Swingamajig: A Retrospective

Following on from my Swingamajig review the other week, I’m going to be presenting here a bit of a history to the festival, and how it’s come to form such an important part of my yearly calendar. From the very first event back in 2013, the festival has only grown bigger and more innovative, and each year I’m always filled with anticipation looking forward to what’s going to be in store. In terms of large-scale electro swing events, no one does it better than Swingamajig, and it’s one of the few annual events that can always guarantee my attendance.

I first discovered electro swing at what was pretty much the perfect moment. I remember distinctly – it was late 2012, around the time when the genre was first really kicking off in the UK, and I stumbled upon this festival online when searching around for new music to listen to. I must confess that for this first festival, the Correspondents and Mr Switch (then called DJ Switch) were the only acts I’d even heard of, but a festival entirely dedicated to electro swing was enough to tempt me to attend. The event was much smaller then, compared to what it’s grown into, with only three performance spaces: one for live music, one for DJs, and one for all the additional displays – swing dance routines, circus performances, and even a keyboardist playing along to old Buster Keaton films. The standout performers at Swingamajig’s debut event were Lamuzguele, and the Electric Swing Circus themselves, who were both spectacular. I left having had an incredible time, and certain that I would return.

Next year, the festival was a step up. Using the same space in Digbeth, but with the introduction of a new and bigger main stage, the second Swingamajig was just as impressive as the first, and more so. Having had over a year to familiarise myself with the current electro swing scene, I was much more accustomed with the many acts across the festival, and the line-up – particularly on the main stage – was phenomenal. I’ve previously mentioned that the Electric Swing Circus’s performance this year constitutes one of my favourite gigs of all time, and other standout performances came from Temple Funk Collective, Little Violet, and the Destroyers. The headliner, Molotov Jukebox – despite being downgraded to the second stage – still put on a fantastic show, and the entire event was immensely enjoyable.

At the very end of this year, the organisers put on another smaller party, to enter into 2015. Held in Alfie Bird’s, a lovely little venue just round the corner from the previous festival’s location, the event was a brilliant way to welcome the new year. This was certainly one of my most eventful new year’s parties, having got the 6-hour Megabus from Newcastle down to Birmingham, only to party all night and then return on the same journey back the next morning. It was undoubtedly worth it however, as I had a great time at the event, and I’m very glad I didn’t miss this important chapter in the festival’s history. Highlights were Chicken Brothers’ set, and C@ in the H@, who brought in 2015 alongside Mr FX. If Swingamajig ever decided to do an event like this again, I’d be very keen to go.

Only a few months later then, the third official Swingamajig festival moved venues slightly, utilising Alfie Bird’s again, but also making use of the various other venues in the local vicinity. This also happened to be Becca’s first time coming to the festival, after my repeated recommendations, and what a first experience it was! This year, undoubtedly, had the strongest line-up yet – the festival was essentially a who’s who of the electro swing world. With a quadruple headline of Chinese Man, the ESC, the Correspondents, and Dutty Moonshine’s debut with the Big Band, one could not have wished for a finer line-up. The festival had six stages by the point, with some great cabaret acts, and the Ragtime Records warehouse – showcasing the genre’s best DJs – had some excellent performances from Hong Kong Ping Pong (my first time seeing them), and Tallulah Goodtimes, as well as headliner Ed Solo. This was a serious step up for Swingamajig, and I was very curious as to how they could possibly top this.

2016 then, came with high expectations. This year, the festival had moved to the Rainbow Venues, making use of some of the urban spaces of the first two years as well. This was ultimately the perfect location for this sort of festival, and the variety of spaces – up to seven stages now – as well as the giant circus tent for the main stage was flawless. One of my firmest memories of this year was the strength of the cabaret stage, which left audiences captivated for hours, and the Black Box stage was also a brilliant space for some of the more dynamic DJ acts. This year’s headliner was Balkan Beat Box, an interesting choice, as the band fall quite far beyond what one would normally think of when considering electro swing – but for a festival four years in, this is the type of choice that they were correct to make. Standout performances came from JFB – and also the Tootsie Rollers, who were an absolute joy. And as I say, this year’s venue was absolutely perfect, and it seemed like Swingamajig had finally found its home.

Thus, the festival returned here for 2017. Generally making use of the same spaces, with a few changes here and there (most notably the addition of the brilliant Vintage Terrace stage), the organisers didn’t need to mess too much with a winning formula. Notable for having no outright headliner this year, some of the most notable performances came from the Correspondents (effectively the headliner), Smokey Joe and the Kid (whose performance was absolutely magnificent – one of the best to ever grace Swingamajig), and Elle and the Pocket Belles – performing with Mr Switch. This festival also featured the notable addition of Scour Records, who programmed the Black Box stage, showcasing incredible performances from Featurecast, WBBL, Tuxedo Junction, and Extra Medium. Emma Clair also performed a great set this year, as well as Sam and the Womp. In terms of the sheer quantity of fantastic sets, this year probably stands out the most. This was also the first year that I attended the additional Stomp Stomp lindy hop festival as well, and it was clear that the organisers were doing as much as they could to cater to swing dancers too. By this point, the festival was absolutely at its best, and it seemed like nothing could stop its success.

