Stephen’s Selects #18: January 27th – February 2nd

This is week 18 of Stephen’s Selects!

I took all of your feedback on board and there is now a YouTube version of the playlist to go along with the Spotify version.

Now you can take your pick which medium you’d like the sounds to escape from and enter your brain!

Now, without further ado, here’s the breakdown of Stephen’s Selects #18: January 27th – February 2nd…

1. Mansionair – ‘Alibi’
   – The distortion on the bass in the intro really helps it cut through and become a hook in itself
   – The intro synth riff compliments the bass really nicely with its prominent slides
   – Kick drum is pronounced but not overkill
   – The snare sound is very dry

2. Black Pumas – ‘Fire’
   – Panning in the intro instantly grabs your attention – guitars sound like they’re popping up everywhere
   – The multiple guitar tones are all exceptional and cut through the mix beautifully
   – There is a real classic quality to the vocals
   – Tambourine in the pre-chorus is a lovely addition that helps to bring about change and a sense of a build up
   – “And if there’s a fire, call the fireman. If you’re in pain, baby, call the doctor” – Amazing lyrics!
   – Black Pumas were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist at this year’s Grammys

3. Sunday Service Choir – ‘Follow Me – Faith’
   – The Sunday Service Choir is an American gospel group led by Kanye West. They have performed every Sunday since January 2019!
   – I love the kick sound in the intro and all of the ‘Follow Me’ section – there’s some nice air on it
   – The section at 1:27 really picks up with claps and a busier beat, which really brings about a sense of change
   – The bass line in the ‘Faith’ section is infectious – it can’t be ignored! It comes from ‘Mystery of Love’ by Mr. Fingers
   – The “He’s alive” section at 4.28 is a masterpiece – the beat, the choir, the bass, the brass… everything!
   – In that section, the combination of horns and heavy drums really works well. They usually do work well together. Inception anyone?!

4. The Teskey Brothers – ‘So Caught Up’
   – The Teskey Brothers are an amazing soul/blues rock band from Melbourne, Australia.. bet you weren’t expecting that!
   – This track has a really beautiful sound
   – The backing vocals on “I can’t” at 0.44 is a wonderful piece of production that returns at 0.53 as an even bigger hook
   – Guitar chords are really nicely played and fit the song perfectly
   – The mid range on the bass is mixed really nicely with some extra grit
   – That snare sound is tight!
   – Lovely brass throughout

5. Durand Jones & The Indications – ‘Don’t You Know’
   – That tremelo guitar!
   – The vocal effects are very interesting and create quite a deep, wet sound – a combination of chorus and reverb
   – Chorus on the strings helps to give them a very nice sense of movement in the verse than in the “Don’t You Know” chorus section
   – Throughout the song, there’s a really nice funky guitar panned to the left of the mix that helps to keep things moving… it’s subtle but it’s there!
   – The bass is a real anchor in the song and is mixed at the perfect level
   – The layered sax harmonies at 2.30 are a real highlight

6. Bon Iver – ‘Hey, Ma’
   – The synths create a very anxious, tense feeling
   – There are at least 3 vocal tracks running at all times – lovely vocal layering!
   – The harmonies alternate at various points and become more pure as the song progresses
   – Drums sound like a marching band but they’re sampled
   – Spacey guitars from 2 minutes onwards increase the tension and the atmosphere the song creates

7. Big Thief – ‘UFOF’
   – The “creepy” vocals at the very start capture your attention straight away
   – Very nice acoustic guitar layering – panned wide but not identical
   – Kick drum isn’t too prominent
   – Airy vocals are very nice
   – The sampling and sound design from 2.12 onwards is beautiful when combined with the acoustic guitar and synths

8. GoGo Penguin – ‘Four Corners’
   – Amazing piano intro – very nicely recorded
   – The double bass riff is crystal clear and highly complimentary
   – The drums help to bring everything together and tighten the mix
   – Overall, this mix is very bright, as you can hear from the cymbals and the snare top – it all fits just right

9. Blue Lab Beats, Moses Boyd – ‘Pineapple’
   – As soon as I heard the intro to this, it had me hooked
   – Can you hear the sidechain compression on the kick drum? It ducks everything when it hits
   – The guitar riff/hook that comes in at 0.38 is repetitive and sticks in your head
   – Really nice sax playing coupled with lots of effects. You can play around with the sax a lot. I learned that when I added a lot of delay to our sax player’s jam during a live session back in university. He wasn’t too pleased but I loved it! I’ve since learned to dial it back… a little…
   – This track has hook after hook after hook

10. The Comet Is Coming – ‘Summon The Fire’
    – My good friend Jeff introduced me to this track last week – talk about madness!
    – More sax effects – it’s made to sound like a synth in places
    – This is jazz, funk and psychadelic rock all in one
    – There is space for everything in the mix
    – I’d actually love to hear what you think about this track and what stands out because there’s so much going on…
     
     
    Take some of these notes away, make your own and implement what you’ve learned when you’re making your own music. I have no doubt that they will help you.
     
     
    So, that’s week eighteen of Stephen’s Selects.

     

    Remember that if you like what you hear, then please hit that ‘Follow’ button on Spotify and follow the playlist!

     
    

    Now, I’d love to know…

    
    What did you like about this week’s playlist? What have you learned?
     
    Leave a comment below!

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