Music Journal #008

Ever since the rumours of a new Justin Timberlake album were debunked a few months back, I don't think I'd be alone in being excited for any new material Timberlake would put out. When it was properly announced that he would return to music, in January, surely enough huge levels of anticipation, hype and pressure mounted up. The 20/20 Experience sees Timberlake make a triumphant return, while confirming he has evolved not just as an artist, but as a person; The most noticeable observation would be that his recent marriage may have accentuated his elated crooning to his loved one - such as on the opener Pusher Love Girl and That Girl. More traditional sounds and influences from soul and funk are welcomed, as a break from the bland, empty electronic pop most R&B artists have put out if nothing else. I think Timberlake's voice is more suited to it too - he comes across as more comfortable on this album, much more so than his (admittedly highly successful and enjoyable) attempt to 'legitimise' himself on Justified. There is plenty of room for exploration; The slick and sharp Suit & Tie makes room for a key change and a guest verse from Jay-Z, while Let The Groove Get In highlights a foray into Latin music. It is as much of a return for Timbaland as it is for Timberlake. The producer's presence is felt with vocal scat contributions as well as production wise - trademark Arab samples and influences embellish Don't Hold The Wall, dramatic strings meet beats that pack a punch on Tunnel Vision while Spaceship Coupe channels Prince-style pop nostalgia. The album is certainly long for a 2013 pop release and many claim it to be over-indulgent. It is indulgent - although I feel it has room to be. Many of the songs seem to consist of different acts and the ideas are developed enough to warrant multiple listens. Certainly instruments and sounds make appearances that go unrecognised at first. It's also worth adding that the final track, the sprawling Blue Ocean Floor doesn't do Timberlake's vocal range too many favours yet still somehow manages to be a heart-melting way to end the record while Timbaland refutes and claims his production skills are outdated. The bonus tracks aren't to be messed with either - an impressive return for the Timbs that hopefully won't disappear any time soon.

When I first listened to tracks such as Open and The Fall from Rhye, I was blown away. Needless to say they are one hell of a way to start an album as they do on Woman. R&B is seeing somewhat of a creative resurgence and internet-blog-sensation Rhye have come right in the thick of it - singer Mike Milosh's vocals have been popular in particular due to how feminine it can sound. His vocals do come across as the centrepiece of the album in terms of track direction and when combined with the stripped-back production on the record it does feel a bit gimmicky, largely consisting of deep synths, sweeping strings and piano chords and soft guitar licks. Every so often things switch up a bit, sometimes for the better (the upbeat Hunger), sometimes for the worse (80s cheese on 3 Days), but for the most part it seems to be content with a thin sound - I guess there's a slight lack of soul. It does feel underdeveloped and under-explored, and occasionally forced and insincere, however overall it is a solid record well worth a listen, really pleasant to the ear with an always beautiful, sometimes melancholic feeling to it.

Previously, I'd been really impressed by Kim Brown's Evermind EP and thankfully her Spring Theory EP helped to cement her consistency. Camera Moves showcases more of Kim Brown's penchant for music with an adventurous tone, the soundtrack to some sort of exotic, meaningful journey. The deep house track progresses nicely with the artists seemingly knowing when to bring in the right layers and emphasise the depth of the music. Based On A True Story, the other track on the EP is also a delight, however it tells less of a story and leans more towards rejoicing in the moment of the now - the mood of the song is much lighter than the EP's opener. Kim Brown continues to impress.

Wen's Commotion EP is a deep, dark and downright unsettling affair. The largely low-end frequency dubstep release samples an urban palette of eerie string chords, basic percussion sounds and short, snappy vocal cuts - notably Trim's vocals from his James Blake collaboration on Road. The title track shares common ground with grime style synths it uses and the grime influence turns out to be a theme running throughout the EP. Due to the limited pieces Wen works with, the release has a similar, somewhat barebones feel during every track. The way that the artist works and reworks ideas and pushes ideas as far as feasible is impressive, although it does feel like two tracks' worth of expression is stretched out to four.


I delve into The North Borders with unreasonably high expectations; Bonobo's Black Sands sits firmly in my list of top five all-time albums. The first single from the new album, Cirrus, conjures a flurry of ecstatic emotions, joy, hopes and dreams, belief. The chimes of percussion leading the track bring colours to mind - like much of the rest of the album, the organic sound brings these raw feelings and experiences to the forefront of the mind. Lower frequencies are used to devastating effect on the album, meaning many of the tracks sound like they'd be fantastic for the dancefloor as well as making for an engaging bedroom listen. Black Sands certainly had a more soundtrack feel to it, while The North Borders feels like a notch up from the downtempo/trip-hop sound - there's even some Burial-channelling garage two-thirds way through. Listening to the album is a very positive experience for the most part, once again thanks to the moods it inspires, with the concurrent theme being discovery as far as I can tell. It feels like stepping out into a new world, as if it was the audio-equivalent of post-prologue Skyrim. Bonobo's production never feels forced and songs feel like they've naturally grown into themselves, and the effortless production pays off as the record has room to breathe. It's impossible to ignore the collaboration with Erykah Badu which turns out to be fittingly experimental and delightfully provocative. I love how much soul this release has, affirming what I've come to expect from Bonobo. When the completely computer-generated strings and synths sweep in and out, at times playfully dancing and at times weeping mournfully or even bitter-sweetly, it never stops feeling real - not an uncommon pitfall for producers today. Vocalists that feature on the album do a sterling job - Bonobo chooses whether to have them compliment the song such as with Szjerdene or to have them lead the track, such as on the opener with Grey Reverand or as on Pieces, where Cornelia's voice is like a pleasant lullaby bringing a lovely album to closure. There's no huge step out of his element for Bonobo on The North Borders, no particularly great progression to a new production style; what there is, however, is progression as an artist proven by how beautiful and well-refined this album is. A fantastic listen and worthy follow-up to one of my favourite albums of all time.