And then, disaster struck. The line-up for 2018 was looking spectacular, with Slamboree due to headline – who I’d always thought would make an excellent addition – and some other great performers, including Duke Skellington and Vourteque, booked to come over from America for the show. But after several unfortunate circumstances, the Rainbow Venues – the perfect home for Swingamajig – had to permanently close its doors, forcing the festival to be cancelled. This was heartbreaking news for all of the prospective attendees, and especially so for those like myself who had been to every previous event and didn’t want to miss a year. Luckily, the organisers achieved the impossible and managed to arrange a smaller scale, last-minute replacement event. I have every respect for them managing to pull this off, and the event – held just around the corner, the last one in Digbeth – remained a great deal of fun. Duke Skellington still managed to make it over and performed a brilliant set, alongside headliners Oh My God! It’s the Church, Hong Kong Ping Pong, and Circe’s Diner – playing a pop-up acoustic show in a hidden-away corner of the festival. I can’t congratulate the organisers enough for pulling this off, and the show was a massive achievement.

2019 signalled the start of a new chapter for Swingamajig. The closure of the Rainbow Venues put a bit of stain on the Digbeth area, and so it was ultimately necessary to find a completely new home for the event. Perhaps slightly unexpectedly – but certainly very welcome – was the introduction of Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens. This gave the festival quite a new and different vibe: for the first time it was family-friendly, and there was a much less manic atmosphere to the whole thing. Depending on what one is into, either style of festival could be considered preferential, but I thought they both worked excellently in their own ways. Headlined by the Hackney Colliery Band – again, a bit of a departure from standard electro swing, not that that’s a negative thing – I’ve already published a review of this year’s festival in detail, but the highlights were undoubtedly Cut Capers, who’s afternoon set was 100% pure fun, and of course the Electric Swing Circus; as well as some of the DJs at the afterparty (which had more of a classic Swingamajig, chaotic vibe to it), such as Tuxedo Junction and C@ in the H@. Like, 2017’s festival, there was also a great deal for swing dancers this year, and whilst there was certainly a different vibe, the festival felt just as at home in this location as elsewhere.

So it was that I was actively looking forward to the return to this venue in 2020. Whilst the entire line-up hadn’t been announced in full, the addition of DJ Yoda as headliner was a stroke of genius, and I could not wait for what he had in store. And then, disaster number two: Covid-19. I won’t repeat everything I said on my previous blog post, but this was an even tougher barrier than the one the festival faced in 2018. Whilst the livestreamed quarantine party was still fantastic fun, there’s no doubt that we would have all preferred the actual live event. Still though, this proved that the organisers are capable of providing the highest level of entertainment, no matter what obstacles are thrown in their way.

I’d recommend Swingamajig to anyone into innovative music, festivals, dancing, or anyone who just likes having a good time. It’s genuinely one of my favourite dates of the year, and an excellent way to kick off the Summer. The past eight years have really solidified my love for this genre, and for music in general, and Swingamajig has played a big part in that. I can only hope that the festival will continue to grow in both scale and quality – although it’s difficult to imagine how it could get much better in this regard – and I have every intention of returning to each and every future event. One of the best things to happen to our contemporary music scene, Swingamajig is an experience that will not let down a single person.

How To Have an Argument

This post is going to be a little bit different, but it’s something that I feel is incredibly important, and something I hope has the potential to benefit many researchers, across any discipline. For those unfamiliar with this blog, I will specify that my own discipline is musicology, but the points I’ll be making will apply across the board. The topic I’m discussing is the art of debate, and the most effective ways to form a solid, airtight argument. People arguing badly is something that frustrates me endlessly, and all too often I’ll see it coming – most disappointingly – from somebody that I agree with. Thus, there’ve been countless times in which I’ve ended up arguing against someone whom I actually believe to be right, but can’t get on board with due to the uselessness of their argument. Indeed, someone arguing the right point badly can often be more irritating than someone arguing the wrong point well.

The following then, comprises various pieces of advice that I’d give to anyone caught up in a scholarly debate. If you’re trying to convince someone of your position, you should be wary to avoid these common argumentative flaws.

The merit of an argument does not rest on one’s personal qualities

This should be the most obvious point, yet I’m constantly surprised by its prevalence amongst otherwise intelligent people. The most common example is the dismissal of a person’s opinion when regarding a matter that doesn’t affect them directly – as if the strength of their argument is reliant upon their membership of a certain group. The idea that the exact same argument could be more or less accurate depending on who it comes from is so illogical as to be preposterous. An argument is either a good argument or a bad argument. The source of the opinion is irrelevant.

