PARTIAL ARTS - Taifa - Kompakt Records

Returning to the Kompakt fold after the much-acclaimed 12" releases TRAUERMUSIK (KOMPAKT 149) and TELESCOPE (KOMPAKT 171), Ewan Pearson and Al Usher aka PARTIAL ARTS continue their adventure in the borderlands of kraut disco and romantic house: with TAIFA, the two renowned producers present another wonderfully undulating, pop-bred jam backed up by a vibrant floor rework from the master of analogue head games Andrew Meecham aka THE EMPEROR MACHINE.
TAIFA starts off with a somewhat oceanic feeling, thanks to its opening set of sunny guitar licks glistening to the backdrop of whale-like drones. Soon, a friendly shaking beat joins the proceedings and triggers all kinds of melodic synth flourishes, held together by the cut's rolling groove and its penchant for sonic metamorphosis.
Just like the Radio slave and Alter Ego revamps (on "Trauermusik" and "Telescope") before it, the EMPEROR MACHINE EXTENDED MIX takes things in a decidedly energetic direction, making skilled use of hypnotic sequencing and charged drumming to rough up the original's laid-back vibe in the most alluring manner.
Ewan Pearson and Al Usher both have illustrious paths as producers, mixers and remixersbut rarely release their own productions.This is their third release for KOMPAKT, the first since 2008’s “Telescope” (KOMPAKT 171).
Ewan Pearson has had an amazing year behind the scenes having recently finished studio production and mixing work for new albums from Jagwar Ma, TV Baby & Ben Watt. With nearly 100 remixes under his belt he has already reworked Tensnake (feat. Nile Rodgers), Röyksopp and S.R. Krebs in just this year!
Emperor Machine delivers one of the biggest acid tracks you will hear this year following his recent smash remix for Erol Alkan on Phantasy.


Tracklist:

A. Taifa
B. Taifa (Emperor Machine Extended Mix)

THE EMPEROR MACHINE - Like a Machine - Southern Fried Records

Following on from two hugely well received EPs on Southern Fried Records in 2013, the imprint is to release the highly anticipated, next full length offering from electronic explorer, Andy Meecham AKA The Emperor Machine.
Since his last LP as The Emperor Machine, ‘Space Beyond The Egg’, Meecham has been busy on plenty of other essential projects: as well as appearing on the Boiler Room, the so called ‘King of the Weirdigans’ has worked with Erol Alkan (on the Future Four project released on Phantasy Sound) and disco king Todd Terje (Todd programmed the System 700 on the ‘So.Ma.So’ track on the LP) and has been remixed by both Andrew Weatherall and Ewan Pearson.
Meecham however makes it clear that albums are still where his heart is at, as he looks to the release of his fourth LP, “I prefer to make albums as The Emperor Machine. I like to go a bit weirder, which I think you can on an album. I've hooked up with a vocalist on this record and it’s brought another dimension to the sound.” That added dimension brings a further layer of emotion with an LP that balances beautifully constructed songs with Meecham’s much loved electronic audio manipulation.
The album, complete with stunning original art work, kicks off with the fizzing, dirty and indie leaning sonics of ‘Theme From Magical Ring’ which is captivating from the off. Dramatic and epic in equal measure, the album goes on to include a punky, tortured version of the previously released single/title track before sinking into a dubbed out, guitar licked disco groove awash with shimmering synths and Studio 54 dazzle.
Meecham proves his exceptional range throughout the album thanks to tracks like the kicking, vocal led punk-funk-disco jam that is ‘Voices’, the sexy, sultry groove of ‘Pop The Lid’ and insular, broken beat stumbles of the echo drenched ‘Let The Bombs Fall’ with its richly harmonic vocal refrains and acid twitches.
This is another hugely textured, dynamic and multi-layered ride into the psychedelic sound world of The Emperor Machine that might just be his most complete work yet. With a new live show, a single forthcoming featuring Erol Alkan on remix duties and a special limited vinyl version of the album being released for Record Store Day (plus a deluxe version featuring a previously unreleased album called 'Return Of The Egg') there is much to look forward to from The Emperor Machine.


Tracklist:

1. Theme From Magical Ring
2. Like A Machine
3. RMI is All I want
4. The Point
5. La Llorona
6. Voices
7. Hey!
8. So.Ma.So
9. Sonique
10. Pop The Lid
11. Eighty Three
12. Let The Bombs fall

MUGWUMP - Boutade - International Feel Recordings

“La traccia più bella degli anni duemila”. Così nel 2009 il dj inglese Bill Brewster definì “Boutade”; traccia uscita sulla tedesca Misericord (etichetta di Ewan Pearson) che lanciò letteralmente in orbita il duo belga Mugwump (alias Goeffroy Dewandeler & Kolombo), attirando persino l'attenzione di etichette storiche come Azuli e Defected.

Verità o menzogna, sicuramente Boutade fondeva davvero i background, talvolta anche agli antipodi, del duo belga. New beat, EBM, 80's pop music, dub, generi cosi diversi ma che, in un meltin pot quantomeno improbabile, hanno insieme creato quello stile inconfondibile che contraddistingue i Mugwump e le mille release pubblicate su label diversissime tra loro come R & S, Cocoon, International Gigolo e Kompakt.