Swayzak

CLUBLAND

We’ve come a long way. Listening to some of the latest releases I’ve collected next to something I purchased back in the latter part of the nineties, it’s incredible how machines are changing the music we listen to. Those older records, though admittedly suffering from a few scratches and wear and tear sound down right muddy next to the pristine clarity offered by 2007’s batch of releases.

Trends dictate how things will sound too; the days of tribal looped techno seem to be a thing of the past and it’s been a while since I heard someone utter the words ‘2 Step’. Looking to some of the purveyors of dance music who have kept up a fairly regular recording schedule you can track the changes throughout the years. Scottish duo Slam has been releasing records since the early nineties and every few years they release a full length album. They haven’t all been amazing, but you can spot the current flavour of house and techno at the time through listening to them. There are some artists who seem to have never cottoned on to more recent equipment (or perhaps just refuse to). Jeff Mills isn’t as prolific as he used to be but on the odd occasion when he does issue another Axis twelve inch it sounds like every other he has released, full of the same 909 sounds, and yes a bit muddy by today’s standards. There’s nothing wrong with that of course; Theo Parrish, who took courses in sculpting sound, always adds that layer of sonic grit to his slow deep house tracks.

One outfit who have always surprised me by their high quality releases are Swayzak. The duo of James Taylor and David Brown have been plying their particular brand of electronic alchemy for just over ten years now and with the release of new album Some Other Country have notched up five full length studio recordings. The thing I really admire about their music is that from day one it has stood out for its individual hybrid of dub and techno. It is something they have not changed. Yes, over the years they have slowly brought in vocalists and yes, the 2002 album Dirty Dancing was heavily influenced by the then-current electro clash craze, but their deviations from a blueprint of heady sizzling electronica have been slight.

It’s fair to say that the new album is a continuation of Loops From The Bergerie, the 2004 album recorded in the south of France at an old farm house, which saw the pair opt for a slightly more organic sound and aim towards more live shows based around the voice of vocalist Richard Davis. As with that album, Davis’ searching lyrics on Some Other Country tell tales of love lost and recovered. ‘No Sad Goodbyes’ is an optimistic song about trying to set straight a love that went awry sound-tracked by Swayzak with typical understated brilliance. Berlin based DJ Cassy lends her high pitched yet androgynous vocals to two tracks and Italian group Les Fauves guest on ‘Silent Luv’. Cassy, like Richard Davis sounds otherworldly, even distant in her singing, her chosen words resonating with emotional pain.

For some people the vocal tracks turn them off the charms of Swayzak, finding them too pop oriented for their tastes. Dub mixes can usually be found on the single releases, but for anyone with half a love of post punk and synth pop the vocals only add to the allure of the group. In any case there’s a clutch of instrumentals on the album too, and overall it should appeal to the DJ slightly more than previous efforts, shying away from the more experimental tracks of Loops From The Bergerie, focusing more on the dance floor. Check out www.swayzak-someothercountry.com for a sneak listen to some of the tracks.

On the local front Andi Numan is gearing up for a release on Dutch label Goosebumps Records. He was around back in the days when Auckland had renegade techno parties in city warehouses but now lives high in the hills somewhere in Korea. The air must be treating him well because his recent productions are sounding spectacular, so it’s not surprising that he has managed to get an EP released. Check out this myspace page to hear more of his music, including a top notch remix of Elektrochemie’s ‘Mucky Star’. Head to www.myspace.com/andinuman.

Next month we’ll feature Simon Flower’s tour diary from his German excursion, playing at some of the biggest clubs of the moment and rubbing knobs with the hottest producers too… oo-er.