Listen to your opponent and avoid strawmanning

Strawmanning is a particularly dishonest tool used – sometimes unknowingly – to gain the upper hand in a debate. In essence, it occurs when one appears to argue against their opponent’s position, when actually setting up a different point that they may take down – despite their opponent never making this point. This is an easy way of appearing right, but doesn’t solve anything. If you disagree with your opinions position, argue against that position, and that position alone. Really listen to what they’re saying, don’t misrepresent their position, and only argue against the parts that you actually disagree with.

Your enemy isn’t always wrong and your ally isn’t always right

This fallacy results from the instinctively tribalistic character of human nature, and is one that we all fall prey to. If we have already aligned ourselves with a particular person or group, we will naturally tend to agree with whatever point they subsequently make. Similarly, if we’ve already positioned ourselves as against someone in the past, we will often automatically dismiss them. The fact is, anyone is capable of making either good or bad points, and you should never avoid agreeing or disagreeing with a particular entity on the basis that it may be uncomfortable for you to be placed in such a standing.

Never rely on ad hominem attacks

An ad hominem attack is where one attacks their opponent directly, rather than attacking their actual argument. The most obvious (and disappointing) example of this comes with childish name-calling, which clearly does nothing to improve one’s argument, but it may take subtler forms too. Say your opponent is being hypocritical – would pointing out their hypocrisy make your own point any truer? No, of course it wouldn’t. Your opponent might be making the most ineffectual argument in the world, but if they’re right then they’re right. No amount of pointing out their own personal flaws will change this.

Be dispassionate

This might seem slightly counterintuitive at first, but there’s actually some serious reasoning behind it. The important point is that in making an argument you should seek to be as objective as possible, and that a passionate argument comes from a position of subjectivity. Of course you are likely to feel passionate about your cause, but the argument itself should rely only on logical and coherent points. And if nothing else, the more passionate you are in your debate, the more likely you are to fall victim to any of these other mistakes.

Solve the right problem

This is something that endlessly infuriates me – which is when someone presents an attempt at a solution to an issue, that simply moves the issue around without actually solving it. The perfect analogy is someone painting over a rotten wall. Whenever coming up with a suggestion for something that needs to be done, you must ensure that your solution is actually a solution – and not just a way of hiding the problem. Otherwise, at best you’ve changed nothing, and at worst you’ve made the issue worse.

Seek objective sources for evidence

I’m sure this is a familiar scenario to everyone: whilst caught up in a debate, your opponent assures you that what they are saying is fact, and then demonstrates this by showing you a random website which – lo and behold! – confirms everything they say as true. The truth is – you can find anything to support your position if you look only for what you wish to find. This is what’s known as confirmation bias, and the best way to avoid it is to always use reliable sources for evidence; and if employing the use of search engines – by only ever asking open-ended questions that don’t already imply a particular answer in the phrasing.

Never rely on arguments from authority

You may have noticed a bit of a running theme by now, which is the constant reminder that the strength of an argument relies only on the argument itself, and that the person making the argument is irrelevant. Any claim that “this is the position of x expert, and is therefore correct”, or that “I am the more knowledgeable in this area, so I know what I’m talking about” is inherently flawed. If one’s experience gives them superior knowledge, then that knowledge should be used to form the argument. It’s never enough to simply state that you know the correct information without actually doing anything to provide it.

There is always a place for nuance

It’s incredibly rare that someone will hold an opinion that can simply be dismissed outright. Whenever someone maintains a particular position, there will almost always be some kind of reason for them to do so, and you should always seek to understand the particularities of that position before rejecting the entire thing. As long as your opponent is at least attempting to use logic (so ignoring the few exceptions in which people genuinely believe complete and utter nonsense – flat earth; anti-vaccination; moon landing conspiracies; homeopathy etc.), any blanket rejection of an entire belief reveals nothing but wilful ignorance.

Don’t judge your opponent’s position from your own perspective

This may possibly be the most important point I raise here, and it’s something that we all do. The point is – we all have preconceived ideas, and we judge other opinions on the basis of those ideas. Thus, an action or a belief may be considered wrong on the basis of one person’s beliefs, but could be completely logical when considering it from a different person’s point of view. So it’s essential to take a step back whenever disagreeing with someone, and asking yourself if their position is entirely mistaken, or if it is only to be considered mistaken from your own, individual perspective.

Always be willing to concede a good point

And finally – there is absolutely no point in having a discussion of any kind with someone if you’re not going to be willing to admit when you’re wrong. You must be able to acknowledge when you’ve made a mistake, and be humble enough to accept that you’re not going to be right about everything. If you’re able to demonstrate enough respect to your opponent to accept when they are right, then hopefully they will extend the same courtesy to you. Otherwise, the whole exercise is essentially futile.

