The Weekly Froth! With Crazy P, Panama and Chris Malinchak

Crazy P - 'Changes' (Mario Basanov 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: ‘Changes’ by Crazy P (Mario Basanov remix)

I like the start with the heavy bass and what I think are strings actually. Really puts the mood in place. After that the beat comes in to make sure it is going to work on the dancefloor as well. I don’t know Crazy P, but I like the vocals, and they go with that softer mood from the start. Not that the vocals are fragile mind you, they have enough spunk in them. Love what happens around the two minute mark, that really makes it friendly for the dancefloor as well. The song keeps on rolling, very smooth, and when there is a change-up it really is kind of undercover, but it sure will get the dancers in motion. I would fall for it anyway. The slow down at 4:20 is nice, though I would’ve doubled the vocal repetition, but I’m a sucker for vocals so yeah. One can argue that the build-up after the 4:30 mark is a tad timid, but who cares, Basanov really delivers a stellar and lovely remix, even if the end isn’t all aces and strikes. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth! With Whomadewho, Nite Jewel and Chromatics

Whomadewho - Brighter

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: ‘Below the Cherry Moon’ by WhoMadeWho

WhoMadeWho will be releasing a new album this year, and I’ll be seeing them live in a few weeks and they’re magnificent while gigging, but sometimes the recorded output doesn’t quite match up to that. The previous single was ace though, and this again is tremendous. These vocals, goodness I love those, and musically they start out with this sad synth, and slowly the drums get in there to start propelling the song forward and to give it some pace. It never really becomes a fast paced track, but it is pacey enough to have people doing a little melancholic dance on the dancefloor. Both the music and the vocals really create an atmosphere, and those are aided by the lyrics, which do suggest some sort of dissatisfaction. Just a very good song, and as said, those vocals, I love those, such a weakness I have for them. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth! With Charlotte Gainsbourg, Frankie Rose and Storm Queen

Charlotte Gainsbourg - Paradisco

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: ‘Paradisco’ by Charlotte Gainsbourg (Joakim remix)

I loved (LOVED) that Joakim album last year – a proud addition to my vinyl collection, really like the aesthetic he works with. I seem to remember I actually liked Charlotte Gainsbourg’s ‘Paradisco’, and I know for sure that I, prior to listening, wasn’t at all certain how a Joakim version of this song would sound. But it sounds brilliant, actually, to be fair. Joakim put a needle and just injected this song with atmosphere whilst keeping a beat in there. I get the real urge to disconnectedly vogue on this. Eyes staring blankly into space whilst striking a pose, a pose, a pose, and another one. This is one of those things where I went Huh, really? when I saw it on paper and which just makes sense when listening to it. Awesomeness by Joakim, turning this Gainsbourg song into something completely different, putting it in its own aesthetic, and making it work. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth! With Alaska In Winter, Teen Daze and CFCF

Alaska In Winter

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: ‘The Coldest Day in the World’ by Alaska in Winter

I loved the album Holiday by Alaska in Winter, really enjoyed that one. This continues in kind of a similar vein. It’s music heavily based on projecting a certain vibe and feel. It kind of has this alienated feel to it whilst still being able to get across an emotional state, and I always love music that does that. Perhaps it is kind of a city thing, I don’t know, I always associate this kind of stuff with walking around at midnight in a city with all the lights on and the streets slightly more empty. It starts with piano and someone singing “It’s the coldest day in the world” from faaaar faaar away it seems. Slowly it comes a bit more to the fore as some drums kick in as well, and it just builds up and builds up to get across that distanced emotion. I feel that the Holiday album was a bit more electronic, while this song seems to hinge a bit less on beats and more on instruments (which might as well come from a box for all I know, but still). Really good song, and love that he kicks up the pace about halfway through for a moment. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth! With Jan Ken Po, Eli Escobar and New Build

Jan Ken Po - Unlimited Man

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.

‘Colour Wheel’ by Jan Ken Po (Max Essa)

No he didn’t! Max Essa just released an album as Jan Ken Po, putting the bass lines at the center of attention and providing an album that keeps on rolling and rolling on. This is the album closer, and it is simply spectacular. It has a major bass line – like all the other songs on the album – that really keeps the song going, and this is mixed with sounds I connote to genre films. Some clever use of guitar and piano to give it a good vibe and to add some variety to the song (which you also get via that strip away of the bass at around 2:30, after which you get a build-up with the natural conclusion of the return of the bassline at around 3:30). In the mean time, all those extra sounds never conflict with the main sound, and thats ace. Such continuity, such flow: first surprise album of the year in what will hopefully be an ace 2012. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth! With John Talabot, The Rapture and Roxy Music

