Picks Of The Week (28.01.23

1. Fox Stevenson - Enemy Brain Entertainment Suite [Pilot Records]

Recommended if you like: Stan SB, Feint, Pop-Punk Listen: Spotify | SoundCloud | Bandcamp

Anyone who knows a little bit about my music taste knows that I love it when DnB is a little cheesy, happy-go-lucky, uplifting, whatever you wanna call it really. The more, the better. So did anyone really think I would miss the chance to talk about a huge new project from my absolute favourite cheesy producer, the cheesiest of them all, mister Stanley Stevenson-Byrne, better known as Fox ~~Cheesenson~~ Stevenson? Of course not!

I've already taken quite the deep dive into his history back when I talked about the cross-cultural phenomenon that was his SHINee remix on here, so I'll spare you the details this time. You can literally click on that link and read it there, after all. Instead, let's jump right into this newest, biggest project of his since his album: The 9-track Enemy Brain Entertainment Suite EP, presented to us by the lovely folks at UKF's Pilot Records!

Track 1: Enemy Brain
In the cheeriest manner possible, Fox invites us into his entertainment suite with the partially titular and theme-setting DnB anthem Enemy Brain. Wonderfully-performed vocals leading us from one catchy sequence to another, effective forward-pushing drums knowing when to build the hype and when to simmer down a bit, Fox's signature cheeky synths bringing sunshine to even the darkest of wintery days, all of it just puts a huge smile on my face. However, once you start paying attention to the lyrics, you will know that there is more to explore behind this well-crafted, joy-bringing facade. Fox's precise and blunt lyrics paint a vivid picture of someone fighting a fierce battle against his mind, the titular adversarial cerebral matter. Even when they try to do everything right by trying to shake off this "bad-vibe haze", they are eventually "just hit like that" with a wave of paralyzing anxiety halfway through the day, leading their mental state of mind into the gutter, where they end up "having pizza for breakfast for the last five days". They just want to spend time with friends, "trying stuff for no reason", but no matter how much they wreck their brain, trying to figure it all out, they simply don't know how to break out of this stasis.

Track 2: For The Taking
Now that we've established our villain, it's time for an alternative perspective, delivered in the form of the Alternative tune For The Taking. The soft-spoken individual acknowledges our anxieties and insecurities, assuring us that they believe in us and things will get better. Even if you might think you botched a chance by hesitating for too long, you sometimes just need to take a step back to see that this opportunity is still yours for the taking. Fox delivers this wisdom on a stunning string-laden symphony of a 126bpm instrumental, with plenty of flim-flamming synths firing through the auditory space while warm, bouncy basses act as a sort of weighted blanket for your soul.

Track 3: Get Through
Speaking of, let's swing over to a more playful House-y vibe, on Get Through. On top of a ridiculously groovy bassline so bouncy that the squishiest of bouncy castles would get jealous of its bounceability, we've got an absolutely delightful lead performed by this uniquely Stevenson-esque electronic hybrid between what sounds like a flute and rave piano that will get stuck in your head before you know it. As happy as this beat is, the lyrics are once again taking a more depressing route. However, rather than anxiety or depression, this time our protagonist is more-so disillusioned with the day-to-day life of modern society. With religion, with idols, with clout-chasing, with performative concern, the whole she-bang. Through all the frankly spot-on cynicism and "impossible days" pulling them down, they try to keep doing their own thing, unbounded from expectations of society and what have you. Even on those days when the "void is calling their name", they know how to proceed: Put your head down and "just get through".

Track 4: Deja Vu
Next, we make our way over to another Alternative vibe, this time of the lo-fi lounge-y kind, fittingly titled Deja Vu. Almost as a response to the protagonist admitting they would rather stay the way they are in Get Through, they are now confronted with an inner multi-layered lethargic voice pointing out their inability or rather unwillingness to change. The conflict comes in the form of a contrasting singular, higher-pitched vocal in the breakdown, explaining how they are just trying to live their values truthfully, before the mass of voices comes back to haunt them once again. This feeling of being settled into a routine and being stuck in a cycle is mirrored in the instrumental's rather low-energy, afterparty vibe. Not only do we start this journey with a literal nostalgia-inducing lo-fi audio crackle filter, the rest of the tight arrangement consisting of whistling synths, subtle pianos, acoustic basses and fantastic drums that sound like they were actually recorded from a live drum session, also does an incredible job to convey the emotions Fox is going for here.

