Fluxblog Weekly #141: Mildlife, Y-Bayani, Riton & Kah-Lo, Holy
January 3rd, 2018
All That We Could Know
Mildlife “The Magnificent Moon”
“The Magnificent Moon” starts off feeling a lot like the more expansive Hot Chip songs – groovy but chill, in the sweet spot between relaxed and precise. But as the song moves along, Mildlife start throwing some curveballs at you – it seems to expand in scope, the bass groove gets more sophisticated, it starts drifting into a groggy solo section. Then around five minutes in, you get the ~real~ shift as the the synths recede and the jazzy guitar chords come in, like something out of Dots and Loops-era Stereolab. I love the particular guitar tone here – so immaculate and understated, this elegant and sexy sound contrasted with synth tones that signals futuristic kitsch. The whole track is built like a journey, and that odd collision of vibes is the highlight of the expedition.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
January 4th, 2018
Compromised Friend
Y-Bayani and His Band of Enlightenment, Reason and Love feat. Baby Naa “Rehwe Mie Enyim”
I’ve heard a good amount of roots reggae over the past several years, mainly Studio One stuff, but I’m nothing close to an expert. I just have a reasonable frame of reference. And I say that to say this: I have never heard a roots song that sounds quite like this. The melody, chords, and rhythm are all very familiar, but the tone of the keyboards and recording is fresh. There’s a disorienting quality to the keyboard tone straight away, and it pushes the chill feeling of a slow reggae rhythm into something more loopy and dazed. It’s not a radical departure from tradition – this is in many ways retro enough that it could pass as much older, but it’s just off enough so the particular zonked-out vibe feels novel to me.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
January 5th, 2018
Get The Man Gone
Riton & Kah-Lo “Fake I.D.”
Kah-Lo’s vocal on this track is immediately charismatic and interesting – mischievous and fun, but also a bit cold and aloof. The lyrics lay out the plan for a night out, and while fun is factored into it, she’s mostly sketching out a strategy for getting the most out of the men in the room. It’s all very transactional but the way she puts it, it’s all a fun game for her, and plus, there’s dancing. Riton’s track bangs from the start, but it’s constantly shifting and moving and thumping with varying degrees of intensity. He doesn’t really give you the option of resisting the groove. You get yanked into it, and it eventually spits you out. Kinda like the protagonist of the lyrics, eh?
Buy it from Amazon.
January 6th, 2018
Now It’s Forever
Holy “Premonition / ◯ / It Shines Through”
Every sound in this track is bright and vivid, and neatly placed in the pocket of the drums, which are crisp and prominent in the mix. Every sound, that is, except for Hannes Ferm’s voice, which conveys a lovely melody but is otherwise entirely incomprehensible. This isn’t your standard mumble or the usual bury-the-voice-in-the-mix shoegaze thing. Ferm’s vocal is loud and clear, but smeared and slurred almost as though he’s deliberately trying to make it funny. It amuses me, anyway. It’s like a falsetto pushed into abstraction, or like a plaintive psychedelic ballad sung by the Swedish Chef.
Buy it from Bandcamp.