more explorative ones. Towards the end there’s a
brief emergence of energy when the beat picks up, although this lasts only
briefly.
Before concluding, I’ll quickly
mention ‘Nadhaswaram’, a track that only seems to feature on the Bandcamp
version of the release. This features a significant tempo increase from the
others – it’s pretty much a drum ’n’ bass number, just without the Amen break.
I’m not sure if this one works as well as the others. It’s certainly fun, but I
can’t imagine sitting down and actively listening to it, although I do really
like the brief melodic line that kicks in about three minutes in. It’s
definitely the best part – unfortunately, the rest is a little bland.
It’s an interesting release from
Dunkelbunt. I feel that if the whole thing were organised and structured better
I would have enjoyed it more – one should never overlook the importance of the overall
flow of an album/EP – but that’s not to say that it’s in any way bad. Indeed,
there are some real gems here. It reminds me a fair bit of Boogie Belgique’s Lure
Of Little Voices, which I reviewed three weeks ago, in that both artists
are stepping outside of their standard box, and passionately experimenting with
foreign sounds. Whilst Asia Files isn’t as successful as that one was,
it’s still a good effort. I don’t tend to listen to Dunkelbunt as much as I once
did, but there were several moments throughout this release that made me want to
delve straight back into his back-catalogue.
Undoubtedly, my highlight of this
weekend has been the Swing & Bass livestreamed house party. Set over two
days, this is the first livestream I’ve attended which has genuinely felt like
a real festival, and the line-up was second-to-none. Featuring the likes of
JFB, Mr Switch, Duke Skellington, WBBL, Extra Medium, Skank Spinatra and many
more – and lasting over twelve hours in total – the event was a fantastic way
to spend two evenings in a row. One of the absolute highlights of the show was
X-Ray Ted, who played an early set on the Saturday evening – fairly well-timed,
as he had just released a new EP the day prior, On the Floor.
The EP kicks off with the title
track, which throws you straight in with that funky sound, with a bit of a rock
’n’ roll feeling too. For such a short sample – effectively a one-bar guitar
lick – it’s impressive to see just how much is done to successfully maintain
interest over the piece, and it never seems to lose steam. The song has such a
great groove, which works considerably well alongside the beat – both from the
standard drums, and the additional percussion; and it’s clear that once this
can be played out in the clubs, the quoted lyrics “get on the floor” are almost
certain to be obeyed.
The next track, ‘Chopsy’s New
Groove’ starts off on a blues vibe, which is complimented by the emergent funk
in a really smooth way. Again, working with short samples is what X-Ray Ted appears
to do best; and he seems to be a master at this cut ’n’ paste technique. There’s
a really groovy saxophone solo over a terrific bassline – which is subtle, but
effective. It demonstrates that not everything has to be in-your-face all the
time to have an impact; in fact, across the board, the mix is great. I really
like some of the understated syncopation too – a nice touch.
And then – we’re finished. A
surprisingly short release; to be honest, I’d be more inclined to call it a
single than an EP – but this is the way it’s marketed, so this is how I’ll
refer to it. X-Ray Ted is a great producer to have in this scene, and I’m very
glad we’re being kept entertained with little releases such as this one – even though
I do wish it were longer. As part of a particularly prolific group of funky DJs
in Bristol, he’s certainly in strong company, and releases of this quality will
continue to ensure that he remains one of the most compelling.
Voodoo Sonic represents a
bit of a unique type of release schedule. Effectively, this is an album; but
rather than release a whole album as one would generally do, Parov Stelar has
made the choice to split it up into a collection of three EPs, each one spaced
several months apart. I’ve reviewed Parov on this blog before: his legacy
throughout electro swing is unmatched, and no other artist can be said to
approach what he’s done for the genre. In fact, he’s arguably bigger than the
genre itself, and I’ve had several conversations previously regarding who has
benefitted more by mutual association: him, or every other artist making this
style combined. It’s certainly a close call. Anyway, this release marks the
second of the trilogy (somehow, I overlooked a review of the first when it was
released last December), and many will have been waiting to see how it compares
to the first.
