Things are tipping over nicely for Irish related action at the moment, be it artists or labels. So here’s a quick rundown of whats a gowan.
First up is a new kid on the block from Derry, The Cyclist. With a tape album out in 2011 on Crash Symbols, “Bones In Motion” sees his first vinyl release on Leaving Records/Stones Throw. He takes some house/techno/dub/ambient tropes and mixes them up with a weird production technique where he soaks tracks in waves of distortion, or as he likes to call it Tape Throb, which is quite fitting. At times it can be a bit much but when it works properly it adds a bittersweet fragility to proceedings instead of a more predictable harshness. He doesn’t let the production get in the way of some glowing melodies, especially on the likes of “Mangel”, the title track, “Sheen” and “Sleeping”. At times it can become a bit much with the likes of “Black Train” and “Dusty” suffering from an over indulgence in grit but overall it highlights a precocious talent with a very bright future.
Moving on to one of the country’s most established producers is the upcoming release on Further Records by John Daly under the pseudonym of The Smoke Clears. Daly’s last outing for Further was the amazing “Sea Level” 12″ which holds a special place for me when played at the wrong speed, turning it’s tranced out techno into a wonderful piece of heavy, cosmic ambience. Daly started out in the realms of the very deepest house before turning things up a notch to more dancefloor focused material so his moniker for this is highly fitting, moving away from that output and in a way – accidentally – extending on the wrong speed joys of “Sea Level”. With “Listen” it feels like he’s combined electro, house, electronica and even some acid and then reworked it at half the speed, delivering some beautiful downtempo nuggets for a hazy summers eve. Of course now I’m eagerly awaiting my wax to arrive so I can hear what it sounds like at 45 instead of 33. But after those years of straight up house cuts I’m happy to see him focus on the deeper side of things again.
One of the highlights of Lunar Disko’s output over the years was the “2012” ep by dutch electro maestro Dj Overdose. He returns to the fold with “The Future of the Planet” and I reckon it’s a career highlight for the label. Kicking off with the smooth robofunk of “Housing Your House” it kicks up a gear with the Carpenter meets West Coast (of Holland) Electro monster “Sandokan”, it’s spooky yet europhoric synths carried along by a stomping electro beat. It takes a grittier turn on the b-side with the jagged edges of “141 Gates” and the sleazier reduced tempo of “Slave” before “Nibiru” closes proceedings off on a somewhat lighter note bringing things round full circle to the opener. A fantastic collage of irresistible hooks and thumping drums.
Staying on the electro tip is the new Defekt 12″ on Dublin’s Signal Code imprint. Previously focusing on throbbing techno, this latest wax is my favourite output from both producer and label. Defekt continues to work within his tried and tested formula of modern electro but melodically he explores some deeper avenues this time around, hinting at the output of Gerard Hanson’s E.R.P. work while retaining his own character.
All City return to the fold with the nutty “Fragments A” 12″ by newcomer Anno Stamm. “I still have the Photographs” takes some Theo Parrish-esque beats and wraps a tense, stabbing melodic refrain around the stuttering beats before a more calming synth closes it out. What sounds like treated live drums kick off the b-side in high tempo fashion on “Purple Clouds” before whirling, near-trance hooks clamber over the incessant beats. The highlight is the gritty closer, “A Triangle Patch of Lip” a woozy techno workout with whiplash percussion and unsettling assonance creeping it’s way to the very end. I love how you never can tell what All City are gonna throw at you, it’s the way it should be.
One Electronica is a new vinyl only Belfast label which hits it’s 3rd release with newcomer The Superior Inferior, “Echelon XIII” , delivering two original tracks and two remixes of the title cut by John Heckle. Heckle’s remixes are, unsurprisingly great, both meaty workouts invoking his usual psychedelic-tinged inflections coupled with those encroaching, pounding drums we’ve come to expect. While the A2 Interstellar Acid Pzychosis is a too cluttered for my liking the real gem on this release is the opening title cut. Melding house with a dab of New Beat, electro and other 80’s influences it slowly unfolds into a rather huge acid cut, leaving it till the final 3rd of the jam to unleash a lowend acid line you don’t see much of these days. He manages to steer well clear of it sounding pointlessly retro either with a well rounded and mature production aesthetic.
Not happy with delivering the goods as part of the Bande Apartment troupe, New Jackson has just released his most high profile release to date on John Talabot’s Hivern Discs, “Sat Around Here Waiting”, another woozy melodic house cut that utilises a unique vocoder sound to add a touching wistfulness to proceedings. Downer House anyone?
Lumigraph is another new young Irish producer making his physical debut this year, this time on tape label Opal Tapes with the “Nautically Inclined” album. His is a pretty great, somewhat noisy assault on house music idioms run through a blender, the odd time invoking the works of Heckle and Malik Pittman’s odder FXHE output (if more agressive than the latter) on “Patty Hearst” and “Tampa Awaits”. But it also moves towards a more current abstract beat style on the likes of “Wavewatcher” and “Sugar-Dunk”, while drenching much of it in a clamorous haze. So much new Irish talent to look out for at the moment and long may it continue.
Fatty Fatty Phonographics continue their edit series with ISM favourite and edit maestro Rahann taking the controls for their 3rd outing. The A-side “Dirtyboyz” is a massive house-disco killer, with what sounds like snare snippets of Jack Your Big Booty with cool 80s disco sounds and vocals and an irresistible groove. The B-sides are more traditional funk/disco cuts that serve their purpose but are overshadowed by the slamming A cut.
Finally, Cork producer Shane Linehan continues to build his Basic Grooves label, now venturing away from just his own solo productions, instead bringing in new Waterford producer Shane Bambrick on Vol.5 with “The Process”, with a sound that nods to the likes of Leonid and Keith Worthy, while on the flip Linehan delivers a remix in his typical 90s influenced style.