Thursday 21 June 2012
The Times They Are a Changin'
Partly because of the title, partly because of the forlorn bass drone, partly because of the psychedelic sounding vocal and partly because I watched Master & Commander the other day just for that bit where there's no wind, but this track does sound like a bunch of pirates stranded out at sea.
Being the murderous bastards they are, once the food and water runs out and the sun stroke sets in, their hallucinations become pretty dark and involve skinning other members of the crew alive and using their epidermises as sails for the invisible wind that can only be optimised by using taught and tanned dead sailor.
Sounding as dark and as Eastern European as I imagine Bosnia is, I blame Behind Enemy Lines (big film watching day I had last week), with fiddles and regional voices echoing amongst the war strewn streets.
An Australian label called Monday Records with this realise from Circle called Fashion Me A Drum, a song so twee that paired with the label's ill chosen name, reminds me not only of the awful, I Don't Like Monday's, but that horrid moment once every few years where mole-features Geldof and his bloody Boomtown Rats somehow worm their way onto a line up under the pretence of raising money.
There, they play that one song of theirs, one song, that makes everyone realise just what a crock of shit they are and rather than learning any positive lessons from the lyrics of the song, they imagine a school ground massacre of their own, going back in time and bursting into the classroom where the Boomtown Rats first met, spraying them with bullets so their future selves wouldn't subjected to this shit ever again.
A slice of Ladyhawke inspired dream pop from Goldroom, available as a free download. I'm especially fond of that chirping bass line, reminds me of a fat bloke with a t-shit that's too small for him, wearing some red Hasselhoff stye shorts and a hat with a helicopter on it, making his sad, daily, indication fuelled waddle down to the ice cream van by the seaside.
I think this title is mistaken, it does't seem like she hates the wind at all, infact she seems to be relishing having it blow in her face, the dreamy textures supporting the notion that having it do so is akin to a state of euphoria. Why would they mislead us like this?
With all these kids making this spacious, down-to-no tempo ambient stuff at the moment you could see an argument for perhaps putting prozac into the water along with the fluoride. Refreshing it is therefore to have these young pucks Fidlar, just getting on with it with resigned glee. They ain't got no money for food or heaven forbid, weed but they're not going to bore you to death through the "conceptual minimalism," of their compositions, no, their going to bring the fun back to depression. Amen.
Traces of Karen O in the vocal (probably vice versa depending at what stage current front woman came into the fold) and the general sonic chaos you'd expect from Savages.
Sad, dramatic and all together beautiful.
This makes me happy although his voice sounds somewhat lonely and detached. Taken from Beach Fossils forthcoming solo project as Heavenly Beat, out on 24th July.
Heavy on the Jazz influence on this one from Teni and Afro- Renassiance, who, if you haven't already guessed by the name, are on the move to resuscitate afro soul music and by the sound of this and others on their Soundcloud, are doing a fine job of it.
Even thought this isn't the most expertly mastered tune in the world I like the way all the different elements build into the mix.
A funky bass line and some borderline acceptable similes, delivered with a soulful female vocal.
To see what I had to say about this then head over to www.strongroomalive.com/2012/06/arp-xp-with-a-new-full-length-release/, get used to this web site because if things go to plan, the new mouthpiece of cloudboy could be the blog on Strongroom Alive.
Cool beat on this one from Joey Bada$$, what I like to call motivational hip hop, that is, it got me to temporary relinquish my position at the computer chair and pretend I was in Eight Mile for a bit.
Kind of purposefully bad quality sounding, like a party in your mates garden shed through his dates old eighties throw back boom box. Like the beats and switch up to the drum and bass as well, you could never play this in a club though, it would deafen everyone, even those with earplugs.
Thursday 14 June 2012
A Brief Hiatus
Sorry for the lack of a blog recently, I have had a birthday, a coronation and a festival of sound and fun to celebrate. Not the best excuse I know, but we all need a holiday. Anyway, cloudboy is back with the usual mixed bag, so feel free to rifle your grubby little hands through this pick n' mix as you see fit.
Watch this space in the next 24hrs, a little mix of tunes that didn't make it too the blog is on it's way.
