Stuart Leath, aka Chuggy, has been unearthing buried treasure from the musical undergrowth for a long time. Not just lost classics and forgotten masterpieces, but also fresh new bits and pieces, all via his trio of labels the Emotionals Rescue, Response and Especial. Plus don’t forget among a few side hustles, being one half of the outfits behind Mysticisms. There’s also his monthly All Trades NTS show to sample more of his particular musical taste.
Putting together some kind of coherent description of the music these labels offer out can get a little tricky at times. Something like, consistently exciting, occasionally challenging (in a very good way) and intriguingly engaging gets someway there. Plus, it’s kind of relentless but without dipping in quality. So, with that in mind, it makes a bit of sense for a quick state of the (Emotional) nation round up and bring together some of their recent goings on.
First, a recap for the uninitiated: Especial mostly deals with the dancier end of things. Response - more head orientated; and Rescue does just that, aiding the retrieval of older music from undeserving obscurity.
First up on Especial, the aptly named DJ 1985 just released ‘We Trippin’’. Nicely located in the sweet space between something which bangs and can also float, it’s a fluid mix of breakbeat franticism and spaced out nautical basslines. Apparently ‘Dolphin and Sirens’ was inspired by the Boka Bay dolphins of Montenegro, near to the location that gave birth to these tracks. It certainly ebbs and flows, leaping and falling with aquatic fluctuation. ‘Catland’ is a little more angular, taking a more electro direction with some out there central noodles that stay the right side of cosmic. ‘Last One’ teams wide sweeping vistas of sound with forthright drum patterns to open the mind and dream of open water and the skies above. Magic stuff.
Persian’s five part ‘Questions’ is also just out and features the last ever recordings by now allegedly retired Peter Reilly. Piercing the silence with quiet intensity via ethereal whispered messages from beyond. Each ‘question’ takes a base idea into varying directions, exploring different possibilities with each. ‘1’ lays the groundwork via subtle acid lines and dreamy pad work. While ‘2’ gets a little more hectic, bassy breakbeats feature and the tempo is dialed up into a mid section wig out. ‘3’ is a deeper cut, throbbing up the chugginess with added squelch. ‘5’ is pure dnb fury with a mighty sub bass rumble to boot. Lastly ‘7’ brings things back to earth, a grounding point and fitting send off (assuming this is his final ride). All in all bit of a masterclass in breakbeat space and shape.
Coming later this year, keep all ears open for this nice little four piece to mark the half century of releases on the label. Comprising tracks from new name 53X, along with returnees, Chez de Milo and Alphonse. X’s two contributions include the slightly fearsome urgency of ‘Radar’, a top end mid tempo pounder with metallic undertones and a plenty of densely layered FX. Secondly, Jamie Paton weighs in with his version of ‘Zen ‘23’. A slightly abstract dub excursion that keeps things simple, yet highly effective as it comes up to the boil. Paton pops up again, this time twisting Chez’s Arabesque ’Kremer’ from the Et Al 12”, into uncharted waters as his version expands, twists and bends the original into a new uncompromising shape. Lastly, ‘Razo Rave’ opens up the top end, lighter in tone and more obviously danceable than the other cuts and somehow delightfully chilled and frantic at the same time. Add to wants.
Two from the Rescue centre start with The Impossible Dreamers and ‘Spin’. It’s a clattering melange of drums and chants that breaks out with a great rolling piano break and cornet (?) line that brings the whole thing together, tacking squarely into hands up territory. The NAD (Idjut’s Dan Tyler) Reversion pulls out the drums and chants and may (whisper it) just edge the original. Plus there’s a cheeky reprise to give those drums some further limelight.
Released in 1986, and named after the boutique/salon where its members came together, Obscure Desire is as close to perfectly oddball club focussed pop as its possible to get. Uplifting, intensely musical, it blends the piano skills of Andrew Waldegrave with big time guitar motifs, funky bass and clipped, tight drums. Just when you think there aren’t any more lost 80s pop feels left to discover….as usual giving new life and access to something that deserves it. The EP rounds off with ‘Bullet’ an instrumental cut from the same sessions. There’s also the plaintive ‘4A’ and ‘I Wonder’ both showing the group’s more contemplative and tender sides. Who knows what could have been…
Completing the triangulation is Terra Utopia’s second release, the aptly named ‘2’, on Emotional Response. Benoit B returns to the label with a ten tracker that crosses the voids between ambient music and mellow breakbeats. Vocalist dvdv’s contribution on ‘Shadows of Memory’ adds some appropriate etherealism and balances nicely with the track’s more intense elements. Other pieces like ‘Depths Serenity’ take the music into a deeper realm, electronic whale songs for the heads. ‘Abloom’ is more abstract, amorphous in shape and drifting across the brain. Then there’s the more intense ‘X-tralinguistic’ with it’s blade-like synth cuts and warped beats and ‘Wick3d’ rounds out the record with some more organic bounce and flutter. Terribly good.
All releases are or will be available via the Emotional Rescue, Emotional Response and Emotional Especial Bandcamp sites and on wax where available from Piccadilly Records amongst other places.
