‘Series #002’ is the second 8-track sampler from Phil Kieran’s PKR label. Following in the footsteps of the first edition, the sampler features fresh “tracks, edits and remixes” of PKR material.
With ‘Series #001’ featuring the likes of Jamie Jones and Max Cooper, it was always going to be a tough act to follow but Kieran and PKR are confident of shunning any talk of second-season syndrome. Kieran hand-selected the tracks himself to clearly deminstrate his vision of what the imprint represents, so we listened carefully to what Series #002 has to offer.
The Harvard Bass remix of Phil Kieran’s ‘Triangle’ is a looping locomotive, stoked by synth stabs with a low-end hum from the engine room. It softens as it passes through tunnels then emerges noisily out the other end.
Kieran’s ‘Bells and Bones’ is just that – a mellow-jack track that unfolds into a swirling, vocal carousel of bell-laden percussion, claps, and futuristic FX, punctuated by the odd fat dollop of bass.
From the moment it starts, Kieran’s ‘Countdown’ is a storm brewing. A wind picks up, rain hammers down, thunder rumbles and lightning cracks. Brief breaks in this techno tempest allow a moment to breathe before the rain finally relents and the storm beings to fade.
‘Rocket Ship’, another original from Kieran, is a machine gone mad. A regimented kick-drum combo relentlessly marches along, while chaotic poly synths surge through. The vocal loop has all the cold, calculated menace of a robot turned against its master. The tension builds and pressure hits boiling point as the droid finally cracks and drops into unstoppable, mechanical automaton gone bad.
‘Birds & Bees’ sees the Hardway Bros take on Kieran’s original collaboration with Green Velvet. The track jumps straight into the gated groove and loosens into a wilting and swaying musical meandering. Acidic sounds cut through the fog and act as a reference, guiding us through the rest of the “spacey Balearic” ensemble.
The remix of Le Carousel’s ‘Forget Me Not’ is one for the hipsters out there. From Parisiah producer Chloé, its straight up-and-down beat is unmistakably French and when the bassline drops, it leaves you in a constant state of looping hypnosis. The vocal space is shared between the largely unintelligible murmurs of a female and her besotted lover.
The Justin Robertson ‘Deadstock 33’s Mix’ of Kieran’s ‘I Can’t Stop’ is where harder sounds come in with moody analog basslines. Reverbed percs fill the atmosphere like exchanges of fire in the background while busy analog leads swell among the main focus of the track. A female vocal rings out amid the conflicting soundscape. The original sample is lifted from a Gary Numan track, adding a slight indie edge to it.
Final track ‘Snakes Crawl’ is something altogether different. The ‘PK Joyless’ treatment is a nod to Joy Division. With guitars and organs low in the mix, string pads and electric bass, it’s completely on its own at the tail end of this release. A vocal builds to a heavy break which clears to reveal a somewhat compact rhythm that is the vehicle of this punk-inspired track
TNG has the very first previews for ‘Bells And Bones’ and ‘Forget Me Not’ (Chloé Remix), below.
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Tracklist:
Phil Kieran – ‘Triangled’ (Harvard Bass Remix)
Phil Kieran – ‘Bells And Bones’ (Original Mix)
Phil Kieran – ‘Countdown (Original Mix)
Phil Kieran – ‘Rocket Ship’ (Original Mix)
Phil Kieran & Green Velvet – ‘Birds & Bees’ (Hardway Bros Remix)
Le Carousel – ‘Forget Me Not’ (Chloé Remix)’
Phil Kieran – ‘I Can’t Stop’ (Justin Robertson’s Deadstock 33′s Mix)
Phil Kieran & Bush Tetras – ‘Snakes Crawl’ (PK Joyless Mix)