The EP opens with ‘Brass Devil’, of
which the fantastic Alex DeMers has already recorded an excellent review over at Jazz and Tea. This track presents Stelar’s brilliant, classic sound – with
several different layers, sections, and feels that all come together in a great
way. One may compare this track to Boogie Belgique’s ‘Mr Fisher’, as they both
use the same sample from Gershwin’s ‘Stiff Upper Lip’; however, Stelar has
utilised this in a completely different way, really demonstrating the variety
of approaches different producers can take to the same sample. The build-up
towards the end is great, and overall this song sets the EP off on a very
strong start. Next up is ‘Piano Boy’, with its real jazzy, bebop-esque sound.
It’s quite reminiscent of Stelar’s earliest work, the likes of Rough Cuts
and Seven and Storm; in fact, it’s almost acid jazz sounding. Indeed, one
of the jazzier electro swing songs I’ve heard for a while, it really creates a
great ambience, making one feels like they’re in a dark, smoky, underground
club. The song features a solid driving beat which flows beautifully, and there’s
several layers of piano throughout, each one more progressive and proficient
than the last. There’s a similar effect with the trumpets too.
So far, so good; the EP is
strong. Unfortunately, this changes somewhat with ‘Don’t You Forget’. This feels
rather odd alongside what we’ve heard so far; it’s a particularly cheesy
number, and wouldn’t seem out of place at Eurovision. It’s much more
traditional dance-pop sounding, and aside from the recognisable vocals of Lilja
Bloom and Anduze, there’s nothing too Stelar-esque about it at all – it might
have been better suited to one of his side-projects, such as Stelartronic. ‘Fade
to Red’ takes this same kind of direction away from electro swing; this one
works a little better, and sounds like the type of thing that could accompany
the title sequence to a gritty crime drama, but it’s still not brilliant. I’m
not against Parov experimenting outside his established sound, but when his
established sound is as good as it is, I don’t know why he’d want to venture so
far away from it. The final track is ‘Come Back Home’, which showcases the kind
of bluesy, country and western vibes done to such a high standard by the likes of
Thomas Vent. I really like the twangy guitar in this one, and it ends the EP
back on a high. There’s quite a strange section a couple of minutes in, with a
developing synth that completely changes the tone of the song, but despite
sounding a little off when it begins, seems to work better and better the more
it progresses. When the main section kicks back in it actually works perfectly,
and when he pulls this technique off a second time with a different synth I’m
genuinely surprised by how much I like the effect.
Overall then, this EP is quite
similar to Part One in terms of quality. That one was slightly hit-and-miss,
with some fantastic moments – such as the title track – but others that were a
bit lacklustre. Like with Caravan Palace, Parov Stelar has been in this game
for so long that it’s totally understandable as to why he’d want to extend and
expand his sound – and I’d never criticise him for attempting this – but he’s
just never going to live up to the heights that he’s already established. Still,
I’m looking forward to the third EP that will conclude this project. Whilst
both EPs so far have certainly had some lower points, the high points have been
exceptional.
A few times I’ve been asked the
question, “what would you try to save if your house burnt down?”. It’s one of
those clichéd questions that’s more interesting for what it reveals about the
individual answering the question, rather than the actual answer itself. I
wouldn’t consider myself a particularly materialistic person, so in my case
there’s only two objects I can think of. The first is boring: my laptop, just
because of all the work that would be lost. The second however is a bit
different, and something that’s considerably sentimental to me. This is a big
folder that I have containing the tickets for every gig I’ve ever been to.
I was thinking about this when
composing the blog entry I published last week about my best and worst gig
experiences. As I said then, I’ve been to a hell of a lot of shows, and there’s
close to 400 tickets in this collection, each representing a unique memory. On
top of all the tickets, I’ve also saved all my festival wristbands, and occasionally
a few other mementos from the various performances. I’m lucky to have seen some really brilliant artists over my time.
Whilst it’s only a small
irritation in the grand scheme of things, this is why I feel something of a regret
over the current trend towards printed-out or mobile tickets. Whilst I do still
save all my printed-out copies – which have taken up more and more space in
recent years – there’s just something attractive about holding on to the
original ticket. It’s certainly more pleasing aesthetically, and the fact that
each one is unique and one-of-a-kind appeals to me on an individual level. The vulnerability
of each ticket, and the fact that it could be lost or destroyed with no option
for replacement makes it seem that bit more precious.
