Personal Reflections on 2020

I write this knowing that it will likely get lost in the innumerable texts that thousands will write upon this year, for – as goes without saying – 2020 has been very unusual. My final blog post of 2019 looked back upon my time as a PhD student, and I concluded that particular post with the following words:

“As we approach the end of the year, I’m looking forward to what’s coming for the genre in 2020, and even more so, I’m looking forward to the next stages of my own academic electro swing career.”

Little did I know how disruptive 2020 would actually be. The Covid-19 pandemic has infiltrated every aspect of everyday life, and has had a severe impact on essentially everything that this year was expected to bring. The world of music in particular has suffered greatly, and thousands of those throughout the creative industries have lost their livelihoods. From my own personal perspective, this year has been distinctly challenging, as 2020 was supposed to mark the start of my formal academic career. Entering into an already competitive career – in a year in which many are losing jobs – has undoubtedly been an immense struggle, and I’ve spent effectively the entire year on the job-hunt, only securing myself a permanent position in the past few weeks. And I recognise that even by this, I’m one of the lucky ones. This post is going to be somewhat challenging to write, being less of a piece with recognisable flow, and more of a collection of ideas representing my thoughts on 2020. I hope that my own particular situation makes this at least a little unique, and that my words may stand amongst some of the more memorable reflections upon this year.

I know I speak for a lot of people when I say that one of the greatest joys in life is experiencing live music. This is without a doubt the thing that I miss most about normal life, having only been to a grand total of three gigs this year – the most recent being in February, making it almost a full year since the last time I got to enjoy a proper concert. For the sake of interest, those three were the Interrupters, the Inspector Cluzo, and the Hot 8 Brass Band; the last time I went to this few gigs in one year was 2005 – when I would have been 12 years old. The Interrupters stand out as the finest, putting on an absolutely fantastic show, and demonstrating themselves to be one of the genuinely best acts of the modern day. But the thrill of live music is just something that cannot be replaced. The various livestreams that have been broadcast throughout this year have of course been admirable – and I was especially generous with my praise to the Swingamajig livestreamed festival in May – but it’s incomparable to the real thing. My main wish for 2021 is the return of live music, and I know that I’ll be buying as many tickets as I can as soon as we have some confirmation of events actually going ahead.

Of these events, the big question is whether we’ll see the return of festivals in 2021. Indeed, I’ve already mentioned Swingamajig, and I had plans to attend Boomtown, Shindig, and the Edinburgh Fringe as well this year – all of which were of course cancelled. The Glastonbury line-up was also looking excellent, and I’d been hoping I might be able to find a way to make this my first year. For 2021, both Boomtown and Shindig are suggesting that they will be going ahead, and have already begun advertising line-ups and selling tickets, so we can only hope that all will be well by the time that festival season rolls around. There’s nothing better than being in a huge gathering of thousands of music fans, all spending a weekend doing nothing more than enjoying themselves to the fullest extent.

Unfortunately, the cancellation of such festivals and gigs – and the loss of opportunity for so many creatives – hasn’t been the only thing to bring down the music scene in 2020. Of the lucky few who have managed to sustain careers, there’s been several cases of high-profile musicians demonstrating themselves to be incredibly selfish and ungrateful with regard to the year’s lockdown restrictions. In some extremely disheartening cases, these have been musicians who have made amazing art throughout their careers, and it’s unbelievably disappointing to see such nonsense coming out of individuals who we know are capable of such great things. These include Eric Clapton, Van Morrison (seemingly an endless disappointment), Ian Brown, and Noel Gallagher. And this idiotic behaviour has been shown from punters as well, with dozens of illegal raves cropping up throughout the year. The most illogical thing I’ve seen with regard to this is online commentators favourably comparing this string of illegal raves to the original events that occurred throughout the late ’80s and ’90s, as if governmental discrimination of ravers can at all be likened to a global pandemic. Here’s the thing that these people don’t seem to understand: the more these events go ahead, the more the virus will spread, the longer these artists will go without work, and the longer it will be before we can ever hold events like this again.

Luckily, my other world – that of academia – has been a lot more responsible in its response to the pandemic. Having had countless conferences worldwide move to an online format, not only is this safer for everyone involved, but also allows for many to attend who might otherwise not have been able to travel. These were of course the upsides, though of course – like the livestreamed gigs – such online conferences were undoubtedly not always quite as stimulating as they would usually be, and I must confess that I didn’t attend as many as I would have perhaps liked to. I’m optimistically looking forward to the potential return of conventional conferences this coming year, and have already applied to present at several. One of the best parts of this profession is meeting and sharing your research with others who are genuinely interested in what you have to say, and it’s been a real shame that such opportunities have been made impossible.