And here it is........ not the best mix of all time but it's more for playing all the tunes rather than it being perfectly smooth, some great ones in there, enjoy, it's Friday!!!!!
For those who are deaf and can't hear the tracks clumsily falling into one another, mix cloud below will show you the way, full track list below that.
The sexual fantasy of skinny jean adorned indie boys nation wide, has released this video likely to give them all wet dreams, what with her doing mad, indie, Napoleon Dynamite shit like bouncing a massive bouncy ball down some stairs and leaving without even witnessing the consequences (she's so cool!!!) or tying a skipping rope to some railings (random!) and genuinely being all indie with her even randomer red suitcase. Focusing on the song itself, love the brooding bass we've come to expect from Foxes and it builds into a well produced wall of an indie loving anthem.
Some atmospheric hip hop from Jeremiah Jae, the latest signing to Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label.
One of them subtly uplifting numbers from Eternal Summers, a song that you can listen to when the odds seem stacked against you, a song that will help you to appreciate that yeah, things are a bit shit but really, does any of it matter anyway!? Not for the next 2 minutes 25 seconds it doesn't.
Every time I hear FM Belfast, I'm like "shit, this band is good, I should really download some more FM Belfast, what with their old school keys and bouncing, reverberated synth stabs and repeated vocals that I can't resist bouncing my head to," but I always seem to get distracted by something or forget. Well not this time my friends, ooooh look, new Kuedo.
Cannot stress enough how good live recorded strings sound, even when they are subsequently cut up and compressed like on here. Along with all the track's other elements, it creates so much atmosphere and interest. Taking K in the Albert Hall it should be called.
Released this week is the Pushing Red EP from Until Silence, showcasing wonderfully two different sides of the techno spectrum. On That Shine, you have the confused and darkly syncopated beats, like an escaped squirrel, squirming about in the echoey expanse of a theatre house's props basement. Moving onto the inherently more rhythmic, deeply beated, Hands Tied, complete with a euphoric, pitch shifted vocal breakdown that makes it impossible not to move once the beat kicks back in.
Gorgeous tune from Bondax. Repeated, chopped-up female vocal over bubbling beats and expansive synths, what could go wrong?
Next release on Apollo, part of the R&S empire, is this silently moody track, on the downbeat dub step flex, from Gacha.
There is something massivly optimistic about this track and sometimes, that just what you need to hear, especially after seeing millions of flag waving fascists, moronically moving their Union Jacks on the banks of The Thames in the pissing rain, and banging on stupidly about how the Jubilee has made Britain great again, united the people once more, when really, it's just proved how susceptible people are to propaganda and a fictitious romance; it's enough to make you despair. Then you hear this and realise like them, you too are easily amused.
Showing that an artist commissioned to make a soundtrack for a video game can make better, more atmospheric music those currently getting indie-idolised for what is basically electronic, shoe gaze crap, ahem Gold Panda.
Hahahahahahaha this is brilliant, it reminds me of King of Kong; A Fistful Of Quarters, a documentary about a man's attempt to take the Donkey Kong high score off the reigning champ, a task made impossible by the champ and his ridiculously loyal bunch of obsessed disciples. I was convinced it was made up un till I released that you just couldn't invent characters that ridiculous, seriously, I recommend you see it.
Anyway, not to give too much away, the champ has this one, properly devoted fan who phones him regularly with updates on the challengers current score and bad mouths all opposition. So involved is he with the champ, he must imagine making sweet, computerised, Donkey Kong themed sex with him inside a Game Boy. His rapid and explosive orgasum is what Sophisticuffs sounds like.
Something of shuffling off to work in a vacuous factory in an Orwellian style distopia in this track from Pariah; as depressing as it is engaging.
That effected organ and flappy finger bass makes a delicious combo with that vocal on this tune from latest, Secretly Canadian sining, Yeasayer.
Killer Mike hating on the lies of Reagan and subsequent US governments; always entertaining.
This song has been on frequent repeat for me over the last three weeks, love the simple yet deep content of the lyrics and the way in which they're sung, compliments the brooding, Massive Attack style, birth of a beautiful metropolis like synth texture. Beautiful and free for download in exchange for an email here; www.msmrsounds.com.
