TRIPLE BILL: Orbital and I

I had never listened to Orbital. Not really. 

I was first properly introduced to the band via the bouncingly brilliant rhythm game Frequency which used a remix of their single 'Funny Break' as part of its soundtrack. Frequency was a fascinating experience because it forced the player (or should that be listener) to break down a song into its constituent parts (bass lines, drum rhythms, guitar licks, vocals etc) and rebuild as they saw fit. Granted you would only do really well if you managed to rebuild the entire song, but the most interesting moments came from finding ways to strip the track into something new. 

'Funny Break' was my favourite song to mess around with. I think it's largely because of the vocal line. Getting the drum loop to drop out of the mix at just the right moment allowed Naomi Bedford's auto-tuned belters to soar off on crackling digital wings, and in that moment of musical control and creation I'd be flying right along with her.

But still I didn't go listen to Orbital. Not really.

It was another video game that brought the brothers Hartnoll back to my attention: Lumines Electronic Symphony, a sprawling technicolor love letter to electronic music. Q Entertainment's rhythmic masterpiece, produced by music obsessive club owner-turned-journalist-turned-producer James Mielke (who you should be following on Twitter) has an enormously diverse soundtrack of electronic artists- a (mostly) complete playlist of which can be found here.

One of the final additions to the mix was the track 'Never' from Orbital's latest album Wonky. It's melancholia you can dance to. It's wistful and funky. It was this song which finally got my ears to perk up and admit I should probably listen to Orbital.

This lead me to Wonky and finding what is now my favourite track by Orbital and a candidate for one of my favourite electronica songs- 'One Big Moment.' 

It samples and chops philosophical ramblings into an opener that slowly morphs into a conversation being held around the world. The chiming synth bells groove over digital car horns before crashing into a galactic bumping beat that is equally at home amongst the stars as it is on the pavement. It's excellent and you should be soundtracking your life with it.

So now I've listened to Orbital (thanks to some digital pushing from Frequency and Lumines) and I'm glad I did. Really.

Songs of the Robocalypse Vol. 2 - Star Scat

It's Wednesday so that can only mean one thing! Robots singing scat! Right? Everyone? RIGHT.

Caravan Palace are a Paris based electroswing band who started out making music for silent pornography. Of course.

Their whole output is an ear melting blend of block rocking beats dancing with Django and Grappelli- the soundtrack to robotic fever dreams covered in the melting wax of a gypsy jazz record. This is particularly true of today's Song of the Robocalypse- Star Scat.

I picture a black suited robot holding court at a cabaret, it's head hanging off its neck like a bobble toy belching and bleeping scat songs. This is surrounded by heavy striding rhythm and fiddles. It's amazing how well double bass clambers atop processed beats, like rubberbands iceskating down a subway track.

It's reassuring to know that even after the machines rise up and take over we'll still have some damn fine dance floor grooves- just don't do the robot. I'm serious. They will destroy you.

Chiptune Chuesday: Bouncing - Multifaros

There's something about the music of Multifaros that makes me think of bubblegum. Not the genre mind you- actual bubblegum. It's in the sound I think, all plastic and glisten held together by twangs and wind.

The opening sub-bass tones of 'Bouncing' are round and rubbery bubbles that shift and burst to the sound of drums exhaling in reverse. Pingponging chip bleeps echo across the structure like a digital likembe while free wheeling guitars funk there way into the shape of squares and triangles.

Multifaros is the stage name of Swedish chip/bit/electronic/indie wizard Bård Ericson. Today's track 'Bouncing' is available on his 2010 EP Dreams. He has many more EPs and albums of his genre crossing musics available from his website.

Tunes of Terror Vol. 2 - A Cold Freezin' Night

This is the song where a six year old threatens to chop off your toes and work his way up to your brain.

The Books are a New York based duo known for slicing and mixing spoken word pieces into rhythmic dance collages.

The track 'A Cold Freezin' Night' from their fourth album The Way Out isn't an obvious choice for a Tune of Terror. However there's something undeniably unsettling (played upon endlessly in the head-spinning video above) about the increasingly violent confrontation between a young brother and sister. And really, what's more terrifying than children? I wouldn't mess with these kids. They'd chop my hair off!