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Rockets & Ponies sounds like strange mutant liaison between The Simonsound and Horse Meat Disco; thankfully, it isn’t. No, Rockets & Ponies is a new label by dancefloor big boys Timo Maas and Santos.

The Rocket & Ponies ethic is proper FLY as Santos (aka Sante Pucello) says, “We seek working freedom, following the soul’s inspiration, this will be totally eclectic”.

That’s all very well but what does that mean? Well the first EP by Adam Port & Santé (out on Monday) is really quite odd. The lead track ‘Own’ starts all tech house before breaking into a quick canter around the parade ring and then, wait for it, it transforms into a version of the Motown classic ‘Mickey’s Monkey’! Even though it’s nearly 10 minutes long, you have to listen to it again and again pinching yourself just in case you’ve dreamed it; bit of a sharp ending to watch out for but truly, in their own way, a monster.

On the flip there’s some big room 4×4 voodoo of ‘Faire Des Seines’ with the avant-garde experimentation of Art Ensemble of Chicago circa early 1970s, Paris. Loads of percussion, loads of shaking, loads of chanting and enough stompin’ going on to get into the West End. In fact, the vocal at times sounds like a tortured David Thomas of Pere Ubu - now that’s a very odd French connection.

So they’ve definitely got in Adam Port & Santé a couple of guys not worried about being “too strange for the normal business” and other acts lined up are Timo Maas and Santos’ own off wall project Mutant Clan, Santos’s collaboration with Alex Dolby (that’s the next release), Giorgio Roma, Riva Starr and no doubt more to follow.

They’ve done an Essential Mix Radio 1 and had a label launch at this years Winter Music Conference in Miami (where else would it be?) but I like the sound of this as there’s some ‘free jazz’ spirit with this label; apparently partly inspired when Mutant Clan’s 17 minute track ‘Chinese Massage’ didn’t fit in with existing labels. Two years on, the Adam Port & Santé EP is the first fruits for those that like something different; a lot different!

Reviewed: Adam Port & Santé - Own / Faire Des Seines (Rockets & Ponies) Cat. ROCK001 Release date: 7th June 2010
Tracklisting:
1. Own (9:36)
2. Faire Des Seines (9:39)

Links:
www.myspace.com/adamport
www.myspace.com/santemusic
www.myspace.com/santosmusik
www.myspace.com/timomaas
www.timomaas.com
www.myspace.com/rivastarr
www.myspace.com/alexdolby
www.myspace.com/giorgioroma
rocketsandponies.com
www.myspace.com/rocketsandponies
“Mickey’s Monkey” was a 1963 song recorded by the R&B group The Miracles on Motown Records’ Tamla label. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey’s_Monkey_(song)