Richard Rossa – Midnight Dub (Kelton Prima remix)

By Stef Siepel

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the Week: ‘Midnight Dub’ by Richard Rossa (Kelton Prima remix)

Kelton Prima is one that likes to go deep with the beat (at least the songs I’ve heard of him), and though this is not as deep as cuts of his I already have in my collection, it isn’t quite the by SoundCloud labelled nu-disco either. I would say it is more of a mix of deep house with some lighter elements, including a tingling bell of some sorts and a quite prominent synth. Then the space sounds come in (that I do remember of him, see his fairly recently released song ‘The Dark Side of the Spoon’) and Prima makes it an intergalactic ride through the clubs. The synths give it its air and its contrast, but the thing that keeps propelling it forward is the kind of grainy beat that keeps on going furiously. Like how the drums become prominent for the first time at the tail end of an interlude of some sorts in which the song is stripped down a bit. After that, the synth and space sounds bring this to its end. If you like your deep house (but not too deep) and your space (but not too space), and if you especially like it for a club setting, than not much wrong with this one I reckon.

‘Romantic Streams’ by Sleep Over (CFCF remix)

It is good to see that this one got so much coverage on the “big blogs”, because CFCF has done some good things recently and it is nice to see that rewarded with this kind of exposure. It’s not a total surprise that this is the track that gets it, as this, first of all, is radio length with four minutes, and second of all, it is a nice and dreamy cut indeed. Love the piano in there,that is just magnificent, and the vocals are pitch perfect for this kind of thing. You’ve got a slow and lazy beat in there to keep time I suppose, but the real strength is the serenity, the I-am-looking-out-of-the-window-of-my-midnight-train-and-hoping/dreaming-of-better-things feel it evokes. I love the angelic background vocals that you can hear and which add to the overall atmosphere of this track. A really rather beautiful thing to listen to, with a hint of guitar at the end as well to close it out.

‘Idea of Happiness’ by Van She (Sebastian remix)

Gosh, this does start, doesn’t it? Really brash sounds that immediately start coming at you. After that you hear more of Van She coming through, or in any case, you can definitely hear its synth-pop roots. And that aesthetic is quite at odds with the quite hard beat. You’ve now got this mixture of poppy synth-pop, something very slick, with sounds that just force this thing in a club where it basically doesn’t belong and, I would think, doesn’t even want to be. It are the wrong elements from both forced together to tour clubs that don’t want it, that is how it rather feels to me to be honest. Not something I’ll be having on repeat.

‘Reunion’ by M83 (Mylo remix)

I love how it starts, with that swerving sound accompanying the beat, that’s really nice. After that the synth helps the beat in giving it some structure and making sure the song keeps moving forward. The vocals sound kind of frantic though to be honest, then again, I’m not that much of a fan of M83 like some people probably are *ducks*. But it is also because of the contrast between the instrumental side and how that is produced on one hand, and how high pitched those vocals are on the other. It does seem as if the instruments are quite a tad lower in terms of sound than these vocals, which make those come across as rather squeally and sped-up. Not to throw the song in the bin completely, because it is not a bad song, and it sounds nice enough. It is just that the contrast between some elements is perhaps a bit stronger than what I personally would’ve aimed for. I also wouldn’t have aimed for that ending, which is just noise for noise’s sake.

‘Traffic’ by A.N.D.Y. & Vicente

This song is the debut single of A.N.D.Y., and the DiscoTexas label gives them a place to put it out. Like we’re used from that label (and like it kind of says in the name), this song has quite some disco elements, but it does not go all vintage on us though. Rather, it is a mix of those traditional disco elements mixed with other electronical elements. In this case there is a hint of space in there and a hint of some electronics. This makes it more of a hypnotical affair than a liberating one, but it is a fine piece nonetheless. It doesn’t mind some repetition to give the possible dancers to hang on to. The ending, that is a bit abrupt I would say. Oh well, can’t have them all, can you?

‘100’ by Filthy Dukes

The Filthy Dukes are back! Last time around they delivered an album with some very very good tracks, though on the whole I thought the effort to be lacking a bit. This song starts with a nice, melancholic synth and a pretty slow throbbing beat, which they ride for a while. After two minutes lighter key sounds come in, and that bit does sound a bit like it should be used on top of a compilation of a Tom Hanks space movie to be honest. On their first album I loved the tracks that had some deep vocals on them (‘Don’t Fall Softly’, ‘Poison the Ivy’, ‘Nonsense in the Dark’), and this isn’t that, and it just misses that one element that keeps it interesting. I think in those songs, what puts them over the top are the vocals, and I think with them lacking, the song at least needs some sort of kingmaker I would say, vocals or otherwise.

Late Nite Tuff Guy

By Stef Siepel

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week: ‘Holiday’ by Late Nite Tuff Guy

Nope, this is not a remix of the Madonna song. You’ll be forgiven for thinking so though, I certainly did prior to listening to it. But it’s old school and it’s disco, and that is LNTG’s comfort zone really. Love the beat and bass action to get this song going, nice tempo, sure will come in handy for the dancefloor (which, by the way, this song is perfect for, also with the tempo change at 1:25 which surely must go down well). As always he sure knows how to build something up. Really a lot of patience here, as there are several points where you would expect (and he does tease you with it) that the song will go for the kill, but instead it does another round of catchy bass (and who is complaining?). Finally, at 3:50, in come the vocals, and oh boy, they sure have got attitude to them. A smooth ride, catchy and funky, and some strong voices there: what more do you want from a Change remix?

