The Opal Tapes affiliate will join the Ghostly International family for a new EP next month.
The fact that this sophomore full-length from deep house stalwart Mark Evetts is a concept album of sorts could be seen as a sign of his growing maturity and confidence as a producer. Taking this viewpoint suggests, though, that he’s only become a fully rounded producer in recent times; in truth, there’s been a sure-footedness and musical richness about output from Mark E for some time. While his sound has evolved over the years – from the slo-mo, sample-heavy loop jams of old to warm, fuzzy deepness via polished nu-disco and heavily electronic deep house – it’s only in recent years that he’s begun to think about his approach more seriously, citing inspirations and building tracks around concepts. It suggests a producer comfortable in his own skin, ready to deliver the sort of album many thought he was capable of.
It’s easy to underestimate just how much Tadd Mullinix has put out over the years, both as hip hop tinged beatsmith Dabrye and as James T. Cotton. The latter has consistently smashed the possibilities of acid wide open, yielding sometimes challenging, sometimes hooky, but always vital 12”s and LPs. Spectral Sound (and its parent label Ghostly International) was the starting point for this tirade against clean production and tidy arrangements, long before the gritty analogue approach was so en vogue. After some time away producing for a whole range of different labels, JTC is bringing it back home with another slice of utterly unquestionable dancefloor dynamite.
Tadd Mullinix returns to Spectral Sound under his JTC alias for the first time since 2010.
Given the lack of glamour and fanfare that has surrounded Mark E’s career to date, it’s only natural that in the array of interviews that have preceded the release of Stone Breaker, the focus has been on the Birmingham based producer’s opinion of disco edits and his relationship to them. It’s become an increasingly distant relationship since those early releases for Jiscomusic and Running Back, and the Merc boss – real name Mark Evetts – has been quite insistent in proclaiming he makes house music.
Close followers of his productions will not be surprised to hear that the core of the nine tracks that make up the album were produced amidst a fruitful period last year which saw Evetts reveal an industrially tinged sound via a number of releases and remixes. In hindsight, his release for the Soft Rocks affiliated imprint Vibrations in particular, proved to be an auspicious portent as to how Stone Breaker would sound.
The heavily pressurised grooves and thick viscous atmospherics that seeped through Escape clearly laid down the template for how Evetts would fill Stone Breaker. By his own concession, this is less a concise album shaped journey and more a collection of tracks primed for various moments on the dancefloor that are worthy of more than a mere twelve inch release. And as such there are plenty of “chug chug bump bump” moments, such as opening gambit “Archway” with a thick, concrete like motorik thump that dominates the swirls of oscilatting keys and indecipherable vocals that swim around the nether regions. Contrasting and complementing these grinding rhythms are tracks such as “The Day”, a blues ridden bump driven by the most pensive of female vocal warbles, or the blaring head nod swagger of “Black Country Saga” which is surely primed for an inevitable Odd Future embellished blend.
It’s likely your affections for this album set will be focused on the colossal album centre piece “Got To Get Me There”. Clocking in at ten minutes, the ease with which the track slowly grows out of the primal robotnik techno beat that characterises the opening three minutes doesn’t hit you upon first listen. Thus when those keys creep in, drenched in soul, it’s an enlightening experience which demands repeat play. There are certain tracks you hear in a personal environment and then spend the rest of your days seeking out a chance to hear it engulf your senses on a speaker rig the size of the Appalachians; “Got To Get Me There” is one of those.
Tony Poland
Hot on the heels of releasing Stone Breaker, Mark E’s debut album which included some real gems alongside plenty of machine funk house music filled with chug and bump, Spectral Sound have announced details of a new EP from the producer that includes the tantalising prospect of a Prins Thomas remix.
Ghostly International offshoot Spectral Sound have announced details of Stone Breaker, the debut album from edit don turned muggy house producer par excellence Mark E, which is set for release in May.
Artist: Childproof Man
Title: Ritual Feeling
Label: Spectral Sound
Genre: Minimal House/Tech House
Format: Digital
Buy From: Juno Download
Spectral Sound, the dancefloor-centric offshoot of companion label Ghostly International is known for releasing leftfield, quirky sounding house and techno from heavyweights such as Audion, Osborne and Seth Troxler.
This “out there” tradition continues with the mysterious Childproof Man’s Ritual Feeling. According to the Ghostly/Spectral Sound website, a demo was sent to them via old school mail with no return address or information attached. The package consisted of two tracks totalling more than 30 minutes of pensive, moody journeys of total groove.