And speaking of this profession brings me to what has been one of the most challenging aspects of the year for myself – the aforementioned job-hunt. Having completed my PhD last year, the entirety of 2020 has been spent on the hunt for suitable employment that I’m actually qualified for. And saying that this has been difficult would be an incredible understatement – I may end up writing an entire post relaying my own experiences, as the entire process has been an enormous eye-opener with regard to how laborious and demoralising it can be. I don’t know if I’ll ever come across another sentence as infuriating as “we are unable to offer you feedback at this stage”. After committing what can regularly amount to several hours to an application – to have a faceless email informing you that you won’t be given even a single bit of their time regarding future advice, is one of the most insulting things a company can do. We’re all well aware that that sentence effectively translates to “we didn’t bother reading your application”, and – again, whilst I may save this full story for another post – I came to realise just how nepotistic and self-serving some institutions (read: Cardiff University) can be. I don’t want to end this post on a low note though, and as stated, I was incredibly fortunate to get myself a new position in the final month of the year – learning support coordinator at BIMM Bristol – which is an absolutely fantastic institution. With this in place, 2021 is due to be a colossal improvement for me – and I really do hope that others in similar situations will experience the same level of good fortune.

So it’s been a rollercoaster of a year – with more negatives than one could ever hope for, but with hope on the horizon – both for me personally, and for the world, with the introduction of these various vaccines. Without doubt, I know that I’ll be getting mine as soon as I possibly can. There’s presumably no way that 2021 can be as disastrous as 2020, so ultimately, we can only be optimistic. I’ll leave by simply wishing everyone a wonderful new year, and I look forward to the day when we will all be able to come together at gigs, festivals, conferences, and more again.

Review: Talybont - Chillbe

Back in January, the first review of 2020 that I posted was Captain Flatcap’s Fowl Play EP, four tracks of pure enjoyment that I described as “one of the first significant releases of the year”. Well, it’s certainly been quite the year – far beyond what any of us were expecting back in January – and as 2020 draws to a close, what will likely be the final review I post concerns Chillbe, the new side-project from Captain Flatcap’s Chris Rotherham. Very different from Captain Flatcap, Chillbe fuses folk and Classical influences, looking away from the bass-heavy dance music that we’re used to, and instead bringing about some of the most relaxing sounds one can aim to produce. Named after the small Welsh village (only a short drive from where I live, in fact), the EP is called Talybont.

The first track is ‘Onwards’, which utilises a fingerpicked and percussive guitar style, along with a wide variety of percussion instruments to create a beautifully atmospheric, naturalistic environment. Rotherham has a mastery of all the instruments he plays: guitar, flute, and ukelele – which he manages to stop from sounding gimmicky or out of place at all. The added electronics are very subtle, remaining reserved but wonderfully placed, and the overall production is fantastic, with all the live sounds being manipulated to just the right extent. The title track ‘Talybont’ then features some really nice harmonies, with Rotherham’s compositional ability truly shining through. The electronics are slightly more prevalent here, but still rather subtle, and not overly done at all. The sound completely takes you away – it’s so so relaxing, and one could have this on for hours. Every element of the piece is completely under control, and what results is a genuinely magnificent sound.

‘Time Stepping’, the interlude, is the most electronics-heavy piece, especially in the drums that emerge, and is certainly a bit of a change-up from the previous two, being quite experimental. The piece fades in very smoothly, with initially just the lowest tones audible, before we gradually begin to register the higher detail. The piece culminates with a sampled quote summing up some of the artist’s philosophical beliefs. Following, ‘Waltz Of The Entities’ is a genuine waltz, with the compositional feel really sounding like a waltz beyond just the 3/4 time. With the staccato stabs of the main backing line alongside the bouncy, antiquated recorder-based melodies, he’s really changing it up here: one will often hear musicians claim Classical influence to try and elevate their music, but in this case, the claim is genuine. The song presents quite the journey, and this second half of the EP represents a slight change in direction away from the first two completely relaxing numbers. Finally, ‘Upwards’ – matching track one in name – is another with excellent guitarwork. Most of the instrumental lines here are quite simplistic, but it’s in the way Rotherham plays them – in such an exquisite way – that makes the piece executed so well. Every part is played to perfection – nothing is skimmed over for the sake of ease. The power of music is such that it can create such intense levels of emotion, and songs like this one manage to showcase that to the highest potential.