‘Hollywood’ by RAC feat. Penguin Prison

Oh, I like the start. Just so simple with the bass and the vocals, really classic. The chorus, for me personally, is a bit too poppy. I do like the guitar that immediately comes after though. Really, I like the essence of it, and especially that really clean sound. Nothing muddled, so many people are overdoing stuff, and this is just so clean with that catchy little bass dominating it. The problem for me, as said, lies with the chorus, which just is too lightweight to carry the song. Overall I do think it is a nice one though.

‘You Can’t Run From My Love’ by Munk feat. Peaches (Classixx remix)

Whoo, just the names alone sound good, don’t they? Munk and Peaches and Classixx, those are some names that have been making some stellar music lately (or not so lately). Classixx had some really good tracks last year, so it is good to see them on remix duties here. The pace in itself is really laidback, with the bongos (or drums or whatever) dictating a pretty mellow tempo. More summer party at the beach than hot and dirty down at the club. What I love about this remix are the vocals (and the echo on them). I am a vocals guy myself, so to hear them doing the echo thing on the singing is music to my ears. Halfway they go a bit faster with a little rhythm section in there, but soon it is back to the starting sounds. Lovely remix by Classixx, hope they’ve got some more stuff up their sleeves for the rest of the year.

‘Watcha Wanna’ by Only Children

You can’t throw seductive female vocals in soon enough I reckon, and Only Children does it from the get go. It’s the first thing you hear, and I like that. It’s disco with a sort of edgy vibe in there, which comes from a particular sound/instrument that I really cannot describe to be honest. I love that build-up from the four minute mark on, and the patience for when to return the beat fully. They go a bit glitchy with this song, mixing some short sampling, that is more of a club thing, with some of the conventions of disco. Though I do like it smooth personally, I must say to hear something like this is kind of refreshing in the sense of mixing the classic disco elements and this kind of Tiger & Woodsy vibe, I just haven’t seen that a lot yet. And in the end it does result in a very nice song indeed.

‘Running Man’ by WhoMadeWho (Pilooski remix)

I’ve been saying this for a while and I’ll keep repeating it until the end of the year, but I do think that WhoMadeWho has made an amazing album. This is a Pilooski remix of one of the tracks off of the new album, and the first thing you notice is the harshness of the beat, which Pilooski puts up front. The song itself has got a very cheeky push to it that I really love, and the moment that comes in, along with the vocals, that’s got me sitting up for sure. I like how Pilooski puts that guitar really on top at some points. He surely hasn’t taken the easy road, as there is loads of stuff going on here, with him emphasizing loads of different instruments and sounds, quickly introducing them and letting them fade into the background again. Some intricate weaving going on here, but it just goes to show that if you put a little bit of effort in you’ll always come up with something more interesting than when you don’t.

‘Act Like You Know’ by Rayko (Fat Larry’s Band)

Deep bass starts off this remix of a Fat Larry’s Band song. Really respectful remix in the sense that it keeps it smooth and it gives the vocals a lot of room to shine and be heard. The song has a really lovely bass going on that keeps it dancey, and you got to love the old school horns that come and go. Not to mention that lovely little guitar solo it has in the first part of the second half, that is stuff I don’t hear too often anymore these days. If you like your classic disco, this remix is one you might like listening to indeed. That is, if you can forgive the appalling fade out at the end that at least this SoundCloud version has.

Idjut Boys - One For Kenny

By Stef Siepel

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week: ‘One For Kenny’ by Idjut Boys (Extended Version)

‘One For Kenny’ has this sexy, lets-get-it-on quality to it that I really like. Underground in the club, let’s get down. There aren’t a lot of light sounds being used in the first half of this, which makes sure the song situates itself firmly in the seedy clubs downtown from the get go. Around halfway the synths come out though, and finally this lighter sound comes through to contrast the underground vibe, and it does get a bit more party with that, it gives it a bit more of a pace. So you’ve got two parts, which for a track of more than six minutes isn’t that bad of an idea anyway. And the second part still is club material as well, so don’t worry about that. Lovely track with loads of atmosphere.

‘Dancing Hard’ by Tom Noble

If you like your old school disco sounds, do check this release by Tom Noble. Its got these lovely disco-y and funky vibes that are so nice to listen to and so easy on the ear. Little guitar thrown in there to make it all good, and this one keeps rolling on, also thanks to the bass that’s got this track’s back covered. After the break in this SoundCloud stream the Al Kent remix of this gets going, which throws in a few handclaps and bongos to help the bass out a bit. Both lovely and old school, with the latter a little bit more immediate and a little bit easier for the dance floor.

‘Le Goudron’ by YACHT

Yacht, whom I interviewed for this very site last year regarding their most recent album release Shangri-La, are gearing up for a European tour and do so by covering this 1969 song by Brigitte Fontaine with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Naturally, as with everything Yacht, they make it quirky and dancefloor ready. And, in this case, French. This cover sure shows Yacht’s spunky side, and they throw some spacey sounds in at the end to really make it something out there. It is a fun track, and I can see the dancefloor reacting to this if they choose to play it live in their upcoming gigs. So if you don’t have tickets yet and you like this, be sure to get some for they might just be coming to a venue near you.

