Review: Young British Artists – A Change By Any Other Name (YBAs Records)

After two EPs and years of buzz, the Manchester-based band Young British Artists has finally released a full-length album, A Change By Any Other Name. The eleven track album showcases the band’s ability to understand the theatrical elements of performance.

Initial tracks exhibit a thrashing, surf rock sound and, while there is a shift to more understated tones in fourth track ‘Mirror Trail’, Leo Scott’s vocals always remain an adamant component. The second half of the album establishes a strong keyboard infusion that lingers throughout the remaining tracks, meshing with guitar and an orchestral build up and break down, as demonstrated in ‘Everything in Front of You’ when Scott aptly sings, “Everything has been laid out”.

The steady insistence of last track ‘Forget Your Past’ attests to a steadfastness throughout certain chaos and imparts a valid confidence that this band has bright days ahead.

Words: Ruby Hoffman

Review: Gentleman’s Dub Club – FOURtyFOUR (Ranking Records)

After another summer playing some of Europe’s more adventurous festivals, Gentleman’s Dub Club have polished and released their debut LP, FOURtyFOUR.

From the start, GDC’s gigs always brought an energy and vitality that demonstrated not only gifted ability but also a true enjoyment for performing to lively crowds. Two well-received EPs later, the debut LP shows a confidence and swagger that, when combined with slicker production, has delivered a fine piece of work to back up an outstanding live repertoire.

Opening track ‘Give It Away’ will feel familiar to those who have seen the nine-piece ska-fuelled, dub-driven band before. This is upbeat dub brought bang up to date. Showing variety, ‘More Than Words’ explores some different tempos and delicate vocals that calm before the storm of heavyweight dub tracks ‘Forward’ and the epic ‘Riot’. The dark moodiness of ‘Please Don’t Wait’ adds atmosphere and flirts with techy, house beats.

‘Riot’ not only offers an excellent dub track but also has a well worked visual accompaniment, with videos shot for the track by director Paul Bryan. The same goes for ‘Give It Away’, another video collaboration that adds to the enjoyment of a track, again by the same clearly gifted director.

This is a debut studio album on the back of years of live touring that have laid solid foundations. The raw swagger of earlier material remains and as a unit they continue to mature as connoisseurs and masters of their art. Although this is definitely an album to enjoy and savour, the band’s live shows are still the driving force, so do not miss them.

Words: Danny Doyle.

Gentleman’s Dub Club will perform at Mint Lounge on Monday 21st October.

Review: Cogidubnus - Memorabilia

Following a residency at Sicknote clubnights focussing on the musical sub-genre tangents of dubstep and dark electronica, local DJ and electronic music producer Cogidubnus set up his own record label, named Broken Bubble, which features digital albums by some of his favourite artists. The latest release via that label is his own material.

I could write this review in fifty words. The opening track, ‘The Future Boards of Cheadle’, neatly surmises the relevant reference points in a nutshell; Boards of Canada meets The Future Sound of London as produced in the Stockport suburb of Cheadle.

But it’s not as simple and kitsch as that. As the record progresses, other influences are unleashed, not least the self-coined dubfunk genre pigeonholed for artists on the Broken Bubble netlabel he founded last year. Comprising six original tracks with four remix versions by other artists, Memorabilia is the sixteenth Broken Bubble digital release and, even in the company of London based Mothers Against Noise collective’s Hurtdeer, Second Line and Duskky as well as more recent output by Fedbymachines and Hotflush Recordings alumnus Gravious, it is one of the label’s strongest.

Within a mindset that is altogether mellower than his previous bassy garage template, Cogidubnus still fluctuates from ambient textures by introducing dynamism to the wispiness. The tempo picks up at various points in a way that Boards of Canada rarely would. ‘Dudeslice’ fires off zaps and lasers into an insecure sci-fi battlefield of drum and bass and squelches while the Sipp remix of ‘Autoslouch’ pushes its chest out and raises its clenched fists to the air with a pomp in stark contrast to the Burial-esque dark electronica of the original Cogidubnus version.

The scenes are largely serene though, with echoing vocal samples bridging downtempo flows. ‘Tricolor’ takes after Boards of Canada’s ‘Hey Saturday Sun’ but with its melodies slightly sped up and fed helium, before ‘Prism Reform’ picks up by leading the record along a theme of lonely shuffles of warped sound, woozily accompanied by percussive pops and clacks. The Future Sound of London references are fewer and further between, other than the mutual appreciation of sci-fi soundtracks, although Cogidubnus favours more artificial soundscapes than FSoL’s instrumental psychedelia.

Words: Ian Pennington
Photo: Gary Brown (GB Multimedia)
Poster design: Hattie Lockwood

Cogidubnus next performs his new set at Dulcimer bar in Chorlton on Thursday 12th April, supporting Vieka. Memorabilia is available to buy via digital download at brokenbubble.bandcamp.com.