Last month was a busy month for the young Bristol based outfit, Shall Not Fade, gathering together a fine selection of releases. Since the vinyl only label started in 2015 it has been reaching out limbs in all directions, but that has been even more evident recently.
At the beginning of the last month SNF gave us some snippets of the first EP by Viers (LK) set to be released in July on their new sub-label, Dream of Dystopia. The EP entitled, ’A Moment In The Machine’, certainly takes its inspiration from the industrial paradises that have swamped the world. Driving bass, mechanical sounds and clicking hi’s will have you crawling for the Evian. A haunting ambience floats through the EP and the noises used hold clarity that could swing you into an other worldly state. A stroke of minimal genius!
Shall Not Fade’s original sub-label, Paradise Palms, is also busy releasing the hot wax of Anthony Fade’s new EP, ’What I Need’. Premiered last month, it’s a showcase of lo-fi raw beats, with well cut grainy samples and babe wailing vocals, atmospheric chords stab ‘bak nd forf’ throughout that muddy bass, creating a lovely sense of mood within each track, for something so underproduced the sensuality from it is very clear indeed. This will be available on vinyl later this week.
I’m not sure if LK has seen the face of light recently but to show forth his true versatility in production his ‘Think About It First’ EP shows a new sound that are unlike his previous releases. Listening through it shows a much more expressive approach, firing in some well oiled baselines and jaunty chords that flow free through a background of auroral sounds. Sneaky hints of that playful acid sound seem well contained and are peppered around the space. The percussion through is well balanced and clear cut and really lends to your senses. Again, keep your ear on standby and picking fingers at the ready for I'm sure this will be a hot seller this month.
To finish off this outstanding array of instalments we are greeted by the third release of their white label series, ‘SNFW003’. A1 - LK giving our ears a taste of some delicious soulful house cut together with warm baseline grooves and that all too familiar hi-hat. The finger licking guitar to go will have your legs in a tangle as you keep singing back those vocals. A2 - DJ Boring stripping back to a more hard hitting 4/4 stomp, with breaks and cuts of haunting vocals throughout and sharp lo-fi percussion, lets hope there’s no lego on the floor as your feet will be hitting down hard. Flipping over to the B-side of this compilation Adryiano returns to the boil after having his thirteenth record released in May which showed forth some pretty magic cuts and jazz fuelled breaks. This also shows in this B1 track, a real dance mover which won't fail to get your head nod on, taking you through a journey of classic filtered disco breaks and signature claps. B2 - rounding off the release is Deejay Astral, my personal favourite, ambient sounds and dulled percussion progress through into raw hats and soft vocals. Let your eyes have a rest as you sway into your dance procedure.
This compilation sums up this well in tune label and their ability to accompany these raw and yet fragrant sounds together on a regular basis, a real taste into how well the label has settled down and allowed the artists to work in harmony.
Words by Freddie T
