2018?? I don't know her x

Hello hello lovely people! Welcome to my last post of the year, the last ramblings that rattle through my brain before 2019 hits and we're back and ready to do it all over again (10 points if you know the meme). Ramblings is actually very accurate, as I just want to chat about bits and bobs rather than have a specific theme. Let's look back over the year and enjoy some nostalgic vibes.

I hope you all had lovely Christmases by the way. I haven't stayed at home for over a week in a long time; it was a really needed break and peng to have some proper family time, fights included. I was actually given a vinyl player, amp and speakers by my rents, something I've wanted for a couple years now and I'm majorly hyped for. I've been shopping about to start to build up a collection. Peggy Gou's 'Once' EP I felt was a good start, then I found Burial's 'Untrue' and Basement Jaxx's 'Rooty' for some throwback feels. A nice mix, but it's really made me think about the logistics of album content; there's been an ongoing discussion for a while of whether it's a dying art form, but I really don't think it's going anywhere. There's such a beauty to how you have to consider the general atmosphere an album will create if you pop a vinyl on rather than just picking the best songs to queue. It's a different experience but the outcome can be even more effective, especially when that one song does come on halfway through and everyone gets gassed together. I think albums define the direction an artist is going in when they release their latest music, and even as playlists are becoming ever more popular, I don't reckon they're going anywhere.

On that note, how do you build a playlist? I always used to just base everything off the first song I put in it and then over time it wouldn't make much sense - everything would somehow link to that first song in a way, but as a whole it wouldn't really gel. To break out of that cycle I've done two things; I've started playlists based on a few of my friends, so that way I know what I need to share with them and people with similar taste, and also I get this peng side effect where if I miss them, I can just listen to it and feel closer to them!! Awww, cringe I know, but it does work. Anyway, the other thing I've started doing is giving playlists names that in my head I really relate to a certain feeling music might give me. For example 'oi oi' for when a tune is pure YES no matter where/when it comes on, or I have one called 'boo' for those songs that are cool and interesting but always seem to be a bit spooky or west to put on in most contexts. Honestly, it genuinely seems to be forming more cohesive sets as a whole, so by all means follow my (slightly west) lead.

Spotify's 'Wrapped' playlists have been interesting too. I'm baffled by how much my music taste changes over the year - not just from beginning to end, but even each couple of months, and so the 'most listened to' playlist has been jokes. My top song is 'Let Me Go' by Branko which will come as a surprise to absolutely no one who knows me, I don't think I'm ever going to get over that banger. I've even gotten into the remixes of it again recently, and then re-listened to the original and it's like it's fresh and new again once more. Looking back over it, it's weird to see so many memories that I'd sort of forgotten because I had stopped listening to those songs after a while. In some ways, you can really define who you were at points in your life by what you were listening to, but I didn't realise the accuracy of that could come down to different sections of a year. How certain songs are perfect in just the right moment is something else that struck me scrolling through. Shy FX's 'Gold Dust' edit was the absolute faultless choice at the point it came on during Rudimental's Bestival set and I haven't been able to forget it since. 'Flowers' is always the perfect moment at a house party, no matter what, and nothing bangs better than Jamie XX's 'All Under One Roof Raving' during a long, rainy bus ride, trust me. On a similar train of thought, 'Evening Side' works best in the morning and 'Morning Side' at the end of the night, in my humble opinion.

So, there's just a quick few things I wanted to spill before the clock strikes twelve. Have fun tonight everyone! Be safe and dance well - by your own standards, not other people's. Oh, by the way, I've been listening to my Discover Weekly during this, so check out Misty Cold, Endless, Lit, Soak It Up and Induction when you get the chance. Lots of love xx

BEST 10 SONGS OF 2018 | 24/12/18

It's been a while since I made a blog post, but now I'm back home for the holidays I'm excited to sit down and write up some music thoughts. I've been playing tons of electronic music to my parents to good reception (I think) since I've been back, determined to get them raving. x

Just to catch you up on some things in the last couple of weeks, Disclosure's 'Where Angels Fear To Tread' has been my Christmas mood, and I've just discovered Subjoi's 'Flashing Lights' EP which I have been obsesseddddd with. A couple weeks ago I went down to Brighton and saw Four Tet (3rd time this year!) at Patterns, which has been the best gig I've been to recently. Being at the front and seeing him DJ so close up was a whole different experience. I'm going to save my praise for later in this post, but he never fails to impress.

