Alive In The Superunknown #2 - Please by Jakwob ft Kano

The cover of Jakwob's EP 'The Prize', © Boom Ting Recordings

A couple of weeks ago, I was facing the agonizing dilemma of picking a new song worthy of introducing to the readers of this blog. I wanted to find something new; something special that transcends genres and creates a completely original, unique mood and sound. I was listening to the radio one evening, and on came 'Please' by dubstep producer and DJ Jakwob, featuring hip hop artist Kano. Instantly, I knew I'd found the track that I'd been looking for.

If you were lost at the words 'dubstep' and 'hip hop', then hear me out! As I said, this track doesn't fit comfortably into either genre - it contains the ambient, smooth sounds of some electronic sub-genres (check out the producer Emancipator if you're a fan of the smooth, calm side of this track, as it's very similar to his style), soft vocals reminiscent of alternative artists like Radiohead and early Coldplay, and rap sections coupled with a strong pulse which echoes the key elements of hip hop. In fact, I persuaded one of the biggest rock fans and biggest haters of dubstep and hip hop at my college to listen to this song, and she admitted that "it's pretty cool". Jakwob has thus created a piece of music with 'Please' that contains features of genres like hip hop and electronic that will please (excuse the pun!) die-hard fans of those particular styles, but is also accessible to people who don't necessarily listen to the aforementioned genres.

So, to the song itself. 'Please' truly is a piece of art. My only criticism is that the clapped beats themselves are perhaps too loud, and although they are important to maintain the pulse of the music, they perhaps detract a little from the most original features of the music - the piano melodies and chords, soft vocal singing, unique rapping and ambient background noise. 

The piano introduction alone is a work of genius which wouldn't seem out of place alongside the works of modern classical greats such as Ludovico Einaudi. The piano remains throughout the track and is imperative in keeping a sense of consistency throughout the different sections of the song.

On top of this, Jakwob uses ambient, environmental sounds effectively to transport the listener into a whole new world with his music. Listen closely to the track in a quiet room and you'll notice all sorts of unusual, miscellaneous sounds such as what appears to be the beating of a bird's wings, breathing and quiet, syncopated beats almost too subtle to hear. You get the feeling that 'Please' is more than just a track - it's a mood, an atmosphere and an experience.

The vocals themselves create a perfect top line to accompany the creative backing music. Jakwob's soft, echoed singing puts the listener into a tranquil, calm state, and the deep, poetic lyrics - "Shadows glide in the moonlight/Stars are whispering down" - provide food for thought amongst what is in effect a great piece of contemplation music. Kano's rapping provides a contrast to this, adding a rawer, harsher edge to the minimalist, simple backing music and placid singing of the accompanying verses.  His rapping style is as versatile as Jakwob's production, with intensity and passion juxtaposed with subtlety, calmness and a laid-back feel. As much as that description appears to be a complete mess of contradicting terms, upon hearing the song I'm sure that you'll understand what I mean!

By the end of the track, it has gone full circle, and as the lone piano plays out once again, I for one only have one thought in my mind: Repeat. 'Please' is a track that, in my experience, just doesn't get old. With every listen a new sound is discovered, a new element to the track that adds to its underlying complexity without destroying the overall simplistic, minimalistic sound. As long as Jakwob keeps creating material as special and unique as this, the music industry will certainly be hearing a lot more from him in the future.

PsyD

-------------------

'Please' is available to download for free as part of Jakwob's EP 'The Prize', which is available from his website www.jakwob.com. I've had a brief listen to some of the other songs on the mixtape, and I can safely confirm that they are as unusual and fantastic as 'Please'! It's definitely worth downloading the EP and having a listen.

And now for blog news! Coming up next week I'll of course review an older track, to fit in with the pattern of the 'Alive in the Superunknown' feature of writing about new hits and classic jams alternately. Next week I'll be reviewing...

'If I Were In Your Shoes' by You Me At Six

So stay tuned to the blog for that! 

