EP Review: Wonder & Amazement - Grand Corporation

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​Wonder & Amazement - Grand Corporation

It has been a while since I've last checked out anything on Classic but this new EP from Grand Corporation grabbed me almost instantly.

Grand Corporation is a collaboration between Stevie Kotey of Bearfunk and Andy Meecham of both Chicken Lips and Emperor Machine. 'Wonder & Amazement' is one of those records that treads a really fine line between classic (lower-c) and contemporary. And you can clearly hear Meecham's hands all over this.

The vocal, from Jeremy Glen, feels like that of the kind of quintessential house  you don't hear all too often these days - soulful, uplifting but not over-done. The music slots itself in amongst the vocal-work without drowning it out too much and the result has some vintage house elements - much of the percussion has a distinctly old skool vibe, big rim-shots and rolling drums together with classic 808 sounding beats. The warm melody, devoid of any treble, feels very contemporary however and yet it still fits the track perfectly. The result is sophisticated without being pretentious.

There are a number of mixes across the physical twelve and the digital release. Deetron gives the original a pretty big boost, throwing in a tweaked version of the melody that builds in layers, adding a gnarly acid kick. The vocal still gets plenty of room in the main version of the mix though and it is a pretty faultless revision (there is a dub on the vinyl release).

Crooked Man is a pseudonym of Sheffield's DJ Parrot, of The All Seeing Eye fame, and he delivers a couple more mixes. Both are considerably deeper than the original and there are similarities between the two but it is the percussive 'Crooked Sky Mix' on the digital release that is the more essential.

The digital release also gets a cymbal heavy mix by Japan's Yosa and whilst it is pretty far abstracted from the original it isn't without charm, a warm, analogue sounding techno joint.

Given the break down of the mixes the digital version is definitely the better value here - whilst none of the mixes are without merit the digital release gets every one of the essential ones. It is like thought that this is one record that would sound beautiful on vinyl.

Wonder & Amazement is released through Classic next week on 12" and digital release, available for pre-order from Amazon.co.uk on MP3 [affiliate link].​

Album Review: Until The Quiet Comes - Flying Lotus

Flying Lotus belongs to that group of artists from whom a new album marks a real event moment. As with artists like Radiohead, the Flaming Lips, Björk, Sufjan Stevens and even Kanye West a new album from Flying Lotus, real name Steven Ellison, tends to be a fascinating first listen regardless of whether you like him - you never quite know what to expect.

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​Until The Quiet Comes - Flying Lotus

Cosmogramma was my favourite album of 2010 (review here). Whilst Flying Lotus' previous albums demonstrated his production ability and creativity his third album was the one the blew everything out into widescreen, like some musical big bang moment. There were vocals from Thom Yorke, songs made of ping-pong matches, the jazz influences and that crazy bass playing from Thunderclap. Yet for all it's exploration it also hung together, a bohemian statement of everything-ness - consistent in that nothing was left out and no concept dwelled for too long.

In comparison Until The Quiet Comes feels strangely focused. It still takes in a lot of sounds and ideas but it doesn't reel from the same explosive sense that Cosmogramma did. Opening with the kind of J Dilla referencing sparkly instrumental hip-hop that he has been making for years, 'All In' is much less of a confrontational start than 'Clock Catcher' was on Cosmogramma. Where that album gradually bottomed out into increasingly jazzy, free form pieces, Until The Quiet Comes starts in a relatively welcoming fashion and then hits you with some of the least accessible moments Ellison has released on an album.

So after that clutch of jazzy tracks 'Tiny Tortures' starts a run of heavy-bassed, beat-lead pieces. These capture the Flying Lotus experimental production style and individually are no harder to penetrate than the most eccentric moments of Cosmogramma but here, all at once, it is a little too much, too soon. The yin to the opening four tracks' yang.

From there though we get the album we want. Erykah Badu's collaboration on the rhythmic 'See Thru To U' is arresting, her vocals providing almost the only melodic accompaniment to a cacophany of live rhythms, as she ad libs along with the bass line. Her vocals then open the title track that follows and it is Fying Lotus at his best - rhythms shifting in and out of phase, rapid samples and god knows what else.

Things go all cosmic jazz on shimmering 'The Nightcaller', only to have it all drop away and evolve into a low slung west coast hip-hop piece for the latter third. How Ellison figures out what defines a specific track is anyone's guess, because there are moments here where two sound like one and one could be three or more.

Flying Lotus also continues to do guest spots like no other. Thom Yorke is back once again and 'Electric Candyman' weaves juddering beats and ghostly spectral organ noises around the vocals in a way few would have the nerve to do. Laura Darlington is given the spotlight for 'Phantasm', it being one of the few moments where the music is sympathetic to any vocals, it seemingly floating around the singer whilst quivering, building the strength to step in. Darlington sings fittingly of being "lost in the machine".

