Fake Blood - "Hornets/Hornets EP"

Fake Blood, whose real name is Theo Keating, yesterday (18th May) released an EP entitled "Hornets", which was released by the Food Music label. The EP features the title track, 2 remixes and another track entitled "Music Box". My favourite Fake Blood tune is "Mars", which came out in 2008. And in the drum beat for "Hornets" I can hear some of the qualities which grabbed me from the first time I heard "Mars". It goes along at 128bpm, but has more similarities to fidget house, with a funky shuffling drumbeat propelling the beat along rather than a straight-up four to the floor house beat. The true aspect of innovation in the track is how the sound of hornets is appropriated, firstly through the evil sounding laugh that is sampled through the piece. Also when the bass drops there is a certain amount of venom within it that reminds me of some of the sounds that were prominently featured in UK grime music at one time, as the bass makes minimal pitch movement and it feels it is there more as an effect for feel.

When the piece moves into it's second section after the intro there is also this really cool buzzing sound, that could well be real hornets sampled. There are also a few other sounds that give you the feeling of a bunch of hornets flying. Also on the EP are remixes by Benton & Pluto.

"Music Box" is another really enjoyable track, coming in at around the same tempo, but with a gentler feel in what I would call the music box section. There is a great bit with a real heavy bassline that starts around 2:12, which then combines with the music box element. There is still a heavy dose of something funky going with the drums, with a kind of jazzy sound then making way for a more straight-ahead rhythm. This is definitely an EP worth checking out; the remixes are really good, but I really love Fake Blood's original creations!

Everything Everything - Regret

Everything Everything will release their third album "Get to Heaven" on 15 June, through Sony RCA. Earlier last week (6th May) the video for the second release of the album, "Regret", was released. The genre that Everything Everything have been placed in is art-rock. I just think their material is very danceable, with some obscure references and smarter lyrics than some run-of-the-mill rock. Which is probably some of the key features of art-rock.

"Regret" is the second offering to be heard from the album, after the excellent "Distant Past". It has a really effective start, with a direct sounding drum part, accompanied by Jonathan Higgs vocals in conjunction with strong backing vocals singing the words "regret, regret" at the end of each line. It's really effective, giving it a call and response feel, until the chorus, with the words "But did you imagine it
In a different way?
Did you imagine it
(But did you imagine it)
In a different way?"

I think regret is one of the foremost human emotions, that comes to the fore on such a regular basis, whether it is for small or large things. In this song it is sung in a wistful way, appropriating the sentiment of the song, doing so in a way that feels more flowy than the verses, which have a stop-start quality to them, due to the lines kind of stopping everytime the words regret are repeated.

The video is interesting. The protagonists seem to be members of a cult, being indoctrinated deeper into the cult, in some sort of baptismal ritual. It is strikingly effective. When you think about it, who has more to regret than those individuals who have fallen prey to the charms of a cult? There's a great bit at the end where the leader is engulfed in flames and seems to be dancing in a shamanic sort of ritual. Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing what will come next from this band; third albums are often where their confidence has been established and chances can be taken, with a loyal fanbase established.

Nero - The Thrill

Something that has invaded my mind periodically over the past few months has been, "When will Nero's new album be coming out?" They released "Satisfy, claimed that a new album would be released before the end of the year, then went mysteriously silent. Now nearly a year later they have returned with "The Thrill".

When Nero first came out I was instantly reminded of Chase & Status, with one of the main reasons being that Nero were signed to Chase & Status' label. But there is a divergence in their sound and "The Thrill" is a clear indication of this. The main factor that gives them a difference is the consistent presence of lead singer Alana Watson's vocals. I've always thought they floated above the track in a beautiful way and on their best tracks her floaty vocals were accompanied by a robust anthemic sounding dance/dubstep beat behind it. The visuals for the song were released last week and they are quite intense. They are really dark, so that you really don't really ever get to see any of the band members properly. I'll have to believe they are the ones in the video! It feels like the visuals they may undertake in their forthcoming live shows, Already announced is the album title "Between II Worlds", which will be released on August 28th. The visuals for the video seem to inhabit a nether region in between the worlds. Well in my eyes anyway. It will be interesting to see exactly what world Nero will choose to exhibit on the forthcoming album.

Lil Silva - "Drumatic"

I am excited, super-excited about the new 3 track EP, "Drumatic", which was released yesterday (May 10th) on iTunes. The three tunes on the EP are "606", "New Squeeze" and my personal favourite "Drumatic". I think when I truly 100% get excited by a tune is when I hear it and I think to myself that is the exact sound that I would like to make and "Drumatic" is a precise example of that. Lil Silva has ventured to many different places sonically, with last years EP "Mabel" being the first one to prominently feature his vocals and be more of a slight sidestep into ambient EP territory. This is not the case on the new EP. All the tracks are really uptempo, do not feature vocals and are definitely more club-orientated get-up and dance tunes. On "Drumatic" it starts with this tribal sounding high-pitched call, followed by a synth-part that sounds more like something you'd find in a rave track. And that is where this tune is particularly interesting because there are elements of this track that incorporate that sound. The bpm of the tune is around 134bpm, which is on the slower side of the breakbeat hardcore. There is also a fierce sounding bass line which has a really strong impact by having a syncopated feel, with a pretty African-tinge to it. I love the way that it has those African and European elements to it.