This may sound like conceited and
garbled nonsense to some people, but I’m sure there’s many music fans who feel
the same way. As I say, each ticket is more than just a ticket; it’s a prized
memory, and altogether they collectively represent some of the greatest
memories I hold. In this way, each show lasts more than just one night, as
every little souvenir of this sort can last a lifetime.
This review is
going to be a little different to the various others found across this blog; when
I like to review, I’ll generally critique an entire album or EP from start to
finish, as I like to discuss the ways in which the release works as a whole.
When I saw that Deezguyz were going to be putting out some new music however, I
was particularly eager to review – so instead, I’m going to be discussing the
two separate singles that they’ve released over the past week. For those
unfamiliar, Deezguyz is the side project of two of the hardest-working producers
in the scene, Father Funk and WBBL, who – clad in their Humpty Hump glasses –
began releasing music together just over a year ago.
Last Friday, the
duo put out ‘Drop the Pressure’, their remix of Scottish producer Mylo, which
is a surefire dancefloor killer. The sound is immediately quite distinct from
either of the artists’ respective solo work – a rather appealing change, which
is more reminiscent of classic French house acts such as Daft Punk. It
certainly sounds like something that could have emerged out of mainland Europe,
though at the same time the bass tones are instantly recognisable as the work
of Father Funk in particular. Indeed, the bassline is brilliant, and the drop
towards the end is funky as hell.
Out today, ‘Better’
continues this vibe, although with a bit more of a noticeable disco influence.
A sweeping piano with quite the high tone signals the introduction to this one,
and later on we hear what sounds like a keytar playing the main refrain. This
timbre gives the piece a kind of space-age feeling, with some real
retro-futuristic elements to the sound. Again though, there’s more to the piece
than just house – I particularly enjoy the glitchy treatment of the vocal
samples, and of course there’s another fantastically funky bassline, which even
though it’s synthetic still manages to carry a kind of live intonation.
Unsurprisingly,
given the reputation of these artists, both these singles are great fun, and
manage to bring elements that their respective fans will love, whilst still
sounding remarkably fresh. I can’t wait to see how these tracks go down on the dancefloor
once we’re all allowed back outside; both these producers are very present on the
UK festival circuit, and I certainly expect to hear these songs played out
extensively. I’m not sure if they’re planning on putting anything more out
together in the near future, but if they do, it certainly has the potential to
add up to a solid collective release.
Generally, this blog has acted to
serve two purposes thus far. Either, I’ve used it to flesh out any scholarly
considerations I’ve been having – composed in a less academic manner – around
my allocated topic of electro swing; or – an intention that I never initially
had, but have since come to really enjoy – for writing reviews. In this era of
self-isolation, I’ve found a lot of comfort in the time spent writing these
blog entries, and any reader will likely have noticed an increase in my output.
The more time I spend in quarantine, the more entries I will end up producing,
and I certainly hope that I’m able to maintain this enthusiasm.
Consequently, I’m likely to
expand upon the types of entry one will find throughout these writings. When
the first blogs were generated throughout the ’90s, they were largely treated
as online diaries, and whilst it’s unlikely that I’m going to go down that
particular avenue – if the reader will permit me a little self-indulgence, I
may occasionally blog in something of a more personal style. This post
represents the first of such offerings; I’ve been to a lot of gigs in my time,
and thought it could be worth detailing the best and worst experiences that
I’ve had.
To begin with, my top ten best
gigs that I’m lucky enough to have attended:
16/09/13 – Manchester Arena,
Manchester
Roger Waters
In 1980, following the release of
The Wall, Pink Floyd began to tour the stage show that would rival every
concert ever produced in terms of scale. Featuring giant puppets,
mini-zeppelins that floated above the audience, a host of actors, and – most
notably – an enormous wall that was built across the stage throughout the show,
the tour was so expensive that over the two years it was only ever performed 31
times. That was until 2010, when singer Roger Waters decided to re-stage the
performance across a world tour that lasted over three years. The date I
attended was the third-to-last show, and the final ever performance in Britain.
Everything about this show was spectacular, and every aspect of it – the music,
the theatrics, the staging, the sound, the animation – was truly world-class.