So, as it's coming to the end of the year, I wanted to do a review of my favourite songs of the year, it's definitely the main trend at the moment. I think it's been a pretty diverse year for music and great stuff has been coming out all over the place. Certain songs define the sound of the year, whether it's pop or tech-house, and these are the top ten I think represent that for me. Opinions are opinions, and I'm not saying I know better than anyone else, but I can vouch that they're all tunes regardless. 

#10 Thank u, next - Ariana Grande

Starting off the list with an extremely niche and obscure artist, most of you probably have never heard of her but I'm great at discovering these hidden gems, it's a gift. In reality, the reason I've included this is the exact opposite. I've never seen a pop song so perfectly marketed for its audience. 'Thank u, next' blew up instantly on release, sends a good message and is catchy af. It's certainly not musically innovative, but it does what it was made for better than any other song this year. Paired with the music video that came with it, I reckon it's one of the key pop culture moments of 2018, and for that it deserves a place on this list. Ariana's vocals are soothingly smooth and gel well with the warm synth chords. Feel good, easy listening. 

#9 Sometimes The Going Gets A Little Tough - Mella Dee Going Got A Bit Tougher Mix - Finn

Can't say much for the original but Mella Dee's remix is pure gold. Feeling down? This will cheer you up. Feeling happy? This will maintain your mood. Going out? This is will get you gassed. Shoutout to my friend Rosie for bringing this track into our circles and not allowing anything else to be played - you've got it into this list. The melody bounces along so cheerfully it's hard not to dance along, and even though it's repetitive it doesn't get old. There's a shorter version, but the 'tougher' mix manages the build ups more effectively and overall produces a better track. 

#8 February 3rd - Jorja Smith

Jorja Smith brought us her first full-length album this year with 'Lost & Found' and it didn't disappoint. I was going through an intense breakup when it came out and so it's always going to have personal meaning to me (same with Lily Allen's 'No Shame' - ouch). Quite a few of the songs had been released before, but out of all of the new content, 'February 3rd' is the most memorable. The instrumentation is stunning, the perfect backing to Jorja's honeydew voice, making the perfect vibe for chillout sessions. The emotions are raw, emphasised by the high note of the chorus hook. My personal favourite part of the song is repeating countermelody in the synth that comes in about halfway and continues almost to the end of the song, bringing you into a trance of 2018 R&B.

#7 Keflavik - Kasper Marrott

Keflavik, meaning 'Driftwood Bay', is a town in Iceland, and Kasper Marrott is a producer from Denmark. He brings fire from the cold fjords to techno with this track, and it's one of my favourites from the genre ever. It's ecstatic, alive, energised, it doesn't stop for the whole eight minutes. I find it quite impressive that it manages to stay continuously interesting for such a long time and at such high energy. There are multiple breakdowns, different layers of melody intertwine and crossover creating completely different sounds, and the bass thumps through the whole time. The complexity of the texture is allowed to work by a simple bassline which keeps everything grounded. 

#6 Immaterial - SOPHIE

SOPHIE's new album this year 'Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides' was a big moment for electronic music this year. It's been nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the Grammy's, and it featured the artist's own vocals for the first time. This track, 'Immaterial', actually features Cecile Believe as the vocalist, but it completely represents SOPHIE's 'hyperkinetic' style. All of the instrumentation is built on waveforms rather than utilising any samples, and so it's completely built from scratch. She is constantly groundbreaking in electronic music, and is the sound of the future. Not to mention, the track is an absolute BOP, with the hard hitting bass and synths making it great to dance to. The bridge and build up to the final chorus is fantastic, and it is one of the best songs I've heard on a night out for pure hype value. We stan!

#5 Night Surfing - Booka Shade Rework - Booka Shade

I always go on about songs being a journey, but this song is a JOURNEY. A rework of the original from their EP 'Cut The Strings', Booka Shade create an emotive masterpiece from what was already a strong track. The suspense grows stronger, the music gets louder, the meaning gets deeper. Even as the arpeggios hop around rapidly, the overarching melody is steady and effective. The bassline springs along underneath, and the waveforms distort to embody a different sound per breakdown of the structure. 04:38 in particular is brilliant, with a slight melodic alteration to emphasise the emotionally-charged drop. Their EP Rosebud which they released quite recently is also really great so check that out, but if you're up for a journey, listen to this one. 