‘The Music’ by Small Pyramids

The song starts with a straightforward beat, but when the first synth sounds come in the thing gets interesting. It has a nice build up which seems to accelerate slowly but surely, also aided by the fact they constantly are adding new sounds to it so it keeps progressing. The vocals aren’t so much vocals as they are exclamations for the party people to raise their hands to, but they do give it a nice dancey atmosphere. Definitely something people can dance to, though I admit it might perhaps be a tad too fast. I like the heey-eeey-eeyy vocals around 3:30 and onwards, which are nice and deep and give the whole thing a nice house vibe. It takes them until the end of the song to use those vocals though, and I’m thinking, if you got them, flaunt them. Nevertheless, nice song by Small Pyramids.

‘Best Friend’ by Dent May (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)

Shake that booty – I think if the start of this track asks you to do one thing, it surely must be that. It’s got that Mojito commercial vibe going on. But soon enough you get some disco and space sounds going on as well, which is vintage Prins Thomas I reckon. Nearing the end of the third minute you get really light sounds to accompany the beat, which gives this one a real lets-dance-on-the-beach idea (with some sort of cocktail in one hand I reckon). It takes four and a half minute for the vocals to come through, and I must say I’m slightly disappointed because I had for some reason expected those grande disco vocals to appear and sing their hearts out like there was no tomorrow, but instead it are those indie synth band vocals like that of Phoenix and Friendly Fires. Not that they’re bad, and they’re put to good use and the beat keeps you dancing, but it does lack a bit of oomph that would’ve accompanied that main sound well I think (plus, lyrics, tad corny). Still not a bad track, and as a DJ with something like this playing ten minutes you can get out and quickly get a coke or something.

‘Man Machine’ by Gepy & Gepy (Bottin remix)

Lets get the boogie going with this Bottin remix of a Gepy & Gepy song. There’s a lovely sound to these vocals, you’ve got the funk going in the background to get dancing to, and you’ve got the horns to help the vocals out a bit when they’re resting. Love those old school background vocals, I can just imagine three girls behind their mic doing their little dance and their little flaunty act. I just love that. The song keeps up the pace and keeps up the rhythm, and its just a lovely edit by Bottin that doesn’t take the foot off the pedal.

Baio - Sunburn EP

By Stef Siepel

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week: ‘Tanto’ by Baio feat. Matias Aguayo

Matias Aguayo had some people jumping up, down and around with his album last year, and this has him featuring him in a Baio track. It starts with this deeper-than-average beat, but I think the main thing is the kind of exotic sound it has to it. I can’t quite place it, but it is not influenced by European or American sounds me thinks. It does make for an engaging listen, especially with the deep/light contrast it has going in its main sound. Love the peaceful drop back just before the four minute mark, and then with finger snapping and vocal lines it slowly starts to grow back again to its full sound. First Baio introduces a bass to help the two earlier elements out, and after a good minute or so we get back to drums and dancing. If you like to dance to exotic sounds, this is one for you. Nicely executed, smooth ride, sounds you don’t hear too often, and it meshes really well together.

‘Broken Glass’ by Tomas Barfod

Tomas Barford is the drummer of the band WhoMadeWho, a band that really took it to another level with their album Brighter as far as I’m concerned. Apparently, Barford doesn’t only want to make that kind of music, because this is something else all together. Its got this really theatrical vibe to it with the fragile vocals at the start. I like that, it adds a sense of mystery, a sense of narrative to it. The voice also fits really well with the overall sound of the song, which is a bit experimental I guess you could say. I do feel, however, that at some points during the song it gets just a tad muddled with sounds seemingly colliding a bit. Only occassionally though, but it just attracted my attention because it is actually kind of a sparse and minimal track. Will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I can see someone doing a modern dance to this. Its a free SoundCloud download by the way, so what do you’ve got to lose?

‘Keep it Low’ by The Hundred in the Hands

The Hundred in the Hands are gearing up to release their new album, and they’re intent to have it be something different than their first go around. This kind of is a mixture of a more experimental, theatrical sound and that dreamy disco alternative. Something like we’ve seen from the West Coast a bit with a band like We Are The World mixed with what I connote to more of a East Coast sound in that dreamy discoey The Golden Filter type music. Throw in a slight accessibility that perhaps the former especially lacks, and you’ve got an intriguing mix that does make me curious about how that album in May is going to sound. They’ll also be touring in Europe around then, so if they happen to come to a venue near you, I seriously doubt you’ll have to break the bank for the tickets.

‘Caramellas’ by Aeroplane (Joakim remix)

Joakim has been on a roll lately with not only his superb album that he released last year, not only the clip of ‘Nothing Gold’ which has just hit the airwaves, but also with a string of stellar remixes. Top among them is his one for Charlotte Gainsbourg. This is a remix for whatever is left of Aeroplane. From the minute mark on it gets the beat going and it has a good pace to it. Joakim is not known for his easy banger qualities though, so soon enough he dials it down a bit and starts a nice, long build-up with keys continuously upping in volume. Slowly other elements are introduced again, and at 2:45 he strips away the keys and we’ve got a slight garagey beat and, for the first time, vocals. The keys soon return though, and they do give the track this grandiose feel a bit. Where after the first build-up it kind of lacked a big return, here the pay-off is there, and it’s nice he doesn’t let the second opportunity pass by. It is a nice track, has got good pace, has a nice beat, and it has some nice elements that also make it enjoyable to listen to off of the dancefloor because there’s enough going on and enough variety. It’s not his best of the year though, but he is still hitting on par I reckon.