31/05/17 – 100 Club, London
Goldfinger
Goldfinger are one of my
favourite bands of all time, and probably the first band that I ever really
loved, so it was an incredibly thrilling experience to get to see them perform
live. The night was anticipated for a further reason as well, as this was the
first (and so far, only) time I’ve been to a show at the iconic 100 Club on
London’s Oxford Street. Just being at a gig in such a legendary venue was
enough to give one goose bumps, and the fact that it was a band that meant so
much to me made it extra-special. The show was phenomenal; one of the liveliest
and most energetic nights I’ve ever had, made all the better by the fact that
it was pretty small in scale and therefore quite intimate. I’m particular
pleased that one audience member managed to capture on film the stage invasion
during ‘Mable’ of which I was a part.
28/04/09 – O2 Academy,
Newcastle
Pour Habit
This show was a perfect example
of how a support band can sometimes outperform the main headliner. This was at
a NoFX concert, and I’d previously never even heard of Pour Habit, but the band
just completed blew NoFX out of the water. From the very moment they stepped on
stage, it was simply non-stop energy from start to finish. I remember being
absolutely amazed at just how much a small band was able to put into a
performance, and especially blown away by singer Chuck Green, who’s one of the
most wildly charismatic performers I’ve ever seen. I don’t think they’ve ever
come back to the UK since, but if they ever do, I’ll be the very first to buy a
ticket.
15/08/15 – Boomtown Fair,
Winchester
Slamboree
I’ve seen Slamboree many times
over the years, and their stage shows are always spectacular, but this first
time I saw them is by far the one that stood out the most. For those who’ve yet
to experience this juggernaut of a show, Slamboree fuse live music with circus
performances for a completely overwhelming sensory experience. They’ve scaled
down their performances since 2015, but this particular show was absolute
mayhem, with countless circus performers, as well as musical guests including
Beans on Toast, Too Many T’s, and My Bad Sister. By the end of the show there
were easily close to 30 performers on stage, cementing their status as the
perfect festival band.
19/12/11 – Manchester Arena,
Manchester
Paul McCartney
So there shouldn’t be any
surprise that a Beatle features on this list. I’m not one to generally ever
feel starstruck – we all know that every celebrity is ultimately just another
human being – but just being in the presence of someone who’s done so much to
influence the course of popular music history, and who has legitimately
impacted the world in such a significant way – was a unique experience. I’ve
seen Paul thrice now – this being the second time – and even in his 70s now
he’s still a fantastic performer. Any of these shows could have made this list,
but in my opinion this one had the best set-list, consisting of hit after hit
after hit. If anyone ever gets the chance to attend a McCartney concert, I
would 100% recommend it.
04/05/14 – Swingamajig,
Birmingham
The Electric Swing Circus
As with Slamboree, I’ve seen the
Electric Swing Circus many many times now, and they likely represent the band
I’ve seen more than any other (at one point in 2014, three times in one week!).
This show was at the second ever Swingamajig festival, and some real problems
due to staging and noise complaints situated the band as the final act to
perform in the main arena; the headliner, Molotov Jukebox were unfortunately
downgraded to the smaller stage. Despite this slight jumble, in a way it proved
effective for the ESC, as they got to close their own festival, and did so in a
truly sensational manner. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another show with that
many of the audience jumping simultaneously, and I enjoyed it even more so as
they closed with ‘Little Phatty’, my favourite of all their tracks and one
which gets performed only rarely.
10/08/19 – Boomtown Fair,
Winchester
Michael Franti
I’ve spoken about this gig
before, in my review of Boomtown 2019. As I mentioned back then, Franti’s
enthusiastic and infectious energy was completely unmatched across the entire
festival, and – in a way that I’ve never seen before or since – he made every
single person feel like an essential part of the show. Being at this show at
times felt less like a gig, and more like a community of like-minded people,
all singing, dancing, and wanting to make the world a more positive place. Franti’s
ability to command the crowd was seriously impressive, and the upbeat nature of
the music ensured that by the end of show, every attendee felt completely
overjoyed.
