Fabric resident, Tyrant DJ and UK minimal stalwart Craig Richards makes room for electro crew Transparent Sound on a new DJ-meets-live-act double CD.
CD1 of ‘The Two Headed Monster’ features a new mix from Richards, his first since his stellar Fabric 15 performance in 2004, while CD2 is wholly devoted to a live performance from Transparent Sound, an electro duo from of all places Bognor Regis. Perhaps best known for their live shows which has been seen everywhere from Fabric to the Sonar festival, Transparent Sounds’ second studio album ‘Hair Cut Fantasy’ featured singles remixed by Swaysak, Espion and Bangkok Impact.
Aah, the murky world of electro revivalists, but it looks like Richards is again showing his talent for plucking the worthy out of obscurity. Richards explains the reasoning behind inviting Transparent Sound to the party:”I’ve got an interest in electro and more recently they've been making music which is deeper, groovier and more 4/4 based as opposed to the electro they used to do. So I guess we've both become a lot closer together in what we do. I play their stuff and we have a mutual respect for one another so it seemed like a good idea to work on something together."
‘The Two Headed Monster’ is the first full-lengther on Orson Records and it’ll be followed by three limited edition coloured vinyls featuring tracks from Craig’s DJ mix, a brand new TS production ‘Hell Bent’ with remixes from Dub Kult, Espion and Mesak as well as an exclusive studio collaboration between Craig and Transparent Sound.
Richards new mix is billed as “a deep, hypnotic collection of current favourites and rediscovered gems that never once takes its eye off of the dancefloor.” Richards has built himself a reputation as a DJ always with his eye on the European ball and many of the tracks on his mix have been edited and put through the FX blender by Richards himself: “It’s quite bouncy and groovy and is probably closer to the first mix I did for the Fabric series than the Tyrant one from a couple of years ago. I tried to keep it moving around as much as possible, messing around with the tunes and sneaking in things that people wouldn’t always expect.”
The second disc in the package is devoted to a live set by Transparent Sound who sum up their contribution thusly:”In the clubs you're seeing an interaction between live acts and DJs. DJs themselves, by using laptops and programs like Traktor, Ableton and Final Scratch, are bringing in new technological elements to their sets. The Two Headed Monster is about trying to show the differences and similarities between these things."
The Two Headed Monster Tracklist
CD 1: Craig Richards
01. Andy Toth 'Jovian Zoology' (Kenaob)
02. Sweet’n’Candy ‘Mail’ (Lebendsfreude)
03. Crane AK 'Electrothermid' (Force Tracks)
04. Ryan Crosson 'Artists Have Bad Haircuts' (Telegraph)
05. Lineas De Nazca 'Circuito Interior' (Eintakt)
06. Apoll 'From A To B' [Falko Brocksieper Remix] (Tongut)
07. Lexdinamo 'Iky' (Karat)
08. T.Raumschmiere 'Knisterpop' (Sender Records)
09. Und 'Coccopuffs' (Trapez)
10. Motor '1.1' (Salq)
11. Alex Under 'Gavroche' (Regular)
12. Joel Mull 'Untitled' (Lask)
13. Actual Jakshun 'Sequential Circus' (Minus)
14. Louderbach 'Grace (Anxiety)' (Underline)
15. 2000 And One 'Get Down' [Shinedoe Remix] (Intacto Records)
16. Ruadive 'Turn It Off' (Klang)
17. Marc Ashken 'Hair Up High' (Leftroom)
18. Matt John 'Jokebox' (Perlon)
CD 2: Transparent Sound (Live)
01. Secrets of the Sane
02. Voyeurs Chance
03. Hell Bent
04. The Cider Club
05. Sucking Lemons
06. Tales of the Two Headed Monster
07. Spot the Difference
08. Proper Techno
09. Vintage
10. Variations of an Attitude
‘The Two Headed Monster’ album will be offered to the world July 10. London residents can also catch the launch party at Fabric Saturday July 1st with Transparent Sound and Craig Richards headlining the main room alongside longtime friend and Tyrant collaborator Lee Burridge. The full lineup and details below.