‘Night and Day’ by Hot Chip (Radio Edit)

New Hot Chip again, so that should be catchy, no? And it is, actually. I’m not a big fan when they go ballad-y, because quite frankly I don’t think they’ve got what it takes as far as really pulling heart strings. However, they sure know how to do catchy and synthy. Light dancefloor fair for everyone to put a happy face on. By this time, you know what Hot Chip has for a sound and whether you like it or not. I think my verdict is that I like them when they just go catchy and its just a bit of fun, and this fits nicely in that category.

‘Hold it Down’ by Moodymann

It starts with this old school jazzy sound that just sounds like Cary Grant drinking coffee down around the Riviera or something. But after a while Moodymann gets the little house-y minimalist beat going to go with the newly introduced vocals. It doesn’t last the rest of the song though, with Moodymann (aka Kenny Dixon Jr.) returning to the original sounds on occassion. It is quite the track though, this is. It’s got this fabulous mix of that jazzy sound combined with this Detroit club sound, and somehow he weaves all that into this track that just grabs your attention because it is just so different and so musical. Finally a track with a beat you can listen to at marvel at from behind a desk.

House Of Wallenberg ft Ari Up - 'Sunshine Taboo'

By Stef Siepel

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week: ‘Sunshine Taboo’ by House of Wallenberg feat. Ari Up

Released on Permanent Vacation, and it sure wastes no time getting some of the typical Permanent Vacation qualities out there, which basically can be summed up by deep-and-nice.  A deep house beat is the heart of that label (I imagine their heart beating in quite a similar manner, actually), and from that starting point different artists do different things. This song has a bit of an African vibe to it, an African rhythm in especially the vocals. Bit of experimentation in how they use the vocals as well, with the beat as a constant. It’s something you won’t hear every day probably, and the use of the vocals and the overlap and stuff, it makes it all a track that really sticks out from the bunch. Whether it makes it everyone’s cup of tea is a different question all together, but I really do love it.

‘Nothing Gold’ by Joakim (Todd Terje remix)

Oh, how I adored that Joakim album last year, that was top drawer stuff. Todd Terje does put his own spin on it though (otherwise, what is the point of having a remix?), and you immediately notice the Terje vibe with that bass at the start, making the track a bit danceable, which the original for all its qualities wasn’t. Terje doesn’t make it an all out affair though, as he stays slightly in keeping with the dreamy, distanced vibe of Joakim. Nevertheless, he does pick it up a notch, especially after the two and a half minute mark. Though by now all kind of other glittery sounds have been introduced, it’s still the bass that moves it forward, and the rest just provides a bit of that Terje disco sensibility. It’s a lovely, easy-on-the-ear, mid-tempo disco affair, which by the time it hits the five minute mark sounds so natural and smooth that you can’t help but move your head from side to side a bit whilst listening.

‘Let It Go’ by Soul Clap (Miguel Campbell Club remix)

Soul Clap is releasing an album this year called EFUNK, and this is a track off of that. No, correction, it is a Miguel Campbell remix of a track off of that album. I love that synth sound at the start, and after about thirty seconds in it gets a bit of help from the beat, and after another thirty seconds the vocals come in. I love that build up. Both the synth and the vocals give of a soft, more gentle vibe, but the beat juxtaposes that by being a bit deeper, just to make sure that people can also do a bit of dancing to it (though it’s not really a dancefloor killer, mind you). But for a slower paced section of anyone’s set, I think that the vocals and synth might win a few people over while they are having a bit of a dance to it. Not going to set the world alight probably, but a nice, smooth track it certainly is.

‘Boiling’ by Disclosure feat. Sinead Harnett

Wow, I love how these vocals are just there right from the get go. Right away, these amazing female vocals grab your attention. Too bad it is with a line as “I think something is boiling in me”. The word “boiling” just lacks any sort of linguistic beauty whatsoever. I can understand that pretty words are probably also the ones that are used most often (duh), but we don’t have to resort to words like “boiling” right away now, do we? I like how with the beat and the clubby sounds Disclosure make it dancefloor ready, and how they use the vocals to sometimes introduce the next phase, which is a construction that gets a bit of momentum going. They do that quite cleverly I must say. Perhaps he’s a speech writer away from a really good song. No doubt it’s a nice surprise though, me having never heard of both parties involved to be honest.

‘Looking At You’ by Zimmer (Moullinex remix)

So, last week I said Oh Zimmer, never heard of them, and now I’m already on my second track by theirs. Lovely pace it’s got when the real song kicks in after about half a minute or so. Not solely Zimmer’s doing, with Moullinex on remix duties here, throwing some nice piano in there at about 1:30 to keep it fresh. Then the almost full stop with only the synths, after which naturally he makes sure to get it going again. Really something you can use for the dancefloor. I love how the lighter sounds are mixed in, that really keeps it just so crisp (like I’m talking a salad here, but it really keeps it crisp and fresh, honest). Then the slow down, build-up, and around the four minute mark you get the pay-off with the increased beat and the dubbe-da-do-waa vocal line running through it. I love a good pay-off, but for some reason it just feels that in this case, Moullinex just increased the volume of the beat, making it a bit of a cop out I think. Like the piano in between though.

