Category Archives: Switched On

On Record – Various Artists: Glücklich VI compiled by Rainer Trüby (Compost Records)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

After a long time on hyetas, Rainer Trüby adds a sixth instalment to his Glücklich series, celebrating Brazilian and Brazilian-flavoured music, old and new.

Trüby is a fanatical collector, leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of happiness, scooping up a number of rarities and vinyl-only gems along the way. It may be two decades since the last Glücklich release, but this one draws on all the elements that made the first five volumes essential for collectors and Brazilian music devotees.

What’s the music like?

Smile-inducing. If you have collected the series to date, you will know what to expect, but for the uninitiated the music here gives an instant, uplifting fix.

If Jon Lucien’s Come With Me To Rio doesn’t get you, with its promise of ‘doing the samba when they want’, then Debbie Cameron & Richard Boone‘s breezy Stop Foolin’ Yourself will. Jean-Marc Jafet‘s Offering goes with a swing, as does Marcia Maria’s piano-fuelled Brasil Nativo.

On the cool side sit Midnight Gigolos with Brother Samba and a winsome Portuguese-language cover of Roy Ayers from Swedes A Bossa Elétrica, Sob A Luz Do Sol.

Meanwhile Trüby himself gets in on the act with a sultry remix of the Gilles Peterson project, Sonzeira‘s The Mystery Of Man.

Does it all work?

Yes. The loving attention to detail extends throughout the tracklisting and as far as the artwork, which once again links Germany and Brazil – the car being a Volkswagen SP2 manufactured in Brazil between 1972 and 1976.

Is it recommended?

It is great to see Rainer Trüby picking up where he left off with this series, investing a great deal of love and devotion into the music. Because of that we get a winsome collection of music capable of bringing the sunshine to any summer.

Switched On: OGRE Sound – WILDER (OGRE Sound)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

As OGRE Sound, Robin Ogden makes music for imaginary films.

In the case of WILDER, his brief is to explore isolation – or, in his words, ‘daily life as an allergenic catalyst for revolution; the closed community as incubator for human dysfunction’ or – deep breath – ‘the occultation of violent aberrance and taboo pathologies birthed from vicious (sub)urban boredom’.

What’s the music like?

Ogden’s words make more sense when the Ballardian soundscapes stretch out in front of the listener – but this is slow, intense music that reveals its secrets gradually, incrementally, keeping a firm grip on its structure. 

The mind’s eye has a constant picture thanks to Ogden’s descriptive writing, which can move from bleak vistas to richly layered soundscapes.

He employs big percussion for A Devil With His Horns and Wilder, while by contrast some of the shorter numbers prove to be disconcerting interludes. Intensity Is The Love Of The Beholder stretches out with sustained lines and a soft, consoling loop. Crucible is darker, glowering in the half light.

With its solid drum track and slightly quicker tempo, Children Of Revenge has an unmistakable ‘closing credits’ feel.

Does it all work?

It does. If you enjoyed the soundtracks to the likes of Stranger Things or The Rig then you’ll get a good deal from Ogden’s writing here. If anything some of the interludes could have been elongated to make more substantial numbers.

Is it recommended?

Yes – with power and precision, OGRE Sound makes a strong impression.

Switched On: Jessy Lanza – Love Hallucination (Hyperdub)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Jessy Lanza’s fourth solo album for Hyperdub was originally intended for other people to sing. However during the writing process, the Canadian singer realised the songs were too close to home for anyone else to sing, the lyrics telling of her own life experience.

The seeds for Love Hallucination sown, she set about collaborating with like minded producers, delivering an album commonly agreed to be her most personal work yet.

What’s the music like?

This album hits on a winning combination of club-savvy productions and personal lyrics, giving Jessy Lanza several ways in which she can move her listeners.

Fragility and anxiety are freely discussed and explored – but so are sexual likes and dislikes, relationship dos and don’ts, dreams and fears. All are freely expressed over beats and trim productions sculpted with the help of well-chosen producers such as Pearson Sound, Tensnake and Jacques Greene.

The voice matches the beats beautifully – in Greene’s case setting a nocturnal scene for Midnight Ontario, or with Tensnake delivering disco goodness for Limbo. By contrast the niggly, angst-ridden tales like Big Pink Rose or Don’t Cry On My Pillow get agitated beats to match.

Yet good as the beats are, the voice is the star – and Lanza’s cool delivery is distinctive but also an instrument that communicates her thoughts and feelings with unerring clarity.

Does it all work?

It does – this music is cool to the touch but full of expression. The urban soundscapes work a treat too.

Is it recommended?

It is. An album that mixes club sensibilities and tales that tell of deeply felt, first hand experience.

On Record – Various Artists: Come Together: Adventures On The Indie Dancefloor 1989-1992 (Cherry Red)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

A generous 4-CD compilation from Cherry Red, billed as a celebration of the Madchester / baggy scene and the Indie-dance crossover.

If you were anywhere near Radio 1 or even Radio 5 in the early 1990s you will have known about the influence this scene had on the singles charts, but Cherry Red are looking at it from the perspective of the clubs. With that in mind the tracks here are presented unmixed and mostly in 12″ form.

What’s the music like?

This is a buoyant collection to raise many smiles among listeners who were there at the time…but will surely serve as the ideal way in to the curious first-timers.

The big hits take care of themselves – Happy Mondays‘ Step On, The Charlatans‘ Indian Rope and Stone Roses‘ Fools Gold are pure Manchester gold. That’s before you consider Inspiral Carpets, James (via the mixing desk of Andrew Weatherall) and Primal Scream (via Terry Farley)

That the scene crossed over to Ibiza is clear from the inclusion of 808 State‘s Pacific State and The Beloved’s The Sun Rising. Shoegaze classics abound too, from Chapterhouse and Spacemen 3 – or leaner, more direct efforts from the likes of Carter USM and Pop Will Eat Itself.

While it’s great to have the well known classics, the bubbles from beneath the surface are even more valuable. Lesser known names such as Paris Angels, The Wendys, Sinister Groove and New Fast Automatic Daffodils prove their worth too.

Does it all work?

It does – and the breadth of styles means that this is a collection to dip into over and over again. It also has the added value of putting overplayed radio hits back in their best context. The Mock Turtles‘ Can You Dig It? is a prime example!

Is it recommended?

Wholeheartedly. As a snapshot of a euphoric time in British music history, Come Together works an absolute treat.

Let’s Dance – Joyhauser: In Memoro (Terminal M)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

After three well-received singles in Wasted, Liberty and Bassdrone, Joyhauser release their debut album. The Belgian duo have spent three years honing their craft, building a strong following underground – but now is the time to put their heads above the parapet and show their true worth.

What’s the music like?

There is some thrilling dancefloor action on In Memoro.

Leben is a powerful opening track, a brooding slower number that catches light halfway through as synth lines flicker like lightning. The coiled spring energy is emphatically released in the quickly paced LXR02, a dark chocolate number with tough beats and a strong workout for the synths.

Elsewhere the combination of minimal but probing synth lines and sharply edged beats yields plenty of rewards. Bassdrone and Liberty are both dancefloor thrillers, and each track brings something to the table.

Does it all work?

Yes. Excitement levels remain high throughout!

Is it recommended?

It is. An excellent debut that bodes well for the future.

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