Gorgon City – Sirens

Gorgon City is a collaboration between two producers from North London. Foamo and RackNRuin first started producing together in 2012, creating The Crypt EP. This was followed by the Real EP, the main single from which featured the British singer Yasmin, and lead to Intentions, a collaboration between the duo and Clean Bandit. Since then Gorgon City have been regulars in the chart, especially with the release of the monster single Ready For Your Love, featuring MNEK, which pretty much  forced house down the throat of the mainstream and made it to number 4 in the UK singles chart. The rest, as they say, is history.

Gorgon City have a hugely distinctive sound, one of impeccably clean and deep bass, with a featured vocalist singing over the top. Not to suggest they are formulaic in their writing, but every single song on the album features a guest singer, including some impressive names. For example alongside MNEK and Yasmin we have Maverick Sabre, Katy B and Jennifer Hudson to name just a few. I have a burning love for Maverick Sabre, so I am obviously biased towards the songs on which he features, but the Jennifer Hudson track, Go All Night, which was co-written with Kiesza, is a clear highlight for me. Her voice has a real power here, but Gorgon City do more than match it with of that classic thump of bass.

Imagination (co-written with Emilie Sandé) is another huge highlight for me. Katy Menditta is has an incredible voice, and the production is really impressive, it’s the kind of track that is simply a pleasure to listen to, in my opinion. Almost exactly the same can be said for 6AM, except Tish Hyman takes it a step further and raps for a moment, which works incredibly well with the song and frankly I wish she’d do it for longer.

Some of my absolute favourite parts of the album are where they really slow the pace down, namely on the tracks Hard On Me (featuring Maverick Sabre, as mentioned above) and on FTPA which features Erik Hassle.  Maverick Sabre is perfect for the closing track of the album (he’s also on the opening track), really sealing the album and taking it to a very natural close. It is a beautiful way to see out the debut, slowly and genuinely soothingly. FTPA is a little more upbeat but has a very similar feel, if with a little more bass. Erik Hassle is perfect for the track as well, with his voice adding almost tangible emotion to this passion-filled track. These two tracks in themselves prove that there is no formula here, just talent.

This album is an incredibly easy album to listen to, a really pleasant collection of songs which are all individually impressive. I concede that some tracks are a little too similar, sure, but there are also tracks which are genuinely original in their sound, and anyway who doesn’t love that bass-heavy production? This release slides right in next to Disclosure’s debut for me, as another great pop/house music album. ‘EDM’ is definitely not killing the  LP.

Hudson Mohawke – Chimes EP

Hudson Mohawke is a DJ, Producer and recording artist from Glasgow, Scotland. As an artist he is signed to Warp Records, a label boasting a huge list of past and present artists including Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus and Brian Eno, among plenty of others. However HudMo is also signed to Kanye West’s label GOOD Music (alongside Mos Def, Q-Tip and John Legend to name just three) as a producer, the highlight of which so far has been the album Cruel Summer, on which Mohawke featured regularly as a producer. Probably the project which gained the artist the most recognition, however, was probably under the name of TNGHT. The project also featured Canadian artist Lunice, and produced the track Higher Ground the song which, some would say, introduced the mainstream to trap music. HudMo has been out of the spotlight for a while now, but with Chimes taking this summer by storm, I’m sure his name will be right back where it belongs before too long.

Chimes is essentially an education in anthemic trap. The track is almost a statement of power. The brass instrument-like sound gives the track a presence impossible to achieve with any other instrument, and equally impossible to ignore. If you don’t recognise this track you must have tried very hard to actively avoid it, as it has appeared in almost every DJ set of this summer. It is almost as if HudMo is screaming at us all to look at him, to remind us that he is well and truly back. Chimes opens the EP and is, unsurprisingly the focal point of it.

Brainwave is jittery and high pitched, in fact it does almost sounds like an over-excited human’s thought pattern. However nothing really happens in the song, it’s like it fades in, almost climaxes, then fades out again, leaving me very little to write about it, apart from the fact that it annoys me a little.

