It’s hard to believe that it’s forty years since Wire began playing their highly individual approach to music. Nocturnal Koreans finds the band sounding as energised and vital as ever.
I reviewed the album for Clash. My review can be found here.
(c) 2016 Mat Smith / Documentary Evidence for Clash
I reviewed the debut album from Beach Skulls for Clash. My review can be found here.
Ignore the one line summary – this is like anti-shoegaze music, and an easy candidate for my upbeat album of the summer so far. The thwarted architect in me loves the sleeve.
(c) 2016 Mat Smith / Documentary Evidence for Clash
I reviewed John Carpenter’s Lost Themes II album for Clash. My review can be found here.
(c) 2016 Mat Smith / Documentary Evidence for Clash
onDeadWaves is a collaboration between two Mute artists, both of whom have been at the label during the EMI years as well as the new, independent-once-more phase – Polly Scattergood and James ‘Maps’ Chapman. Their debut album, On Dead Waves is that rare example of something that is far, far, far greater than the sum of its parts.
I reviewed the album for Clash and you can read my review here.
On Dead Waves is released on May 20. The duo play a free show in London on June 7. For more information, go to the onDeadWaves Facebook page.
(c) 2016 Mat Smith / Documentary Evidence for Clash
Larry Levan was a major figure in the New York club scene of the Eighties, and The Paradise Garage on NYC’s King Street where he had his residency was the day-glo decade’s answer to Studio 54. As a DJ Levan was legendary; as a remixer he applied his dancefloor nous to his work in the studio, developing mixes that focussed on the groove but emphasised soulfulness over alien electronics and overly-regimented 4/4 beats.
Universal have released a compilation of 22 mixes, edits and extended versions by Levan. I reviewed the album for Clash. You can read my review here.
(c) 2016 Mat Smith / Documentary Evidence
I reviewed this really intriguing synth album for Clash. Matthew Bourne is an improvising pianist with a penchant for analogue synths, and moogmemory was created entirely using a customised Memory Moog.
My review can be found here.
A video for ‘On Rivock Edge’ from the album can be watched below.
(c) 2016 Mat Smith / Documentary Evidence
I’ve always been partial to electronic dub, and so this new album by MM-STUDIO was a nice one to cover. MM-STUDIO are a duo of Daniel Meteo (accomplice of sometime NovaMute artist T. Raumschmiere and the Shitkatapult label) and Tadd Manning. Manning works as Dabrye and has recorded for the incredible Ghostly International imprint.
I reviewed the album for Clash and my review can be found here.
(c) 2016 Mat Smith / Documentary Evidence
I reviewed former Mute stalwart and current Bad Seed Barry Adamson‘s new album Know Where To Run for Clash. My review can be found here.
(c) 2016 Mat Smith / Documentary Evidence
The Pop Group‘s second album has finally been given the reissue treatment. The group consisted of future Mute artist Mark Stewart (vocals), Gareth Sager (guitar and sax), Dan Catsis (bass) John Waddington (guitar) and the drummer they shared with The Slits, Bruce Smith, and For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? was originally released by the group’s Y label via Rough Trade in 1980. The incendiary album has been reissued by the Freaks R Us label, who were also responsible for putting out The Pop Group’s 2015 album Citizen Zombie. For the reissue the label has also added the single ‘We Are All Prostitutes’ to the track listing.
I reviewed the album for Clash. My review can be found here.
(c) 2016 Mat Smith / Documentary Evidence
I reviewed this brilliantly wonky album by Aaron Funk for Clash. The album was created using modular synths and has that reverential dimension common to early synth records, mixed with Funk’s usual obtuseness.
Read my review here.
(c) 2016 Mat Smith / Documentary Evidence
Documentary Evidence 