SINGLE: GUY ANDREWS •
Shades/Textures (Hemlock)
Guy Andrews’ two-track single ‘Shades/Textures’ is awaited with high expectations from anyone in the know. His bass-led style is clear in ‘Shades’, a dark, percussive sound with its roots in progressive techno, and undeniably house-influenced overtones. ‘Textures’ is funkier and lighter, demonstrating the versatility this young producer has, and his ability to create complex tracks that work equally well on the dancefloor and under closer scrutiny. Definitely one of Brighton’s hottest talents. (JMM)
EP: MANNI DEE •
Unofficial Remixes (Self-released)
Manni Dee’s gradual shift from electronic newcomer to stalwart support act is complete, and his outstanding remixes of the 90s classics you know and love will have impressed you, if you’ve been fortunate enough to hear them live. This remix EP takes Beyonce, Missy Elliot, Aaliyah and others, places their acapellas over original bass-heavy beats of his own, reworking them into catchy, irrepressible masterpieces. Available online for however much you want to pay at mannidee.bandcamp.com (JMM)
SINGLE: DERRIERE •
Battle Plan (Kudos)
‘Battle Plan’ is Derriere’s debut single, and a brilliant introduction to their style: rollicking, updated 50s swing, raw vocal sleaze, and rhythmic guitars to get your hips gyrating and your lips pouting. The type of dirty rhythms and blues that originated in Chuck Berry’s wet dreams, the band launch the release at the Blind Tiger on Friday 4th. (JMM)
ALBUM: THE MISERABLE RICH •
Miss You In The Days (Humble Soul)
With a sumptuous single already out there, album number three was recorded in the haunted Blickling Hall and released, appropriately, on Halloween. Twisted nursery rhymes recited over a 50s theremin sci-fi soundtrack merge with poetically sinister pleadings; the ever-present strings arousing a frisson that makes each song a mini epic. Sharp wordplay with complex arrangements, in turn subtle and dramatic, create a smell of sensuality and a lurking foreboding throughout. Mournful yet beautiful. (SC)
SINGLE: STUART NEWMAN •
(We’re Living In) Another Dimension
(stuartnewmanmusic.com)
Onetime mellowed-out songsmith Stuart Newman continues on his march to heavier and far more intriguing numbers with his latest offering. ‘(We’re Living In) Another Dimension’ combines a bizarrely brilliant array of vocal layers – with his trademark deep and occasionally eerie style at the fore – along with a humdinger of a tune which unexpectedly bursts into a heaving mass of choppy guitars towards the end. If he keeps on exceeding expectations like this, he’s going to find himself in a dimension of his own. Have a listen at his website. (GS)
DEMO OF THE MONTH:
ADOLESCENT •
Leave For Summer
Having already drenched the streets of Brighton with thick reverb and ambient sounds, Adolescent’s newest collection of material seems to follow closely behind his debut EP ‘Run Away From Bad People’. The title mirrors the melancholy atmosphere which awaits inside the two tracks. Both feel spacious and important, using a minimal collection of sounds to explain something much more intricate. This piece of dreamy, down-tempo electronica seems the perfect soundtrack to the closing moments of summer. (CW)