27/10/18 – Motorpoint Arena,
Cardiff
David Byrne
I’m a huge fan of the Talking
Heads, so when I heard that David Byrne was coming to Cardiff on his American
Utopia tour I bought a ticket immediately. The man has so many classic songs in
his back catalogue that it would be difficult for him not to put on a
great show, but he really excelled himself through this performance. The
minimalistic staging was the most unique I’ve ever seen, with a completely
empty space only inhabited by those musicians needed for each particular song;
the uniformed collection of performers all carried their instruments on and off
stage with them – even the percussionists. The show was brilliant, and Byrne’s renowned
idiosyncratic quirks were utterly charming.
22/04/10 – O2 Academy,
Newcastle
The Inspector Cluzo
The Inspector Cluzo are a
little-known French blues-rock duo, notorious for their animosity towards bass players. Back in my gigging days – in which I was a bassist myself – my band
were booked to support them for their Newcastle show, and as with Pour Habit, I
was completely unfamiliar with the act prior to the booking. I must say though
– I am so incredibly glad I got to play this gig. Definitely one of the
smallest shows I’ve ever attended, with an audience of only 10-20, the
Inspector Cluzo didn’t let this hinder their performance one bit, and played
one of the most energetic sets I’ve ever witnessed. Having only two members was
not a limitation at all for this band, and groups of many more members could
easily learn a lot from them.
12/12/15 – O2 Ritz, Manchester
Caravan Palace
The final act I’ll mention is
Caravan Palace, who played this gig in Manchester following the release of
their <|°_°|> album. Despite my rather critical take on their latest album, Caravan Palace are a fantastic act, and this is
showcased no better than through their live performances. There’s one moment
from this gig in particular that stands out in my memory, where during the
performance of ‘Midnight’, saxophonist Camille Chapelière was strutting around
the smoky stage with his baritone sax, and I just remember thinking, “there’s
no way that anyone could not enjoy this right now”.
•
These are the performances that
stand out for me as some of the greatest gigs I’ve been to – and as gigs are
such an important part of my life, constitute some of the greatest nights I’ve
ever had. But of course, I’ve also attended some truly awful shows. These
nights stick out in my memory as well, but for very different reasons. Whilst I
could certainly write as extensive a list as the previous – in the spirit of
positivity, I’m only going to list five:
20/03/19 – The Jazz Café,
London
Stetsasonic
This show was an incredible
disappointment – not in the least because it had the potential to be
extraordinary. Set to play their first UK show in 28 years, hip hop legends
Stetsasonic had fans coming from all over the country for the occasion,
including myself who’d travelled over to London for the night. When it came to
it, the show was a disaster. Only three of the seven members of the band
bothered to turn up, they clearly hadn’t spent any time rehearsing, and were on
stage for less than an hour. Responding to boos, the band were forced back on
stage at the end of the show, but having not prepared anything, the night was
reduced to some kind of bizarre hip hop karaoke, in which they simply sang over
the top of other people’s songs. Indeed, the whole thing was so unquestionably
dreadful that both the band and the venue eventually had to put out an official
apology.
A sincere apology to our fans in the UK. We are truly sorry to disappoint https://t.co/f6n6yR9gml
This was a similar situation.
Again, I’d travelled across to London for this performance, that served as the
band’s first UK show in I’m not sure how long, but at least a decade. In this
case, the show started off brilliantly, and the first 15-20 minutes were
exactly what I’d been anticipating. However, it quickly became very apparent
that singer Mark Adkins had taken some kind of narcotic, as his unique energy
evaporated to the point where he was standing spaced out at the back of the
stage, barely managing to deliver his lines. After only 45 minutes the band
left the stage, and the lights came up without even an encore, leaving the
audience completely bemused and frustrated.
11/12/15 – O2 Academy,
Sheffield
Yorkshire Rats
This was a simple case of the
promoter booking the completely wrong act as support. The show was being
headlined by CJ Ramone, and when you’ve got a performance from a literal Ramone
(admittedly, one of lesser significance, but nevertheless), the support should
be sufficiently proficient in recognition that the headliner hails from one of
the greatest bands of all time. Instead, the Yorkshire Rats comprised a kind of
indie-pop outfit, wholly unsuitable for this gig, and who displayed a kind of
sneering arrogance throughout their performance that was completely off-putting
and tasteless.