Track 5: Victory Over Truth
Halfway through our 9-track multi-genre journey, we return to the drums and basses, with Fox's anthem against the worst of internet discussion culture, on Victory Over Truth. Everyone who has ever tried to have a civil discussion on an online platform, be it bird- or alien-based, will probably feel with our protagonist here. People whose narcissism prevents them from actually listening to what is being said, acting like their opinion trumps truth and starting to throw out non-sequitur ad hominems, when they don't know how to argue against a point. In other words, people you don't really want to waste your precious time on. Understandably, however, our protagonist has had absolutely enough of this archetype of stupidity and directly confronts them with their annoying tendencies, in the most wonderful of vocal performances. With his full vocal range on display, from the highest high of the Indie Pop chorus to the lower verse tones channeling his inner disappointed parent, Fox takes us on a cheeky vendetta joyride full of great basslines, proper punk live band energy and pointed lyrics that you can't help but sing along to. Or, in my case, attempt to sing along to.

Track 6: Can't Even Tell
After this outburst of energy, we take a breather with some Alternative Rock vibes on Can't Even Tell. With a relaxed live band vibe occasionally injected with some Hey!'s and bleepy-bloopy melodies as the musical backdrop, Fox takes us on a swim through the stream of consciousness of someone with a "weirdo brain". From harmless oddities like philosophising about what would happen to friendships in a postapocalyptic or afterlife scenario and day-dreaming about what they could achieve if they only managed to put "all the right words in the right way", to off-handidly mentioning only hanging by a shoestring and "riding all the mood swings", there really is a lot going on in this strange brain. So much so, in fact, that they are not even sure if these are bad things or not. What we can all agree on, however, is that this tune is a bop and a half!

Track 7: Human In The Evening
Discussion culture isn't the only thing that pisses our weirdo-brained protagonist off when it comes to the internet, no no. On Human In The Evening they show that they are arguably even more furious about the Big Bad Evil that has overtaken the digital landscape over the past decade or so: Social Media. Algorithms that keep pushing its precious never-ending polished-to-infinity stream of content into our timelines, telling us how to live our lives and feel about things, amplifying the worst of humanity, all in the endless quest to try and keep us from ever closing the apps. This effort to lay bare how much this rather bad status quo is slowly but surely hurting us as humans is presented on another absolutely gorgeous DnB instrumental, with a womp-womp-wompy synth lead wonderfully mirroring the rhythm of the ridiculously catchy "there's something underneath this" back-and-forth sequence, some great mood-setting guitar riffs and powerful drums keeping the energy high all throughout. Just like on Victory Over Truth, we're also blessed with a whole vibe switch-up in the last third, which isn't just out of this world and all-around perfect in my eyes, but also makes this one of the longest Fox tunes we've had the pleasure of hearing in quite some time.

Track 8: Still Here
Now let's talk about a little previously presumed dead goodie that Fox decided to throw in, as a thanks for all those who have been following and I guess also pestering him for it for years now: Still Here! As someone who consumes way too much Fox Stevenson, I can definitely hear the age a little by the Miss You era screechiness of the lead synth, but if you pay attention to the lyrics, you'll also feel a bit of shift in its themes. Instead of societal issues or coping with his mental health, this one is telling a story about an individual not quite being able to handle that someone they are deeply connected with is moving on with their life. In fact, they are apparently only realising and sharing their feelings for this other person just as they are about to embark on their journey elsewhere. I must agree with the lyrics there, this is awful timing. Even though the situation is deeply emotional and just all-around sad, the overall musical presentation is once again ridiculously catchy, marvellously danceable and smile-inducingly cheeky in a way that makes me nostalgic for Fox's early days, while still managing to fit into the suite's world.

Track 9: Bring A Coat
Lastly, we've got a lo-fi high-point of a closing chapter, with Bring A Coat. For once, everything just kinda takes a step back and lets the vibe take full reign. Fox's vocals, while straight-up beautiful, remain relatively simple, mostly soothing our agitated state of mind by reminding us that a lot of our fears are self-inflicted. Also, in true parental fashion, they remind us to please bring a coat since it's gotten quite cold outside. This cozy winter-y picture is completed with light, minimalistic drums, some heartwarming piano melodies and a slightly transposed church organ rendition of All This Time's chords. Even if I wasn't already feeling nostalgic due to Still Here, this would have pushed me over the edge to full nostalgia mode. Sometimes all you need are some reassuring words and a big, warm coat.

Conclusion
For me, this is the quintessential Fox Stevenson experience. It has everything I love about his music, uplifting vibes in all shapes and forms, fantastic songwriting about all sorts of topics and just generally impeccable production. All throughout this roughly 30 minute entertainment show there is not a single misstep, every bit of vocal performance and processing sounds absolutely perfect, every drum hits as much as it should, every bassline is groovy and/or makes you feel all fuzzy inside, not to mention everything being mixed together exceptionally well. Those that enjoy Fox's style will adore this one.