Animat 'Undercurrents' Review

Artist: Animat

Title: Undercurrents

Label: Disco Gecko

Released: April 3^rd

Following on from last years ‘All is Lost’, where Animat used extracts from the 2013 film about a man adrift on a life raft in the Indian Ocean, composed a new soundtrack. This E.P. delivers five fresh re-mixes from that album.

First up on re-mix duties is Professor Chill and his take on ‘Eight Days Earlier’ where he retains the basic laid back electro-acoustic sound of the original adding a little more emphasis to the bass and touches of minimalistic glitch. Following on electro-dub aficionados Pitch Black tackle ‘Calm after the Storm’ where the original placed the focus on Mediterranean guitar licks and gentle piano. Once again this is quite respectful to the original piece adding accompaniment dub fx and drum rolls.

Next up is Mark from Animat re-mixing ‘Sea State’ under his Darkly A.M. psuedonym. Whilst the original was something of a laid back piece of western fused reggae, here he adds some drive and lifts the piece into a more acidic and somewhat danceable version. Manchester trio Marconi Union join the throng with their take on ‘The Virginia Jean’ and whereas the original placed focus on the electric guitar licks they take their time building the intro before placing the emphasis on the piano.

Finally Sheffield duo Aysup take on what’s probably the least laid back track from original album with their Neptune’s Crazy Horses mix of ‘Neptune’s Horses’. Like Marconi Union before them they elongate the intro before the piece comes to life. Drawing on influences from Kraftwerk, Neu and other Krautrock bands.

To summarise Darkly A.M. aside these re-mixes take a subtle yet slightly different approach to the originals, at times injecting a little more life into them. For me on the whole I prefer the original album, which was all about a laid back soundtrack with moments of the dramatic attempting to mirror being alone and at the mercy of the elements. You on the other hand may feel differently and relish the additional input.

Reviewed by Woodzee

Links

https://smarturl.it/undercurrents.ep?mc_cid=460b3624e4&mc_eid=aad2749a47

Animat 'The Last Man' Review

Artist: Animat

Title: The Last Man

Label: Disco Gecko

Released: 9^th November

Animat specialise in developing and performing new soundtracks to existing cult films, and have played live at cinemas, festivals and other venues throughout the U.K.

This November they are revisiting their soundtrack to the 1964 post-apocalyptic horror fantasy ‘The Last Man On Earth’ which stars Vincent Price as scientist Robert Morgan, the one man apparently immune to a virus that has killed 90% of the earth’s population and transformed the survivors into vampire-like creatures.

Originally toured in 2011, the film inspired the album ‘Imaging Ghosts’, first released by Big Chill Recordings, and this collection brings together the highlights from that album together with exclusive new re-workings plus remixes from Deep Dive Corp, DF Tram, The Verbrilli Sound and Disco Gecko’s own Andrew Heath.

As a fan of Vincent Price, this film and partial to Animat’s productions this was of instant interest to me. I found myself eager to hear the results and slightly sad I hadn’t witnessed the audio/visual experience. Beginning with ‘Ghost People’ a dub reggae tinged piece of electronica, that embraces a bit of warmth amongst the colder passages along with a touch of electric guitar. This is followed by the Forest Fires mix of ‘September Falls’ which doesn’t alter the mood too much with plenty of dubbed out guitar licks. The Only Seen At Night mix of ‘Throwing Shapes’ grips me instantly with a Vincent Price vocal sample running over the bass guitar. The piece soothes out before sequences are slowly added that expertly build back to the bass guitar before dropping off again. My attention is retained with ‘Gogo’s Dub’ a mellow piece of dubbed out electronica containing some wonderful harmonic voices.

Vincent’s distinctive voice is utilised alongside mellow dubbed out electronica once again, with the 2018 Revamp of ‘International Frequency’. By this point I’m beginning to imagine how this soundtrack works with the movie. The next piece Verbrillis Windy Accumulation Mix of ‘A Promise of Snow’ maintains a similar vibe with a slightly more atmospheric vibe as you probably gathered from the title. By now I’ve reached the first of the guest re-mixes with Deep Dive Corp’s take on ‘Ghost People’ which is subtly done, a little more heavy on the drums and a touch of reverb adding to the groove.

Andrew Heaths re-mix of ‘Throwing Shapes’ omits the Vincent Price samples and instead tinkers on the ivories, this gives a whole new feel to the piece and personally I love them both. Next on the agenda is the DF Tram & Future B.C. re-mix of ‘Gogo’s Dub’ where the vocal samples are twisted and chopped and the fx bubble away nicely. Finally to see us out is The Only Michael’s Ambient Mix of ‘Earplay’ where ambient strings give way to dubbed out sequences only to return for the finale.

