Bedroom Soul: Electronics, Drum Machines, and Otherwise

Timmy Thomas

I haven't posted in what feels like forever...I've recently been listening to a lot of soul music that feature drum machines.  These albums use a minimalist approach, which I find soothing.  Besides the obvious electronic/drum machine heavy albums like Sly Stone There's A Riot Going On and Shuggie Otis Inspiration Information (both albums which I'd consider close to perfect albums and have meant a lot to me for many years), I've also been getting into albums like Timmy Thomas Why Don't We Live Together. 

Why Don't We Live Together is just a fabulous album, one that I just picked up about a month ago, and I play it repeatedly.  Vocals are slightly similar to Otis Redding's, but a little less gritty, and of course, I dig the plaintive, minimal music and drum machine that go with it. 

I also picked up the Little Beaver Party Down album about the same time as the Timmy Thomas album.  The title track is damn sweet, with the opening female chatter, and Little Beaver's voice telling us to "let's party down".

"I Can Dig It Baby" is a nice track as well, off of the 1974 release.  Love the intro drum machine beat, and Little Beaver's vocal wail that kicks off the track...

This album I've had for almost a year, but since I'm talking electronic soul, with drum machines, I couldn't not discuss the wonderful compilation Personal Space, which features damn fine tracks like this:

 and this:

Fricking smooth bedroom, electronic/drum machine soul straight from the 70's and 80's. 

Finally, this album I wouldn't necessarily categorize as "bedroom soul", but it does have a lo-fi, bedroom, electronic feel to it...It's the Young Marble Giants Colossal Youth.

I've owned Colossal Youth for over 15 years, and always thought it was "ok", but it wasn't until recently that I've been rediscovering this album, playing it like crazy, and man, I've missed out for all these years.  Colossal Youth is a fantastic album.  Love Stratton's vocals, the lyrics are dark, keyboards are a little creepy, but the overall sound is endearing, even if a bit cold.     
 

Best Albums of 2012: #5. The Weeknd: Trilogy

Trilogy is compiled of three different mixtape albums that Abel Tesfaye (a.k.a The Weeknd) released throughout 2011.  While these albums were recorded in mixtape format in 2011, Trilogy wasn't released in the stores until November 2012--which is why I'm counting it as a new release of 2012, and #5 in my top seven releases of 2012.  Equal parts R&B, Trip Hop, and Dubstep, all three albums that make up the Trilogy are compelling.  If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the first one, House of Balloons.  It's a little edgier, and has my favorite track, "Wicked Games" on it.  Trilogy is definitely worth picking up, and while you can download the albums in mixtape format, it's worth picking up the 3 album/cd release of the Trilogy because it is remastered, giving it a crisper sound quality. 

 

Old School Video Focus: Mantronix "Bassline"

For today's classic old school video focus, I thought I'd go way back in the hip hop world to the mid-80's with electro hip hoppers Mantronix.  Taken off of their seminal first album Mantronix:  The Album, "Bassline" is not only a classic hip hop track, the video is so freaking cool as well.  Check it out!

Bruce Haack--Electro-Pioneer

Bruce Haack...vocoder man, electronic music guru, musical mastermind, psychedelic pioneer, whatever one may call him (or associate him with), he was a unique talent.  Electronic before Kraftwerk, psychedelic pre-Krautrock, Haack's early music was space age pop songs written for kids, and made some guest appearances on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood over the years.  Haack was also featured on The Johnny Carson Show and The Michael Douglas Show back in the 1970's.  Haack passed away in 1988 at the age of 57, but left some worthy music, certainly interesting to check out if one has a passing interest in early electronic compositions.  An influence on musicians like Beck, Stereolab, Kraftwerk, and has been sampled by hip hop dj's like Cut Chemist.  If I had to choose a favorite of his albums, I would say that the 1970 released The Electric Lucifer is tops.  However, Stones Throw Records put out a good compilation of Haack's music called Farad, which features cuts from 1970-1982.  Here are a few of my favorite cuts composed by Bruce Haack, starting with the space-age pop sounds of "Rita".

Bruce Haack kickin' it with Mr. Rogers

Best Albums/Singles of 2010

Steven Ellison/Flying Lotus contemplating his next masterpiece

OK, I admit that I don't listen to much new music.  Something about the production gets to me, as it's usually so slick and overproduced.  Honestly, I just like the way music from the 60's and 70's sounds much more.  It's more raw, organic, and feels real.  Don't get me wrong--I'm sure there is good music out there these days, but when someone tells me "oh, if you like 'fill-in-the blank (great 60's/70's soul singer)'  then you should definitely check out 'fill-in-the-blank (new retro soul singer)" and I'll almost always be disappointed and I end up turning off the new album and end up putting on Sam Cooke & the Soul Stirrers or something like that.

Nevertheless, even though I'm severely late on a best of 2010 album list, I thought enough of these albums to mention them in this blog:

1.  Flying Lotus "Cosmogramma"---This is really the only masterpiece album of 2010.  Steven Ellison has created a brilliant work, a beautiful mixture of equal parts J Dilla and Alice Coltrane (he is her nephew).  It's electronic, but organic as well.  Instrumental hip hop/jazz/electronic at it's finest.  Actually, Flying Lotus is really their own musical genre. 

2.  Four Tet "There is Love in You"---One of the few electronic artists I truly enjoy.  Great beats, meditative, good head music, great to listen to on headphones.  Their best album since "Rounds".  

3.  Spoon "Transference"---I've been a Spoon fan for years, and this one doesn't disappoint.  I'm glad they went back to the more lo-fi approach of some of their earlier albums.  Still similar influences (Wire, 60's garage), and still great.

4.  Madlib "Medicine Show 3:  Beat Konducta in Africa"---Really, I've gotta give major props to Madlib, and most of the Medicine Show albums (he's been releasing one a month!) have been entertaining, but this one is definitely my favorite.  Good samples of 60's/70's Afro-pop songs with Madlib beats, spliced with what sounds like an advertisement on African tourism.  Great stuff!

5.  Strong Arm Steady "In Search of Stoney Jackson"---Almost everything Madlib produces is gold, and I've got to give the nod this one over the Madlib-produced Guilty Simpson album earlier this year.  Madlib uses great soul samples, along with great beats.  Not hugely into the rapping style of the mc's, but I've grown to like them the more I listen to them.

6.  The Black Keys "Brothers"---These two dudes almost never disappoint.  This is probably their most soulful, and diverse album.  I love that they recorded this at the famed Muscle Shoals studios, and they cover one of my favorite Jerry Butler tracks "Never Gonna Give You Up". 

7.  Kanye West "My Beautiful Dark, Twisted Fantasy"---I wanted to not like this album because I'm not a fan of Kanye West the person, but no one can deny that this is a very good album,and that Kanye is a great producer and rapper.   I don't agree with the masterpiece tag being thrown around by critics in regards to this album, but I would call it a very solid album.  "Power" is my favorite track, as I gotta give props to Kanye sampling my favorite King Crimson track.

8.  Cee-Lo Green "F**k U" single---"The Ladykiller" is a pretty spotty album overall.  I would say I really enjoy about 4 of the tracks (including the single, and probably the ones most 60's/70's soul influenced).  However,  "F**K U" is definitely the single of the year, just a brilliant pop song.  Who could not like this track? 

I listened to many, many more albums in 2010, but these are the albums I've listened to more than 10 times in 2010, which obviously meant they stuck out more than the other releases this year.