24/06/12 – Stadium of Light,
Sunderland
The Wombats
This was a very similar case, but
on a much larger scale. Supporting the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the 49,000
capacity Stadium of Light, I don’t have any kind of understanding as to why
this particular band was booked to perform. Pretentious, ill-suited to the gig,
and just plain boring, there was nothing about their performance that was even
remotely entertaining. Like with CJ Ramone, the night was saved by a fantastic
performance from the headliner, but this one section of the show represented
nothing but abject embarrassment.
08/08/14 – Boomtown Fair,
Winchester
Shaggy
2014 was the first year I ever
attended Boomtown Fair, and as one will presume due to several appearances of
the festival on my top ten list, the weekend is generally phenomenal.
Occasionally however, the festival features performances that are simply
ludicrous. Shaggy was one of those instances. I didn’t expect this show to be
impressive at all, but I went along in the hope of finding some enjoyment on a
“so-bad-it’s-good” level. This show surpassed that type of ironic entertainment
however, and reminding me of this xkcd comic, reached new depths of awfulness.
Barely performing at all, Shaggy spent the majority of his time dancing around
to short snippets of other performer’s tracks. In the end I left after about 25
minutes. Absolutely dire.
•
There are many more gigs that I
could add to both lists, but I will leave it here. Any of the times I’ve seen
Goldfish could easily be placed alongside the best gigs recollected here; and
Damian Marley’s performance at Boomtown 2016 narrowly missed out on inclusion
in the worst list. In a way, I’m kind of appreciative of the bad shows, because
it makes you realise just how impressive the good ones are. There’s nothing I
love more than attending live shows, and when you do get a gig that stands out
as much as the best ones listed here, the experience is unparalleled.
Boogie Belgique are one of those
acts that you just know every release will be fantastic. Serving the more trip
hop-based, cloudier end of electro swing, the music that the band puts out is
always a fine reminder of what can be done with the genre when one escapes from
the clichéd stereotypes that so easily haunt this style. A lot of their work
for example – and this is certainly the case with Lure of Little Voices –
isn’t really intended for dancing; the ideal listening environment for this
release is wherever one is at their most relaxed, with the ability to just lie
down and drown in the music. As with my most recent Aesop Rock review, this EP
serves a slightly different purpose than just standard listening entertainment –
where Freedom Finger served as the soundtrack to a video game, Lure
of Little Voices works as the effective soundtrack to a book: Ian Urbina’s The
Outlaw Ocean.
The EP begins with ‘Shepard’, which
starts off very minimally, both in terms of composition and dynamics. The vocal
samples and field recordings which feature throughout take you elegantly away
to a new setting, and the overall feel of this piece sets the tone for the
whole EP, making one feel as if they could just float away on these soundwaves.
After a while, a nice trip hop beat kicks in seamlessly, which builds upon itself
with every repetition, and some dark tones towards the end signal something a little
more sombre. No musical element goes on any longer than it should in this
piece, and everything works flawlessly. The next piece is ‘Pelican’, whose
tuned percussion-based intro establishes an almost childlike, innocent tone.
Again, this is a very minimalistic track, and particularly during the first
minute, sounds almost trance-like in mood. The feelings of childlike wonder
continue, with some gentle major chords above an upbeat bassline, before the entrance
of some absolutely beautiful orchestral strings. These continue, and with the
addition of both trumpet and flute towards the end, there’s almost a full
orchestra playing, featuring both Western and Eastern elements.
Following this is ‘Bunker’, another
piece with a heavy minimalistic influence, beginning with a loop that keeps on flowing
around and around. There’s no clear beat in this to start, and it’s very easy
to get lost in the sound. This piece also features a lot of strong influence
from outside the standard Western music canon, and the beat is made up entirely
of percussion instruments associated with world music. A powerful synth-led
beat is brought in about halfway through, which changes the feeling of the piece
somewhat, and this happens again once the beat kicks in even more heavily
towards the end – perhaps more than any other song on the release, this piece
communicates a sense of storytelling. There’s quite the mystical feeling to
this one – in fact, although I’m very hesitant to use the word –I’d even say a
spiritual sound. And then the final track is ‘Cessna’, which begins with a lovely
reverberant piano which I always appreciate, before introducing a smooth drum
beat. There are some choral vocals which wash straight over the listener, and
some nice brass samples too – this being the only track that could really pass
for standard electro swing. Various nautical samples throughout this one do
much more to keep you located within this incredible setting, before the piece
is ended and you’re brought back to reality.