True to its name, title track, Ritual Feeling is a 17 minute steady floor filler with mantra-like vocal samples and a fat bass that just keeps plodding onward, upward and beyond. Play this and the dance floor will hypnotically be in the palm of your hand (plus, there’s plenty of time to mix in and out of the track)! Who’s Been Meaning To is a more subtle, yet equally stunning afffair filled with vocal snippets under an even-keeled thump that hauntingly breaks near the eight-and-a half minute mark gradually delving into deeper and darker terrain as you lose track of all time. Choice debut ep for Childproof Man- who the hell are you?!
Review: Steve Phillips
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Artist: Audion and Mike Parker
Title: Document Part 2
Label: Spectral Sound
Genre: Minimal/Tech House
Format: 12″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download
Another solid sampler from Spectral’s soon to drop Document compilation. Quite a departure from the twisted house of Part 1, this instalment comprises a pair of full-on techno monsters.
Audion’s “Just Me” taps a similar vein to his recent Spectral output, with another relentlessly looping exercise in twisted groove. Carefully timed percussive drops form the body of the tracks, slowly piling into the seething mass of beats and effects. The best way to describe it would be like a deeply disturbing walk through a techno jungle; animalistic growls stir beneath the sequenced undergrowth, while a demented lead calls plaintively overhead. Fun stuff.
The second track comes courtesy of new Spectral signing Mike Parker, a visual artist with a penchant for pitch black techno. “Protolanguage” lives up to its name, taking techno to its most stripped down and primitive. An acid line writhes its way between the steady kick pattern, whilst ominous atmospherics pervade the lower frequencies. Already a favourite with Marcel Dettmann (arguably, the biggest name on the techno circuit at the moment), this is an effective tool for the darkest of dark rooms.
Review: Tom Ensom
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Artist: Seth Troxler, Matthew Dear, Lee Curtiss and Ryan Crosson
Title: Document Part 1
Label: Spectral Sound
Genre: Minimal/Tech House
Format: 12″
Buy From: Juno Records
From Spectral (Ghostly International’s arguably more interesting and definitely more danceable sub-label) comes the first part in a series of ‘Document’ releases consisting of their most infamous stars Seth Troxler, Matthew Dear, Lee Curtiss and Ryan Crosson.
Being the imprint’s all-round charmers and most well-loved American producers, charismatic duo Troxler and Dear had released the much lauded single “Hurt” back in 2009 to a receptive crowd having featured in Konrad Black’s Watergate mix and DJ charts all over.
Martinez’s remix of it is no surprise, but adding rhythmic hi-hats and cheery beats to the shuffles and eerie lyrics for most will be a treat compared to his previous downplayed ‘Dark Soul dub’ of the track.
However, equally dark and subdued is “Life Lessons” by Detroit’s Curtiss, with lows featuring a rumbling kick and bassline and highs built with claps and wandering vocals. Ryan Crosson, who made his name on Wagon Repair and M-nus, brings a whirring builder of energetic percs and a groove-heavy bassline on his “Don’t Look Further”.
Review: Flora Wong
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Artist: Jabberjaw
Title: A Goat On Fire In The Garden of Eden
Label: Spectral Sound
Genre: Minimal/Tech House
Format: 12″
Buy From: Juno Records
Matthew Dear comes reeling back into view with his second release using his Jabberjaw alias with the interestingly titled Goat On Fire In The Garden Of Eden.
The title track is a more paired back rhythmic sound than usual. This is definitely one for the tech house faithful, coming with all the requisite elements to get you doing that shakey wiggly pouty thing on the dancefloor. A big, skittering monster drum track of slow-burning sulphuric house complete with chopped up bongos, a wonderfully druggy synth arrangement with a cut up vocal leading to a killer repetitive hook. The sort of track that will be be caned at 2am on dance floors by all the notable minimal and techno heads from Berlin to Chicago.
The second track “Connie Shake” is another hypnotic groove aimed straight at sweaty late night discotheques. A relentlessly funky groove of the highest order with a simple bassline leaving space for the percussion to build and do the damage.
“Safety Flirt” with it’s squelchy backing, off beat kicks has a more minimal feel and would sit well in sets from the likes of Ashken and Tolfrey. Plenty of dark stabs and twisted rhythms to fire the synapses. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Review: Mark Algar
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