Review by Woodzee

Links …

https://discogecko.bandcamp.com

http://www.animat.co.uk/

Animat 'Side By Side E.P.' Review

Artist: Animat

Title: Side By Side E.P.

Label: Dubmission Records

Released: 3^rd June

It appears that Animat have really gone to town when it comes to releases this year. This E.P. contains five fresh tracks and places more focus on the Dub Reggae than the others I've heard.

The E.P. commences with 'Chicken and Egg' which is pretty much a standard Dub Reggae piece with a heavy kick drum and lots of reverb. However, there's a nice melodic touch which sets it apart with a little identity of it's own. Moving on 'Let The World Spin' once again delivers a traditional sounding track, although this time with delayed horn, melodica and guitar chords.

Things change somewhat with 'Countermove' there's more of an IDM feel and a touch of post-punk guitar in the intro while the main body constantly flows between dubbed out the guitars and airy synth sections that lighten the mood with plenty of intersections. At this point they are definitely grabbing my attention. Now we reach the title track whose intro has a sequenced synth loop before more post-punk guitar is added and the vocal monologue employed at which point spacey strings rise and fall amidst the dub. The E.P. comes to a close with 'September Falls' with lovely synth tones that start to echo before the guitar licks commence to provide an overall chilled dub.

As you can probably gather from my words above this E.P. begins in a traditional fashion and although they are good pieces it's nothing new. You could also argue the same with the post-punk style dubs but I feel there is far more originality about these pieces. It's also worth noting this is a very bass heavy release that needs to be aired on proper speakers I would imagine lap-top or phone speakers will just distort.

Reviewed by Woodzee.

Links

http://animat.co.uk/

http://dubmissionrecords.blogspot.co.uk/

Animat 'Slip Into Gold' Review

Artist: Animat

Title: Slip Into Gold

Label: Disco Gecko

Released: 29^th April

This new single from Sheffields ambient audio/visual outfit Animat comprises contrasting warm sounds (that you expect from the title) against dubbed out funk with a slight live band feel and eerie voices that seem more fitting to a haunted bleak industrial wasteland. Yet somehow, it all seems to gel together perfectly.

This is followed by 'While You Were Away' a lovely sun soaked piece with a chilled Balearic feel that could quite easily have been the title track. There's a touch of an orchestral mood to it and they flirt with dub in places and some nice guitar licks for good measure.

On re-mix duties is San Francisco's D.F. Tram whose cut and paste style mixes of bargain bucket finds, cartoon snippets and psychedelic monologue from TV and film are becoming a regular source of entertainment for myself. Here he takes 'Slip Into Gold' and adds some George W. Bush samples adds a little more kick to the bass and elongates the warmth of the original and peppers it with a little harmonica. My advice kick back and soak up the sound.

Review by Woodzee

Links

Animat http://www.animat.co.uk/

Disco Gecko https://discogecko.bandcamp.com/

DF Tram https://soundcloud.com/dftram

Misled Convoy 'Translations' Review

Artist: Misled Convoy

Title: Translations

Label: Dubmission Records

Released: 1^st April

This release is a selection of re-mixes from Pitch Black's Mike Hodgson under his Misled Convoy moniker, which covers a broad pallet of styles from long established and up-and-coming artists across the globe.

The album commences with the scanner mix of 'Nuerotrash' from London disco-punks Feral Five which is a dubbed out electro-rock that seems to retain all the original punk vocal elements to good effect.. While the earth will have two suns re-mix of Holotronica's (Stuart Warren Hill of Hexstatic) 'Super Nova' takes you on a journey into space tinkering with scientific monologue and bubbly electro-dub. This is followed by the borrowed time mix of 'Do You Know Where Your Going?' by Japan's Supercozi (Zen Lemonade) a chilled out dub which utilises a lyrical reggae vocal that works better when dubbed out for me.

Moving across to Mike's homeland with the next track re-working 'Please Wake Up' by the Adults a Kiwi rock supergroup formed by Shihad frontman Jon Toogood of which I am blissfully unaware. I'd never have had this down as a rock original to me it comes across something akin to the afx re-mixes of Seefeel in the early 90's which is no bad thing. Some of the previous styles meet somewhere in the middle with a dubbed out re-mix of 'Sufi' by the U.K.'s Flies + Flies which seems to stitch together elements of gothic, arabic, ambient, shoegaze and industrial dub fairly seamlessly.

The re-mix of 'Lost in the Valley of Scintalla Strings' by Sheffield's ambient audio-visual duo Animat, is a deep and atmospheric piece which combines dub techno with a cinematic and classical feel. In contrast the pastscape re-mix of Banco De Gaia's 'Wimble Toot' takes you on an elongated intro of ambient voices and sound, before the bass line is employed and the horns take the piece into the realms of dub reggae.  Then moving back across to the other side of the globe Mike then gives one of his own Misled Convoy tracks 'Leap Beneath' a re-rub in the far more expected reggae style to close.