#4 Siren Calls - George Fitzgerald

I really struggled to choose just one track from Fitzgerald's 'All That Must Be', but I settled on 'Siren Calls'. It's ambient, mysterious, I get this image in my head of riding a boat through a foggy swamp, as you hear movements in the waters that you can't see. The air is green, the trees hang low, ripples flow across the top of the water. The drum beat, with the echoing cymbals, is hypnotising, and quite new to my ears. Together with the acid synth it creates a classic electronic sound. It's the silence three minutes in, however, before the music returns once more, that I really love about the song. It's unexpected, as if you think you're safely through the swamp before the mysterious sounds return again. Can't wait to see him at Printworks next year! Along with...

#3 Pick Up - DJ Koze

The one and only. Koze's album 'Knock Knock' is potentially the best one this year, and in particular this track has been everywhere this year. I heard it in countless sets this summer, and it never gets old. It has that air to it as if you've heard it years ago, like it's already nostalgic, and that's really hard to capture. Maybe it's the way he has sampled Melba Moore together with Gladys Knight, and that little guitar hook is fantastic without a doubt. He brings out the melancholic tone to the lyrics that he sampled in a totally unique way over the joyful instrumentation. Other songs on the album are fantastic too, 'Seeing Aliens', 'Colors of Autumn', but 'Pick Up' is definitely the one that is going to be remembered, that will remind us of 2018 in years to come. 

#2 Opal (Four Tet Remix) - Bicep

Nothing reminds me more of this summer than this song. When they launched the confetti cannons at Lost Village on the final drop of the track, everybody felt so united in the moment and I remember it every time. If I was going purely based on personal attachment, this would have to be number one. Four Tet has taken an already great track and with just a few minor alterations to enhance the 'plot' of the music he has perfected it. From the ambient opening to very last second, it's unadulterated enjoyment. He's played it every time I've seen him which indicates how big it's been this year, and it's such a crowd pleaser. The articulated main melody flows seamlessly between soothing and harsh, and the samples of talking voices and Four Tet's classic sporadic metallic tones really add to the atmosphere. The drums are simple and compliment the music pleasantly. I think what really makes this track work is that it never tries too hard; there's no overly exploding drop or moment everything leads up to. It's the feeling it gives you as a whole, and for that, I think it's one of the best songs of 2018.

#1 It Makes You Forget (Itgehane) - Peggy Gou

Somebody had to come first, and I think Peggy Gou deserves that with the year she's had. The Ninja Tune EP 'Once' features this track as one of three, all of which are great, but 'Itgehane' is unquestionably the standout. I also loved her At Night remix so much, but felt like this one is the more iconic choice. Like 'Pick Up', it has the air of an instant classic, but it doesn't sample or make reference to past tracks to create this, you can just tell it's that brilliant. It came on 5 times at a house party I was at earlier in the year, and it really made me realise that you just can't get enough of it. The Korean lyrics are beautiful, and the meaning behind them is awesome. The mixture of acoustic and acid sounds blend wonderfully together, and it's a track for all ages. When music is good, it's just good. In addition, the remixes she's released for 'Itgehane' are all pretty cool in their own way, so check them out here. I recommend the I:Cube one in particular. As she plays more and more around the world and cements her place in the community, 2018 will be the year it all happened for Gou. I can't wait to hear what she has in store for us next year!

So, there's the top 10. Please feel free to share your thoughts or any track I've slept on with me! I've made a Spotify playlist including them all if you want to listen to them all at once, so you can find that here. A few others worth mentioning that are also sick are One More, Silky, Man of the Land and Lightning - Ross from Friends Remix. Merry Christmas everyone! I'm hoping to make another post before New Year, so hopefully see you then. x

MS. LAURYN HILL x O2 ARENA 3/12/18

Last Monday, I saw Lauryn Hill perform at the O2 to celebrate twenty years since the release of the one and only 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'. I don't feel remotely capable or qualified to give a full review of the show, but it was impactful enough for me that I don't feel like I can just leave it out of this blog. 
Her debut album after leaving The Fugees had her nominated for ten Grammys, winning five, and immediately earned her a place as an icon of music. It's one of my favourites of all time, and I couldn't wait to experience it live.

