- The Optimo Music family of labels gained new siblings this year in Selva Discos and So Low. The latter is an extension of the Glasgow club night Optimo's JD Twitch runs with Iona Fortune, Katie Shambles and Becky Marshall. After debuting with an LP from the Glasgow band Happy Meals, So Low moves to the 12-inch format with Now & Then. As the title suggests, it features a mix of contemporary and vintage acts, bound by the musical styles favoured at So Low.
Both A-side tracks originally surfaced on other formats last year through the Glasgow labels Clan Destine and Huntleys + Palmers, respectively. Ian Hicks of Soft Metals flexes a mutant style of EBM on the A-side opener, "False Awakening," which is made all the more ghoulish by muffled vocals. The local Glasgow act Luxos follow with "Vihreä Ovi." Seemingly sung in vocalist Cucina Povera's native Finnish, it's a hypnotic synth wave ode to Green Door Studio.
"As Above, So Below," from Carl Matthews, continues the elevated mood established by Luxos. Little more than a fluttering array of tonalities, this early '80s tune invites investigation into an artist with a deep discography. "La Folle," lifted from The Schmutz Sisters' 1988 12-inch of the same name, ends on an obscure note. The insistent vocals and rousing piano suggest it may be an end of night alternative to the melancholic Carol track that inspired So Low's name.
TracklistA1 Ian Hicks - False Awakening
A2 Luxos - Vihreä Ovi
B1 Carl Matthews - As Above, So Below
B2 The Schmutz Sisters - La Folle