‘Imagine Me and You’ by Late Nite Tuff Guy

Late Nite Tuff Guy gets going again with an old song, this time it’s The Turtles’ famous song ‘Happy Together’, dubbed ‘Imagine Me and You’ for this remix. I just love the way LNTG reworks these old classic tunes, even if they are as well known as this one. Really long build-up with a deep sound to keep it rolling, the ‘Imagine me and you’ line repeated without going to the chorus fully, and that guitar line that just keeps on going is a stroke of genius. Even when he finishes the line ‘Imagine me and you’, he doesn’t really go to the chorus like I imagined, but he gets to one of the verses first and repeats that several times. I love the patience in LNTG tracks, and he really uses that anticipation, knowing the crowd will know the original, and then he just slowly, slowly gets them to what they are anticipating to come. The problem being here, is that the chorus is just soooo inferior to the rest of it all, so when it finally comes, you’re like, Oh yeah, quite a corny song that, I forgot. The rest of the song is amazing though, something I can see people using as a closer to their set.

Elite Gymnastics

By Stef Siepel

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the Week: ‘Here, in Heaven 4& 5’ by Elite Gymnastics (CFCF remix)

Oh wow, I love how serene it starts, with the piano and the seeming echo and everything slowly intertwining. Immediately I’m just seeing images in front of me, it is very visual this. I can imagine choreographers getting such inspiration out of such a piece. Slowly he introduces a slight beat to give it a bit of body, and slowly these fragile vocals come in which aren’t really there for storytelling purposes but more to further cement the song’s aesthetic. The storytelling is really done by the music and your own imagination. There’s just a stop-animation picture playing in my head on first listen, and that is just marvellous, rarely do I have such a visual reaction to a song. CFCF truly is remarkable. Since the start of this column I’ve been giving props to his output, and to see him continuing to grow is amazing. Well done again.

‘Cruisin’’ by Zimmer (Lou Teti remix)

Lou Teti definitely rings a bell, Zimmer much less, but so many names around these days who can keep track? I love how you’ve got the lighter sounds in the back seemingly ready to explode, and the slightly heavier/deeper sounds in front real mellow and real laidback. That, as it turns out, is much more the feel of this track than that of the lighter sounds, because it has this lazy beat going on, bit dreamy, some African vibe vocals going on, a slow guitar, and together that makes for a very almost slow jazzy vibe. With the guitars and horns/synths-made-to-sound-kinda-like-horns and all. At the halfway mark you’ve got a strip down and those lighter sounds get some playing time again, but you already know it won’t explode or anything, but it will just work its way back to the laidback vibe of earlier (though I would’ve loved it if they would’ve returned to it but just made it slightly swingier and a bit dancier). All in all, a nice song to listen to, especially on a Sunday morning with a cup of coffee I reckon.

‘It Feels Good To Be Around You’ by Air France (Memory Tapes remix)

I love (love!) that dreamy sound of Memory Tapes. It never fails to somehow capture my imagination. I interviewed him off of the back of his debut album (which is marvellous), and unfortunately I haven’t seen him play live again since. But he keeps busy no doubt, and this Air France remix is just another one he manages to turn into this dreamy landscape for you to wander in throughout the duration of the song. It has got a little beat going on there, which is not standard in Memory Tapes’s oeuvre, but he’s got such a good ear and knows not to overpower the rest of the song with it. It’s, like most of his stuff, just such a joy to listen to. Easy on the ear, soft sounds, little bit of bass thrown in there: this is just lovely stuff.

‘Lonely Land’ by F3 (John Talabot Midnight Club Revision)

John Talabot is really taking advantage of being in the spotlight after that amazing album he turned out this year. This again, it is in terms of sound in the same ballpark as his album despite being a remix. But that’s a good thing I think, otherwise why bother asking an artist to put his spin on it? I just love the start, the way it has this beat that just keeps the song going and already puts you in hypnotic mode. I guess you can use it on the dancefloor despite it not being a very dancefloor track, but I think in the more minimal sets this might actually work because it just keeps on giving. I love the continuation at around 2:30, where Talabot starts using some vocal sounds in the background whilst keeping the beat going. Then the addition of the synth, and he just keeps on bringing the good stuff. Small tweaks make sure the song doesn’t outstay its welcome, and the track actually becomes increasingly more danceable (in minimal, that is). Love the horns at four minutes. Fabulous remix by Talabot, who keeps his momentum going with this one.

‘Psycho for Your Love’ by Midnight Magic

I’m still eagerly awaiting both their debut as well as their European tour (come on already!), as they have been releasing some killer singles (with some amazing remixes to boot). This is their latest, and it starts a bit slower than some of the others they’ve put out. But soon the distinct disco synth sounds start shining through, and after a minute or so Tiffany Roth comes in, doing a seductive little number on this one. She’s shown she can belt it out, but she hasn’t shown this side yet, and it’s good to hear she can mix it up a little. The track is just vintage disco in that regards: a female agent of sexual desire. That’s what disco was all about in the Seventies, wasn’t it? This second wave of feminism where women went, Hold on, we’re not always the victim of male sexual desire, some times we actually want it too. So sexual yearning, sexual desire, and an active female agent inviting or even seeking out male companionship (no wonder the gays jumped on this genre as well, eh?), those are key elements of disco, and here Midnight Magic do it in a slightly slower take. It’s for the time at night when people have already found each other and are ready to get it on. Good to see this kind of variety of them, makes me more confident in that the album isn’t going to be a one trick affair.