The overall EP creates such a beautiful atmosphere, and such strong feelings that simply cannot be overlooked. It’s haunting at times, calm and serene at others, and a wonderful experience from start to finish. Rotherham has been classically trained in the past, and whilst this has had some impact on the music of Captain Flatcap, it’s never been demonstrated to the extent that it is on this release. He’s clearly got real strengths making this type of music, and there should definitely be an audience for it. Ultimately, I really hope that rather than simply remaining a one-off side-project, this EP represents the start of a long endeavour for Chillbe.

Talybont is available from 24/12/2020.

Review: Golden Days - LVDS

I've heard it said several times now that electro swing has reached the point where it no longer stands as a genre of its own. There’s so much variety within the style, and so many subgenres that one could gladly categorise themselves as a fan of swing ’n’ bass – for example – whilst loathing swing house – or vice versa. To say one is a fan of electro swing is to simply say that one appreciates any particular style that has had this flavour added to it. And one of the most prominent of these particular styles, is swing hop. Pioneered by the likes of Chinese Man, and Smokey Joe & The Kid, swing hop is of course hip hop with the addition of swing. And one of the newest artists to be attempting to make a name for himself in this select genre is LVDS – a producer from the Netherlands, due to release his debut album this week: Golden Days.

A steady hip hop beat underscores a Dixieland melody in the album’s introduction, before we set off with the title track, ‘Golden Days’, featuring singer Sonia Elisheva. Now despite being from Portugal, Elisheva sings in a rather London-esque accent, suggesting a degree of hip hop legitimacy. There’s a nice minimalistic beat that provides a catchy backing; it’s a little repetitive, but LVDS closes the song just before the beat is about to get stale – demonstrating a good sense of musical timing. Then, a ragtime piano introduces ‘Mr Sherlock’, in which singer Iolanda Boban’s silky voice places us into a 1920s speakeasy. The instrumental lines are very smooth and accompany the voice effortlessly, and there is some nice lyrical wordplay here as well. After this we have ‘Blue Skies’, in which the optimism of the song’s title is reflected in the music: this is an incredibly upbeat number, which will easily put a smile on one’s face. It’s reminiscent of some of Boogie Belgique’s earlier stuff – and any comparison to Boogie Belgique can only be a compliment. There’s a lovely bounce, and an excellent choice of samples. Overall, I really enjoy it, although there’s a very strange, chiptune sample featured halfway through that really interrupts the vibe. Other than that, the song is lovely.

LVDS then invites Szigeti Juli for a cover of Chaka Khan’s ‘Ain’t Nobody’. I’ve been hearing a lot about this band lately, although I must confess that this is one of the first times I’ve actually had a proper listen. The song features a very steady, standard electro swing, stride piano beat; it’s not overly innovative, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. And notably, the vocal editing in particular is flawless. ‘Be With U’ begins with a kind of Caravan Palace vibe initially, perhaps from the way the guitar is being played, before quickly developing into a swing ’n’ bass offering. There are several clichés of this particular stylistic niche thrown in; again, it’s not particularly innovative, but there’s still enough to entertain. Next up, a forlorn trumpet sets the tone for ‘Long Gone’ which is classic, swingy trip hop, with more than a touch of the blues. It’s really very good actually; the production is spotless, and the song really stands as a whole piece of music. A great piece, the best so far, making me think that maybe this is the best direction for LVDS, with these more downbeat numbers.

Another instrumental then features with ‘Café Noir’. LVDS brings back that ragtime piano to begin, and again we have the trip hop beat – more upbeat than the previous, but still standing out. Aside from a slightly strange eight bars in the middle that don’t really flow, it seems to be in these instrumentals that LVDS really excels. Iolanda Boban’s identifiable voice features again in ‘Steps on the Moon’, very reminiscent of Kathrin deBoer of Belleruche. The song features a strong swing hop beat, although at this point I note that the album has yet to feature any rapping. It would certainly work excellently over this particular track, with the potential for real improvement. Still, it’s a good song. ‘1925’’s title suggests an immediate year, and it definitely seems that all of these songs are very much leaning towards the influence of early jazz, as opposed to specifically the swing era. And this is good – it works for LVDS, and he’s managing to utilise this style as his trademark sound. ‘1925’ features some unusual sounds scattered throughout too – a commendable choice of timbres. And then – if there’s one thing we can expect from a 2020 electro swing release – it’s the inclusion of Alanna Lyes. ‘One Taste’ is pretty poppy, but also with an almost Western feel to it. You’d think these influences might not flow together too well, but the fusion is fantastic. This is another standout track, and along with ‘Long Gone’, LVDS is really showing his versatility in many ways. And finally – here on track 11 – we have some rap, courtesy of Fatherlyshrimp, who is completely competent.

