‘Rewind’ is the latest release from enigmatic synth and drums duo Soccer96, comprised of Danalogue [Dan Leavers] and Betamax [Max Hallett], and follows their acclaimed 2016 album ‘As Above So Below’, which received plaudits from the likes of The Quietus, XLR8R, Thump, Clash, Boiler Room, NME, DJ Mag, Electronic Sound and many others. With a nod to the beat tape aesthetic, 'Rewind' is a collection of newly discovered reel to reel recordings, live mixed on a vintage ‘Alice’ mixing desk in the Soccer96 analogue lab. Seamlessly segueing from polyrythmic psychedelic grooves to ambient synth pieces haunted by moments of mysterious tape bleed, 'Rewind' is a surreal, archaeological dig of a record, drenched in the sounds of degraded tape and analogue subtlety. Tracks such as ‘Alice’ contain the ghost of lost drum recordings, audible if you listen hard enough to the tape bleed whilst elsewhere unknown sounds from tapes found in a junk shop were faded into the mix, creating a glimpse into lost memories. Their experiments with tape are to some extent reminiscent of trailblazers such as This Heat and Can but the sweeping, sentimental synth pads and disjointed beats on tracks like 'Harmonious Monk' and 'The Scribe' nod more to the psychedelic/jazz infused grooves of the West Coast beat scene. The duo are joined by the curious vocalist and synth player Fred Stidson on two tracks, 'Time Flows', a dreamy ethereal piece with a lilting vocal, and 'The Future', a trippy arrangement driven by broken beats and squealing lead synths. The record ends with a brilliant Hello Skinny remix of 'Constellation', a track from Soccer’s 2014 EP 'Jupiter Masterdrive', a remix done in secret that was only heard years later, and instantly loved so much by the band that it had to be added to the record. Rewind is very much a record shaped by its process, combining intentional with unintentional, live instrumentation with concrete sound, lost recordings with a newfound mixing style, order and chaos. There will be a limited vinyl release of 300 records, lovingly hand stamped and stencilled by the band – in black and white as standard but with super limited colour versions available. Reviews: "Traversing musical terrain as diverse as Boards of Canada, Mount Kimbie, Roots Manuva and Squarepusher at his jazziest, this is a wonderfully varied collection that feels like something genuinely new… …get yourself a copy of this." [8/10] [Loud and Quiet] "An album of cosmic vision and killer execution… …Soccer96 brings contemplative electronica infused with vitality, audacity and a plurality of ideas and perspectives. It’s a highly intoxicating blend of cosmic jazz, psych synth and organic electronica, giving nods to a dazzling diversity of influences - Sun Ra, 90s Warp artists, the jazz-minded post-rock of Tortoise, the improv spirit-ronica of Szun Waves, the poppy psychedelia of Grumbling Fur, the synth explorations of Forma, the intuitive psychedelia of Goat, and (yes) more… …But what Soccer96 truly excel in is erasing the boundaries between personal and universal, subjective and objective, micro and macro, time and timelessness." [The Quietus] "Now this record is interesting, something different. Moreover a release that has a strong sense of character (its own I may add) which (if you read on) you will appreciate is quite something given the sound’s provenance. Rewind is a strange but beguiling release that slowly starts to encase you the more you listen, forming a sort of sonic film around you, acting as your receiver and filter to the outside world." [Louder Than War] "Soccer96 have an incredible new album on the way… …Rewind further roots the band as visionaries of UK Jazz and electronica." [EZH Mag] "Soccer96 is doing some deep stuff here… …Dig and peep this one bigly." [Igloo Mag] "The whole album is an ancestral attraction towards an electronics that does not miss anything, from the trip hop to the tribal, from techno to the interspace, passing through soft and then more aggressive and mutant rhythms. Undoubtedly, to be heard." [Extra! Mag] |
CREDITS
Written, performed and produced by Danalogue and Betamax
Also: Fred Stidson - vocals [trk 6], keys [trk 9] Hello Skinny - Remix [trk 13] 
Super-limited versions available in gold, orange, blue and green
Soccer96 - Harmonious Monk
Soccer96 - Rewind Assembly Line
|
Copyright © 2024 Slowfoot Records
Privacy
Privacy