It’s a confusing world that we all live in, and the only way to make sense of it all is through thorough, reasoned, and respectful attempts at understanding one another. I also want to stress here that I don’t consider myself a perfect debater either, and I don’t want to come across as making all these points from a position of authority. I am occasionally guilty of many of these flaws myself, and it’s important for all of us to recognise how we can improve in the act of social discourse.

The final point I’ll raise – the most vital, yet frequently overlooked – is that the purpose of an argument is not to win. If your only aim is to defeat your opponent, then you are fundamentally missing the point. Rather, the purpose of an argument is to collectively arrive at the truth; and if you take close care to follow these bits of advice, you will be far more likely to emerge at the other end having done so.

Review: All That Glue - Sleaford Mods

I’m going to go out on a limb here, and begin by saying that I think Sleaford Mods are the most exciting thing happening in British music right now. With their ingenious fusion of punk rock, hip hop, techno, and avant-garde minimalism, they’re one of the few acts who can genuinely claim to sound completely original, as no other act even approaches their totally unique style. And yet, I can totally understand why one might not get this act at all. I must confess that the first time I heard them, I was quite dumbfounded, and didn’t quite know what to make of them. It wasn’t until I first saw them perform live at Boomtown 2018 that I first really understood the act, and they’ve since grown to become one of my favourite bands. This new release, All That Glue – with its excellent parody of Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain featured on the cover – promises “an array of crowd pleasers, B sides, unheard tracks and rarities”, stretching from 2013-2019.

The compilation opens with ‘McFlurry’, first released on the Austerity Dogs album. It’s a good choice for an opener, as it introduces the Sleaford Mods’ sound perfectly. The bassline has a solid groove, and there are some really unusual synths halfway through that come off just as wild and disorderly as the vocals. The first rarity, ‘Snake It’ features a particularly strong minimalistic influence, but despite sounding this repetitive melodically, demonstrates some genuine musicality in Andrew Fearn’s loops. ‘Fizzy’, whilst not quite a classic, is certainly a fan-favourite, and features one of Jason Williamson’s best vocal performances – the anger is palpable. There are some nice little melodic lines towards the end of this one which add so much, whilst adding so little. Another new track then follows with ‘Rich List’, one of the most bleak lyrically, and the low tones of the music reflect these themes. The vocals however are almost anthemic, and I can certainly imagine a crowd chanting along with the chorus. ‘Jobseeker’ then represents one of the major selling points of the compilation – as despite being a firm fan-favourite for years, this is its first official release. One of their best-known songs, ‘Jobseeker’ features really quite clever lyrics, with internal rhyming reminiscent of some classic hip hop songs; and a very strong rhythm that remains active throughout the whole thing. Whilst the production value is fairly low on this one, I feel that it’s actually an artistic choice, that accurately reflects the themes of the piece. The anger then continues into ‘Jolly Fucker’, another fan-favourite which feels a bit like an extension of ‘Jobseeker’, both tonally and in mood. There’s a serious increase in energy however, and the vocals just seem to keep going, never once stopping for a breath.

Another rarity, ‘Routine Dean’ demonstrates some classic punk rock energy; the bassline could easily have come from a ’70s garage punk act. This is reflected in the energetic vocals too, and a track such as this displays flawlessly the benefits of having a vocalist with such a broad accent as Williamson’s. Definitely the most punk rock of the release. ‘Tied Up in Nottz’ is probably the band’s most well-known song, the lyrics of which present a perfect snapshot of working-class life in Midlands England. Particularly explicit, this track is one of the best examples of how the band may fall victim to the marmite effect: I imagine listeners will either love or hate it. Another new track is ‘Big Dream’ – the shortest of the release, which again features a strong punk influence. There’s a great loop in this one, although there’s no variation whatsoever – so it’s no surprise that the song is so short. Whilst I do think more could have been done musically, I recognise that maybe leaving it so condensed is a deliberate move to reflect the pessimism that contrasts the ambition of the song’s title. We then have ‘Blog Maggot’ – also unreleased – which is a bit more laidback than the rest so far, although the lyrics are still just as angry as ever; also featuring some of Williamson’s more eccentric and erratic vocal effects. And then there’s ‘Tweet Tweet Tweet’, originally featured on Divide and Exit – one of my favourites, and the song that really made me fall in love with them at Boomtown (captured excellently on this recording). Every aspect of this track is brilliant: the musical layers, the melodies, the lyrics – which sum up the feelings of the song perfectly. I definitely appreciated the inclusion of this one.