When I think of Lil Silva's career so far, it is amazing that he can come up with music that touches on so many genres, but maintains a sound that is uniquely his. I'd love to see an album and what element he would focus on, but until then these snapshots are such a great snapshot every few months or so.

JME - "Integrity"

JME's new album "Integrity" was released earlier this week, approximately 2 months after the video for the title track from the album appeared online, accompanied by a sparse, but effective video, which features JME rapping with a determined intensity to a single camera, surrounded by a hefty collection of records.
The track itself is firmly rooted in grime, accompanied by a beat that has strong dubstep influences. It's a really moody piece of atmospheric music. I love the way it features a bassline that alternates between 2 notes, held for about 4 beats. It feels like it keeps the track centered and is duplicated with a higher sounding synth playing the same notes. The whole beat is centered, giving JME a chance to tell his story, which is what I love about the track. I have always been aware of his existence since he emerged back in the mid 2000's as a member of the Boy Better Know crew, but what I find particularly intriguing is the bits where he talks about his dealings with major labels, when he had a hit with "Serious" in 2006, which is from around 2:30 in the track. With a more animated flow than he displays at the beginning of the track he details such experiences as "bare meetings with pricks". With Skepta reaching the top 20 and the performance that Kanye West put in at the Brits, featuring a number of prominent grime MC's it could be a very interesting time for the genre. But another truth is that it could lead to a rush of labels eager to sign young MC's, many who are building up their following through their YouTube plays, rather than the pirate radio days where Boy Better Know established their following. Is it strange that Kanye West's performance reinvigorated the genre's mainstream cache? (I say this as if you hear Skepta's track "Shutdown", it features a sample of an outraged critic who was intimidated by the visual of a gang of young men all on stage in black). I think the answer to that is probably.

Anyway, the JME album called "Integrity" is well worth a listen. The thing I appreciate most about JME's flow is the controlled intensity. That is featured throughout the album. I'd love for it to be a mainstream hit, showing you don't have to compromise anything to sell records. It won't, but I certainly appreciate his work and with some of the excellent reviews the album has received I imagine many more will check out his work.

The Chemical Brothers feat Q-Tip - Go

I am extremely excited about the fact Chemical Brothers will release their new album "Born In The Echoes" on 17th July. They are now at that stage in a veteran act's career where a new album often can feel like an advert or an excuse for forthcoming tour or festival dates. And while Chemical Brothers will indeed by appearing at a number of festivals over the summer the 2 songs that have been displayed to the world as tasters for their new album are certainly adding tracks that will be worthy additions to their amazing live back catalogue. "Sometimes I Feel So Deserted" is a certain banging 4x4 thump track. There is a certain relentless to the track provided by the drum beat and the insistent hand claps and propulsing synths that are a wonderful feature of the track. And interestingly a few weeks later we get taste number 2 (also track number 2) which returns to familiar territory by featuring Q-Tip, who was utilised so amazingly on "Galvanise".

This track is certainly no carbon copy though. I love the drumbeat. When you have a house track that goes at 120bpm it often sounds really good I think because you maintain a sense of propulsion by having it at a relatively fast tempo, but by slowing it down from the typical house bpm of 128 you can give tracks an extra sense of funky momentum and that is certainly used here. Then to compliment that the bass line is funky, featuring lots of short little repeated notes in short bursts, followed by a rest. I love the effect it gives, like an exertion followed by a quick rest.

I love the bit where Q-Tip comes in, at first saying "can't think, can't sleep, can't breathe", then breaking into a beautiful flow, which emulates the insistent bassline, with a slight increase in tension as we hit the chorus. In that chorus there are some Euro-sounding synths, that isnt really a common Chemical Brothers thing, but here it gives the track an extra energy, with a subtle nod to some of the tracks we have heard in the intervening 5 years since Chemical Brothers last studio album; fresh, but classic sounding. If I were to take a guess it does feel like "Go" will be the track released as a single, whereas possibly "Sometimes I Feel So Deserted" is a track to start off the new live show. But whatever happens it's a near certainty these 2 tracks will be featured in forthcoming Chemical Brothers live sets and they are worthy and exciting additions.

The video is simple and effective, featuring women in what feels like a machine propelled around a futuristic district for indiscernible reasons. I like it as well.