John Talabot - Fin

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: ‘So Will Be Now…’ by John Talabot feat. Pional

Love the start with those vocals, and love how quickly he adds to it with the fingersnapping and a beat. Really gets it all going (and gets me going at that). This track is off of John Talabot’s new album, and he gets a bit of help here from Pional. Really like those echoey sounds that are thrown in there, and the kind of deeper beat that comes in after a minute or so. It all fits so well together, and it just keeps on rolling. After two+ minutes he dials it down for a moment, with the fingersnapping being one of the few sounds audible next to the vocals. That’s ace. After three minutes it delves in a bit deeper, and quickly the beat returns again. Nearing the end it gets some different sounds going eliciting different moods. Seriously, if this wasn’t on my to-watch-list before, it sure is now. Just an amazing track that keeps on giving and giving. All the sounds work really well together, and I love that voice and how it meshes so well with the rest of the song. February 2012, watch out for this album. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth! With Whomadewho, Matthew Dear and Nite Jewel

Whomadewho - Inside World

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. After this will be a slight Holiday break, but don’t worry, come January we’ll be back with this one in a hurry. Happy holidays everybody and have a little fun, do a little dance, and get down tonight.

Track of the week: ‘Inside World’ by WhoMadeWho

WhoMadeWho are going to follow up Knee Deep with a new album next year, and if this is any indication it is going to be awesome. First the rougher sounds, the volume up, and then born out of that this great rhythm comes along with those fabulous vocals. I really love their vocals, I’ve always believed that one of the band’s strengths, and they do have an ear for finding that catchy rhythm and going with it. It is a short one at 3:37, and it fluently rolls right on through to the end. I think this is an amazing track by the lads, who are positively genius in a live setting. Recorded, I find them to be hit and miss a bit, but when they hit, they hit it out of the park, and this to me is a good example of that. So can’t wait for that new album, if only because that means they’ll be doing the rounds again and you can’t miss that opportunity. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth! With We Have Band, Ben Browning and Azari & III

We Have Band - Where Are Your People?

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: ‘Where are Your People?’ by We Have Band

We Have Band are really setting up their run for their sophomore album. They already released a track earlier this year, which I was kind of lukewarm about I guess, and this is their second try to wow their fans and to expand their base. Love the vocals by Darren, that’s really cool. It kind of has the same anxiety of their debut, but a bit slower paced I guess in terms of the music itself. I made a point in my review of their debut about using circular imagery quite often (knowingly or not), and it’s back again in this song as well. I like the change-up at 2:20, that’s nice, and the instrumental side that ensues is something I think we haven’t heard yet from the band. I certainly like it more than that other song they released, and it sheds a light in terms of where they are going with the new album. Something a bit more varied in sound, perhaps a bit more mature, slightly slower paced, but with the same feel to it in terms of what it exhumes. And I think the latter is important. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth! With YACHT, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Tensnake

YACHT - I Walked Alone (Jacques Renault 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: ‘I Walked Alone’ by YACHT (Jacques Renault remix)

No way. If you had to pick about any song from the YACHT album that seemed least likely to be turned into a disco mix, this would be it. The original is a slower paced affair, and the potential of catchiness is certainly higher in a few of the other songs (which are, themselves, already catchy). But here comes Jacques Renault, the disco wizard of the East, and he puts on that bass at 20 seconds and we’re off to the tracks. Or rather, the dancefloor. From that point on it’s boogie woogie time and nothing can stop it anymore. 1:20 it puts on the keys and you start to hear the original coming through, and after a while the vocals come in as well. But don’t think, Oh vocals, now he has to slow it down, for the original is slower paced. Nuh-uh. You can keep on dancing, no cheap cop-outs to be seen here. Renault is a master in funking every track up and making it dancey and disco, and this is no exception. Fab remix. Those background vocals are also genius by the way, totally fit the remix. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth! With Sleazy McQueen, 2 Bears and Junior Boys

Sleazy McQueen - Reconnect 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: ‘We Need to Reconnect’ by Sleazy McQueen feat. Anne Montone

I just love the name, Sleazy McQueen. Not only that, I love the edits and the songs he puts out. Really old school sounds that, and they just flow nicely. Here it’s set up old school with one instrument being introduced at a time. None of that business you get in other songs, but clear sounds, clear lines, and with them coming in one after another you get enough time to acquaint yourself with them. Naturally, the song really gets going at 1:20 with the piano coming in, then you know it is time to get on the dancefloor. I would’ve liked the vocals to do a bit more than they do, especially for variety’s sake because at one point it does feel like the merry went round one too many a time, but still, one I would happily go on the dancefloor for. … Continue Reading