Another fan-favourite, ‘Tarantula Deadly Cargo’ begins quite curiously with some jazzy samples, which signal something a bit different, and indeed – this song does stand out as rather subdued compared with what we’ve heard so far. It’s almost relaxing – at least, as relaxing as one could ever call this band – and the most classically minimalistic of the release. ‘Fat Tax’ then has a bit of a bluesy feel to it; again, pretty chilled out – at least instrumentally – although the vocals still show a fair amount of outrage, demonstrating a strong contrast. There are some good internal rhymes in this one too. ‘Slow One’s Bothered’ is the third slow one in a row, with a bassline that reminds me a little bit of the Gorillaz. Vocally, the melodic lines are similar to the previous ‘Rich List’, in being very easy to sing along with – it’s simplistic but effective. And continuing this comparatively sluggish feeling over the second half of the release so far, ‘Revenue’’s lyrics stand out as being rather desperate, hopeless, or despondent – rather than impassioned; and the bleak and barren feel of the music reflects this mood as well. After these four quite lethargic songs, the energy begins to return again through ‘Rochester’, in which the remnants of rage build all the way throughout, with the lyrics calling out some of the grimmest aspects of society. There are some creative uses of samples towards the end, before ‘TCR’ brings us back to an absolute classic. Another of my favourites – I love the musical subtleties throughout, that really make this one what it is. The lyrics are fantastic too, witty and sharp, and showcasing Williamson at his best.

Previously unreleased, ‘Reef of Grief’ is catchy from the off, and again features some pretty amusing lyrics. It’s a decent track, and although it doesn’t stand out too much amongst the rest, it remains a solid tune. ‘B.H.S.’ then follows – one of their best-known tracks – originally featured on English Tapas, and it’s just brilliant. I’ve nothing bad to say at all. It epitomises what’s so great about their sound perfectly, and is honestly just a great song in general – even despite the band’s abnormalities. ‘Second’ is the band’s latest single, only recently released in advance of the compilation. It’s possibly my favourite video of theirs, and shows that the band are going from strength to strength. They have such an excellent formula, and each song demonstrates this, whilst never getting stale. At the end of the release, All That Glue features two tracks from their latest album, Eton Alive. ‘OBCT’ is pretty unusual-sounding for the band, with much more of a whole, all-encompassing sound, whilst Williamson’s vocal line is almost standard singing. I’m reminded of ‘I Feel So Wrong’ off of English Tapas, and it’s nice to hear the band going out of their comfort zone. There’s even a kazoo solo. And then, ‘When You Come Up to Me’ demonstrates this to the extreme. It begins with some futuristic, alien-esque sounds that persist throughout, and Williamson’s singing is even more different here, to the point that he’s even hiding his distinctive accent somewhat. It’s very unusual, but a completely appropriate place to end: with one of the band’s newest songs showing their potential future possibilities.

Whilst I see Sleaford Mods as a spectacular band, I’ll reiterate the point that some people, undoubtedly, will completely dismiss them. And I don’t think those people are wrong – they’re certainly an acquired taste, they’re not for everyone, and a lot of their music is really quite challenging. But for those who are lucky enough to understand and appreciate what makes this band so special, All That Glue is a fine collection of some of the best examples of their sound. There isn’t a bad song here, and the release exhibits some of the most characteristic examples of what makes the band so enthralling. Whilst I would maintain the position that the finest way to experience Sleaford Mods is through their live shows, All That Glue comes as close as one can probably get to demonstrating the best of the band’s strengths on record. An excellent compilation, and one to which I will return.

Swingamajig Quarantine Party write-up

Of all the livestreams that have been organised during this pandemic, the Swingamajig quarantine party is the one that I was looking forward to the most. Swingamajig is routinely my favourite day of the year, and I’ve been along to every single one. The guys who organise it always do such a fantastic job, and there was no question of their ability to pull off something spectacular. So when the day came, Becca and I got ourselves ready for a unique but genuine festival experience.

The event got off to a rocky start however, with a constant stream of technical difficulties affecting Hong Kong Ping Pong’s Morphosis’s set. Resultingly, we didn’t really get to experience this set at all, which was a real shame, so the kind of de facto start of the event was at 6.30 with the Swingamajig quiz. This seemed pretty appropriate considering how accustomed we’ve all become to Zoom pub quizzes in the past few weeks, and I was quietly confident that I’d do quite well, considering my familiarity with the festival. We entered both the regular, and “insane hardmode” quiz, and are currently awaiting the results. Following this, the Rin Tins played an acoustic set live from Bristol, and despite a few further technical issues at the start, put on a great show. These livestreams are rather saturated with DJs at the moment, so it was lovely to have a band bring the live dynamic. We were then all treated to a panel discussion featuring Nick Hollywood, Emma Clair, Fizzy Gillespie, and Mike Rack of Dutty Moonshine – by far the most interesting part of the night. Asking many of the questions I myself have been exploring over my research, it was really positive to see these guys sharing their thoughts in such a riveting way.

