Here at Blisspop, we aim to show our audience who’s making their mark upon electronic music culture today. We sort through the good and the bad, bringing you the latest sounds. Back at it again with the latest edition of our series, Feedback Friday. This week, our group of Blisspop contributors includes: Aeron Premo, Lu Makoboka, Patrick Blinkhorn, Justin Barini-Riuers and Yvette Bailhache. This week’s music includes tracks by Karma Kid x FONO, Christophe Salin, Marie Davidson, Autechre, and Roosevelt. Check it out below and send us your suggestions for future Feedback Fridays on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
Karma Kid x Fono – “Clap Your Hands”
Aeron Premo – Fono and Karma Kid have teamed up to create a forward thinking yet classic sounding house banger. I am loving the synths on this track (especially the twisty line that comes in around 4:15;) they’re not too piercing, yet strong enough to stand out. The “clap your hands” sample may come across as overused, but I think that is just the tempo talking. All of the vocal samples work incredibly well together and the track is just bursting with loads of energy. All in all, a top quality tune. (8.5/10)
Patrick Blinkhorn – The drums in the intro are solid. That synth that comes in at the one minute in mark is a winner – great sound there. I’m not feeling the repeated vocal sample in the breakdown 100% and I’m not into the snare build at the end of the breakdown either. Solid house track here overall. (6.5/10)
Justin Barini-Rivers – I am immediately digging the samples from a party in the mix; I took it as a peace offering – a sign of good things to come from a completely foreign entity. When it comes you will know, but this song is just the right amount of weird. The arrangement is liquid; it has you jamming and then next thing you know the build is peaking. They are using everything at their disposal to rinse the dancefloor with euphoria and it works. Delays, filters, vocal chops, etc. are warping and mangling these sounds throughout. A thoroughly enjoyable experience in house. (6/10)
Yvette Bailhache – A nice beat from the jump. Initially, I liked the hypeness of this but the hypeness became a little too much for me after the three minute mark (plus I have a wine hangover so that doesn’t help.) Fortunately, things calmed down a bit after four minutes so I found myself feeling it again; I just had to turn the volume down some. Cool sample too; overall I like this. (7/10)
Lu Makoboka – What immediately grabbed my attention in Clap Your hands was the real-world textures that were included. The dialogue that bounced around the stereo field built the kind of expectation where you could just tell something is coming. When we’re finally given the drop it’s good at best but has the potential to fire up any dance floor and have you in a sweat. My favourite element of the track is the definitely the choice of synths as they have a retro edge to them. (6/10)
Christophe Salin – “Shall I Give (Love Another Try)”
Aeron Premo – This is the first track I have heard from Christophe Salin, but I am just loving it. It is so classy in its sound and production — it reminds me very much of “Love Hangover” by Diana Ross. I love the sneaky little key change about 35 seconds in; I was expecting something different, but then it leads to the cool saxophone line and sensual vocal sample. This is a track that’s perfect for a nice summer rooftop party and, production-wise, is right up there with the best of Tensnake and Dimitri from Paris. Bravo! (9/10)
Patrick Blinkhorn – The bassline groove here is excellent. That saxophone element is also a nice touch and I do like the vocal sample in here as well. This is a sexy chill track with heart! (8/10)
Justin Barini-Rivers – I love the old school french touch intro; usually I find it lazy but in this case it works so well. This is a proper track reminding me of the old cuts from Crydamoure but with more soul and less dance floor. The bass line really is able to hold the track together nicely. The syncopated hi-hats offer just enough to catch your ears but are behind it all. Around two minutes it all comes together nicely giving the people what they want. This is a good track, but I keep thinking of all the drums fills and movement that could have been made with this arrangement. It gets a little stale towards the end, but overall a dope track. (5/10)
Yvette Bailhache – I’ve been seeing this guy’s name floating around a lot as of late, but this is my first time pressing play on him. Good end-of-summer/lazy days vibes going on here. Jazzy house in the right settings can be so lovely. Nothing too intricate happening but I like the hard baseline against the chillness of the sax and vocal sample. (7.7/10)
Lu Makoboka – Man oh man, this is so reminiscent of Jamiroquai. There is this “disco-lounge†vibe throughout the five minutes by virtue of the saxophone and the smooth vocals, yet at the same time we’re ordered to get up and dance as a funky bass line leads our body. Another thing to take note of is the frequent deprivation of high frequencies, which makes the bassline sound even more hypnotic. (6/10)
Marie Davidson – “So Right”
Aeron Premo – I have tried to give Essaie Pas (Marie’s duo with partner Pierre Guerineau) a chance, but their tunes are just a bit too minimal for my liking. Marie’s solo work, on the other hand, leaves a bit more room for melody and an open production style. Her vocal melodies in the chorus have a light freestyle edge, the bass synth is killer and the synth pads have a bit of a trance feel — all stuff I really love about this track. This is a dark yet funky tune that has a great groove. I’m looking forward to more of Marie’s new material. (8/10)
Patrick Blinkhorn – That bass lead melody sounds very familiar, perhaps because it’s a generic progression. The percussion sounds and rhythms here are great! The lyrics aren’t doing anything for me. Based on the first few minutes, I was expecting more of a substantial kick, so I was disappointed when the fairly tame kick in shortly before three minutes. There are some good things going on here for sure but on the whole, not for me. (5/10)