Liking the actual sample of water crashing against the rocks and those synths bubbling away like foaming water, her cries so realistic that it has me looking for the nearest rubber ring but all I have to hand is a Tesco's bag, that I could attempt to blow up and throw to her, but likely has a hole in it. Arh well, might as well enjoy the sound of her suffering, there's no point in us both doing so.
This is what I call concise teenage angst, a youth on the cusp of adulthood, who after years of bewildering hormones expressed in a teary blurred fog of erections and emotions, has come to see exactly what it is he wants. A coming of age tale you might say.
Haunting gorgeous female vocal of the week!
Although I'm starting to go off this dreamy, thick textured sort of music, purely for the fact that there is so bloody much of it, this is an excellent example of the genre. Well produced, rich and full of fluttering lemonade sounds to counteract the seriousness of the more brooding, oscillating bass line.
A sneaky peek off the forthcoming new album and it sounds wonderfully and deliberately like a thunderstorm happening within the recording studio, crashing about all over the place and leaking into everything including every angle of your eardrum.
I like steal drums, and what? they make me happy, as does the sum total of this tune.
I find For Tet almost consistently hit and miss, luckily this is all hit, well worth the wait for when it goes all dark and almost jungly with those flappy sounding snares.
Free download of this happy yet all together sad tune from Saint Motel, full of the sort of nostalgia that could cause you to cry come the Tuesday after a hard weekend. This comes from recent experience, pathetic, I know.
Watch this space in the next 24hrs, a little mix of tunes that didn't make it too the blog is on it's way.
And here it is........ not the best mix of all time but it's more for playing all the tunes rather than it being perfectly smooth, some great ones in there, enjoy, it's Friday!!!!!
For those who are deaf and can't hear the tracks clumsily falling into one another, mix cloud below will show you the way, full track list below that.
Serengeti – Amnesia
Elite Gymnastics – Life/Trap
Jaybee & Sinistarr – Life/Trap
Silver Medallion – Rabbit Hole feat PropaneLv
Beat Inc. – Black Tea Morning
Mr President Were In Trouble
Colour Climax – Discque O Heights (RS-ReShape)
Age Of Consent – Heartbreak (T.W.I.N.S. Remix)
Age Of Consent – Heartbreak (Wax Pharon remix)
Saint Saviour – Reasons (Maribou State remix)
Physical Therapy – Record Sales
Sonar Pilot – June Dub (Brendon Moeller Dub 1)
Morcee – It’s You (Lakosa remix)
Thomas Barfod – November Skies feat Nina Kinert
Lemonade – Softkiss
Fatima Al Qadiri – Copcore (Kingdom remix)
BRANKO – Going In Hard feat Dominique Young Unique
Baauer – Harlem Shake
Kuhrye-oo – Give In (For The Fame)
Sleigh Bells – Demons (Diplo remix)
Opossom – Blue Meanies
ScHoolboy Q & TiRon – Love Me Not (pod. By Chuck
Inglish)
Azealia Banks – Jumanji
Alphabets Heaven – Arka (wArkawArka remix)
The sexual fantasy of skinny jean adorned indie boys nation wide, has released this video likely to give them all wet dreams, what with her doing mad, indie, Napoleon Dynamite shit like bouncing a massive bouncy ball down some stairs and leaving without even witnessing the consequences (she's so cool!!!) or tying a skipping rope to some railings (random!) and genuinely being all indie with her even randomer red suitcase. Focusing on the song itself, love the brooding bass we've come to expect from Foxes and it builds into a well produced wall of an indie loving anthem.
Some atmospheric hip hop from Jeremiah Jae, the latest signing to Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label.
One of them subtly uplifting numbers from Eternal Summers, a song that you can listen to when the odds seem stacked against you, a song that will help you to appreciate that yeah, things are a bit shit but really, does any of it matter anyway!? Not for the next 2 minutes 25 seconds it doesn't.
Every time I hear FM Belfast, I'm like "shit, this band is good, I should really download some more FM Belfast, what with their old school keys and bouncing, reverberated synth stabs and repeated vocals that I can't resist bouncing my head to," but I always seem to get distracted by something or forget. Well not this time my friends, ooooh look, new Kuedo.