‘Let U Go’ by NSFW

Yessir, finally something from my home country The Netherlands again! NSFW is getting it on with this original cut that would get me going on the dancefloor in a hurry. It’s got this deep house vibe to start, but NSFW isn’t afraid to drop the beat for a moment and throw some vocals in or to get a build-up going on to re-introduce the beat again. The deeper beat gets juxtaposed with lighter sounds to not make it all too heavy, and it makes it a deep beat cut with some disco sensibilities thrown in there. He knows when to get away from the beat as the main thing and he knows when to return to it again to get the dancefloor dancing again. So he doesn’t take the easy way by just having a beat in there and ride it out, which is always the right decision in my book. In the mean time he keeps it rolling, it is easy on the ear, perfectly suitable for the dancefloor, and it is nice to give out some kudos to a fellow Dutchman. And I really don’t think I’m a homer when I’m giving big love to this one.

Charlotte Gainsbourg - Anna

By Stef Siepel

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week: ‘Anna’ by Charlotte Gainsbourg (Moonlight Matters remix)

A few weeks ago I was raving about a Joakim remix of a Charlotte Gainsbourg track in this column, so lets see if Moonlight Matters finds the same golden formula with this one. Moonlight Matters make it a dancey, more straight forward synth-pop affair. It’s got a catchy tune, a little beat to help you on your way, and naturally sometimes that’s put on hold for a bit of Gainsbourg’s vocals. I love how they strip it down for her vocals, and then while she sings they start building and building again until you have this kind of summery pop thing going on that I see happening at some sort of beach festival of some sorts. All the while giving Gainsbourg’s voice enough room to work with, so she’s never fighting against the music or anything. So Gainsbourg is quite an inspiring woman I reckon. It might not have the greatness of the Joakim remix, but it sure is a very lovely summery pop tune.

‘Show Your Moves’ by Avanti (Sare Havlicek remix)

If you like disco a bit, do check out that Sare Havlicek album, pretty good stuff that with some very discoey cuts. So if Havlicek is on remix duties, you can expect at least a bit of disco sensibility, though I feel it is not as there as on the album. It is very danceable though, very catchy, something you can do a little dance to. There are no vocals (bar some vocal lines that might or might not simmer underneath the surface at certain points), and especially at the three minute mark I’m not sure why those “sounds underneath the surface” are not just blasting out. It would add some variety to it, some extra oomph. But this’ll do. It is a nice track for a bit of dancing, though I don’t think it’ll be the main dish of anyone’s set to be honest. With such a title, you would expect something more out there.

‘Amulet’ by Pharao Black Magic

Quite some good people on remix duty for Pharao Black Magic, so that either means the track is very good or it needs some help. Starts out with some vocals, but underneath you already hear the music waiting to burst out of the gates. No, check that, nothing is bursting out of anything, because actually, it is a pretty subdued track. The single is out on Is It Balearic?, and yeah, I guess it is. This hypnotizing, kind of lush sound you can dance in slow motion to (mind you, not all balearic is like that). For me it is a bit too laid back. Not necessarily, but it is for this running time, as it runs for over seven minutes. There are some change ups there, but none that makes me close my eyes and think Ah, yes, this I want to be listening to in the sunshine. I see this more as something that, when I’m working with my laptop in the sunshine somewhere, and this comes through my headset, I’m perfectly satisfied with that. The problem obviously being that I’ve never heard of a musician whose goal it is to accomplish that.

‘Stardust’ by Cosmonauts

Pretty clubby start from the Cosmonauts (who, I guess, are not from Russia at all, nor have they actually been into space). It’s this synth sound that is pretty harsh, but after around 1:20 those harder sounds are mixed with more synth-poppy synth sounds. The same strange mixture you have with the vocals. There are female vocals there that are more aligned with the synth-pop side of the spectrum, but the male vocals that sometimes pop up are more club again. These two things are constantly being mixed, which I find a bit confusing as I’m not sure what to do with this track. I love that bit at 3:30, that is a bit softer, and with the background female vocals coming in. But it kind of is nor this nor that, and I think flailing between both sides has a negative effect on this track.

‘Crown Princess’ by Jeremy Greenspan

Greenspan is he from Junior Boys, and you’d better sit tight for this one, because it’s going to be a near ten minute adventure. Greenspan sure gets the build-up going, really makes you shiver with anticipation. So it takes about a minute and twenty seconds before basically the beat drops, this while the original sound keeps on going. Then he slowly takes away some of the volume of the original sound, strips it down a bit, and in SoundCloud you already can see when the next phase is going to start. That next phase gets the bass sound rolling, and so you have different phases where different sounds come and go and are altered. I think this is way better if you’ve got it full blast on your headphones late at night, I think that really gets you going, that should be a hypnotizing affair. In broad daylight through speakers behind a laptop, it just isn’t as mesmerizing as you hope a ten minute track to be. I kind of think this is one you can really get grabbed by at the right moment in the right atmosphere, though the way I’m listening to it now, I like the change-ups and stuff, but then ten minutes is a bit long really.

