kevin mcphee

Canadian producer Kevin McPhee has already released an assured and consistent schedule of records since 2011, cropping up on strong independent labels such as Idle Hands, Demolition Man (with Gerry Read), WNCL Recordings and our own HypeLTD (2011's Blue Organ EP). So it's a return to Hypercolour for Mr. McPhee, with the 'Boris EP', with added clout from a superb Trevino Remix. The mechanical funk of 'CC-XXX-YY-NNNNN' opens the EP, it's gnarly synth scratches go back and forth like a saw over the industrial clang, it's sparse vocal the only sign of soul over this metallic techno winner. Trevino, AKA Marcus Intalex, has been rolling out some great music of late for Craig Richard's The Nothing Special, Apple Pips and Martyn's 3024, so it's a real coup to get him on the remix for 'CC-XXX-YY-NNNNN'. Adding some ghostly pads and grappling with the vox, Trevino goes one deeper on the bassline whilst making the machines dance with plenty of hats and Detroit-esque bleeps, slapping on some nice melodic touches. On the flip, McPhee's 'Branch' is a more minimal take on this industrial funk, a nagging horn stab rips all over a nominal bass and beats combo, the swing of the shakers locking down the solid groove here as percussion and claps tap away. Closing track 'DD-YYY-ZZ-OOOOO' is a great slab of darkroom techno, the spring reverb slapping the percussion around the chops as a taught string and stabs keeps things building over its eight minutes. A cracker of a techno record here from Kevin McPhee, showing off his versatility and style with ease.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.net

Following on from the likes of Maya Jane Coles and T.Williams, next to release on ever cultured Hypercolour off shoot HypeLtd is Toronto beatsmith Kevin McPhee. With releases on labels like Idle Hands and [nakedlunch] in 2011, this man has established himself as one of the finest and freshest producers of the year. Here turning in four more original cuts, McPhee's fascination with house apparently continues apace. Opener 'I Will' has gorgeously under-lapping beats, teary-eyed melodies and dreamy female vocals all rolling along together in sombre harmony. Variously being peeled back to just the chords, just the vocal or just the scuffed beats, it's a track that remains forever swollen with an unspoken sadness, despite making decent progress. 'Hang My Head' is less dreamy and more gnarled round the edges. Punching along at an inviting mid-tempo, a buried bassline gets busy as louche beats echo in the spaces above. It's hollow and suggestive, where 'Your Side' returns to a more mopey and insular vibe. Here the kicks trudge along, a mildly euphoric male vocal floating in between them and some long tailed, churchy synths leaving a trail in their wake. It's beautifully melancholic; cautiously optimistic...'Blue Organ' again sounds distant, instilling a dreamy, hypnagogic kinda vibe to the smeared tones and edgeless kicks which otherwise spread out in every direction. Even the percussion is murky and half remembered, veiled with years of dust that also obscures the sound of some nimble fingers which begin to dance up and down a piano toward the end of the record. McPhee very much has his own fine grain analogue aesthetic... this most delightful EP only confirms that.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.net