Another live act then followed – the Two Toms (AKA the Cheeky Blinders) – playing live from the Swingamajig studio. This side project of Tom Hyland from the Electric Swing Circus (who also runs the festival) performed a medley of ESC covers, and again, I really appreciated the change-up from the perpetual DJs. This is what Swingamajig does best – present a whole host of different and varying performers – and one of the reasons I was so confident of the festival’s success. And then this kicked off the real party – with a stream of phenomenal DJs taking us to 2AM. Setting things off was Tallulah Goodtimes – the best performance of the night – who led us through a great selection of classic electro swing tunes, all whilst expertly conversing with the viewers. C@ in the H@ then played an excellent set of bangers, demonstrating his fine scratching skills, before Fizzy Gillespie’s set of pure glee and abandon. Next, Phat Sam provided us with an upbeat and joyful set, before we cut back to the studio for a delightfully entertaining closing set from Tom, performed alongside DJ Zester. Each and every performer was great fun in their own unique way, and the event was an exemplary replacement for the actual festival.

It’s heartbreaking to see so many events cancelled across the country – and indeed the world – in the wake of Covid-19; and of course no livestream will ever completely live up to the live event, but I’m so glad that the community has got together to make something as spectacular as this. Swingamajig has a very important place in my heart, and I’ll continue to support it for as long as I’m able. Despite the unfortunate technical difficulties that plagued the stream throughout, this was still a brilliant night, and we had a terrific time. I know there’s potential plans for another event sooner than next May, and if this goes ahead, my attendance will be certain. Absolutely great stuff – some of the most fun I’ve had in lockdown yet.

Reflections on Blogging

I started this blog a year ago now, and it’s really quite interesting for me to see how it’s changed, and how my writing has been affected through the format. I’m certainly glad I started it, and now more so than ever, I’m particularly grateful to have a creative outlet to which I can express myself. Given that it’s now been a year, I figured I’d have a look back across my various posts since I first started this, and simultaneously reflect on them all.

My first experience of blogging was not here at all in fact, but over on the Jack the Cad site. Back in 2015, when I was in the process of completing my Master’s degree, George Browne – who runs this blog – contacted me to ask if I’d be up for contributing a guest post. I was immediately keen, and edited down one of the chapters of my thesis for publication. I was pleased with the resulting post at the time, although looking back, it’s obvious that I was still stuck in the practice of writing in a very academic style. My second contribution to George’s site was a review of Swingamajig 2016, and later that year I published a third article discussing the emergence of the fantastic Alligatorz production duo. I was getting better at gauging the right style by now, and beginning to be comfortable writing in a much more informal manner.

Cut to 2019, and I’m approaching the end of my PhD. I’m keen to keep on writing at this point, and to be honest, it would be a bit of a relief to get to write slightly less formally. The various other online blogs, including Jack the Cad, all seem to have stagnated, so there’s no one really flying the flag for electro swing anymore. Plus, I want to keep my name relevant in the electro swing world, so I figure it’s the perfect time to start my own blog. Following Swingamajig 2019, and my trip to Chicago for the first ever Roaring City festival, I publish my first post, comparing the two events.

At this point, I’m not going to sit here and chronologically go through every post I’ve done since then, as it wouldn’t be remotely compelling for anyone, least of all me. But I’ll give a bit of an overview of the various different things I’ve written on. The most evident is my reviews, which is surprising, as I never really intended on writing reviews when I started this up. I originally planned to mainly post short discussions around my thoughts on electro swing, as with my early electro swing cinema article. But when Cut Capers released their second album, Metropolis, I loved it, and was eager to share my thoughts on what was a brilliant release. The reviews have since taken over the blog somewhat, which is great, as I’ve now become known as a bit of a reviewer for the scene. I now regularly receive requests to review up-and-coming releases, to the point where I occasionally have to turn people down; and I’m lucky enough to have gotten early access to various releases too, as with the cases of Jamie Berry and Dutty Moonshine, amongst others. I’ve since expanded outside of electro swing a little bit, such as with my Aesop Rock review, and I’m keen to do more of this – for instance, I’ve got a review planned for next week which has absolutely nothing to do with the scene whatsoever.

The other types of posts have also remained, and I still really enjoy writing these – probably more so in fact, although they do take a fair bit more effort. I’ve certainly had some unexpected experiences, such as my article on bad reviewing, which caused a bit of Twitter beef with one of these supposed online celebrities, and has subsequently become my most read article. I’d like to do a follow-up to my music theory piece as well, although it’s difficult to find enough examples to illustrate my discussion, but one day I hope to publish a part two. The piece I’m probably most proud of is my roots of electro swing article, as this required a legitimately substantial amount of research; is genuinely educational; and there’s no other source for this information in this much detail anywhere else at all.