Cannot stress enough how good live recorded strings sound, even when they are subsequently cut up and compressed like on here. Along with all the track's other elements, it creates so much atmosphere and interest. Taking K in the Albert Hall it should be called.
Released this week is the Pushing Red EP from Until Silence, showcasing wonderfully two different sides of the techno spectrum. On That Shine, you have the confused and darkly syncopated beats, like an escaped squirrel, squirming about in the echoey expanse of a theatre house's props basement. Moving onto the inherently more rhythmic, deeply beated, Hands Tied, complete with a euphoric, pitch shifted vocal breakdown that makes it impossible not to move once the beat kicks back in.
Gorgeous tune from Bondax. Repeated, chopped-up female vocal over bubbling beats and expansive synths, what could go wrong?
Next release on Apollo, part of the R&S empire, is this silently moody track, on the downbeat dub step flex, from Gacha.
There is something massivly optimistic about this track and sometimes, that just what you need to hear, especially after seeing millions of flag waving fascists, moronically moving their Union Jacks on the banks of The Thames in the pissing rain, and banging on stupidly about how the Jubilee has made Britain great again, united the people once more, when really, it's just proved how susceptible people are to propaganda and a fictitious romance; it's enough to make you despair. Then you hear this and realise like them, you too are easily amused.
Showing that an artist commissioned to make a soundtrack for a video game can make better, more atmospheric music those currently getting indie-idolised for what is basically electronic, shoe gaze crap, ahem Gold Panda.
Hahahahahahaha this is brilliant, it reminds me of King of Kong; A Fistful Of Quarters, a documentary about a man's attempt to take the Donkey Kong high score off the reigning champ, a task made impossible by the champ and his ridiculously loyal bunch of obsessed disciples. I was convinced it was made up un till I released that you just couldn't invent characters that ridiculous, seriously, I recommend you see it.
Anyway, not to give too much away, the champ has this one, properly devoted fan who phones him regularly with updates on the challengers current score and bad mouths all opposition. So involved is he with the champ, he must imagine making sweet, computerised, Donkey Kong themed sex with him inside a Game Boy. His rapid and explosive orgasum is what Sophisticuffs sounds like.
Something of shuffling off to work in a vacuous factory in an Orwellian style distopia in this track from Pariah; as depressing as it is engaging.
That effected organ and flappy finger bass makes a delicious combo with that vocal on this tune from latest, Secretly Canadian sining, Yeasayer.
Killer Mike hating on the lies of Reagan and subsequent US governments; always entertaining.
This song has been on frequent repeat for me over the last three weeks, love the simple yet deep content of the lyrics and the way in which they're sung, compliments the brooding, Massive Attack style, birth of a beautiful metropolis like synth texture. Beautiful and free for download in exchange for an email here; www.msmrsounds.com.
Liking the actual sample of water crashing against the rocks and those synths bubbling away like foaming water, her cries so realistic that it has me looking for the nearest rubber ring but all I have to hand is a Tesco's bag, that I could attempt to blow up and throw to her, but likely has a hole in it. Arh well, might as well enjoy the sound of her suffering, there's no point in us both doing so.
This is what I call concise teenage angst, a youth on the cusp of adulthood, who after years of bewildering hormones expressed in a teary blurred fog of erections and emotions, has come to see exactly what it is he wants. A coming of age tale you might say.
Haunting gorgeous female vocal of the week!
Although I'm starting to go off this dreamy, thick textured sort of music, purely for the fact that there is so bloody much of it, this is an excellent example of the genre. Well produced, rich and full of fluttering lemonade sounds to counteract the seriousness of the more brooding, oscillating bass line.
A sneaky peek off the forthcoming new album and it sounds wonderfully and deliberately like a thunderstorm happening within the recording studio, crashing about all over the place and leaking into everything including every angle of your eardrum.
I like steal drums, and what? they make me happy, as does the sum total of this tune.
I find For Tet almost consistently hit and miss, luckily this is all hit, well worth the wait for when it goes all dark and almost jungly with those flappy sounding snares.
Free download of this happy yet all together sad tune from Saint Motel, full of the sort of nostalgia that could cause you to cry come the Tuesday after a hard weekend. This comes from recent experience, pathetic, I know.
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