I may have to put some other projects (my promised article on the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and other articles on gigs/albums) on hold for a week or two now, as the deadline is fast approaching to get my college magazine edited and ready to print before the end of term! After that however, I hope to have a lot of time on my hands, and as a result be able to publish a lot more content on this site. Don't worry though - 'Alive in the Superunknown' is here to stay, and will be posted every week no matter what!

Alive In The Superunknown #1 - Prowler by Iron Maiden

This week sees the debut of a new feature on this blog, ‘Alive In The Superunknown’, in which I choose a track a week and write about its musical significance. There is without a doubt no better way to kickstart this exploration of musical milestones than with a song that was partially responsible for the explosion of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and almost fully responsible for the career of the UK’s biggest (and in my opinion best) ever metal band, Iron Maiden.

The Bandwagon's 'Heavy Metal Chart', with 'Prowler' at the top

Although 'Prowler' itself was never a single, it was the opening track on the band’s first self-titled album, and more importantly opened their first ever demo tape and EP. The band’s demo – which later became ‘The Soundhouse Tapes’ EP – was responsible for their shoot to success in the NWOBHM scene when it was handed to Neal Kay, the DJ at The Bandwagon Heavy Metal Soundhouse. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, The Soundhouse was the centre of the booming London metal scene. When Iron Maiden’s bassist Steve Harris offered Neal Kay his band’s demo, the DJ’s reaction was an incredulous “Yeah, you and half the world mate!”. On the official documentary 'The History of Iron Maiden: The Early Days' Kay admits that it wasn’t until he played the cassette for the first time that he thought “This is really happening! Who are these guys?”. Within a week 'Prowler' was Number 1 on The Bandwagon’s chart of most requested songs, above established and esteemed bands such as Black Sabbath, Rush and Judas Priest. The song was consistently received with a fantastic reception by regulars at the club.

“Me and Paul[Dianno, Iron Maiden’s vocalist at the time] actually went down there one night, and obviously no-one knew who we were, so we just went and stood and sort of, waited to see what happens when we came on, and when they played Prowler the place went berserk! There was people up like, throwing serious shapes, with all the air guitar and all this business. We were going ‘What the hell’s going on here? Is this real thing happening?’” – Steve Harris in 'The History of Iron Maiden: The Early Days'

After the success brought to the band by 'Prowler', they went on to play sold-out shows with storming success at venues like The Bandwagon, which led to them being spotted by EMI and becoming signed artists. The rest, as they say, is history!

Upon listening to ‘Prowler’, it becomes obvious why the song – and as a result the band – was so successful. The track blasts into the speakers with chunky, staccato power chords and a catchy riff layered with a thick wah effect. Paul Dianno’s vocals sound raw and punk-influenced, and coupled with Steve Harris’ signature, virtuosic bass playing style create a truly unique sound. The lyrics may not be especially poetic – centered around a prowling exhibitionist – but if anything their simplicity makes them all the more catchy! It’s practically guaranteed that after listening to 'Prowler', you’ll be singing “Got me talking but, feel like walking around!” all day long. Add to this mix an extremely technical, impressive guitar solo, a fast pace and strong pulse to rock out to, and the melodic guitar and bass flourishes that define the genre, and you’re left with a perfect example of what makes the NWOBHM so great.

By the time the drums roll and crash to the song's conclusion, Iron Maiden have made clear their position in the music scene, as well as establishing the signature sound that is still present in even their latest albums. The raw, untamed energy and musical talent of 'Prowler' is the very reason why Iron Maiden rose to the position that they are at, and why to this day, decades after the song’s release, they are still at the top of the heavy metal game.

...So, there's the first edition of 'Alive In The Superunknown'! What did you think? (Leave constructive feedback below, please!) I can now reveal that the song that I'll be writing about next week is...

'Please' by Jakwob ft. Kano

In case you've missed some of my earlier blog posts, the reason why I'm following such a classic metal track with a brand new, experimental jam is because each week I'll be alternating between older, milestone tracks and new, exciting hits. This means that by following the blog, you might discover a new favourite band from the realms of past or present music! 