Elsewhere, my post reflecting on my PhD presented a discussion on academic life that I hope is useful for others. I’m in the process of planning another piece slightly similar to this one at the moment, and I hope to make it just as informative – if not more so. And very recently, in the wake of Covid-19, I’ve published a few pieces of a more personal nature too, such as my ode to tickets, and my reflection on the best and worst gigs I’ve attended. This has definitely been a change from what I’m used to, and has taken me completely out of my comfort zone, which is always a tough challenge.

So I definitely intend to keep up this blog. I take a lot of pleasure from writing, and I’d like to believe that others enjoy reading this just as much as I do writing it (although I imagine I’d carry on doing so even if there were no one reading). It’s certainly a great way to keep myself occupied at the moment, and even when lockdown is over, I’ll still try to put out a couple of posts a month. Anyway – as I write this, tonight is the virtual Swingamajig quarantine party, so I need to get myself ready for that: readers can expect a write-up in the next few days…

Review: Big Dirty Brass pt.2 - Extra Medium

One of the things that’s interesting to notice when maintaining regular reviews is the speed at which different artists come around with new releases. I’ve been writing this blog for almost a year now, and it’s getting to the point where I’m beginning to review artists multiple times across different releases. Technically, the first artist I reviewed twice was Father Funk, as I’ve discussed both his Tuxedo Junction and Deezguyz projects. The first artist I’ve legitimately reviewed twice though was Parov Stelar, following my review of Voodoo Sonic the other week – although my first review of his simply concerned the single ‘Snake Charmer’. Thus, Extra Medium now holds the title of the first artist of whom I’ve reviewed two extended releases – this one concerning his latest two-track EP (with some of the silliest artwork I’ve ever seen), Big Dirty Brass pt.2.

The first of the two songs is ‘Walking In’, which opens with a strong house beat before giving way to a classic swing era sample, setting the pace for a brilliant and upbeat number. The dirty bass slides in flawlessly, underscoring a very minimal trumpet line which fits superbly. A large part of this song makes use of extended samples, which can be a risky game to play in that one could arguably make accusations of simply putting a house beat under someone else’s song – but Extra Medium gets away with it due to the fact that this song is just so fun, creating a real party atmosphere. Indeed, the purpose of this track just seems to be silliness, fun, and joy, and this is certainly achieved.

Following this, ‘Moanin’’ presents a remix of the Kuti Mangoes cover of the jazz standard. Extra Medium has a particular talent for finding some of the more obscure acts complementary to electro swing to remix, and the Afrobeat jazz of Kuti Mangoes is a fine choice. For instance, there’s a fantastic saxophone solo halfway through; the band are clearly bona fide modern-day musicians, and it’s great to see this being recognised within electro swing. The beat remains very house-y with this one, but has been made more inventive than standard house, and the sample is cut up nicely, maintaining interest with every repetition. Towards the end there’s a slightly unnecessary phase sweep which doesn’t really serve much purpose, but this is the only negative comment I could make across both songs, and it’s really only minor.

This EP differs from Hot Jazz Rollers, in that where that release focussed largely on the sounds of drum ’n’ bass, this one is fixated with house. In both cases however, Extra Medium has demonstrated his expertise in these genres, showcasing his proficiency across multiple styles, and approaches to electro swing. Last time, I argued that Hot Jazz Rollers was a great example of electro swing being a genuine form of jazz. Whilst this isn’t the case as strongly with this release, it still displays Extra Medium as a very skilful producer, making some of the most enjoyable examples of this genre. Big Dirty Brass pt.2, whilst short, has the potential to make a big impact. I look forward to part three.

Book Review: Roast Beef - Mr B the Gentleman Rhymer

“You’re all wrong, bruv. This ain’t for you.”

“What on earth do you mean? It’s for everyone, you silly arse.”

Since beginning this blog last year, I’ve very much come to enjoy writing the music reviews that I post semi-regularly. The process of getting into something, establishing the best and worst elements of it, and determining how it all contributes to its overall success is very satisfying – and with that in mind, I figured that as a keen reader I could also turn my hand to books. Not that this is going to become a book-reviewing blog – my main focus will always be music – but whenever a novel is released that is relevant to the genre of electro swing I’m known for writing on, it’s certainly worth my curiosity. As with my music reviews, it will of course be appropriate for me to publish these reviews as and when their respective release is first being put out, but this initial post will be an exception. Mr B’s Roast Beef was published towards the end of 2018, but for whatever reason, I’ve only just gotten around to reading it.

Roast Beef is a delightful little read which tells a story from Mr B’s own fictionalised perspective, upon discovering that an up-and-coming rapper, Cheeky G, has been publicly dissing him. Shocked, our eponymous hero gathers a posse of unusual and eccentric friends, including Acid Edward – a man with a perfectly spherical head, and no facial features other than his eyes and moustache – and Superdickie – perennially dressed as a Mexican wrestler – to confront the young rapper. The novel is told is a particularly silly and humourous manner, a comedy style that can be exemplified by the following exchange between Mr B and his wife, Lady C:

“The usual…”, she said with a raised eyebrow. She said it with her mouth of course, but it was the raised eyebrow that spoke the loudest.