I want to claim that Vondelpark sound like a mix between James Blake and Mount Kimbie, but I know that that is effectively Mount Kimbie's old live set. I actually caught Vondelpark back at a James Blake gig where they played support. Their music was quite a bit less urgent then, trapped in a dream state. On Seabed, their debut album, although their music has picked up a bit of pace, they sound like they've avoided rushing the tracks as much as their EPs. The songs have a bit of depth, and there are many gems to find if you keep digging, especially into tracks such as the updated version of California Analog Dream. Vocals take more of a centric role now too, played with to add to that hazy feel of the album, while sometimes paving the way forward on Closer. The album deftly skips along the fine line between modern UK electronic music and contemporary R&B, and the album is a delicately enjoyable experience. "I'm so tired of trying to be your friend", is sung over Seabed, and it sounds like Vondelpark are doing the same with the music they're making, stepping into their own shoes and growing on their own.

There was something surprising about hearing that Hugh Laurie had an album out, but on listening to Let Them Talk it didn't feel at all wrong or counter-intuitive. The album for the most part is gentle to the ear and easy to listen to, consisting largely of blues covers whilst taking leaves from the books of blues-rock, jazz and Americana. Hugh Laurie seems to emphasise approachability over stepping on new terrain which does slightly disappoint however the record does what it does well. Despite the occasional misstep, it's a fun listen. The opening track, St James Infirmary, is jazzy-blues cut with fantastic groove and kicks procedures off fantastically. Hugh Laurie's voice does take some getting used to; It's a pleasant enough voice, although at times the boundaries of his range stand out too much and he sounds too similar over different styles of pieces which can be disconcerting. Tracks such as You Don't Know My Mind benefit from the guest vocalist over the Southern-US instrumental. Some of the string arrangements on the record are wonderfully illustrious and piano-driven tracks such as Tipitina really hold their own. Let Them Talk is frequently entertaining, rarely tiresome and never ground-breaking; certainly worth a listen.

Inga Copeland's strange vocals usually go enshrouded by typical Hype Williams mysticism and distortion, therefore it's interesting to see how they fare when leading a track more prominently on her EP, Don't Look Back, That's Not Where You're Going. The first track stutters with the uncertainty akin Odd Future production and is used to set the scene, never actually going anywhere - just lulling listeners into hypnotic paralysis. Speak is much more straightforward, with Inga Copeland's vocals standing on their own for what seems the first time, with a slight Bambi-like wobble. Production on the EP matures and develops by the third track, A&E, thanks to Martyn's handiwork, inspiring the most intriguing singing performance on the record. There is greater depth in this track than the others, resulting in the longest track on there at four and a half minutes; an admirably encapsulating EP that only occasionally feels slightly under-developed.

Amygdala is an album from DJ Koze, well known in Germany for his playful, positive electronic productions. It was an absolute delight to listen as DJ Koze hopped from off-kilter techno and sensually-textured house, ambient movements to relentless bass with funk guitar licks (as on Marilyn Whirlwind). A few vocalists are called in and the first track featuring Caribou feels like a real collaboration as opposed to a guest appearance, nodding to Dan Snaith's sound aesthetic. I'm convinced the cut with Apparat, Nices Wölkchen, a gentle, comforting techno lament, is one of the best tracks of the year so far, as is the delectable strangeness on My Plans with Matthew Dear. DJ Koze's production style is very eccentric - an unusual range of instruments and layers tend to spring up unexpectedly - and that has imbued the record with memorable personality. It's strange and sometimes dark but it's warm, intriguing and infectious. It's the kind of record that reminds me why I love music so much - the fact that DJ Koze treats each track as a song in the traditional sense is one of the things that makes its greatness stand out from the rest. Also, just look at that album artwork!

A nice, atmospheric blend of samples are sprinkled with nomadic synth melodies over a solid foundation of a stumbling beat on the title track of Throwing Snow's Aspera EP. Melum maintains the adventurous theme building up to tumultuous climax of hi-hats while Lingerwell slows things down to a softer feeling sound. Behest continues the style trend of the previous tracks and they're all good tracks in their own right. However, on the EP it feels a little thin and it seemed to be too much of the same thing to me. A good listen, but not particularly remarkable.