Et Musique Pour Tous

Every day, we get further from our past. That distance traveled on a daily basis is also constantly increasing, by the way.

Let me explain. There are two formulas – Moore’s Law and Wright’s Law – that state that technological progress moves with a velocity that accelerates at a neat clip. Moore said that the number of transistors in a computer chip will double every 18 months and others have since taken this principle and applied it to other forms of technology in a broader and more general sense: that the rate of improvement in technology will increase exponentially over time. Wright’s Law, on the other hand, states that progress increases with experience in a fixed progression. Different fields of study advance at different rates, but their speed of advance remains a constant, steady increase.

It’s not too much of a stretch to say that as our technology advances, so does our culture and our way of life.

Which brings me to the root of this musing. I was glancing out of the widow of subway car as the Q Train crossed over the Manhattan Bridge. A soft rain had settled on New York City earlier that day and in the sheen of the early evening, I caught a glimpse of what I thought the city once looked like. Headlights reflecting against the concrete of FDR Drive, steam and smoke pouring out of the roofs of the buildings abutting the parkway. I closed my eyes and was left with only the sound of the train running over the tracks and my imagination, thinking to where I might be if it was twenty or thirty years earlier.

I’m not dumb. That’s not a period in this city’s history that I would want to live through. For those who mistake urban decay for grit and a desperate urban situation for authenticity, it’s a forgivable sin. For those who look at the state of the five boroughs now and see a lack of soul, it’s the nearest point of reference for something different.

Fortunately there are tracks like Snakes Crawl (East Village Mix) that can take a listener back to that time. I’m not sure where the various contributions of Phil Kieran, Burglar Tom, and Bush Tetras all begin and end. But I have to thank them all for putting together this slice of chilled out sonic time travel. First off, the singer for Bush Tetras, Cynthia Sley, is just too cool for you. Period. Don’t even bother trying man, she’s just gonna break your heart. And that groove! The common time drum beat and a three note bass line don’t sound like much on paper but in practice they’re hypnotic. The occasional guitar squall adds a bit of texture and color, but it never breaks the spell. What more can I say? Between the gentle throb of the bass, the bone dry production, the disaffection with a suggestion of menace lurking underneath, it’s all so… untouchably… cool. Cool in a way that intersects with my memories of a New York City to which I have never been and will never go.

So enjoy this as an idealized stand in for that time. Days go by; as they get smaller in the rearview, their image becomes distorted and compressed.  But thanks to the internet, we don’t have to worry about this song disappearing into history.

Phil Kieran, Burglar Tom, And Bush Tetras  - Snakes Crawl (East Village Mix)

I know it began and is supposed to be a product of “the streets”, but trap music probably has a better sense of humor than any other genre.

I’ve noticed that great creative works meant for a wide audience all have one thing in common – they can’t take themselves too seriously. The work of commensurate craftsmen lacks soul. The journeyman can look back, but doesn’t have much acumen for innovation. Pure melody can certainly be pretty, but how can it engage you another level outside of the awe and knee-jerk wonder? It swings the other way of course; comedians tend to make anything a joke and musical punchlines tend to be one note.

A mix, then. A bit of humor sprinkled into a well constructed composition that aims to please with catchy atmosphere, mix in the occasional flash of technicality, and all of a sudden we’re audience to a musical masterclass. This Settle Down remix from Baauer is definitely cooking, in case you didn’t get where I was going yet.

Of course, like so many great reworks, the Harlem Shaker is tearing down and rebuilding some solid source material. The original mix of Settle Down is classic No Doubt: it’s an upbeat bounce that doesn’t skimp on the good vibes. All well and good. Then Harry Bauer Rodrigues swings in with his palette and brush and paints in vibrant, bright colors. The result is enchanting.

Many of the samples are happy to flitter through the background, like the upswinging alarms and the clips of chirping birds. The manipulated “Hey Oh”s from Gwen Stefani have been tweaked into some Harry Belafonte ish. The kick drum cuts through pretty hard, with extra punctuation on the attack. This thing could be playing from the speakers of some futuristic cabana with the sound spilling out onto the synthetic sand of a technobeach where the tides and water temperatures are controlled by the people in attendance. The song is the soundtrack to space age sun worship, in other words.

I’ll be honest, I was in a bit of a funk before this came on. Turns out, this is one last cure for what I’m sure will be my final case of winter blues. Hence the trees and sun and positive vibes in this post. Huh, a piece of music having an emotional reaction on the listener. Who could’ve imagined?

No Doubt – Settle Down (Baauer Remix)

Yes, we’ve covered the work of trill wunderkind Kaytranada here at EMPT not too long ago. But this young man has a treasure trove of scintillating productions just waiting to be dredged up. So, would you leave a diamond mine you knew was still full of that glittering good stuff? All done with the oil well after you’ve filled up your gas tank? Hell no!

Now I’m not gonna front; I’m not familiar with the original cut. My exposure to Janet Jackson’s body of work has been extremely limited to say the least. I mean, I do have memories of her and her brother Michael floating through my consciousness in black and white, looking really cool (but also really angry!) in the video for Scream.

Not that it matters much. I’m absolutely enamored with If (Kaytranada Remix), total lack of context be damned.

First, he starts off with the track with that reverb trick that makes it sound as though Jackson is singing from a room just down the hall and right behind a door. God, I’m a sucker for that. The images those little technique can conjure! Maybe Janet’s warming up in the booth with the backing track before she lays down the vocal cut. When the throb of the bass drum comes in, though, it sounds more like you’re walking down a dank, steamy hallway, with the warm embrace of the club and all its decadent promises just ahead. Then the hi-hat comes in and it establishes this glow-disco glitch groove that Kaytranada could ride out for the rest of the damn track and not much else would matter as I get caught up in the sound. That bounce in the bass tones has just the perfect amount of rump-bumping elasticism too. Right as it sounds likes he’s about to settle in, the cut shifts into straight shimmer mode as Janet’s vocals come into high relief.

This is fog machine R&B, a track that hangs in the air and sets a canvas for the shining, colorful lights as it floats around and overtakes the listener. Lovely.

Janet Jackson – If (Kaytranada Remix)