Category Archives: Switched On

Switched On – Black Light Smoke: Ghosts (Scissor and Thread)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Black Light Smoke is the front under which Chicago-born Jordan Lieb makes his music. Currently resident in New York, Lieb has house and techno heritage on his doorstep – and pours it into his debut album.

The album draws on 30 years’ worth of dance music in a search for the real meaning of house music. As it does so it brings in elements of rave, house and soul – and forming them into a structure with strong parallels to a DJ mix.

In a deeper meaning, Ghosts also stands for facing the shadows of the past in order to be able to move forward.

What’s the music like?

This is a cracking dance music album. Jordan Lieb is a talented producer, but he doesn’t have to try too hard to show it – the craft of making a strong album akin to a DJ set comes to him instinctively.

We have an atmospheric, deep opener as Sprinkles Says casts an evocative nocturnal atmosphere, and then a thoughtful, voice-led track in the shape of 727 Anthem (House Is Black), which sets out the stall for an album that works as well for the head as it does for the dancing feet. This is an old-style house track seen through younger eyes, and it’s a strong combination.

Then comes one of two excellent vocal tracks featuring Léah Lazonick. Hearts Not Broken is slightly eerie, the spoken word vocal in the verse cutting to a distant harmony for the chorus. Later on, Ghosts itself has smoky, wispy outlines.

Elsewhere, Lieb gets down to business. Pleasure Chaser, The Beat Direct and Out From Within are the sort of deep house tracks we might have expected from the likes of Kevin Yost in the late 1990s, though Lieb creates a very different mood in each one. Love Triangle goes deeper and sultry, but Prisoner is peak time house, its piano ringing out above the dancing throng.

Resonate feels like classic, late 1980s techno, with fat synth lines, while In The Valley has mellow, rich chords to lie on. By way of a contrast, Nighttime Honey keeps its rough edges, vinyl crackles and all, looking out on a nocturnal city scape as it seeks company. Finally The Storm fizzes and crackles, one of the faster tracks of the album taking us out on a high.

Does it all work?

It does. Lieb keeps his music interesting throughout, crackling with atmosphere, and very much setting the scene of late night cities. Social elements are subtly explored, too.

Is it recommended?

Wholeheartedly – this is a fine dance music record. When you buy it, though, you can kill two birds with one stone, because Lieb is donating 100% of all his proceeds to Little Bit Foundation, empowering students living in poverty to achieve their academic goals.

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Switched On – Brandt Brauer Frick: Multi Faith Prayer Room (Because Music)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

For their latest album, the trio of Daniel Brandt, Jan Brauer and Paul Frick wanted to go back to the basics of their first. With a primary aim to make people dance through minimal means, they set about their task, in their words bringing in ‘a narrative element directly inspired by the way a night in a club unfolds, as you go through these different experiences’.

A big part of their thinking was a hook-up with speech artist Mykki Blanco, who takes up vocal duties on ‘Act One’. From that the trio looked to bring in a range of vocalists from different scenes and backgrounds, also preparing a questionnaire that they sent to 500 people asking for their vision of the future and experiences of the present.

What’s the music like?

There is not doubt that Multi Faith Prayer Room sees Brandt Brauer Frick reganing their vitality. They do this through a really well constructed album that takes its listener out on to the dancefloor but then back to the side wall for contemplation.

The dance-based tracks are thrilling, visceral pieces of work, and none more so than the Blanco-fronted Act One. While the vocals won’t appeal to all, his is a gripping tale of clubbing experiences, highs and lows. By contrast, some of the people asked for their vision give it on the multilayered vocal tracks Future and Faith, both full of thought provoking clips.

The instrumental tracks show off the group’s prowess in writing for different forces, especially the way the full scored orchestral intro Side segues into the familiar jagged piano that we hear in Ready To Connect. By contrast Dotted Line and Perpetuate are minimal, dot-dash affairs that cross rhythms to hypnotic effect, the latter stretching towards Orbital in its construction.

The vocal tracks are richly varied, too, from the satin voice of Azekel to the brilliant Duane Harden, whose Closer To You is a hands in the air highlight later on. KOM_I makes a strong impression on Soba, while This Feeling finds Sophie Hunger bringing out the emotion.

Does it all work?

It does. The combination of raw, first principles dance music and thoughtful, song-based material is strong – and the musical inspiration is consistent throughout, with plenty of riffs to latch on to as in all good BBF tracks.

Is it recommended?

It is indeed – Brandt Brauer Frick playing to their strengths and producing some of their best music.

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Switched On – Laurent Garnier: 33 Tours Et Puis S’en Vont (COD 3 QR)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

33 Tours Et Puis S’en Vont is the first album in eight years from Laurent Garnier, one of electronic music’s favourite sons. French dance music without Garnier would be unthinkable; indeed, house and techno without his input would be immensely poorer, even before considering his contribution to more jazzy quarters of the musical sphere.

In his career, Garnier’s output has been notable for its consistency. This bumper album, however, takes him back to the basics of making people dance, in a mixture of instrumental and vocal tracks operating predominantly at a fast tempo.

