Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Dr. Dunks feat. Zopelar - Plateau Alone (Quiet Village)
Title: Plateau Alone EP
Artist: Dr. Dunks feat. Zopelar
Label: Quiet Village
Cat Number: QV005
Genre: Is It Balearic?
1: Plateau Alone
2: Slow One Eleven
3: 88 Lights
Well is it? I would say yes without any qualification. ‘Plateau Alone’ feels like it’s caught between at least three different points of reference. The bass, the various analogue synth embellishments and the kick. Beyond all that it runs free in the sonic savannah. ‘Slow One Eleven’ is pure chug business, and one which I could have heard at Covenanza last Friday night. I do like to remain in the moment while simultaneously taking notes. And I’m probably too old to change so don’t judge me. That’s my nerdy side coming out I guess. Anyway, without the geeks as gatekeepers what would we do? Great track though, making use again of similar flourishes to ‘Plateau Alone’, which I’m guessing are the work of Zopelar? ’88 Lights’ takes us by the hand to guide us through a soporific landscape and when the vocals come in it sounds like we’re in late sixties psychedelic California on mogadons listening to The Mamas & Papas. I’d like to say this is a truly wonderful release with something for everyone, and it is. Turn on, tune in and drop out tho.
Signal Type - Breakthrough (Cultivated Electronics)
Title: Breakthrough
Artist: Signal Type
Label: Cultivated Electronics
Cat Number: CE050
Genre: Electro
A1: Breakthrough
A2: Breakthrough (Radioactive Man Remix)
B1: Breakthrough (Silicon Scally Remix)
B2: Breakthrough (Morphology Remix)
Signal Type, for those not in the know, is “the collaborative project of label head Sync 24 and Matt Whitehead”. And this is Cultivated Electronic’s 50th release, so it had better be good. Thankfully, first impressions are very positive indeed. The original mix is an energetic nod to the birth of electro. It’s a boogie down Pandora’s box of energetic machine funk tropes elegantly welded into one cohesive whole. And if that sounds painful you’d better get the KY jelly out for Radioactive Man’s squelchy low rider of a version. It’s a dense piece of cerulean syncopation that purposely flies under the radar in its guise as a heavy duty example of rogue machine funk. The Silicon Scally mix is equally emphatic, but focuses on the high end, polishing the sonic stalactites and stalagmites that overhang a more open and empty panorama. And the dots are joined by Morphology, whose take is probably the most similar to the original, but reserves the right to the dramatic interlude with sweeping, symphonic synth stabs before reverting back to a dive back into the electro funk wormhole.
Monday, October 12, 2026
Track Of The Day: Grant Dell & Gareth Oxby Pres. Tribalation - I Don't Care (Big Chief)
Big Chief were a pretty good label back in the day, and this from Tribulation is a great example of the tech, dubby line they trod. It’s a deceptively heavy track that relies on bongoes to get its point across. Within the percussion vocals flash in and out, but they’re just window dressing. It’s the low end which is the star. There’s such a great momentum and swing to this track. And even though there’s an apparent lack of variation, you’re hooked from the very first bar. This is the essence of linear, dubby house. Enough variety to keep things interesting, but purposefully working minimally with small sonic swings, some so small they go unnoticed for years.
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Track Of The Day: Chopin - Fantaisie Impromptu
Do you really have to like classical music to appreciate a piece of music as delicate and emotional as this? Music like this is built for the finely-tuned which, it turns out, can be anybody. It just has to grab you first and you give in to it. And there’s something about an early autumn afternoon, when the sun is still shining, but the temperature has dropped enough to make a jacket necessary, that enhances the experience.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Thursday, October 08, 2026
Track Of The Day: A Certain Ratio - I'd Like To See You Again (Factory)
Off to see A Certain Ratio at Dingwall’s tomorrow night after a 40 or so year break. Very much looking forward to it, so this feels appropriate. If only I’d known at the time that they were fusing Weather Report with Miami Vice. I’m not sure if they did tbh, but here we are. What is equally interesting nis how we all loved them, even though it was that little bit more different than what we were listening to. Everything moved in circles back then though. Funk was what kept things simple. We went to clubs in the early to mid eighties and no matter what night of the week, there would be something to latch on to. The eclecticism of those days isn’t coming back, at least not in quite the same way. Gatekeeping wasn’t a thing, thankfully.
Wednesday, October 07, 2026
Track Of The Day: That Petrol Emotion - Abandon (Boys Own Mix) (Virgin)
Named after the feeling that one gets when chucking a bottle full of burning fuel at some colonial authority figures, that Petrol Emotion never quite took over from Stiff Little Fingers as the political rock arbiters of Northern Ireland. They remain an interesting curio though. And this remix from A. Weatherall and Terry Farley is very much in keeping with the prevalent vibe of the day. This has the counter culture of its ties inscribed all over it. Indie dance with a very specific swagger.
Tuesday, October 06, 2026
Track Of The Day: Richer - Echoes From The Jungle ll (Voiceless)
A new name for me, and a new track too. I came across it the other day courtesy of a Jane Fitz & Carl H film on Instagram and I was feeling it immediately. Is it trance, techno, deep house? Who knows. Really good though. It doesn’t get ahead of itself so it retains a lot of atmosphere and mystique. If you’ve got a copy you want to sell, get in touch.