That moment feels rather like the point of Until The Quiet Comes. This is an album that feels like a battle between the creator and the created - Ellison needing to get the music out as much as anything. Cosmogramma evolves fractal-like, naturally pushing out into new territories. Here the vision is narrowed in places and compartmentalised - still astonishing, but less other-worldly nonetheless.

Until The Quiet Comes is out now, available on CD, LP and MP3 from Amazon.co.uk [affiliate links].​

EP Review: Flash Of Light - Luca C & Brigante feat. Róisín Murphy

​It is hard not to have a big wobbly soft-spot for Róisín Murphy. She has been responsible for a number of great records over the years, both as part of Moloko and on her own, particularly excellent solo album Overpowered. A collaboration with Luca C & Brigante then was always going to be at least worth a listen, particularly on the back of the duo's recent run of EPs, a run which includes the brilliant Ali Love featuring 'Different Morals'.

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​Flash Of Light - Luca C & Brigante feat. Róisín Murphy

Murphy was apparently drawn to a collaboration after hearing Luca C & Brigante's production work, noting it's apocalyptic feeling, stating it was "as if I was listening to the sound of a party at the end of world". And it is that theme - of dancing through to the end, having one last chance to say goodbye - that this collaboration is based on.

The fact that the lyrics were inspired by the feeling Murphy took from hearing Luca C & Brigante's other productions shows. The atmosphere of this track, with its gentle, attentively programmed bass and fragile melody perfectly compliment the vocal. This is a record with heart and feeling running through its seam - it is typical of Róisín and she highlights the capabilities of her collaborators.

Diynamic label boss Solomun nudges things in a slightly deeper direction, layering some synth work and vocal edits to create a tasteful alternative version. Tale Of Us & Mind Against team up to make a harsher, tech-heavy version but it is unfortunately unsuccessful, lacking the sophistication of the original. The final remix comes courtesy of Blond:ish and is similarly tech-influenced and ultimately similarly unnecessary. Still, stick to the original and Solomun's versions and this is a package well worth grabbing.

​Flash Of Light is released through Southern Fried on 22 October, available for pre-order from Amazon.co.uk on 12" and MP3 [affiliate links].

Check out a preview of the Solomun mix below:

EP Review: Neon EP - H.O.S.H.

​This latest EP from Diynamic comes on the back of a successful season in Ibiza this summer in the form of their Neon Night events. With that in mind it packs the Neon edge and kind of sugar-rush electronic disco you would expect.

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​Neon EP - H.O.S.H.

Opening track 'No-One' features Malonda on guest vocals and is a soulful workout of bumping bass and clattering synths, the vocals are so-so however - well delivered but paper-thin.

The other remaining original track here is what really justifies this release a place on these pages those. 'Woohoo' is a pulsating slab of irresistible funk. Low-end melodies and lots of reverb meet a falsetto vocal duet from Ost & Kjex. A warm juggernaut of a synth rumbles pleasantly through your guts before Ost & Kjex's slightly cheesy but infectious "Oooh, wee-ohhhh" chorus.

Two dubs feature on side two - the vocal-less version of 'No-One' out-shining the original while 'Woohoo' retains a considerable chunk of the vocal and therefore exhibits little change.

It's electronic pop more than anything, but sometimes you have to respect some well-done pop music.

Neon EP is released on Monday but you can grab it now on MP3 from Amazon.co.uk [affiliate link]. Check out a preview of 'Woohoo' below:​

EP Review: What I Might Do - Ben Pearce

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​What I Might Do - Ben Pearce

​As we move into Autumn in the UK you can sense that new introspective calm that tends to follow summer. And it almost seems to be affecting the music coming out now, like Christmas does but instead of festive cheer much of what I've been listening to is fuelled by a bluesy sense of reserved consideration. Lots of music for dancing on your own, then.

It is a mood that has culminated in me playing around with DJ sets of a kind of blues influenced house - Morgan Geist's Storm Queen releases are a good example of the sound, but Ben Pearce's new EP would fit right in too.

'What I Might Do' starts with soft, pensive keys but is soon all rumbling bass and snappy, slightly pissed-off vocals. The music forms a shell around these vocals, conjuring a perfect background but it is the vocal that takes centre stage. The soulful verse packs sufficient feeling to survive the repetition it endures and the overall track is hard not to love. And as I said - it's pretty perfect for this time of year.

Along with a club mix and a radio edit of the original the EP comes with three additional remixes. Harry Wolfman's mix mostly stays true to the original - there is a slightly nineties vibe to the bass and the vocals are used a little more cautiously - it is an approach that works well. Adam Shelton's mix is darker, taught synth melodies and a robotic bass adding a layer of paranoia absent from the original, though it lacks the appeal of the other versions here. Finally Bonar Bradberry takes a more muted route, giving things a deep, dubbed feel and ending with some dark acid work.

What I Might Do is released on Monday through MTA Records, available to pre-order from on MP3 from Amazon.co.uk [affiliate link].​