‘Faded’ by The Hundred in the Hands

The Hundred in the Hands came onto the scene with some nice singles and some good remixes off of those singles, but the album as a whole hasn’t really had a lasting impact I don’t think. This sees them going in a slightly different direction, ditching the more danceable aspect of their previous songs, and going for something a bit more atmospheric and mysterious. I think the biggest thing is the way the vocals are used. They did a bit of tweaking on them, and it sounds very dreamy, its giving me a bit of an Asian feel, especially in combination with some of the sounds that they’re using. It is really much more atmospheric than their previous efforts, something quite different, and I’m looking forward to seeing how that turns out on a whole album. This has me intrigued to be sure, though the caveat being so did some of the singles of the first album, so we’ll just wait and see. But together with those previous singles, they sure show they understand music a bit, which is always encouraging.

Madonna - MDNA

Now Playing – twice every week, a roundtable of our writers will give their views on some of the recently-released new tracks. It’s as simple as that! If you want to tell us what you think of the song, feel free to leave a comment below.

Track: ‘B-Day Song’ by Madonna featuring M.I.A.

Average grade: 1.5

Thomas: ’Birthday Song’ – no, ‘B-Day Song’ – is the sound of money.  You can hear it as MIA grimaces along in the background, mentally counting the pay check.  You can hear it in the hired chorus of embarassed birthday whoops across the fade-out. And you can hear it in every second of this charmless song made with minimal content and effort. 1/10

Kenneth: Truly. Awful. Is she going for the playgroup audience now? If this was a bloke of her age the P word would be getting used. M.I.A.’s never floated my boat but she needs this collaboration like a hole in the head. 0/10 (or even -10/10 if that’s possible).

Richard: Madonna seems to have gone back in a time machine, sounding girlier, younger; this is perhaps one last attempt to retain her youth. No longer can she suck the life from young latin dancers with biblical names.

After Lady Gaga successfully stole and then repackaging pretty much her whole act, Madonna has tried to reinvent history, by bringing back her own unique brand of dated happy-go-lucky bubble gum pop on ‘B-day Song’ not seen since her songs featured on the soundtrack to the wonderfully underrated film Vision Quest.

Sadly, the downfall of Madonna as a relevant recording artist set in when she worked with Timbaland and The Neptunes about five years too late on Hard Candy. This track is a menopausal disaster, the sound of a woman in decline. 2/10

Stef: My guess is, if this wasn’t Madonna and M.I.A., we wouldn’t be talking about this. And judging by the (few) comments above me, even with those two names attached it was kind of a stretch. 3/10

Marcos Cabral

By Stef Siepel

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week: ‘Sweet & Sour’ by Marcos Cabral (Jeremy Glenn remix)

Marcos Cabral is one half of Runaway, and if you know the track ‘Brooklyn Club Jam’, you kind of know what you’re getting at the start of this. It’s a really deep, bit of a tribal beat. Something that, when at a club, just guides you on how to dance. I guess it is one of those beats you would, literally, feel. And then those vocals at 1:30, my goodness, LOVE them. Big love for them. And in the mean time that deep, tribal beat keeps playing. Though the title of this track might sound like something you order at a restaurant (seriously, not sure what they were thinking), this is better served in a club playing at a time when you want people to get sweaty and you want them to get it on. I’m not familiar with the original, so not sure which part Jeremy Glenn is responsible for (are it his vocals? I remember a track of his that, in terms of voice, is similar, though the track itself was a different genre completely), but this is a remix that I, for one, wouldn’t be afraid to play in a club. I love tracks in which a nice, good beat is combined with strong, emotional vocals (see Storm Queen for more of that).

‘When I See You Again’ by Canyons (Nick Zinner remix)

Canyons are just coming off releasing a hit and miss album (in my eyes, hopefully some people loved it more than I did), but some of those tracks were ace beyond belief (I’m looking at you ‘My Rescue’). This is a very nice Nick Zinner remix, absolutely fitting for the weather I’m listening to this in. Sunny, staring out over the river, excellent. It’s got the raspy vocals, a certain rhythm to it, but it also has a bit of acoustic guitar and a laidback feel going on. If you were expecting a wall of guitar because it is from he of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs you are in for a surprise, as it is not even close to being that. There are several things happening all at once, but somehow Nick Zinner prevents it from feeling cluttered, which is definitely a good thing. Instead, it actually feels quite relaxing, despite being pretty complex with all the numerous layers. Nice song, nice remix, and with five minutes it’s sure not to outstay its welcome.

‘Cochon Ville’ by Sebastien Tellier (The Magician remix)

Of the two, I’m definitely more in the The Magician camp than the Aeroplane one. This remix has this nice deep disco bass going on which might get you moving. Then the vocals come in, and I like the rhythm of the vocals, very enticing. It has a bit of a space disco vibe to it I find, with the synthesizers sounding the way they do. I like the vocals on this one, mostly because they just really fit the sound The Magician is going for, and I like the rhythm of it more than anything else. Love that around 2:15 you have a bit of vocals and then a strip down back to that deep bass sound, which might just get your shoulders shaking and baking. I you like that spacey vibe a bit in your disco set, then this is definitely one to put on your preliminary playlist (though I’ve got no idea on the BPM, but you can figure that one out yourself). But if it fits, one to keep in mind.