There’s an obvious love and pride for his music as well, which is clear from some carefully written passages on the subject. In one scene, in which Mr B is forlornly playing his ukelele alone, he describes “the sort of chords to soothe a chap, rather than get him all worked up. Not too many 7ths and certainly nothing too diminished”. In another chapter, our narrator questions whether he is “the only one of one’s crew who really cared about the integrity of Chap-Hop?”.

Beneath all the musical offshoots and comic silliness, the story is essentially a metaphorical means of Mr B – the real Mr B – confronting his critics. Represented by Cheeky G, this character’s criticism of Mr B revolves around the idea that a chap such as our protagonist – with his love for tweed, cricket, and the finer things in life – should not be allowed to engage with the genre of hip hop. Consequently, Mr B responds in a way to expose all the hypocrisies of such a position, insisting that hip hop should be welcome to everyone, and that the music he creates constitutes a stimulating new direction for the genre. It’s a clever way of making such a point, and the author is certainly successful in his execution.

Roast Beef is a thoroughly enjoyable novel, not at all challenging, and can be easily digested in the space of an afternoon. Whilst there were several grammatical and punctuation errors throughout – at one point, a character’s name switches from Keith to Leith for one brief sentence – this is somewhat par for the course in self-publishing, and I can’t criticise the author too heavily. The story was amusing, the language whimsical, and I also appreciated the humourous illustrations that introduced each chapter. An entertaining first novel, and showcasing Mr B to be consistently adept across the art forms.

Review: Perception - High Step Society

I was recently contacted by a representative of the High Step Society with regard to their newest EP, Perception. Now I must confess that I’m largely unfamiliar with this act, and aside from Duke Skellington’s remix of ‘Hot Jazz’ that I reviewed last month, I hadn’t really heard much from the band at all. Hence, I approached this release with rather fresh ears, not really knowing what to expect. From what I do know, the band has a particular focus on the live dynamic, which I always rate highly, and just like Duke Skellington, are really pushing hard to bring the electro swing sound to the shores of America.

Perception opens with an instrumental, ‘Side Step’, immediately presenting this acoustic dynamic, which is refreshing, and later on the live elements continue with some great brass. The electronic bass that soon kicks in is quite unexpected, and could have held off a little bit, but I do like the higher synths; and later there’s some decent interaction between the Reinhardt-esque guitar and the drum machine – not always traditional allies. Towards the end there’s a huge build-up that doesn’t quite lead to an outcome as large as expected – there’s some very smooth saxophone, but the beat could certainly be underscored better. It’s actually a very catchy song, but the production is just somewhat lacking. ‘Back to the Roots’ then throws us in with some high energy from the start, and some brilliant roaring brass throughout. Whilst initially seeming a little more restrained than the first track, some of the electronic components that emerge halfway through do continue to impact the production values. ‘Perception’ then follows – the title track – which is a step up from the previous two. The walking bass is very effective, the vocals flow really nicely, and the verses place the electronic bass well in the mix, which is a nice contrast. Later on, the breakdown presents itself as really quite raw, which is bound to have quite a divisive marmite effect on people; but personally, I think there’s some particularly interesting effects here.

Next up is ‘No. 9’, which is great. There’s a catchy, driving hook, and some bouncy vocals which make the song very danceable. When the electronics emerge, it’s not overbearing, and it isn’t too much of a departure from the initial sound compared to some of the other tracks. These elements are gradually built up over the course of the song, and by the end they’re especially welcome. This is the approach I would encourage the band to take throughout their music, and consequently, it’s the best track on the EP and will appeal to fans across the whole electro swing spectrum. The EP then closes with ‘Howlin’’, another instrumental which builds and builds. An assortment of sounds at the beginning give way to a haunting piano, and throughout the piece, there’s a great demonstration of ability for each performer in turn; the piano solo is particularly noteworthy, sounding like something straight out of a 1920s speakeasy. Again, the electronic parts aren’t the strongest element, but they’re an improvement from those of the early tracks, and work well, especially towards the end. Overall, this piece just sounds like musicians doing what they do best: performing for the love of performing.

The strength of the High Step Society undoubtedly lies in the live aspect of their music. They’re clearly talented musicians, and draw on acts before them like the After Hours Quintet to create an enjoyable, live dynamic which is punctuated from time to time with elements of EDM. Whilst the production is certainly not amazing, I always argue that this is the least important element of a musician’s sound, and that a great song will shine through regardless. So I was a little apprehensive at first when listening to this EP, but it definitely improved over its duration. By the end, I was pleased with what I’d heard, and particularly with tracks like ‘No. 9’, would be happy to recommend.

Perception is available here.