Artist: E Gold feat Alexis Title: Separate Our Hearts Label: Angular Recording Corporation Genre: Disco/Nu-Disco Format: 10", Digital
The Angular Recordings Corporation have made ripples in the murky waters known as the London music scene since their inception in a South London park back in 2003. The labels first release “The New Cross: An Angular Compilation” – which featured amongst other things the first recorded appearance from Bloc Party – lead to certain media outlets announcing the rise of a so called “New Cross Scene” – cue much look of local bemusement. Subsequent releases included early Klaxons and Long Blondes (RIP) as well the continued nurturing of These New Puritans. It’s the latter’s latest album which has formed something of an Annus mirabilis for Angular.
Along with Hidden (released in conjunction with Domino) Angular were central to the resurgence of interest in Cold Wave, with their compilation Cold Waves & Minimal Electronics Volume One a brilliant retrospective of early 80s cold wave and minimal wave curated in conjunction with Wierd Records founder Pieter Schoolwerth.
Further reason to attach words of glowing praise to Angular Recordings comes in the shape of this release from the mysterious E Gold. “Separate Our Hearts” is a one off collision between the duo and Former Violets vocalist Alexis Mary now of Plus Ultra, with E Gold laying a backdrop of snapping percussion and vintage analogue cold synth gargles upon which Mary’s distinct vocals sit with aplomb.
Keeping things in the family, Plus Ultra band member Chris Flatline slows proceedings down on his Distance Remix giving Mary’s vocals an ethereal hue and adding his own synth flourishes. Tom Furse of the The Horrors puts all the elements through the aural grind, chopping up and relooping extracts and regurgitating them over a snapping drum machine groove which is finally joined by Mary’s vocals around the four minute mark. Finally the hotly tipped Ghost Hunter wraps the vocals in a blanket of fragile and oh so beautiful downbeatisms.
Artist: Holy Ghost & Friendly Fires Title: On Board/Hold On Label: XL Genre: Rock/Indie Format: 12″, Digital Buy From:Juno Records, Juno Download
Two bands with a similar cross over between indie and dance fans, the plan to release a joint covers love-in apparently came from a casual meeting between the bands last July. Finally it drops this week, St Albans boys Friendly Fires going first up with their version of Holy Ghost’s Hold On. A DFA classic, this put Holy Ghost on the map (courtesy of some slyly sampled drums from Livin’ It Up by Bell and James). Friendly Fires however give it a totally different feel, with a stuttering beat and stabbing bass taking centre stage along with the Fires’ trademark penchant for layer upon layer of percussion. With the vocal delivered in an off-kilter manner, it’s only the tremeloed synth line that survives from the original, making it a pretty radical cover, but one that works at the same time.
Holy Ghost slow down the tempo on Friendly Fires’ debut single On Board and give it some serious disco action – adding arpeggiated keyboards and a deep bassline as well as some fierce snares. The mantra-like vocals of the original are perfect for a more dance-orientated tune, and Holy Ghost stay faithful to them, making good use of the catchy “don’t stop” chorus. An excellent idea all round, and two great covers to enjoy.
Artist: Various Title: You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Avant Pop Label: People In The Sky Genre: Electro house/Electroclash Format: CD, Digital Buy From:Juno Records, Juno Download
London label People In The Sky present their wares on this collection which they’ve labelled Avant-Garde Pop. Thankfully, anyone expecting Stockhausen mixed with The Saturdays will be disappointed – this is a pleasantly diverse collection, right from the opening Bibio remix of Wax Stag’s “Folk Rock”. Compressed guitars, time-signature changes and crashing drums are all present and correct, and all sound tasteful and pastoral.
More conventional disco/electro-pop fodder comes courtesy of Shoreditch newbies Colouring In and Oko, both of whom are definitely names to keep an eye on. Meanwhile it’s the more freaked out tunes that really give the compilation its character; Remin’s remix of Ghostape is wonderfully glitchy and deranged, but with enough indie soul to make it catchy as hell. Plugs (side-project of Morgan from Does It Offend You, Yeah?) also have a good line in bizarre but brilliant indie, with “Downtown” combining Jesus and Mary Chain sonics with Aeroplane-style beats.
The label’s biggest guns, Friendly Fires, make an appearance with the Nightmoves remix of “On Board”, from 2007 but still a goodie. Plus there’s another stone-cold classic included, Telepathe’s “Chromes On It”, the Brooklyn duo’s head-spinningly beautiful debut.
This is an excellent primer for a growing label and a perfect tonic for anyone bored with stale and generic indie/dance crossovers.
Artist: Gyratory System Title: The Sound-Board Breathes Label: Angular Genre: Rock/indie Format: CD, Digital Buy From:Juno Records, Juno Download
Gyratory System’s debut album takes its inspiration from a museum in Brentford that exhibits antiquated musical instruments, piano rolls and wind-up one man bands.
“That,” says the bands frontman Andrew Blick, “is the kind of sound I’d like to think we’re aiming for.” The Sound-Board Breathes, with its title taken from the epic Milton poem Paradise Lost, has left me struggling for words.
What I assumed to be the conventional guitar-bass-drums-vocals, immediately exposes itself as a random electronic experiment, bringing in trumpets, bongos and French horns.
The closest I can come to classifying this music is through the 80’s electro-psychedelica. As with all experimental creations not everything they attempt is successful, but the tracks “Yowser, Yowser, Yowser” and “Tinseltown” stick in the memory – both are beautiful examples of their bizarre invention.
Peculiar; yes, but this is some seriously danceable stuff throughout.
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