Leave a comment if there are any new or classic songs that you'd like to see me write about - I take requests!

PsyD

Nameless + Last Man Standing + Hex – Saturday 16th June 2012, Stoke Sugarmill

Usually, The Sugarmill in Stoke is full of life on a Saturday night, with music fans flocking to see local bands doing what they do best to celebrate the weekend. However, due to a combination of the gig’s clash with Stoke 2012 Live, which saw a host of chart-topping megastars perform live in the city, and the failure of some of the Sugarmill concert’s performers in captivating the crowd, the gig was sadly disappointing overall.

To begin, Sugarmill first-timers Hex provided a fantastic start to the show, and the evening looked optimistic despite a sparse audience. Their note-perfect covers of well-known hits like Jet’s ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ and Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ went down a storm, and the enthusiastic audience gradually increased in number and in energy throughout their set. The band had a strong stage presence, casually interacting with the crowd throughout, and their confidence and energy shone through. Their ‘70s/’80s metal-inspired sound and sense of fun meant that the audience clapped and sang along with gusto and Hex left the stage to rapturous applause.

 However, the show went downhill from here, sadly, with Last Man Standing (see left). Musically, they couldn’t be faulted, with soaring vocals, extremely technical guitar work and a classic NWOBHM*-esque sound. The issue came with their stage presence. Where Hex appeared to be having a whale of a time onstage, Last Man Standing looked lethargic and shy throughout, as if playing in a room on their own. Indeed, they nearly ended up achieving this result – as their set went on, the crowd dispersed more and more. The band only seemed to truly let go and become comfortable onstage with the last song of their set, where we finally saw movement and enjoyment on the faces of the 5-piece, but it was too little too late – by that point, they’d already lost most of the audience drawn by Hex, and failed to warm the crowd up for Nameless.

On the other hand, Nameless (see right) performed a great set, both musically and regarding crowd interaction. However, because of the destruction of momentum caused by Last Man Standing, they played to around 40 people in a venue with a capacity of 400, and these few people most definitely weren’t ready to rock. In terms of music, the band displayed Metallica-style vocals, and more NWOBHM and Thrash Metal influenced distorted guitars, basslines and drum beats. The hyper-active frontman seemed the embodiment of the ‘rock n’ roll attitude’ that Hex utilised and that Last Man Standing failed to express, with one-liners like “We’re Nameless and we’ve already broke the mic. Let’s see you clapping, you’ve all got hands!” entertaining the audience throughout. The lead guitarist even ran into the audience and performed a solo with his guitar around someone’s neck, in an attempt to turn the show around and win back the crowd! If I were to review Nameless’ set in terms of their performance only therefore, and filtered out the lack of atmosphere brought about by the lack of an enthusiastic audience, it’d be safe to say that Nameless gave it their all, and on any other night the gig would’ve been an immense success.

Overall, Hex and Nameless performed outstanding sets, marred only by the lack of audience and apathetic atmosphere in the venue on that particular night. I definitely recommend seeing the two acts live again, as they deserved a much better reception than they were given at this gig. Last Man Standing had a lot of room for improvement in terms of the entertainment quality of their live concerts, but if it’s just good, honest rock music that you’re looking for, then they might be worth a watch too.

PsyD

-------------------

Check out Nameless at:

http://www.myspace.com/namelessrox

Hex at:

http://www.reverbnation.com/hexmusic

And I couldn’t find a website for Last Man Standing (leave a comment if you know the address of their official website and I’ll happily add it to here), but check them out anyway if you see them around in any of your local music venues!

Coming up on Superunknown:

•  This weekend I’ll post the first entry in a new feature ‘Alive in the Superunknown’ where I review a new jam or classic hit weekly. This week: Prowler by Iron Maiden
•  After writing the below footnote, I’ve also decided to produce a blog post on the NWOBHM* movement (as a lifelong Iron Maiden fan, it’s something which has always interested me), so you can expect that sometime in June or early July!

*NWOBHM stands for New Wave of British Heavy Metal – a rock music sensation in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, before the advent of glam rock and nu-metal.