King Kong Beaver on the other hand, while retaining a little of the high pitched jitteriness to some extent, is quite different. It is almost as if Brainwave is there only to set it up, like an introduction. It has an almost retro feel to it, a re-energising of a soundtrack to a game you used to play as a kid if you will. The bass has quite a kick, and the pace is fairly slow and collected. There are a few similarities between King Kong Beaver and Brainwave, however both contrast strongly with Chimes, leaving the title track of the EP feeling almost out of place, as if it were part of another project.

The fourth track of the EP (or at least the version I’m listening to) features a Gammer Re-edit of Chimes. From the start of the track it feels like the track will be only drum and bass, however D&B only enters into the song on the second drop, the first is basically a re-hashed trap version of the original. It’s okay, but not a huge amount of fresh material is actually brought to the table, definitely a re-edit as opposed to a remix.

The EP is quite unusual in my opinion. As I said above it almost feels like Chimes is out of place because of similarities between the second and third tracks. This feeling may be as a result of my surprise, however, as I expected the whole EP to feature brass and be basically trap, because of the EP being named after Chimes, and this definitely isn’t the case. In all, the release is good, not great, in my opinion. I do absolutely love the cover of the album though.

Katy B – Little Red

Kathleen Brien, better known as Katy B, gained attention as the dubstep scene made its way into the music charts. Her track Katy On A Mission was seen as one of the crucial track in bringing dubstep into the public’s attention, supported by Benga of Magnetic Man, the producer of the single. She also went on to feature on Magnetic Man’s album. The use of dubstep was her unique selling point, over and above the likes of Emilie Sandé. So far the album has divided the music world, it is the kind of album everyone has a different opinion on, mine is below, but I recommend you listen to it yourself and form your own.

If anything, this album will prove to everyone exactly how talented Katy B is. The album is more serious and shows a level of maturity which wasn’t really present in her previous music. As I mention below, the album is better where she moves away from simple pop music, closer to dance and more marginal music. The album has attracted many five star reviews, I do not think that it is quite worth that much hype, however the album is solid, a good second release.

Next Thing opens with a high intensity, bass heavy sound, displaying exactly the kind of tack Katy B will be taking with this album. This no-bull approach is a bit of a shock to the system, and appears to be an attempt to display how seriously Katy takes the dance side of her music. This point is further highlighted in the house drum beat behind the track 5 AM. This track is more pop-orientated, and is more feel good. The track verges on being too soft, but as I live track I’m sure it would win over any festival audience. Aaliyah features another pop-house goddess, Jessie Ware, and discusses the theme of jealousy. The two voices work well together and the production matches the song well, maintaining the house theme while lowering the intensity of it. Crying For No Reason was the second single from the album, and is much more pop music that dance. The track shows a more serious side, again, to the artist, but this time in terms of her voice. The track is less strong than others on the album, and verges on boring at moments to be honest, I appreciate the fact she needs to show a bit more versatility but I don’t think a track of this kind really plays to her greatest strengths and that she should move further to the margin than the centre. Clearly, though, the general public disagrees with my view, with the track debuting at number 5 in the UK singles chart. I Like You follows, fulfilling my desire for her to go with a more marginal sound. The song was produced by George FitzGerald, which may be why I like it more, but her voice matches the production extremely well, making the track an album highlight. All My Lovin’ is co-produced by Joker, the king of the Bristol dubstep scene, who has been disappointingly hidden in his recent activities. His input on the album is evident from the start. The track is edgy and different, again assisting my point about how Katy would be better off moving towards a more edgy sound. Tumbling Down features a heavier, slower bass beat. This track is similar to Crying For No Reason in its pace and feeling, but simply much better. Everything has a heavier, again, house feeling, with a very clean production behind it. The song is simple in feeling and is essentially very good, without overcomplicating itself. The track Play features the incredibly talented Sampha, a hugely distinctive voice which adds layers to the track. I would like to hear more from this artist, but for the moment the production and vocal presence on this track will satisfy demand. Sapphire Blue is much slower, with an interesting sound and soothing vocals. The track is very relaxing, despite the lyricism slightly letting the track down. Emotions is another track in which Katy proves her vocal ability, in no uncertain terms creating an extremely song track. The backing track takes a fairly large step back for the majority of the song, highlighting the simple strength of her voice. Still continues this theme, however the chorus is much larger and more soulful, and the production is faster and more subtle. The track is a powerful end to the album, and I’m sure will become very much more popular as proof of exactly how talented this young lady is.