The next song, ‘Am I Real’ also features Lyes, and is a much more standard electro swing number, with the return of the stride piano. Again, it’s very poppy, which is what Lyes brings best. It’s really really catchy, though it’s kitschy as hell; I noted this for a few tracks on my Bart&Baker review – it might be a bit too much for some. Though personally, I think it’s excellent, and held back just enough; the build up to the chorus in particular is a moment of musical genius. ‘Am I Real’ is the last “official” song of the release, although we then have two instrumentals of songs we’ve already heard: ‘Steps on the Moon’, and ‘Golden Days’. These don’t provide anything extra at all, but both do manage to prove their worth as solid backing tracks that a rapper could easily rhyme over. And finally, we have the bonus track: ‘This is Swing Hop’. Featuring many of the guest artists already heard on this release, as well as rapper Brice Robell, these collective tracks are always fun, and LVDS manages to showcase each of his featured artist’s strengths, using samples from several of the songs, as well as original material. It’s a great idea, and works as an effective minimix. And of course, it also showcases his own talents – as a producer, compiler, and collaborator.

Overall, LVDS has some potential to make a real name for himself. His production skills are excellent, and there are several occasions that demonstrate real versatility. Where he sometimes stumbles, are several minor moments here and there in which one very small section blemishes the rest of the piece. Indeed, there is work to be done in terms of compositional and songwriting techniques; but as a young producer coming onto the scene, this debut album is a noteworthy achievement. With a whole host of prominent collaborators, and impeccable production abilities, LVDS is certainly one to watch. Swing hop is a very exciting genre right now, and producers such as him are only going to further reinforce this to be the case.

Golden Days is available from 18/12/2020.

Review: Electro Swing Party Vol. 3 by Bart&Baker - Various artists

Bart&Baker’s regular electro swing compilations have become iconic throughout this scene. Having been around since way back in the early days of the genre, these compilations have routinely showcased the finest artists throughout electro swing, and have acted as a platform for many to discover countless new artists as well. There is no doubt that careers have been made on the back of these compilations, and the release of each new one is always an important date in the electro swing calendar. Out in time for Christmas, the newest instalment is their Electro Swing Party Vol. 3, running through 22 of some of the more memorable releases to have come out this past year.

The release opens with a cover of ‘Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend’ from Alfredo Roy and his Orchestra. This is your very cheesy, over-the-top electro swing style that Bart&Baker love to play out, and Alexandra Miletta’s voice is very reminiscent of the classic Hollywood musical dames of the 1940s. The piece could do with a bit more bass, but overall it sets the tone for the compilation well. Parov Stelar is then featured with his ‘Red Cat’ – which on my review of Voodoo Sonic Pt. 3, I placed as one of the stronger tracks of the release. It stands great here too – a fantastic example of Stelar’s more recent work. ‘Hey You! (I Heard You Wanna Party)’ is the first of Bart&Baker’s own tracks on the release. The sound is very reminiscent of the Electric Swing Circus, who have an obvious influence over this work. And it pays off – this could certainly be an ESC piece, and it’s thus a very strong song. Up next is Anèt’s ‘L'amour Est Un Enfant De Bohême’, a really enjoyable remix of the original Bizet composition, which manages to sound quite dark, and representative of underground sounds in parts – whilst very bright and poppy in others. And surprisingly, it works – flowing fantastically. And then we have ‘Sidonie’ from the Scratchophone Orchestra – a great uptempo number fusing some jazz manouche sounds with an almost trip hop beat in parts. The electronic element is fairly simplistic, which successfully works to highlight the strong jazzy prowess over the top of it all.

The next track is ‘Miss Annie’ from Jive Me, showcasing more jazz manouche, mixed with French hip hop vibes. This is a really great number, keeping constant movement, and carefully balancing the perfect level of anticipation. The Swinghoppers sadly broke up earlier this year, but their ‘Party Like It’s 1920’, produced alongside Wolfgang Lohr, reminds us just how enjoyable their songs were. As I said in my review of their Speakin’ Easy, they were easily one of the most fun acts of the whole genre, and this song definitely exemplifies that – only made better by Lohr’s solid beats. Another track that’s quite minimal on the electro side is DJ Farrapo & The Swingin’ Junkies’ ‘Behind Dark Eyes’. There seems to be several remixes of ‘Mack the Knife’ coming out right now – Tallulah Goodtimes just did one too – and this version features more strong gypsy jazz, the feature that seems to be the standout sound of the compilation thus far. The rap flow in this one is actually really quite good, and definitely stands out over the more standard vocals also featured. Then, Julie Huard’s ‘Le Danseur De Charleston’ is another loud-and-proud cheesy number; the sound of the ragtime piano defines this one. It’s certainly upbeat and enjoyable, although the overt brightness and cheerfulness will undoubtedly be too much for some.

