2013 – and so she thinks

Vondelpark by Vondelpark // 2013 best of

admin — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 09:40:00 +0000

Best of 2013 by Jamie Malcolm – follow him @mylittleforts
Mightily soothing and did an unreal job caressing my minds malaise at the time. A true case of personal audio catharsis. Really one of those situations when something fits your mood perfectly.
Have done my fair share of trawling around for reviews (from both well known and more niche places) and nobody really shares my high admiration. Maybe that’s a positive as I can see it as being something compiled for my enjoyment only? It’s like I ticked the ‘ultimate edition’ box on their (for the purposes of the piece totally invented) Kickstarter – and they made it for me and me only.

Jai Paul – Jai Paul // 2013 best of

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 10:25:00 +0000

Best of 2013 by Jamie Malcolm – follow him @mylittleforts
The Jai Paul story is a strange one. He’s officially released 2 songs in 7 years, with the first reportedly only down to his brother unleashing it to MySpace in 2007 because it just had to be heard. That song ‘BTSTU’ has since been separately sampled by two of the biggest artists in the world (Beyonce & Drake) the other track ‘Jasmine’ was just recently selected to be on the prestigious soundtrack to GTA V. So not bad going from a guy from Rayners Lane and with 1 tweet to his name.
After an apparent biding war he signed a deal with XL in 2010 with seemingly little pressure to release material. Rumours started to spread in early 2013 that he was going to retire an enigma and would never return. Shuffle forward to roughly 2:00AM on April 14th and this ‘album’ was uploaded to Bandcamp. Nine months later and still so many questions remain. Did Jai upload it himself? Did XL upload it without Jai knowing? Was it uploaded by a laptop robbing thief? Was this tracklisting the original plan for the album? How can something including samples from Harry Potter, Gossip Girl, Tomb Raider, KC & Jojo, Michael Caine and the beeping of a shutting tube train door be so incredible?
It clearly doesn’t have the XL polish, so i’ve always seen it as an audio sketch book. Ideas are unfinished, background fuzz is present throughout and there are multi second silences at the end of some songs, but by not being a audio nerd none of this has effected my enjoyment a single iota. What’s special to me and many others is that most comparisons don’t quiet fit. He appears to simultaneously straddle the past, present and future.
Track 2 aka Str8 Outta Mumbai is undoubtedly the biggest smorgasbord of ideas, sounds and genres to be released this year. It starts with a recording of a duo of DJ’s introducing a track by John Paul, the other corrects him ‘Jai Paul.’ This perfectly acts as a knowing wink to us from Jai of his enigmatic ways. The song has a killer combination of upbeat fun, spacey vocals and a crazy Bollywood sample harkening back to it’s use from hip hop producers such as DJ Quik, Dr Dre, Just Blaze and Timbaland in early 2000’s. The thumping drum claps on 10,000 along with the cascading synths (that I’ve spent all year unsuccessfully trying to figure out what they remind me of) are reminiscent of The Neptunes in their producing pomp. The way they fade to the background at points to highlight the vocals is such a simply beautifully technique. The audaciously odd reinterpretation of Jennifer Page’s 1998 pop gem Crush is another highlight. His style is transplanted and bolted onto it and the lyrics take a sultry modern twist. The mini riff near the conclusion feels plucked from what a Michael Jackson and Prince collaboration from 20 years ago might sound like. It’s all audaciously paired with a reverbed woodblock of all things. Jasmine is a pulsing odyssey that glides around effortlessly and perfectly suits a nocturnal neon lit journey across London. Genevieve scuttles around your ear drums in a vast array of directions – none of which you expect. Loads of ideas (audio tangents?) are being hurled around and all of them stick. All Night is a bonafide slow jam that magically pulls memories of abundant romances into your synapses. The album ends how it all started for him with BTSTU, a juxtaposition of juxtapositions. Harsh and angelic vocals spread over a beat that gets crazy and shrinks down to nothing at times.
I’m kind of indifferent as to what happens next. He and his brother Anup are obviously such talented guys and I would I love to see some new material and how all this would translate to a live environment. If this is the end and nothing new ever arrives i’m more than happy to enjoy Jasmine on a night bus home with a beaming London as a backdrop or stroll through an crispy autumnal park arm in arm with someone with All Night emanating from my headphone splitter.
I have compiled 16 pieces of digital artwork to represent each song on Jai Paul. See it here.

Lodestar – and so it grows…

admin — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 18:08:51 +0000

There are few things more enjoyable than sitting in the sunshine in a beautiful sunshine listening to great music, cider in hand. Can’t guarantee the sunshine, but the other ingredients will be all there in abundance at Cambridge’s Lodestar festival. Taking place from 30^th August to 1^st September, the three days are self described as ‘The place for lovers of great music!’ (the stellar line up includes The Joy Formidable, Hatcham Social, Thumpers, Dragonette and Mausi) but is also for lovers of all things fun, and wandering around the farm that has been owned and loved by founder of Lodestar Doug and his family for four generations you will find literature, zorbing, archery, samba, workshops, dancing, circus, fringe theatre and plenty of smiling faces.
The line up is evolving on a thrillingly regular basis, and latest additions include the liltingly lovely Lady Lamb The Beekeeper, Fiery Furnaces’ Eleanor Friedberger and her intense, edgy yet elegant sounds, perfect sunshine sounds from An Escape Plan , sonic loveliness from Swedish El Perro Del Mar mistress of reinvention VV Brown.
As well as hot indie darlings ike these and global superstars capable of hanging out with Dave Grohl the festival supports local artists, and this year acoustic indie-folk four-piece Fred’s House and indie dance group The Sticks are just two of the many who will be part of the event. Buy your tickets here…and keep an eye out for a competition from myself, Cool For Cats and Lodestar very soon!
For a sneak preview head down to the Old Blue Last on August 7^th where Hatcham Social and Flowers play a preview show, and make this Spotify playlist your soundtrack now.

Secret Garden Party – line up announced!

admin — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 19:58:17 +0000

A crazy, chaotic, delightful, eclectic, eccentric, joyous celebration, Secret Garden Party is a festival like no other. Set in a 220 acre landscaped garden of a Georgian farmhouse in Cambridgeshire, bordering a river and lake, and taking place 25^th – 28^th July, the festival wins numerous awards, and for good reason. Environmentally conscious, creatively diverse line ups and boutique camping gives it a feel that few festivals can rival, describing itself as ‘a temporary community that is as free, irreverent, friendly and engaging as it is possible to be.’ 2013 is its eleventh year, and the festival shows no signs of slowing down…check out this line up. The full line up has just been announced, and some particular highlights include… Bastille, Deep Sea Arcade, Django Django, Eliza and The Bear, London Grammar, Son of Dave, The Ladykillers, Treetop Flyers, Wolf Alice
For more info visit their website, and buy your tickets now.