27 December 2010
With a string of superb releases and an ever inspiring fortnightly radio show, 2010 has been a good year for Greta Cottage Workshop, a label with no boundaries when it comes to electronic music, if it sounds good it goes. Matt from the label was kind enough to spare us his thoughts and offer up some of his 2010 highlights.
1) Swayzak VS Greta Cottage Workshop Split E.P
I chose this not for blatant self promotion purposes (we sold out ages ago and we ain't going to repress it) But more because I enjoyed the whole process of making it. Brun is such a good mate of mine, but we hardly ever get to hang out - this was the perfect excuse to have lunch and go and see John at Loud Mastering to attend the cut. Unfortunately we had to get the record made three(!) times in the end to get it right, but Its something I'm keen to do again. Independent all the way, not a P&D. (look out for Mudkid & MJC vinyl soon. ish)
2) Tunng Live in Bristol
I have been speaking to Mike for a while now (keeping it casual, but I am a massive Tunng fan) I was supposed to go and see them with my partner but I left it too late to get tickets. Gutting. So we went out for a walk in the freezing rain at the opposite end of the Westcountry and Mike suddenly rang and said we could have two tickets that some bigwig record exec had dropped. bonus. Much driving later we got there in time to see the show. And it was fantastic.
The ultimate holiday LP. This makes the list for reminding me of the last days of summer, and about the most perfect days surfing i've ever had. 10ft, clean and scary/beautiful in equal measure. Evenings spent chillin' to this in a crappy caravan - eating pizza & supping fine wine. Never take your eye off of Ry. He got the chops, If you've never heard this hunt it down.
4) Mount Kimbie / James Blake - (just play any of it)
These guys can do no wrong for me. Beautifully crafted music that has emotion as well as outstanding studio style and finish. I have been playing plenty of their stuff on the GCW shows. It is so good to see proper underground producers having real success. Long may they continue to drop it like this. It just gets better & better.
Danny is a fine producer, and totally approachable. I think he is well under rated, and I put his stuff up there with the best of them. Not as 'dj famous bastard' as he could be, probably because he has no edge and just puts it out there, no bullshit.
As for Mr Sei A, I understand he is well rated (I don't know who is and who isnt, I leave all that stuff to Jamie, my radio partner in crime, he loves all that) I just know that I met him at Fabric one night, and we took the piss/took pity on a girl that looked like Robert Smith and kept falling over.
This song just works. Played it outside under the stars, and inside at weird parties and it makes people smile/weep every time.
House Music that reminds me of Prince. That's a win win. In fact, Prince should remove his head from his ass and get Mr Teej in to produce his next album. This is a fantastic track that makes me smile and want to give it a bit of dad dancing in the corner (no lights on if possible, leave me to shuffle round in the fag ends - cheers)
You may have noticed by now that I like a Vocal. But its got to say something, not just bleat on about lost love, or booty shakin. The vocalist has got to MEAN what they are saying. This does that in all the right places. My Soul also weighs 1000Ibs...
(You can't just play vocals all night mind, you got to build up to it. I can spend four hours playing music to get me to the right point to play this. If you know what I mean)
So this is a record that I've only just heard.
I got hold of the craziness that is Tim (Discreet Unit) this summer. Having never met the dude before I invited him to play at one of our not strictly legal beach parties. he rocked up to find a Soundsystem not yet set up, and a group of Polish men shouting at him to turn the music on! He dutifully helped in the rig up and got on with it, no ego involved bless him. Other high lights of the night were said poles along with Mr Slater trying to blow his car up by managing to create a river of burning petrol on the dance floor.
Anyway, I've seen him since and I blagged this record out of him after hearing Moodymann play it in that set he did in Manchester. I love anything that keeps the Westcountry love alive. Even if he is taking the piss!
This is such an unashamed concept album, and that alone makes it worth a listen. Its minimal (as in stripped back, not as in 'I've got loads of gear but don't really know how to use it) and beautiful, and unsettling and stands repeated listens (I hammered it for 2 weeks straight and didn't really listen to much else - and I still love it, that's RARE) plenty of people make oddball field recordings, plenty of people make 'minimal' but to get them to work together without sounding like pretentious shite is a clever trick.
GCW
Great stuff. More to come.
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