‘Mind Body’ by LE1F

Not that I’m into rap or hip-hop, mind you, but I read an article last week on Pitchfork about NY Queer Rap, which was quite a good read, so I just wanted to give a shout out to that one by highlighting a new track of one of the artists that were featured in that article. Its sound is a deep one, so don’t expect it to be light happy and gay this one. Dark stuff, very trippy, and loads of glitchy electronics going on to support a deep voice singing about mind body, whatever that is. Can’t quite make out any of the other lyrics, I’m afraid. As said, not my schtick, so don’t take too much stock in what I have to say on it. Do check out the article though, gotta share what’s interesting no?

‘Stand Up’ by Pitchben (Runaway remix)

Runaway is disco fabs Marcos Cabral and Jacques Renault, and though under that guise they also love to go a bit deeper occassionally, this is on the lighter side of the equation. It actually feels a bit Tiger & Woodsy when that main sound comes in around the fifty second mark with the short sample repetition. But when the vocals come in, you immediately get the disco vibe again. Its got this kind of soft sensibility that I like, and naturally Runaway makes sure you can keep dancing to it. As said, the essence of the track is short bits that are continuously being repeated, and on top of that you’ve got the layer of vocals doing their thing. And sometimes they put an actual beat right at the forefront, which is good, because when your track is eight minutes, you can’t expect all the dancers to keep dancing on the same kind of thing, now can ya? And a beat to give the dance crowd something recognizable is always a smart move in that case. Just to be a bit more specific, don’t expect a total disco vibe from this one, it’s a bit more electro I think. Bit Tiger & Woodsy, as said, but then with a slightly lighter and less clubby vibe. More beach party I’m getting from this.

‘Will Be Now’ by John Talabot & Pional (Young Edits Club mix)

John Talabot hit the freaking jackpot with that album of his, which is absolutely superb and which I expect to feature high on at least my end of year list. This mix, though, might not. Young Edits want to try and put it in the club (the more people who hear Talabot’s tracks the better, I reckon), but for that they need to speed it up, and especially at the start that just sounds awful and, if you have heard the original, kind of unnatural. After a while, when the track has settled down a bit (and I guess when my ears got used to it a tad) it is serviceable, though I find the sounds too sharp for this kind of work. The thing about the Talabot album is its nuance, its aesthetic, its subtleness, and to make it club ready they sharpened the edges and that is not quite as pleasant a sound I’m afraid. Do listen to that album though, genius.

Thieves Like Us - Bleed Bleed Bleed

By Stef Siepel

That first song and title track, no wonder it gets a reprise a bit later on, it just perfectly embodies the aesthetic that is so characteristic of Bleed Bleed Bleed. It’s got this lazy beat, this kind of melancholic and detached feel, but it still manages to pack enough emotional punch so that it does not become a clinical exercise of some sorts. Thieves Like Us embedded this atmosphere into the whole of the album, making it a cohesive whole that you can easily put on for its entire length without craving for “the more poppy singles” or whatever one’s fancy is. It’s an entity, and even though I reckon not everyone likes these kinds of midnight city albums, if you like that aesthetic, you’re in for a treat with this one.

If an LP has two sides, and on both sides you’ve got five songs, then both parts start with the same song, namely ‘Bleed Bleed Bleed’. I love that decision. It’s got that 3 AM shoegaze shuffle going on with a lazy beat, and both the female and male vocals just fit the song. They’re not the best voices out there, but these rather whispery vocals fit the aesthetic they are going for. Musically it is just very well orchestrated, with the different sounds and instruments, but it is especially impressive how it slides from one part into the other so smoothly. They really have an ear for how to go from point A to point B whilst protecting the essence of the song they’ve created and while keeping it within the aesthetic of the album as well. So what you get are ten songs very much attuned to each other, and every song is a cohesive unit in itself as well.

Second track ‘Stay Blue’ has a bit of a lighter sound to it, even though the lyrics will not be featured in any summer radio hit probably. ‘Still Life’ puts the vocals more upfront, and they do a good job of helping dictate the pace of the song at the start. ‘Fatima’, meanwhile, despite only being three minutes long, has a very patient build-up. And so every song is definitely different, none sound the same, though they all are in keeping with the feel of the album. It also isn’t just one instrument that clearly jumps out, or one typical sound: it really is the atmosphere that binds them all together. ‘Memory Song’ even has something I would consider like a Western type guitar thingy going on there.

This album reminded me of one of my favorite albums of last year (obvious plug coming in 3…2…1..) by Joakim. It has got that same sort of atmosphere in the sound, in the same ballpark lyrically I would say as well, and like the Joakim album I find it best suited for a midnight walk in the city (or whatever you used the Joakim album for). No, it isn’t for everyone. It does not have obvious hooks, no belting vocals, nor is it summery poppy friendly or nice. If you like this kind of aesthetic though, you’re in for a treat, as it is so very well executed. They know what they are good at and just run that play to perfection. I’m especially impressed with how the album actually feels like an album, and how the songs individually are structured. I would say the best album from this band yet, and if you enjoy this kind of sound, it will likely stick in your rotation for quite some time I reckon.