Shifters

Mastering The Shifters “Creggan Shops” on It Takes Two Records.

One of my favourite records to have worked on in 2016!

“There’s more than a few moments on the debut single from Melbourne, Australia’s the Shifters that suggest, at least as far as I can tell, that they might be more than a little familiar with the work of Mark E. Smith and company. The deadpan male/female vocal pairing and minimalist rhythmic repetition, repetition, repetition worked into “Creggan Shops” and “Captain Hindsight” sound like they’ve been lovingly traced from the blueprints of the Fall’s’ early, scrappy glory days (Live at the Witch Trials through Hex Enduction Hour, if you’re keeping score), with all of that band’s tightly-wound paranoia, if slightly less of a sense of imminent and inevitable volatile self-destruction. But the Shifters are equally capable of twisting their sound into a fractured, low-fidelity pop sprawl that takes some further cues from the scrappy, rough and tumble sounds of the early-to-mid ‘80s Flying Nun Records catalog, with that particular synthesis of inspirations serving as an implicit reminder that the Fall had, in their heyday, conquered the Top 20 charts in New Zealand. After this record, the Shifters really deserve no less for themselves. 
-Erika Elizabeth (Maximum Rock’n’Roll, Futures and Pasts radio)”

Buy it here!

 

Suicidas

Mastering Suicidas “Baile de Mascaras” on Sabotage Records.

“Suicidas are back with two new super catchy songs.

SUICIDAS involves the voice of RUIDOSA INMUNDICIA and shares or shared members with DEMENZIA KOLEKTIVA, BARCELONA DESTINO FINAL and a bunch of others. Driving fast forward Punkrock from somewhere between Barcelona and Vienna.”

Buy it here!

 

Pessimists

Mastering The Pessimists “Six Songs” on Nada Nada Discos.

“Kinda punk, kinda post-punk, kinda garagey stuff from members if RAKTA, FUTURO, and GARAGE FUZZ. Dunno what else to say other than listen to it below.”

Buy it here!

 

 

CBH - Get Me Fired

Mastering CBH “Get Me Fired” on 4490 Records.

“From the same crew that brought you LifeLock and Snaggletooth (aka most of your favorite Singapore bands) comes their newest badass rock’n’roll output: Charged CBH.
You can probably guess, based on the name and cover art, that this is classic UK82 style. And like their other bands, this shit rocks HARD, complete with catchy powerhouse riffing, high charge drumming, and a total badass swagger that can’t be learned, you either got it or you don’t. GREAT RECORD!!!!!”

 

Futuro Terror Su Nombre

Mastering Futuro Terror “Su Nombre Real es Otro” on B-Core Disc.

Futuro Terror se unen a la casa, y lo hace para editar su segundo álbum, lo que los anglosajones llaman el “sophomore album”, el álbum de revalida secuela de un más que soberbio y potente debut con el que los alicantinos ya se pusieron por sí mismos el listón muy alto, lo cual sólo ha servido para espolear aún más al siempre solvente trió alicantino, que parece haber encontrado esa ansiada e inusual formula magistral que combina calidad, buen hacer y una capacidad asombrosa de crear temas que embaucan, seducen y crean adicción casi instantáneamente.

“Su Nombre Real es Otro”, jeroglífico nombre han elegido para esta nueva colección de 13 temas en los que la banda tenía claro que, sin perder su concentrada y conseguida receta que los ha llevado por el buen camino desde sus inicios, debían ir un paso mas allá usando los ingredientes principales que ellos siempre han sabido mezclar con singular destreza en precisas combinaciones que les ha hecho crear un estilo propio y contagioso basado, por un lado en una precipitada cadencia que los lleva a crear temas cortos y concisos en los que nunca falta ni sobra nada, y por otro una siempre presencia de persistente base melódica que ellos son capaces de resolver con destreza a pesar de la energía y tajante resolución de sus temas.

En esta ocasión han pretendido, con un más que exitoso resultado, ser aún más directos, más precisos, más descarnados, ir todavía más al grano, lo que les sigue confiriendo esa imponente actitud y aptitud punk, a pesar de presentar un nuevo disco donde el pop está más presente que nunca, lo que les ha hecho crear temas de fulminante pegada pero de asequible y brillante manejabilidad, para lo cual tenían claro que necesitaban sentirse como en casa, y por ello han vuelto a repetir en el estudio de Marco Velasco en Alhama de Murcia, Miradoor Studios, donde estos temas han encontrado su hábitat natural para ser grabados de un tirón, todos a la vez, en directo, consiguiendo plasmarlos en el vinilo tal y como ellos pretendían, con un sonido más crudo, apenas vuelta y vuelta, pero sin ampararse tan solo en la tralla y reivindicando aún mas la melodía siempre presente en sus temas.