I want to get one thing out of the way straight away; there were definitely major issues with the sound throughout the entire performance, particularly at the beginning. It definitely affected the experience; singalong sections were difficult to recognise and the star was constantly being overpowered by the drums especially. You could tell she was aware of the issues as she consistently mimed up or down to her technical team offstage. Of course, this was disappointing, but I'd rather address it and move on than let it affect my entire opinion of the show. 

Lauryn Hill was decked in an oversized Eighties tartan suit with matching cap, with head-sized square-hoop earrings, all over a sheer top and black bralette. Love. Love. LOVE. It set the tone for the direction she took the set in, liberally rearranging the numbers as she went, scatting back and forth with her three back-up vocalists, breaking out of a strict, rehearsed atmosphere. Perhaps this was where some of the issues with the sound came from, as this is not the typical style you would expect in a venue as big as the O2 Arena, but it's how she wanted to showcase her work. As the show was about to start, the hype woman got everyone in their 20s, 30s etc. to cheer, and it was incredible to hear such an even split over the generations, making you realise the universal impact her music has had on our society. 

Every number was an emotional journey. Opening with 'Lost Ones', moving through the album with highlights in 'Everything is Everything' and 'Final Hour', Hill told her story in retrospective and it was just as powerful. Her voice has somewhat matured in tone when it came to rapping, but the beauty, power and timbre in her singing was still ever-present. Moments when all of her backing would drop out to leave her laid bare highlighted the vocal strength and stage presence she is gifted with. Drawing towards the middle of the set, she gave a beautiful rendition of 'Forgive Them, Father' as a montage of police brutality against African-Americans was played all over the screens. It was incredibly moving, disturbing, raw, everything it needed to be to drive home how serious the issue is. The musical performance intertwined with the visuals to create a moment I was glad I was present to witness, and although Ms. Hill gets a lot of criticism for how she has handled her career since the release of this album, it was reassuring to see her use her platform in this way. As you looked around the audience, everyone was gazing up at the screens in awe, she truly captivated our attention. Other numbers included clips of Nina Simone and other important figures in a similar montage-style, and while the production was somewhat low-budget, it was nevertheless undoubtedly effective.

'Ex-Factor' and 'To Zion' both really hit me in the feels. To hear her speak words of her young love as a grown woman differentiated between the two; in the prior you could sense acknowledgment of her passionate youth from a place of experience and growth. Her feelings had been real, but she had since become more sophisticated in her views and understanding of love. That being said, 'To Zion' brought us an elation and confirmation of her feelings from twenty years ago. Since then, she had watched her baby grow into a man, making all the more poignant her connection to her child, and that the 'joy of my life is in Zion'. Relating the mother-child bond from birth to adulthood all in song, what an experience to share with her audience. 

It wasn't just through song that she conveyed the impact the album had made, however. Taking a pause to tell us a story, Hill described her 1999 performance at Brixton Academy (oi oi South London!!) and the fact that a ten year-old Adele was in that crowd. Adele has spoken before about how 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' is her favourite album of all time, and the message the artist sent of the continuation of legacy acutely expressed the power music has to me. It inspires new music, which does the same in turn, and through generations it allows people to express themselves artistically in a way nothing else can. If Lauryn played a part in bringing Adele to the world, then that's just another reason to love her and her music.

Rounding off the set, along came 'Doo Wop (That Thing)' followed by 'Killing Me Softly With His Song'. Both huge crowd movers, in totally different ways. Everyone around me lost it when the piano chords started coming through for the first one, and it was the most successful singalong of the night, not to say it wasn't without some reinvention onstage. Euphorically uplifting, so much fun, the backup singers and band were just as fantastic as the woman herself. It gave everyone a chance to party properly, before cutting our hearts into pieces with her final song. Her vocals were perfect, and the emotion of the number rained down on us unendingly until she left the stage. It's been twenty years since 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill', and it's still every bit as brilliant today as it was then.  

Discover My Weekly #2 | 3/12/18

December has begun and so has Christmas music. Not gonna lie, I'm not a huge fan. Other than indisputable works of art such as 'All I want For Christmas Is You' or 'Last Christmas', I don't really get the idea of listening to one cheesy genre for a whole month. It wasn't a thing in our house growing up at all, so maybe it just comes down to what you're used to. It's actually something me and my flatmates agree on music-wise for once though, so at least it's bringing us together for the holiday season. <3 

I thought it was about time to do another Discover Weekly post, and as if the music gods knew, my playlist was overflowing with great finds. I noticed great variation in particular, which made me wonder whether somehow this is worked in to the algorithm or it's just coincidence. The balance between hype and chill, electronic and acoustic and happy and sad were all relatively perfect for my taste, so without further ado, let's talk sounds and beats.