Now I really enjoy Klischée’s music, so I was very glad to see them be a part of this compilation, even if only for their remix of the Brass Department’s ‘Welcome To The Brass Department’. I actually love this one – it hits harder than anything else on the compilation – with solid bass, solid vocals, and fantastic production. As the name suggests, the brass here is excellent too – the whole song is just brilliant. Bart&Baker’s next featured track of their own is a remix of the Puppini Sister’s ‘Dance Dance Dance’, Again with their distinctive sound, with regular stride piano accompanying throughout – this track is exactly what Bart&Baker fans will love. And the Puppini Sisters also manage to showcase their great vocal harmonies. The next track – PiSk’s ‘Horny’ – I actually know very well, as Becca and I were in fact featured dancing in the video. PiSk is an incredibly talented producer, and this track – whilst being very silly and unserious – still demonstrates just how skilful he is at mixing and arranging. And then Atom Smith’s ‘Comin’ Up Swinging’ is another track which I’ve already discussed – in my review of his Bass Age Big Band. As I noted there, it’s a great dance number, which will surely get people moving.

Following on from this, Ginkgoa’s ‘Make U Happy’ features more of the typical stride piano that exemplifies this particular breed of electro swing. There’s an interesting take on the vocals here – being a bit of a cross between rapping and singing – which is very unique; and the production manages to highlight some of the fine timbres found throughout. Lamuzguele’s ‘Triple Lutz’ then introduces some almost lo-fi sounds; it’s certainly nice to have more of a laidback number amongst the rest of the throng. There are some contemporary RnB influences here as well; I love it – it’s one of the best songs of the compilation. Next up is Waldeck’s ‘One Of These Days’. Now some of the other songs have been subtly hinting at this, but I’ve been waiting for some real trip hop throughout the compilation, and ‘One Of These Days’ finally brings it. Waldeck has been doing this genre for ages now, and he’s one of the best at this type of sound; Patrizia Ferrara's vocals provide a nice accompaniment too, but it’s undoubtedly the instrumental track that really stands out above everything else. After this one, we have Emma Clair’s ‘Walking On A Cloud’, featuring Alanna Lyes. I’ve noted Emma Clair doing more and more production lately, and she’s only getting better; and I only have great things to say about Alanna Lyes too. The swing house sound featured here is certainly cheesy, but I feel that that’s exactly what she wants. ‘Big Bad Wolf’ is then Madam Misfit’s contribution, who seems to be making waves at the moment with her chap hop inspired sound. It’s certainly quite fun; however her sound is a bit of a love-it-or-hate-it thing – and personally, it’s not really for me.

Another Bart&Baker remix then follows with ‘The Mosquito’ – by Louie Austen and Club27. This may be the strongest of the three so far, with some great bass, and a sound that’s not at all reliant on clichés. There are some nice, quite Latin vibes featured as well. Towards the end, a sudden tempo change in the breakdown provides an unusual change-up – which isn’t totally necessary – but it’s still a very decent tune overall. Lyre Le Temps’ ‘Summer Leaves’ is then one of those songs that manages to sound like a remix of itself – there’s so many layers, and different elements all happening simultaneously. It’s a real strong production effort – and the song benefits greatly from all the different, distinct features over the course of its duration. I already praised ‘All I Wanna Do Is Swing’ very highly in my review of Tallulah Goodtimes’ Interstellar Swing. As I said there, it’s a great, comparatively laidback number, with all sorts of brilliant effects and timbres utilised throughout. There are also some fantastic vocals from Goodtimes too, which I feel I perhaps didn’t pick up on enough in my previous review. And the final track, concluding the release, is ‘Istanbul 2K20’ – Aleksey Kraft’s remix of Bart&Baker’s infamous reworking of the classic tune. Some minor chords are initially added to make the piece sound suitably cinematic at first, before breaking into an absolutely massive drop, with all sorts of filthy synths flying in every direction. It’s a genuinely brilliant way to close the compilation, and I’m very glad it's been included.

These compilations from Bart&Baker are such an essential part of the electro swing scene, and I imagine they will only continue to thrive. The inclusion of a song on one of these will be a significant milestone for any artist making music in this genre, and this third volume in the Party series has acted to maintain this reputation. Yes, some of their choices will lean towards the brighter, kitschier end of electro swing, and there certainly isn’t too much of the dark, more challenging variant of the genre – but this is what we’ve come to know and love them for. It certainly will be a party with the involvement of these two French gents, and their overall contribution to the scene is exceptional.

Electro Swing Party Vol. 3 is available from 11/12/2020.