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.