#1 Delirious - Kimyan Law Remix - Bcee

Kimyan Law is a 23 year-old producer from Austria, Bcee has been making Drum & Bass since 2002 and is the founder of Spearhead Records. I love DnB but rarely find tracks that I find as fresh as I feel I used to, this definitely breaks that cycle. He's taken a classic DnB formula and remixed it in a way where I feel the original tone of the song is there, but it's dramatically transformed. The beat is erratic and exciting, the sampling creates this chant-like effect and the deep, full sound of the synths used creates antithesis with the sharpness of the drums. It's just nice to listen to, and I can imagine huge aerial shots of oceans, deserts, vast planes of land over the top of it. Bass is heavy, but not overpowering, something I think is cliché and quite boring in this area of music generally. It's certainly not repetitive, so Law has managed to keep it interesting for over five minutes; always a good sign. 

#2 Bo & Wing - Maya Jane Coles

Maya Jane Coles is someone I've heard loads about for being up there with London's greatest at the moment but neglected to check out properly. Definitely my loss, as this track from her 2017 album 'Take Flight' is beautiful, and I can't wait to listen to the rest. She's famous for writing, producing, engineering and performing all aspects of the majority of her music, which is an incredible feat in itself. This song is lonely, there's hints of despair and hope intertwined. The slow conga beats and snare with the bass guitar provide a intoxicating base to the sound, and the shrill 8-bit rising patterns and distorted vocals lift this up slightly into the air. It's somewhat thought-provoking, which is hard to explain why when it's just music, no words, but hopefully someone knows what I mean. As we pass into the second half of the song, there's a constant ostinato melody, beautiful in itself, but as the beat shifts several times underneath, you really get carried away with the music, until ultimately you are brought to the end.

#3 We've Been - Frederic Robinson, kordz

Four minutes forty-four of pure bliss. Frederic Robinson is part of Hospital Records, aka 'Med School', where the emphasis is on experimentation, clearly evident in the track. It's a combination of jazz and electronic vibes that I've never heard before, and it's fantastically refreshing. My favourite thing about the track is the seamless transitions between piano and different synthesisers in continuing the rapid-running melody. It summarises the genre-blending nuance that stands behind the track, and combined with the striking bass, it really creates an impact. The music is fast-paced, jumping between sparse and dense textures repeatedly and really keeping you on your toes. If I had to sum it up in one word, I would have to say unpredictable, in the best possible way. Coolest new thing I've heard in a while. 

#4 Mood - Lex Amor

North London lyricist Lex Amor brings us 'Mood', which, to be honest, is a mood. The production is simple and effective, just a classic trap beat with constant hi-hat with rolled chords over the top, it's chilled out but it's got an attitude, just like the rap over the top. I love the way her voice sounds so much, it's so LDN and new, kind of gives me looms. vibes too. The lyrics are really what makes the song, they're relatable and raw. The way she spits relays what she's trying to say, it's the swirling pressure of life weighing down on you, all these different factors giving you stress, not giving you a minute to relax. 

#5 1st World Tragedy - Connie Constance

Another London WoC artist! There can't be enough to be honest. This is quite different to the above though, more jazz-influenced chill vibes, with a slow break-beat and piano, synth and guitar melodies. Her voice is stunning, slightly husky and so warm, and sounds like it was made to mix in with the other sounds of the instrumentation. The lyrics are a comment on our commercial, superficial and capitalist society. This time it is the words that are thought-provoking, and it's pure poetry. It catches the irony of first-world struggles without trivialising it too much or making people feel bad for complaining, the focus is instead on how we've been influenced to think like this. I'm going to link entirety of the lyrics here, but 'your addiction will cut off your dick soon' is my favourite line - genius! The line the song ends on is impactful, and as the instrumentation has completely dropped out, it leaves it on your mind.

That's all for this week, please check out all the artists and if you know anything important that I have missed out or neglected please let me know and I will include it! Enjoy the tunes x