Last locked in techno mode around 2005, Chris McCormack left the scene at peak power. He was one of the few producers actively pushing the dancefloor sound into the future while so much of the music became frozen in the past.
With a decade-long golden run mostly through his Embryo and Materials labels, a string of classic, era-defining remixes, his peerless UK Gold releases, and a small but timeless collection of electro and electronica donning the What Kind of Sound? name, Chris' contribution has been a cut above. Somewhere in the middle of all that came "Erase Techno", a strong contender for the best hard techno track ever written.
While that release was the one and only on his Blacklisted label, Blacklisted Mastering was soon born - a premium mastering service Chris has now run for over 20 years, counting the likes of Gary Numan and Max Cooper among its regular clients.
Venturing further away from club music and into the world of library music production, it seemed as though a fresh Chris McCormack release would never again materialise, but he has now, out of the blue, hatched a new full-length album. It is, as you'd expect, a key addition to his rich discography.
A range of moods underpins The Bones of the Old World, which plays out like a cinematic experience: existential pondering, grief and darkness gradually giving way to playfulness, gratitude and a reassuring hope for what is ahead. Majestic, evolving melodies, lush atmospheres, eerie soundscapes and turbo-powered drums form the foundation across 13 tracks. Gripping sound textures and detailed, twitching rhythms run through a blend of ambient, spoken word, electro, loaded broken beats and fierce-intensity techno. A bit like old times? Maybe just a bit like he'd never left.
Lock in to this hour-long odyssey from a crucial voice in electronic music. We're honoured and excited to welcome Chris back for his debut on Earwiggle, as well as the first artist album on the label.
expected to be published on 27 Nov