El diseño de la portada ha corrido a cargo del ilustrador y dibujante de cómics Adrían Bago, que apoyándose en el impactante nombre del grupo y en el particular nombre del álbum ha creado una fantástica historia que ha obtenido el efecto pretendido por la banda, algo que fuera mas allá de la mera e insustanciosa estética, y es que este disco estaá pensado en todo detalle y en todo momento, para dejar claro que Futuro Terror es más que nunca y en tiempo record uno de los bastiones más importantes e imponentes de la siempre afinada costa levantina.”

Buy it here!

 

Black Halos

Mastering The Black Halos “Fossil Fuel”.

“2 brand-new songs, the first new Black Halos music in 8 years and the first collaborations from founding members Rich Jones & Billy Hopeless in 15 years!”

 

Nembutal

Mastering Nembutal “Pay to Die”.

“When bands put out releases like this I always get tempted to just write, “FUCK” and leave it at that. Nembutal’s follow-up to their 2014 demo is about as no-nonsense as hardcore punk records come. The goal of every song on Pay to Die is to play as loud and fast as possible and it just so happens that Nembutal are bloody excellent at doing both. Nembutal’s music has about as much depth as a roadside puddle, but if you enjoy your hardcore punk being played with as much energy as the human body can muster then you absolutely have to listen to Pay to Die.”

 

Ganser Audrey

Mastering Ganser “Audrey”.

“Part space odyssey, part Ghost World, Ganser is a Chicago-based group that embrace post-punk, early synth music, and weird vacuum noises. Formed as a DIY duo in 2014, they incorporate driving bass and drums with anxious guitars and swelling synths, making bright black music for deep space transmissions and panic attacks.”

Buy it here!

 

Heavy Metal lp1

Mastering Heavy Metal “LP” on Static Age.

“After only six rehearsals and no previous recordings to date, Static Age is proud to introduce Berlin’s emerging powerhouse, HEAVY METAL. With this astonishing first full-length, HEAVY METAL crash through 13 tracks of noisy, antisocial, high-tension punk, eagerly mixing electric punk aggression with woozy electronic euphoria. The songwriting, which hits that sweet spot between rudimentary racket and surreal elaboration, brings the band’s restlessness to the forefront—they could break out into dance or a fight at any minute, everything sounds possible. No sense is left on the cutting room floor; instead, the clamoring drums, buzzing bass and snappy riffs are cut with catchy synths, bountiful pedal action and an exploding cocktail of bleeps, loops, samples and solos.

This ticked off diversity shines on multiple, rewarding occasions. Single-ready “Don’t Call Me Brother,” with its kaleidoscopic synths and old-school beat, is a bona fide dance floor pleaser despite its antagonizing lyrical content, and “Staring at the Rich Kids” is an instant classic, a stomping class critique that could have easily been found on a Bullshit Detector comp circa 1979. Yet it is bonus track, “Total Bullshit,” that flawlessly showcases the creative menace found in the wake of their nihilism. A joyride of shambolic punk, with a frustrated Welshman spitting wit and sarcasm into the microphone, “LP” could be the circumstantial soundtrack to a weeklong drug binge, going through all the motions to match, including ecstasy, hysteria, hostility and an uncontrollable, primitive urge to fight and fuck. And by recording everything themselves, HEAVY METAL’s already bizarre sound is pushed further into the delightfully deranged corners of their collective potential. An intoxicating stream of consciousness, “LP” was recorded in their Lichtenberg practice space and mastered by the wizard of sonic chiaroscuro Daniel Husayn at North London Bomb Factory, making it sound as unhinged and sardonic as it is distinctively captivating. They’re already working on what is promised to be a much anticipated follow up, so get into it or don’t. Just don’t call ’em brother. ( Lydia )”

 

Dead Cult Fall

Mastering Dead Cult “Fall” on Doomed To Extinction Records.

Recorded at Red Lantern Studios.

“Portland’s premier anarcho/post-punk band’s 1st album. “Fall” deliver 10 angry and passionate songs in the best tradition of the UK anarcho-punk bands like THE MOB, ZOUNDS and dark-punk classics such as SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES. This is unaltered throwback post-punk of the goth variety. Insert includes all the lyrics, which carry a poetic rhyme scheme and are worth the read. If you like CRIMSON SCARLET and ARCTIC FLOWERS this will be up your alley for sure.”

Buy it here!