To summarise I'm really impressed with this collection it's a real mixed bag of genres and styles at times ambient and atmospheric others industrial and rock-edged. However, the common link thread is as ever the dub.

Review by Woodzee

Links

https://misledconvoy.bandcamp.com/

Animat 'Staring Into Space' Review

Artist: 

Animat

Title:

Staring Into Space

Label:

Mareld

Released:

May 2015

Staring into Space is a new collection of tracks from their last two releases. The E.P. 'Zero Blue ' and the album 'Music For An Unstable Planet' came out on the Mareld label in 2014 and included tracks and themes from the Sheffield based duo's acclaimed soundtracks to John Carpenter's 'Dark Star' and Sylvian Comet's 'Belleville Rendezvous'.

The album commences with the Robin Hexstatic mix of 'Horsehead' where atmospheric dreamy synth sounds fuse with deep bass notes and a driving beat. It's a lovely combo and sets the album off in good stead. This is followed by the darker plodding intro and self explanatory vocals of Pioneer Species take of 'Hum Humans Hum' which leans towards 70's space themed discoid funk in places but has a very dub reggae feel overall.

Keenya's atmospheric ambient take of 'Dream Dot TV' has the right mood and pace of a stereotypical space movie. It might not get you dancing but it certainly conjures up the feeling of floating in space. Mechanist's mix of 'Recovery Time' moves up a gear and returns somewhat nearer to Hexstatic's style of fusing dreamy synths with a more driving beat. Although this piece dips more into ambient beat-less breakdowns, when the beats present there's plenty of tribal rim-shots and snares.

Input Junkies manipulation mix of 'Target Practice' is a choppy take that places focus on the drums. It's almost like a drum & bass piece that's never allowed to take off and personally I didn't dig it at all. James Murry restores the calm with a classical feel to his version of 'Elgans Alba' with plenty of cello string and a touch of piano.

MCTHFG brings his blend of 80's sci-fi and dub reggae to 'Outsider Inside' resulting in a mash-up akin to traditional sea-side organ music meets the Mad Professor. While E.R.S. delivers a slo-mo dubbed out funk full of distorted vocal samples, sparse drum rolls and fx with his version of 'Bone Dry'. Midnight JJ completes the release with a dreamy progressive dub of 'Horsehead'.

There's certainly some lovely atmospherics and sounds within this album and I liked a lot of the tracks in their own right. However, I found listening through the album continuously it's a bit too dis-jointed in terms of pace and style. However, that said in this day and age you may not play an album from start to finish and the tracks could well fit into different sets depending on your mood.

Reviewed by Woodzee.

Links

http://www.animat.co.uk/

http://www.substream.se/?label=mareld

https://pro.beatport.com/release/staring-into-space/1524423

http://www.junodownload.com/products/animat-staring-into-space/2785481-02/

Banco De Gaia - For Such A Time Review

Artist: Banco De Gaia

Title: For Such A Time

Label: Disco Gecko Recordings

Release Date:  21^st December 2013

This release is the final single from this year’s album “Apollo”. It begins (as you would expect) with the original mix. Without a doubt this is a stereotypical Banco track and as blasé as that might sound the track certainly doesn't. Toby's skilfully mastered techique of fusing running loops, deep ambient chords and flute with tribal samples and a gorgeous female Arabic vocal instantly transports your minds eye to a hidden oasis within an eastern paradise. 

If you have already purchased “Apollo” and it’s younger sibling “Ollopa: Apollo Re-Mixed” you may wonder what fresh material this single holds.

Well next on the agenda is a re-mix by Animat who as an artist is fresh territory for me and I like what he, she or indeed they bring to the table. The piece manages to maintain a chilled atmosphere and although the Arabic vocals are dropped the tribal samples remain, while playfully toying with the chords and percussion and plenty of dubby echoes to a blissful effect.

Next up on the re-mix duties is Kuba whose blend of dubby, psychedelic, beach chill I’m a big fan of. Water laps over lovely guitar strings and slowly drifts in and out of psy-dub where the Arabic vocal never really gets going but is masterfully utilised and I have to say this really is one for the hammock. Absolute quality!

Finally, the single ends with System 7’s re-mix featured on “Ollopa” which takes the vibe up a notch. However, with the years of experience Steve and Miquel have amassed they certainly know how to blend blissful chill with a bouncy beat and where to drop the tempo and bring it back again. Throw in a little bit of Steve’s guitar and it’s a perfect ending to a damn fine single where no one in my opinion has let the side down.

Reviewed by Woodzee

Links http://bancodegaia.bandcamp.com/