The Apples
February 2nd, 2008 by Julijafunk // turntablism
Armed with two saxophones, trumpet, trombone, drums, bass and turntables, nine Israeli funksters leave unforgettable impression. Keeping the crowd dripping with sweat from non-stop ecstatic dancing and jumping, The Apples mix everything from adrenalized funk to exciting elements of jungle and drum’n’bass, and certain touches of traditional Jewish Klezmer. Packed with funky energy from beginning to end, the instrumental blend of soul-jazz and excellent scratch routines of their album Attention!, sounds spontaneous, adventurous and dangerously addictive. “Consumption may cause uncontrollable body movements.”
The Apples – Attention!
The Apples – Natri Ba Makom
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Light-hearted rhythms of various bossa nova interpretations come from all over the world, yet one could not expect such seamless recreation of summery vibes coming from the land of gloomy winters. In their album Kaksi Mannerta (Two Continents), the members of Emma Salokoski Ensemble easily mix the essence of bossa nova aesthetics and traditional Finnish folk. Richly melodic 
Of all the songs I love with endless feeling or thought attachable, 
Obi Best’s debut album, Capades, is a startling and addicting collection of refined pop songs. Whether it is the more orchestral ballads or synth-driven electropop that make up Capades; the record is equally dreamy, witty and infectious. Alex Lilly’s capricious lyrics are tempered by tight musical arrangements, resulting in a playful and most importantly, fun sound. Lilly’s sweet and pellucid vocals, backed by Bram Inscore (keys), John Wood (keys) and Barbara Gruska (drums), elevate the carefully composed and surprisingly complex songs of Obi Best.
Earlier this week it was unbearably hot outside. Although not soon enough, the rain came and drenched absolutely everything. Now the heat is seeping out of the ground and the water evaporates into a sweaty steam that delivers that sweet summer rain smell right to my nose. Lizz Wright’s music fits in perfectly with this smell and humidity – an undercurrent of warmth and passion simmering beneath a blue-gray soundscape. Each element is recorded with killer clarity: her voice, the guitar plucks and strums, the deep double bass string rattle.
The ocean waves roll in. Birds twitter in the distance. The warm Brazilian breeze brushes past your body, your cotton cropped pants comfortable and airy. Some soft bass hits your body, a gentle keyboard line floats in your eardrums. A luscious Portuguese voice serenades your soul. And then, the sound of drumsticks dropped by that gorgeous dark-skinned girl. 
I came home from work grumpy and needed something upbeat. A track I couldn’t ignore. A clever hook I couldn’t help but smile at. Some percussion to make me nod my head and tap my fingers. I found exactly what I needed in Koop’s “Come to Me”. Horns. Cymbals. Hand claps. Classy, seductive vocals. It’s really just jazz, but it’s smooth and clean. When you tire of the syrupy sweetness, “Drum Rhythm A” is a crisp palate cleanser. Both these tracks glide off the new release 
The ‘folktronica’ name has been getting a lot of flack lately, though it may be well deserved. It’s a cheap cliché descriptor for music contructed with the aid of a computer. Yet this doesn’t differentiate from any other genre; we might as well call them hiphoptronica and indierocktronica. Synthesized sounds have a significant influence on nearly all modern music. Folktronica is just a naturalistic (and somewhat minimalistic) approach to songwriting that often uses samples such that you can hear they’re samples and develops a warm atmosphere of sound out of seemingly chilly sounds. Here, 