This is a magnificent EP, and
there’s no reason to describe it any other way. There’s not a single bad thing I
could say about it, and if pressed, I’d likely place it as the best release of
the year thus far. Whilst it’s certainly recognisable as Boogie Belgique, it
does represent something of a slight departure, seeing as it barely sounds a
thing like electro swing. But far be this from a criticism, not at all; this
release is more in line with acts such as the Cinematic Orchestra – whom I love
– and I’d be very very keen to hear more from them in this direction. One feels
unbelievably refreshed by the end of this EP, and in days like these, that is
exactly what is needed.
I may have mentioned before on
this blog my fondness for Aesop Rock. I think you’d struggle to find a rapper
today who’s as talented as he is, and who consistently puts out material of
such a high quality. It’s undeniable that his lyrical abilities are effectively
unparalleled, and any fan of his will likely recognise him as being up there with
some of the greatest. His latest release is rather different in terms of function,
acting as the soundtrack for Freedom Finger, a newly released video game
– and is presented as a 10-track EP, comprising of three actual songs, three
instrumental mixes of those songs, and four short bonus beats.
The first is ‘Play Dead’, which
immediately begins with some disconcerting synths; everything in this piece –
the sounds, samples, lyrics – all seem designed to make one feel quite deranged,
and this works exactly as planned. Aesop demonstrates his typical fantastic
flow throughout this, as well as displaying his abilities as a producer too:
there’s some interesting contrast between the different sections of the piece,
and the beat during the chorus is absolutely solid. The next song, ‘KOWP’, then
begins with a slow, rolling beat, which continues for the piece’s duration. Whilst
this beat isn’t so engrossing itself, and could easily get stale after a while,
the rapping is so outstanding that he maintains interest for the whole thing.
Again, his signature, complex lyrics are presented here to their full effect.
And then by far the best of the three tracks is ‘Drums on the Wheel’, whose
fast, driving beat keeps the energy at the perfect level, feeling as though one
is being pulled along, with the beat always remaining slightly ahead. Aesop’s rhymes
continue to be unequalled, managing to pair words and phrases you never even
realised could be placed together, whilst never making anything sound remotely
forced. One could spend hours analysing his lyrics, and still not even
determine a fraction of everything he expresses.
Following these three tracks we
have the instrumental versions. Whilst these do seem slightly unnecessary, I presume
that they feature heavily throughout the game, and so their inclusion is
justified. ‘Play Dead’ is engaging enough, whilst ‘KOWP’ gets a little
monotonous after a while – although there are a few things that I didn’t notice
in the original version. ‘Drums on the Wheel’ however works perfectly, and indeed,
could have been released as an instrumental and I’d still be as enthusiastic.
The final four mini-beats are obviously not intended for individual listening,
although I can imagine that they keep the game interesting, and can tell
exactly the setting that each of them is trying to convey.
Overall, it’s a nice little
release. I always love hearing new music from Aesop Rock, and this certainly
doesn’t disappoint. All three tracks are great, and especially ‘Drums on the
Wheel’, which I’d now place alongside some of his best songs. I’m keen to start
doing some more reviews outside of the scene that I’m generally known for writing
about, and I’m very happy for an EP like this to serve as the first of these.
We could all do with plenty of new music in these trying times, and even if it’s
just a few tracks as we find here, when they’re as good as these are, the perks
are undeniable.
Whilst the world is stuck in
quarantine, one of the few advantages to our current plight is all the
fantastic content that’s being streamed online in place of live events. My
personal favourite experience so far has been the Lockdown festival hosted by Ether
Tickets on the 4th of April, and featuring DJs including Jimi
Needles, the Hong Kong Ping Pong club, and of course, JFB. 3x DMC champion, JFB
is one of the best of the best; my feelings being summed up efficiently by the
tweet I posted mid-set:
Jesus Christ I always forget just how talented @jfbscratch actually is
Now, at the end of last month,
JFB put out a free album of unreleased instrumental tracks dating from
2002-2015. Some of these I recognised from live shows, but the majority were
new to me. However, far from simply being a compilation of leftover, unusable
material, this album is certainly worth listening to.
