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At the beginning of July, Toddla T dropped a masterful piece of production and vivacious vocal work. Of course I'm talking about his collab with Andrea Martin, "Magnet." From his album Foreign Light, it became an easy stand out for me, not just because of the righteous rave line, but because of the way it works with Andrea Martin's emotionally charged vocals. However, I've now realized that I can enjoy the track just as much when it's almost exclusively Andrea. How you ask? Press play and find out.
I cannot help but be starstruck by her incredible delivery. Everything about it screams perfection even though there is no such thing as perfection. She's clearly channeling something and it's absolutely striking to take in. I'm reminded of her track with Switch "I Still Love You," which if I remember correctly was touted as having been recorded in one take, in Switch's kitchen at that. That same raw emotion and feeling comes here in "Magnet," once again proving that baring it all, especially vocally, can result in absolute magic. Stream the original mix below and bask in the brilliance of Andrea Martin. FOLLOW TODDDA T: FACEBOOKSOUNDCLOUDTWITTER FOLLOW ANDREA MARTIN: FACEBOOKSOUNDCLOUDTWITTER
Still to this day, I've never heard a remix that fits the original vocals quite so well. Right off the bat, its hollow, filtered sample strikes me as a perfect bed for Obie's lyrics, and reacts perfectly when Obie says come on, filling out that foundation. Throughout the track, Switch caters his production to suit Obie's inimitable lyrics and delivery. In a fashion reminiscent of Daft Punk, among other revolutionary producers, each added looped and layered sample compliments all those that came before it. I'm thinking specifically of the 'on-hold tone' beep that gives the track the feel that Obie is leaving himself a message reminding himself of what happened the night before. The constant utilization of effects, filtering, adding and removing samples add much needed depth to what could be an incredibly repetitive track. It remains one of my go-to tracks, when I want to impress my friends by reciting all the lyrics, as well as its constant and unmovable status in my 'dance-all-night' playlists.
As I like to do with my Throwback Thursday posts, I often refer back to the place/time I first heard the track in question. As I mentioned before, I first came across Switch's "Got Some Teeth" in DJ Touche's Essential Mix. And as is the theme, it remains one of my favourite and go-to mixes, in part because it showcases an era of electronic/dance music that I was never really a part of, but also because of Touche's incredible mixing of so many incredible tracks, such as Fatboy Slim's remix of Scissor Sisters' "Comfortably Numb," Mr. Oizo's "Flat Beat," the first ever Boy 8-Bit track "The Colonel," a mind blowing mashup of "Forgot About Dre" (starting just before 1:06:00), and maybe the only thing that could top that, Touche's scratch edit of ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" (starting just after 1:33:00). The way "Got Some Teeth" is sandwiched between two fabulously funky tracks in Pleasure's "Disco Doctor" and Dino's "Call Me," furthers the awesome arc of DJ Touche's set, touching on so many styles and genres. Highly recommended listening, especially with the extra time we've got this May 24th weekend, get the full stream from mixcloud here, and follow along with the tracklist, here.
For this week's installment of my Throwback Thursday series, it gives me great pleasure to reintroduce the world to the raw, breathtaking beauty of one of the most organic, soulful, heartfelt and unforgettable vocal performances ever, courtesy Andrea Martin. Its allure is only amplified by Switch's smooth and stunningly beautiful production. The 2011 Dubsided release, "I Still Love You," (which of course is still the way I feel about this decidedly distinguished track) shouldn't remain dormant much longer.
I can still remember hearing this for the first time on Annie Mac's official start to the weekend on BBC Radio One. However I can't decide what captured my attention more, Andrea Martin's unfathomably awesome voice or the rumour that Annie floated out there, saying that Martin had recorded the main vocal in one take, in Switch's kitchen nonetheless. While that rumour obviously magnifies Martin's earth-shattering performance, it remains incomprehensibly and overwhelmingly angelic, regardless of the rumour's validity. Martin's voice bares all of the raw imperfections that accompany heartbreak, and the glaring incompleteness of a spurned lover. It is that combination of the clearly organic, heartfelt flowing of her voice with the harrowing lyrical content, that make the track so formidable and utterly timeless.
Obviously, Martin carries the track with her unforgettable performance, but it is my assertion that Switch's supportive production is the key to this perfect composition. I'm not sure whether it's the subject matter, or the music, but I'm always reminded of Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover." Playing the two back to back, the similarities in musical tone and percussive elements are unmistakable. Both are refined and understated, allowing us to become cocooned by the tremendous lyrical webs they spin. Of the dozens of remixes Martin's performance spurred, I can't say any come close to the original, as they inevitably end up fighting the vocals or simply crumbling under their incredible weight. Only Switch's well thought out and carefully crafted production truly allows Martin to shine. Furthermore, Switch, and his original production, add incredible depth with the supportive vocals samples, ooh-ing and ahh-ing, embodying the lost partner. Mirroring the lyric "I need you to succeed," it truly is the supporting vocals that "make [her] life complete."
