Release of the Week 17/12 – Touch Sensitive’s ‘G.A.L’
Sydney’s own Michael Di Francesco has worked under the name Touch Sensitive since 2013, producing a uniquely bright style of summer electronica beats. His music is deeply embedded in the lighter clubbing scene of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs and North Shore venues. As such he often acts in counterpoint to the bass heavy house music of Melbourne’s clubbing sound, opting for brighter effects and more melodic tracks. With over a year passing since his latest LP Visions, Sydney’s resident vibe factory is back with his summer hit, ‘G.A.L’ featuring American vocalist Daniel Wilson.
‘G.A.L’ acts as a perfect example of Touch Sensitive’s way of producing EDM music that doesn’t revolve around a thumping bassline or massive drop, while still being highly energetic. This upbeat style of electronica is made to dance to, with a constant beat providing a grounded yet dynamic rhythm. However, unlike a house or dubstep song, ‘G.A.L’ has more experimentation and musical movement in the top end, with high pitched synths, swooping electronica effects and Wilson’s impressive vocal range all driving the melody. The lyrics carry Touch Sensitive’s typical emotion impact, telling a story of love and devotion. Bouncing through the song, Touch Sensitive adds small codas and breaks between the verses and the chorus, letting the beat hang in the air before he brings it crashing back down. This has the effect of using the otherwise busy layers of sound to build anticipation and a kinetic response from the listener. However, the layers are somewhat overwhelming, with some of the synth layers moving over the top of each other instead of in harmony with one another as well as the frantic drum machines forcing a fast tempo. While the tempo would otherwise encourage movement, the layered synths prohibit an easy dance. The intensity of ‘G.A.L’ is reminiscent of the more intense sections of a Touch Sensitive set, where the crowd has already warmed up.
