Stonehenge will not not be done tomorrow.
Any and all songs concerning 'Where the demons dwell' shall not be performed today; or, for that matter, at any time in the future.
No little people were harmed in the making of this decision. As a matter of fact, the rationale is quite simple: Calendars across the globe have had their collective last page turned.
The air is still cool but the breeze, it feels different. Police officers have once again begun to exposing their backs to the mayor. Times Square has freed itself from the reign of terror wrought by oversized glass and excessive confetti. College football is nearly forgone a forgone conclusion, it can be said that normalcy has returned. "Auld Lang Syne" might as well be an instrumental; it's lyrics have slump into obscurity for another year. The country writ large is back to its typical existence May God bless America before it drinks and goes home once again.
The new year - this year of our Lord, two-thousand and fifteen - has commenced. All sorts of new is waiting to be uncovered. Which is why Stonehenge, not unlike 1980s hair metal, is a relic best left in the past. As would only be appropriate, then, what follows are but two morsels - two, hor d'oeuvres, - to whet the appetite.
Neither of the two artists below has featured on these pages...until now.
Calling into question the authenticity of that lead in, however, is, SenexBeatzZ. The independent beat-maker out of Lisbon proper, real name Adriano Pedro, was, after all, mentioned in passing during the year-end festivities; and for good reason for good reason. SenexBeatzZ is a hard-hitter. The producer specializes in slow, zouk beats that pack a mean-hook; his specialty being a synthesizer rich haymaker in a "ghetto zouk" style. But Pedro's music is more than a "flavor of the day." Senex makes undeniably heavy beats; affixing dancers to the floor, only to lift them back up with a big ensemble and percussive variety before the ten. Point being that SenexBeatzZ is no amateur, and even further from a one-dimensional presence. Synths are the man's predominant melodic tool, but vocals and strings will make assing appearances as well.
To bring in the new year, though, SenexBeatzZ relies on the formular that works. Released on the 2nd of January, "GhettoZouk (1) 2015" is a hot, twelve-bar zouk instrumental with 8-beat bars. The track - a demo with an A-B-A structure - is based around a woodblock/kick-drum beat; a scraper provides additional percussive intrigue. A melodic and harmonic synth are present from the introduction onward, but the main attraction does not begin until the verse. During the B section, SenexBeatzZ brings in a hi-hat to mark the fourth beats while a third, high pitched hijacks the melody. The result is absolutely mental, and a sign of good things to come (even if it is just a minute long).
Dj Edward is a virtual unknown with an affinity for hockey headwear. But setting aside a partiality for the original-six, the once independent beat-maker has apparently been adopted into Mãn Juh Pruduções family. Much like EdiCerelac, Edward's roots rest Queluz, within the community of Pendão, some eight miles north-east of Lisbon proper. Despite showing a preference for remixes, it is the original, instrumental "Maluco Howe" tracks that leave a lasting impression. Edward's influences are literally, more so than usual, afro-house. A Chicago crescendo is just as likely as glorious percussive dissonance; synths typically carry these melodies. Mid-tempo tracks are generally the norm, Edward is also no stranger to faster kuduro/batida takes
The brevemente below is, thus, an outlier. Regardless, the track is labeled as ImprovizoNoKuduro. Expectations must be maintained high. Similar to the SnexBeazZ demo above, "Milhões Brevemente" is also a hot 12-bar instrumental with 8-beat bars. Despite breakneck pace is set by snare/hi-hat, and A-B-C structure is composed. Two melodicas take charge of harmony and melody, each with a brief four bar phrase. As might be expected, the bassline is typical kuduro; of greater surprise, however, is the eighth note, batida breakdown during the second section that eliminates the necessity for absolute labels. Edward, as it turns out, is a hidden talent that will hopefully be heard from again...sooner rather than later.
- John Noggle
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