The album opens with ‘Journey
Through Bass’, a drum ’n’ bass piece which I’ve heard him use a few times as
the closing number of a set, and it’s obvious why, as it’s an absolute banger.
A fairly long piece, the word “journey” is certainly an appropriate word. It
builds up for so long, lasting over two minutes before the drop, but never
hesitates and always maintains the excitement. There’s some nice brass and
guitar samples used throughout, which make the piece sound particularly
atmospheric; in fact, “atmospheric” sums up the whole piece – it just sounds
huge. It’s hard to imagine how the rest of the album will stand up to this one
track – brilliant. ‘No Sleep’ follows, featuring some lo-fi, hip hop vibes. The
song is based around a relaxing piano loop that swirls around and around, and a
trumpet line also features – there’s some real jazz vibes here. We also find
some of the skilful scratching that demonstrates just how JFB made his name;
and some really interesting discordant lines towards the end, setting him apart
from much of the standard dance music. ‘The Collective’ then offers quite a
techno-based track, which also features some slow, almost avant-garde flute
lines. This piece feels quite like the meeting of two worlds. And again,
there’s some of the considerable scratching talent, which always slots in
perfectly and never feels out of place.
After this, we have ‘Under The
Depths’. Once more featuring the sounds of the flute, this piece can too be
described as atmospheric, with almost scorelike qualities to it. There’s
another jazzy drum loop on this one, played with brushes, which somehow sounds
both cut up and live at the same time. It’s a very interesting and well-made
piece of music, although one would be forgiven for thinking it sounds a bit
more like an experiment than a complete piece. ‘Scratch Mustard’ is then also a
rather unusual one. The sound is quite reminiscent of C2C’s ‘Give Up the Ghost’
– at least to my ears – and I wonder if there’s been some kind of DMC influence
here. There are some low wobbles throughout, with slow attacks that make the
song sound slightly out of time – an effective technique! – plus moreflute,
and towards the end, a strange-sounding instrument that I can’t quite figure
out. It’s the most unusual song on the album, however I presume that JFB would
take this as a compliment. And then we have ‘Interlude’, which does just what
it says on the tin, featuring some nice, sweeping synths to relax to amidst the
rest of the album.
‘Micro Dub’ starts off pretty
chilled as well, almost feeling like an extension of the interlude. There’s so
much subtly going on in this piece, every instrument has some interesting
aspect to it – you could listen again and again, and notice something new every
time, never letting up or becoming dull. And then, from its very beginning,
‘Out Bound’ plunges us back into the high-energy, drum ’n’ bass mayhem that
began this album. This could easily be another set closer, and yet it isn’t
even the album closer! There’s a nicely embedded brass chorus throughout, and
some small, descending lines which work so well for providing intrigue. Whilst
I wouldn’t say this is quite as good as ‘Journey Through Bass’ – being perhaps
a little repetitive – this criticism has only emerged as the standard is just
so high. Finally, the album ends on ‘Far Out’, which at over eight minutes is
the lengthiest track on the release, giving it time to try out all sorts of
ideas as the piece progresses. It starts off with a minimalistic loop, which
has some interesting beat displacement to it, and then once the beat kicks in,
the drums, along with the bass provide a kind of industrial feel. Later on, the
piece features some lovely plucked strings which reverberate all around, and
each time the beat kicks in following an extended break it fits perfectly. This
isn’t the biggest piece to end on, but despite a number of tracks that would
fit that brief, that’s not the overall theme of the album; the exploration of
this one fits perfectly, and is an excellent way to conclude.
In another world, were I to
pursue this path myself, JFB is exactly the type of producer that I would
aspire to be like. There’s a very atmospheric quality throughout this entire
release; there’s the perfect balance of recognisable samples mixed up with
completely alien sounds; and his songs are decently experimental – he’s not
afraid to try out new ideas. The very fact that this album comprises a
collection of songs that were never intended for release demonstrates just how
talented he is – anyone else would be proud to put out many of these pieces. We
all already know just how talented JFB is as a DJ; a release such as this one
shows forcefully that these talents have been equally distributed to his producing
abilities as well.
