SCENERY LAUNCHES IN STYLE WITH A DOUBLE HEADER FROM BANTOM LIONS & JOHN HECKLE. PRESSED ON LIMITED EDITION 180 GRAM HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL
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Liverpool label Scenery Records continues to shine a light on local talent by next turning to Mark Forshaw for a new four track EP. Remixing is the singular Autodidakt Records boss Daniel Andreasson and once again the release showcases a gloopy, analogue heavy house and techno sounds with influences of acid and beyond. Before now Forshaw has released on labels like Mathematics, Tabernacle and Apartment and is also a member of Phantom Planet Outlaws with John Heckle and Binny. Having been involved with the Merseyside scene since the 90s and as a DJ who has locked down many a dance floor, Mark is a learned and well informed house head with plenty of say for himself. Up first, 'Peer Pressure' is a slithering bit of jacked up house music with a grubby, oscillating bassline and firmly planted kick drums. A searing acid line eventually cuts into the mix and flips and drifts about as the groove percolates below and it makes for enjoyably dark and intense listening. Daniel Andreasson remixes with his usual idiosyncratic style and layers up oodles of scuzzy sonic noise, dirt and lo fi texture on top of a swampy techno rhythm and snaking, spiralling synths. Fully dystopian in nature it makes way for the blistering stomps of bleep techno monster 'For No One'. This raw acid concoction is a broody and alarming affair that cannot fail to blow minds. Next up is the rather more lithe and elastic, hurried and energetic bit of techno minimalism that is 'Raptures'. With rubbery kicks and Rob Hood style synths is scurries from start to finish in gloopy, unhinged fashion. Lastly, 'The Push' is a prickly, fulsome brew of cowbells and claps, razor edged synths and lumpy drums that rides up and down, sticks out in many direction at once and generally does a fine job of firing your every synapse. This is another no nonsense EP from Scenery that is lovably rugged and unpredictably creative.
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Liverpool's Scenery Records has been making a real splash over the last 18 months, delivering the kind of top notch, analogue-heavy deep house gear that invites comparisons with the best labels from Vancouver, Washington D.C and New York. There's plenty more to cheer on this label debut from Liverpudlian producer Binny, not least the immersive melodiousness, dancing synthesizers and rhythmic hustle of "Retrospective". Chicago Skyway delivers two impeccable rubs of that track, with the second - a new-age techno stomper built around beautiful synthesizer arpeggios and drum machine cowbells - standing out. Flip for the glassy-eyed intelligent techno-meets-deep house thrills of "A Moment In Time", which is also given a pulsating acid techno makeover from Scenery veteran Circular Rhythms.

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Asok's Scenery imprint continues to go from strength to strength, with the boss man following up Bantam Lions' recent Recollections EP with a single of his own. "Hunter" is undoubtedly the Liverpool-based producer's strongest track yet, with woozy, soft-focus chords and alien electronics riding a dusty, analogue-rich groove. As with much of the label's recent output, there are distinct hints of Mood Hut, Future Times and Mister Saturday Night. Experienced producer Versalife reworks the title track, turning it into a blissful chunk of Drexciya-style electro. Flip to the B-side for "Cabal", an ultra-deep and occasionally discordant concoction, and the fuzzy, Detroit-influenced bounce of "Millennium 2.2".
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SCENERY LAUNCHES IN STYLE WITH A DOUBLE HEADER FROM BANTOM LIONS & JOHN HECKLE. PRESSED ON LIMITED EDITION 180 GRAM HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL
More