Two new releases today, both very much in the Bagging Area scheme of things.
First up and out on Golden Lion Sounds today is the debut release by Spraycan, a six track download or four track limited vinyl release called EP1. Spraycan is the work of Rich Thair and Nick Abnett, the men who hold down the drums/ percussion and bass in Sabres Of Paradise and formerly The Aloof. The Sabres re- union as a touring band over the last two years led Rich and Nick to begin playing together and recording, with a 'No plan, first take, move on' approach. The two songs on EP1 are (unsurprisingly) shot through with dub but also post- punk and punk- funk.
Italiano thuds in with bass, drums and percussion and Nick's compressed vocals, 'Your persistence/ My inconsistence...' it goes, sounding like it could be from an early 80s Factory record. 'It makes you want to/ Stop that'. The rhythms kick on with guitars and organ piling in. 'Don't come to me/ Any more'. Scratchy guitar, mutant punk- funk and cries of 'Italiano'.
Rah Rah Rah has Nick's dubby bassline leading the way, Roland Space Echo splashes among the FX, ricochets and small explosions going off and a wiry guitar line to the fore. Nick's vocals are from the post- punk school of expressionism and all the better for it.
Richard Sen is on hand for remix duties, two versions of Italiano, one with the vocal and one without- drum machines deployed, basslines turned into buzzing acid monsters and lysergic synth patterns dropped in, at that acid house/ industrial sweet spot.
You can find Spraycan's EP1 at Golden Lion Sounds here. Highly recommended.
Over in Wigan, just next door to Andy Burnham's new constituency, is Mark Peters, a solo artist whose records have been featured here several times before- 2017's Innerland, 2022's Red Sunset Dreams and 2023's The Magic Hour all showcase Mark's ambient guitar/ cosmische/ shoegaze sound. A new single comes out today, Amulet. Mark has hooked up with bassist Dean Roby before on Alpenglow and Magic Hour and they carried on in a disused Wigan millspace earlier this year. The warmth of Mark's guitars and Andy's melodic bass combine beautifully as the drum machine patters away underneath.
Mark had recently begun exploring William Orbit's back catalogue in depth just before the moment when Orbit's death was announced last month. Mark went back to Amulet, then called Jam 7, and inspired by William Orbit finished the track off. It's out today, a longer and shorter version, and can be found at Mark's Bandcamp. Lovely stuff indeed.
This is Alpenglow from The Magic Hour in 2023, Neu! rewired in Wigan.
