This is the third Hobbes Music release and the second in a series of remix EPs featuring up-and-coming Scottish artists remixed by well-established and emerging local and international talents.
A1, Tokyo Knife Attack is the alias of Craig Bell, who was just beginning to make a name for himself on his native music scene in Glasgow when he emigrated to Portland, Oregon. Craig's music as Tokyo Knife Attack is electro-pop, although he also makes more abstract techno as Ditone. Invisible Sister has been remixed by Ali Renault, ex-Heartbreak (Lex). The results of this collaboration are strong. You can hear the hiss and feel the warmth emitted from the analogue equipment Ali's used and he's taken Craig's vocal to a completely new place. Suffice to say, it's a bit of a belter.
A2, Leonidas & Hobbes return, following the success of their debut collaboration (the 'Machines, Tapes & Electronic Setups' EP) with a house cut that's perhaps deeper and more soulful than anything on their debut EP, thanks in part to a tremendous rework by fellow Edinburgh native Fudge Fingas (fellow to Hobbes, that is, as Leonidas lives in London), who adds his own vocal as well as some lush keys and other effects. Fudge Fingas hardly needs a full introduction, with his very solid international reputation a result of his ten-year-long relationship with Edinburgh's excellent Firecracker label, among others. While Invisible Sister (A1) is perhaps more suited to being played around 2-4am, Soul Food is definitely one of the tracks that inspired this EP's title: Dawn Chorus. It sounds great when the sun is coming up. Try it.
B1, Glasgow's Conquering Animal Sound return alongside London-based remix artist iO Sounds, this time with an instrumental mix of the Treehouses track he re-worked for label debut Midnight Thunder (HM001) - one of the veritable hits off that release. To recap: the band are already a live favourite locally (not least at Hobbes's Limbo live nights) and Treehouses is one of the highlights of their critically acclaimed second album (which came out via Glasgow indie behemoths Chemikal Underground in March). They have lately been touring Europe, to promote the album. While Rob Da Bank gave the vocal remix of Treehouses a play on Radio 1 on release, iO Sounds has previously garnered props from Mary Anne Hobbs and Mad Decent (and has been adding a slew of releases to a rapidly burgeoning repertoire for labels such as Fortified Audio, Mad Tech, Future Shock, Infinite Machine, Diamond & Raw, Symbols, Senseless, Black Butter and Audio Culture). iO fuses a well-honed bass aesthetic with twenty-first century beat programming and a deep house sensibility, maintaining the integrity and melancholic feel of the original without forfeiting the demands of the 'floor.
B2, Snide Rhythms is another favourite at Hobbes's Limbo live night. The brainchild of Edinburgh College of Art legend Colvin Cruickshank in the studio and a trio on stage, Snide Rhythms takes its cue from a broad spectrum of influences, including legendary labels such as Manchester's Factory, Edinburgh's Fast and Kingston's Firehouse. Ginger Baker From Africa features out-takes from the sessions for the band's critically acclaimed debut album, Snide Rhythms, with the bands' vocal chants augmented by a beat more commonly found on the records of Nigerian firebrand Fela Kuti and/or legendary British drummer Ginger Baker. Auntie Flo takes the already-abstract original material to an even deeper, more spiritual place, via additional percussion, a sublime arpeggio, moody pads and delay. Ginger Baker In Africa also sounds very sweet when the sun is rising and partly inspires the title of this EP.