Friend Within – The Underground EP

Friend Within has entered 2014 running, off the back of being announced as Annie Mac’s sound for 2014, with the release of his latest EP, The Underground EP. He gained recognition for his work remixing other artists, including Bondax’s Giving It All and the singer Ella Eyre’ track Deeper, however the track with gained him most attention was the track The Renegade. BBC Radio 1, as usual, have successfully staked their claim over the artist, proving instrumental in his rise, including an Essential Mix and a Minimix. Once again, the BBC provide great vision and I recommend that you listen to the power of this man’s musical talent, his feel-good style and bass heavy tracks are impossible to dislike.

In this EP, Friend Within displays exactly why he is Annie Mac’s sound for 2014. The versatility of this artist is incredible, having found a path to fame through the sound of Renegade, a bass heavy anthem which balances the influences of both garage and house to great effect. Here the artist takes a darker turn into a deeper, more intense sound. I think the main point of this EP is to make people sit up and start to take the man seriously, instead of simply filing him alongside every other house artist emerging at the moment. I personally agree that this artist will truly make 2014 his own, as he really enters the scene and watches it evolve around him. Although this EP will not be the greatest thing you have ever heard, I think the potential shown in the music is the thing which shines through.

More has a slow, deep feel. The Underground spirit really comes through in this track, living up to the title of the EP. The track is very different to the bouncy, happy feeling of Friend Within’s single Renegade, or even like and of their remixes. It is a different take for the artist, one which displays the variety in their talents. The Show is a little more upbeat, with the chunky bass we are used to. It is almost trance meets house in its feeling, with a big snare drum setting the pace but with dinky house style over the top. The sound then moves into more hardcore territory, with a faster beat and a variety of sounds used. The Trouble is a more chunky feeling but the track never moves away from the original feeling of being slightly darker and more mysterious than the standard house track we see from groups associated with this artist. In The Underground, the mood changes once again, to become more intense in feeling, with more concentration on the bass and the sound which characterises the style of this incredible artist. It is very clear why the EP is named after this track, a clear highlight of this body of music.

Clean Bandit – The new formula

It is very rare that an artist really changes how the music world thinks. There, of course, have been real revolutionaries throughout the history of music, creating the start of a new era of music, of which the examples are countless. However this is becoming increasingly rare, with music tending to evolve as sub genres, and coalitions between different forms of music, as is the case with trap music, arising as a meeting point between hip hop and bass music. Even house music, a scene which has been continually growing over the past year, with fantastic new acts such as Disclosure, Bondax, Julio Bashmore and Friend Within changing how we think of dance music, is rooted in the 1980s and has essentially just evolved from other types of music. So when a band that thinks of something completely different comes onto the scene, it is a genuine achievement.

This is the case, in my opinion, with Clean Bandit. Despite not inventing a new genre, and simply moving along the path laid down by other house acts, this group has been attracting attention through its interpretation of the genre. The British group have been around since 2009, but only achieved their first number one track, with Rather Be, in January 2014. The thing which sets the group apart from the competition is the fusion of house music and classical instruments such as viola and cello. The group formed while studying at Cambridge University, and came about through the relationship of James Patterson, the keyboardist for the group, and Grace Chatto, the cellist. Patterson remixed the recordings of Chatto’s quartet, which included the violinist for the group, Milan Neil Amin-Smith.

The fusion of classical music with dance music is one which I have always believed would be hugely successful, and one which, I personally believe, took far too long in the making. Patterson’s production perfectly matches the style created by the string instruments, creating a very clean sound, as the name suggests. Actually the name came about as a translation from a Russian phrase which is used to say ‘utter bastard’, weirdly.

Having worked with another house music mammoth Gorgon City, on the phonomenal track Intentions, this group is on its way up, undoubtedly so. Having already topped the UK charts, their forthcoming album, New Eyes, which is set for release on the 12th of May on Atlantic Records, should be one of the most monumental for the whole year. I can definitely recommend you keep an eye out for that. I would also expect more acts who fuse different genres to form their unique sound, such as Bondax and The Other Tribe, to emerge as time goes by. All in all, a new formula has been found, and I look forward to the end products which arise as a result.