What’s the music like?

Propulsive. This is Garnier taking his music for the dancefloor back to first principles, with not a filler in sight.

There are many highlights. Au Claire De Ta Lune is excellent, a driving rhythm supporting shimmering textures and a long, arching drone-like figure. If anything In Your Phase is better, with a foreboding combination of slow siren, held notes of peril, a driving beat and an urgent vocal from 22Carbone. This combination of quick, driving rhythms and long, sustained notes serves Garnier really well, together with a sharp instinct for structuring the tracks just right.

Multiple Tributes (to multiple people, for multiple reasons) cools the temperature a little, while Reviens la Nuit is a powerhouse, driving and sharply edged. So too is Saturn Drive Triplex, topped by euphoric vocals and an incisive vocal from Alan Vega as Garnier cranks up the distortion. Trumping all these is The Real World, which gathers strength over 11 minutes to become a powerful and hypnotic masterpiece, Garnier pacing each layer to perfection.

Sado Miso is intriguing, a drum and bass-laced track that shows Garnier hasn’t lost the ability to experiment successfully on a record. This one is nippy to say the least!

Does it all work?

It does. These pieces have the same raw energy that Garnier has demonstrated in his club-based music ever since the late 1980s. A ‘back to basics’ album that reaps dancefloor rewards!

Is it recommended?

It certainly is. This is Laurent Garnier on peak form – and how wonderful it is to still be able to say that a mere 35 years after his debut!

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Switched On – Octave One: Never On Sunday (430 West)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Never On Sunday started as an EP in 2021, headed by the single Contemplate which Octave One recorded with vocalist Karina Mia. Gradually it expanded, with new productions and a clutch of video productions which the brothers are now able to release as an album.

These are the brothers Lenny and Lawrence Burden, who formed Octave One in their Detroit base and have been releasing music for over three decades. Never On Sunday is their first long player in five years.

What’s the music like?

The rolling beats and Karina Mia’s introspective vocal are a good match on Contemplate, and Mia makes a strong contribution to similarly moody cuts The Bearer, where a powerful rhythm gets to the centre of the dancefloor, and Price We Pay, an expansive number.

Lifelike is an evocative instrumental, with metallic glints at the edges, while Tiers gets down to four-to-the-floor business, opening out into a widescreen panorama. Soon After carries a more mysterious profile, as does Mona, while A Moment Of Truth has a relatively coarse string sound, bringing tension to its otherwise foursquare rhythmic profile and building to a powerful finish.

There is a noticeable scene change for Metal Forest, where a serene, fluorescent loop passes between the imaginary trees. Soon a distorted rhythm sets a slow pace, and the area teems with life.

Does it all work?

Pretty much. There is a satisfying ebb and flow in the tempo variations, and also in the blend between instrumentals and vocals, and a an attractive set of bonus tracks which include instrumental versions of the vocal tracks, plus a bruising Skream remix of The Bearer.

Is it recommended?

It is – the Detroit legacy continues to stretch onwards, and Octave One are an outfit right at the forefront of its growth.

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Switched On – Nabihah Iqbal: DREAMER (Ninja Tune)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

DREAMER, Nabihah Iqbal’s follow-up album to her debut Weighing Of The Heart, stands as a story of resolve in the face of considerable hardship.

In early 2020, just as the pandemic was beginning to take hold, Iqbal’s studio was burgled and all her work lost – including the album on which she was working. By this time she was suffering from extreme fatigue and had sustained a broken hand, but worse was to come as her grandfather suffered a brain haemorrhage, and she had to travel to Pakistan to be with the family.

The relocation was unexpectedly beneficial for her music, as she returned to basics away from the electronic trappings, using an acoustic guitar and harmonium to make much of her music. Although the genesis of DREAMER was changed with her experiences, Iqbal found inner strength and power for her music, adding new colours and shades to her sound.

What’s the music like?

Having read the story behind the music you might expect a morose, navel-gazing album – but nothing could be further from the truth. Instead what we have here is music full of rich colours, resolve and positivity, finding an inner strength and power.

The shimmering textures of In Light set the scene, brighly coloured and soaked in heat. This is a theme continued by the sweet melancholy of Dreamer, but which reaches a peak on Sunflower, a heady rush akin to being in the middle of a dancefloor breakdown in the mid 90s. “Count the steps of the sun, comfort me sweet golden one”, speaks Iqbal poetically.

As the album progresses so more acoustic themes are revealed. The descriptive Lilac Twilight presents a rich acoustic picture, while the final three tracks, of a more thoughtful persuasion, offer an aside to self over largely non-digital sound pictures. By contrast, Gentle Heart presents a sumptuous deep house landscape, while Aky River reaches even more vividly for the light, with a strong beat in tow.

Does it all work?

It does. Iqbal’s music casts an unusual light, in a good way – and the lyrical content, while relatively sparse on occasion, is always meaningful. The balance of instrumental and vocal is just right too,

Is it recommended?

It is – this is a rather special album, and responds well to being played at volume!

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