Justin Barini-Rivers – A single of off her album Working Class Woman, the forthcoming album on Ninja Tune, the bouncy synth bassline and kick move your body. Marie Davidson’s vocals will serenade you as the affected reverbs serenade the room. Her use of delays is impeccable. A master of her craft, this tune has its own internal rhythm and is so effective with just a few elements. Introducing new sounds with ease Marie Davidson had me from the start, but what really shows her skill is that she will hold you through the entire track. Enjoy and look for the album on October 5th on Ninja Tune. (10/10)
Yvette Bailhache – I have much respect for Ninja Tune; nice to have them pop up on a FF. Not familiar with Marie Davidson, but I like the darkness and sexiness of her voice; perfect for those late-night hang sessions. The beat is cool, although, I felt like I needed a little bit more from it, but Marie’s voice makes up for that. (5.6/10)
Lu Makoboka – Her vocals are really dreamy and somewhat seductive but even with the reverb afflicted vocals, which created an atmospheric environment, I did find myself asking “when is it going to end†on more than one occasion. This may be because of the repetitiveness of the bassline and dreary drums. What did catch my attention, though, is the way she chooses to transition between various sections of the song. A heavily distorted snare abruptly commands our attention, signalling the change in verses. (5/10)
Autechre – “mirrage”
Aeron Premo – As you can probably guess, IDM is not exactly my forte and therefore I have never really paid too much mind to the likes of Autechre. This track seems to be trying very hard to put forth a cinematic vibe, yet when I listen I feel like I’m stuck alone in a parking garage at night waiting for something awful to happen or walking through a neverending cloud of fog and not being able to find a clear spot in the air. This is definitely not music for everybody. If you think that the sound of whirring air is pleasant, then this track is for you. (1/10)
Patrick Blinkhorn – The sounds in “mirrage†are very well designed. I like how the track meshes together and is almost indistinguishable until that sound at 2:51 hits — time seems to pass quicker when listening to “mirrage,†which to me indicates a good listening experience. A friend and music collaborator introduced Autechre to me a few months ago, and at first I didn’t know what to make of their music, but I’ve warmed up to it, especially now that I’m listening through Warp Records’ entire discography. This is a really good track — Autechre is in a league of their own. (9/10)
Justin Barini-Rivers – Autechre is within a handful of artists that I revere. Their textures and sounds have been lauded for quite some time and I am excited to hear another one. This reminds me of every sci-fi scene when they reach the planet for the first time. A lot of emotional and first time experiences is how this feels to me. Even the resonance and monotonous style of this song still has me. It reminds me of the old Burial tracks without any drums. Solid tune for those into the experimental or just looking to scare your friends when they get back home to the apartment. (7/10)
Yvette Bailhache – Ok, this is different in the most minimalistic way ever. I like trying to identify the sounds I’m hearing. I thought maybe this was just going to be the intro into something loud and weird, but after about three minutes I realized, nope, this is it. Due to said wine hangover, I’m appreciative of the lack of loud noise in my headphones right now, but if I was listening to this walking home at night, I’d be scared AF. It’s like a dark wind or shadow is following me and soon I’ll be doomed. Maybe that’s what they were going for? (4/10)
Lu Makoboka – I really don’t know what I just listened too. I mean, I get that it’s drone, though Mirrage felt so lifeless. It seems about perfect for score, although as a listening experience Autechre provided a moment of dullness which lacked any sort of variety. (2/10)
Roosevelt – “Getaway”
Aeron Premo – Roosevelt’s most recent singles “Under The Sun” and “Forgive” (the latter featuring Washed Out) have given me great hopes for his next record. However, I can’t say that “Getaway” is going to be one of the tracks I come back to. While I love the Moroder-esque synth bass tone and the twinkling lines towards the end, I think that the melody is too cliche synthwave-y for my liking and that really prevented me from investing too much further into the track. That being said, I still have high hopes for the record and I look forward to its release. (5/10)
Patrick Blinkhorn – Great arp synth and bassline in here. I’m not in love with the lead vocals, but they aren’t bad. I could listen to this again — solid work. (7.5/10)
Justin Barini-Rivers – A lot of feels pushing around in this track (all the right kinds of course.) The bassline just rolls along, eventually leading to some stunning vocals. The slow building of all the elements throughout really leads to a pay off when the stadium drums come in. The tension just keeps on building, but you don’t feel it the same way. This is an epic song in general. It has the feeling that everything somehow is being resolved at the end making it perfect for the last scene of a movie or a nice summer drive. Roosevelt creates an epic sonic experience but somehow perfectly toe the line between the unexpected and giving the listener what they want. (8/10)
Yvette Bailhache – I’ve got a few Roosevelt tracks from his 2016 album in my collection; I loved the way he played with synth and I thought his voice was adorable, but I don’t know what’s going on with this song. Is this even the same dude? His new album is called Young Love so maybe he’s in a relationship and in loverboy zone right now and if that’s the case, I need to hear from single Roosevelt again; he made much better music. (1/10)
Lulibo Makoboka – The German native is back with a brand new song which actually takes us back to the 80s ‘new romantics’ era, with its tender lyrics and edgy electric guitar near the end. The track does inspire a sense of escape, we’re literally drowned in a whirlwind of synths, but even with that happening a lack of depth is the only element missing in the track. It’s enjoyable and I fear that may be the only issue as a majority of Roosevelt’s catalog is filled with breathtaking bangers. (6/10)
The Winners and Losers:
Christophe Salin – “Shall I Give (Love Another Try)” – 7.1/10
Karma Kid x Fono – “Clap Your Hands” – 6.8/10
Marie Davidson – “So Right” – 6.7/10
Roosevelt – “Getaway” – 5.5/10
Autechre – “mirrage” – 4.6/10