It’s always worth keeping an eye on DC Recordings, especially the Death Before Distemper series that’ll shortly be in its second phase of the Revenge Of The Iron Ferret; time to tighten that string around ya trouser legs
It’s been a couple of years since Death Before Distemper came out but the DC Recordings folks have surpassed themselves on Vol. 2 Revenge Of The Iron Ferret; a finer collection of experimental electronic dance-style krautrock, breaks, spacey psychedelic rock and downtempo dub disco would be hard to find on any other compilation.
The particular ‘Iron Ferret’ has been poking his nose around many a hole to pick out 13 tracks of which only 3 have been previously released.
The high spots are many on this strange jukebox including The Oscillation’s dubby ‘Somatone’ that didn’t get on Out Of Phase (a sort of Shadows meets New Order at King Tubby’s), the ‘Rocket Rock’ psych of Hannu Anttilainen, Mikko Viljakainen and Timo Kaukolampi (aka And The Lefthanded) from Finland and the intoxicating ‘Insanity Drive’ by Booze.
‘Booze’ is new to me and ‘Insanity Drive’ is a mad funk-punk jazz dash to the pub. This is the meeting of the liquid minds of Milo Smee (who formed the future Ra death disco 10+ piece glam cacophony known as Chrome Hoof with his brother Leo) and Demian Castellanos (aka The Oscillation). Worth getting the CD for this one track alone but the fun doesn’t stop there.
Bot’Ox is French producer and DJ, Cosmo Vitelli who adds a touch of sci-fi cinema with ‘The Crash Theme’ whilst the dark krautrockin’ ‘Phosphorescence’ by London’s Muscleheads is a Can rebirth. Whilst we’re in the dark recesses, Padded Cell (aka Richard Sen and Neil Beatnik) are known for their menacing percussion and electro synth work outs that has been called ‘dark-disco’, team up with Dennis Young (percussionist in Liquid Liquid and last seen on Relish Compilation) for a version of ‘Beautiful Gloom’; such an apt title this one.
After that lot, you’ll need some medical help with ‘Heal Us’, from The 63 Crayons who hail from Athens (Athens, Georgia) and it could even be a pop hit!
Other tracks that stand out are DC Recordings’ boss Depth Charge (J. Saul Kane), a track from Kelpe’s Ex-Aquarium album and the Andy Meecham’s The Emperor Machine goes James (Welcome) Pants with “the bizarre mechanical guile of” ‘Swiss Machine’.
And if all that wasn’t enough, there’s going to be a massive a launch party at Corsica Studios in London featuring a host of live acts! Headlining will be the first ever live performance of The Emperor Machine with support from Padded Cell with Dennis Young, The Oscillation, Kelpe with Chris Walmsley (All Traps Set) and DJs Depth Charge, Muscleheads, Clause Four, Richard Sen and more on 21st June 2008. After Daedelus’ Love To Make Music To album launch last week, this looks to be one of the events of the year.
The album finishes on high with another re-interpretation ‘Head Hang Low’ that was originally by the greatest pot-head pixie that’s ever lived in Tamworth, Saint Julian Cope via the knobs of Kelpe and The Osillator.
Reviewed: Various – DC Recordings Presents Death Before Distemper 2: Revenge Of The Iron Ferret (D.C. Recordings) Cat. NO. DCR 89 CD Release date: June 2008
Tracklisting:
1 The Emperor Machine – Introduction (0:55)
2 Booze – Insanity Drive (4:28)
3 And The Lefthanded – Rocket Rock (4:29)
4 The Oscillation – Somatone (4:26)
5 Bot’Ox – The Crash Theme (6:41)
6 Depth Charge – Castle Of Doom (4:49)
7 Kelpe – Shipwreck Glue (5:57)
8 Muscleheads – Phosphorescence (8:32)
9 The 63 Crayons – Heal Us (4:54)
10 The Emperor Machine – Swiss Machine (2:25)
11 Padded Cell – Beautiful Gloom (Dennis Young Version) (5:10)
12 Astral Manhole Project – Perfect Love (6:20)
13 The Oscillation – Head Hang Low (Kelpe Version) (5:56)
Links
www.dcrecordings.com
www.myspace.com/dcrecordings
Kelpe – Kel McKeown www.kelpe.co.uk
www.myspace.com/kelpemusic
www.myspace.com/theoscillations
www.myspace.com/63crayons
www.dennisyoungmusic.com
www.myspace.com/paddedcelldc
Andy Meecham www.myspace.com/emperormachine
Depth Charge www.phinnweb.org/jsk
Chris Walmsley www.alltrapsset.co.uk
www.myspace.com/alltrapsset
www.teamb.co.uk/pages/pop_listen.html
