EP2 Pre Order & Manctalo

                                                            

Well who’d of thought it? A Manchester based vinyl label born from a love of Italo Disco, Boogie and early Proto House records and we sold out the first EP the same day as the release date. The interest that spread through Italo loving internet circles before the release was mental and now it’s the turn of EP2. “C’mon EP2. Fukin av it !!!”

I have been talking a lot with fellow Red Laser Records artist Flemming Dalum while we collaborated on our track for EP3 (available March) recently. He was saying that a lot of the music that is being produced in our small scene definitely has a sound that can’t be categorised and that Red Laser is one of the labels pushing this new electronic film score-esque Italo flavour onto vinyl along with other great releases from Flight Recorder in Newcastle, Cyberdance in London, and Bordello A Parigi in Rotterdam and it’s looking like there’s a lot more vinyl loving labels already out there and more to come.

So to avoid some clueless bulb sniffing journalist laying a claim to an ‘uninspired’ genre tag like NuItalo (yawn) and with the backing of my fellow Red Laser Artists I’m officially naming our EP2 vibe “MANCTALO”  

Again we have spared no cost on artwork and have opted for the beautiful eye burn neon rizzo print poster overseen by Red Laser arteest Bob Dazzle aka Eoin Macmanus

The record will be available to Pre Order for a special price of £7.50 from the Pre Order Site (CLICK HERE TO ORDER) and will be posted out on the 11th February 2013. It will be available online and in select independent record shops from the 18th February 2013

Here’s the rundown on what’s happening on our next slab of wax.

Red Laser Records EP2

Side A

 DJ Bert & Eagle – I Am Your Master (Savino DJ & DJ Peet Need Remix)

Finally the long awaited vinyl release for many Manctalo lovers. The track was brought to my attention by Kid Machine. Before I even listened to it I wanted to release it just from how enthusiastically (ar) Kid Machine talked about it. When I finally listened I was blown away. The original is weird and wonderful but it does not come close to how weird and wonderful the remix is. These guys have done a fantastic job making it beat heavy. The arppegiating bass line digs a circular trench that gets deeper as the track marches on until you end up stuck on the island with the strange creepy midget man. As you can probably tell this track takes me to strange place every time I hear it and blurs the line between dreams and nightmares. You would be forgiven for thinking that night crawling “Crackula” types were responsible for such a track but DJ Peet Need is one of the nicest guys I’ve been in contact with. He is also a passionate music collector and he shed some interesting light on what it was like growing up an Italo lover in a small area of Holland just outside The Hague.  “The whole Italo scene was alive in the 80’s in an area of around 35 x 35KM” he says “…. Really Really strange when you think of it. Inside this area were pirate radio stations and import record shops exposing people to Italo. Outside this range really nobody knew of Italo Disco!” Back then as a young man Peet immersed himself in collecting Italo records and DJing. Now, 45 (Sorry for exposing your age Peet J) he has never lost the passion for collecting and DJing music that moves him. What about information on his production partner “Savino DJ”? I really don’t have any so he automatically gains “Mysterious” status. Although from his Facebook wall I do know he has a passion for posting pictures of beautiful partially clothed women. Verdict - Geezer.

Starion – Darkstar

How will he make a heavier track than EP1’s Another Dimension? By making Darkstar even heavier! Analogue Manctalo Chug at its finest. Big bass line, big synth chords, big vocoder action. You couldn’t get more ‘dark disco electronic’ if you went clubbing with Daleks and the Cybermen were DJing. Also there has been a free downloadable album from Spain’s ‘Disko Selectors’ which included the fantastic Starion track ‘Hypnoto Roboto’  which you should check out immediately.

Our man Starion recently became a Dad for the first time (Big love to the fam) and by the recent output of quality music he is either amazing at organising his time or his Girlfriend is very understanding woman. Just like Kid Machine Starion has a great knack for making arrangement and production look easy (Which It aint) and every new demo Brady sends over is better than the last. Watch this space Manctalo heads. Starion is going to make some waves Laird Hamilton would be scared of in 2013 no shit!

Side B

Ste Spandex – Edit 1V

On EP1 Ste Spandex dropped a great Boogie number with Sarah Bates. This time however is more ‘mutating worm like acid wriggler’. This relentless percussive onslaught seems to scrape any MDMA residue trapped in your veins and gets it circulating again. This means you can get ‘off your napper’ without spending money on drugs (although taking drugs and listening to this track is advised). This is a bit of a taste of what’s to come on Ste Spandex’s own Red Laser 12” which drops a week or two after EP2 and is choc full of amazing productions.

A good few years back now I met a bunch of lads that were doing a night called ‘Detroit Public Radio’. Ste Spandex was part of this crew. They stood out because they had adopted an “Anti Trendy” attitude. You could see they would not stand for cheesy twats infecting their vibe. When I first met now good friend Randy Marsh, I’m sure he was questioning me to make sure I wasn’t a total ‘Northern Quarter Bulb Whiff’, and rightly so as you can’t confirm anyone to be sound as a pound just cos they like records and drugs. Plenty of cocks like records and drugs. Eventually the crew of Randy Marsh, Ste Spandex, Wayward Craig , Kicking Pidgeon and Si Ruff Dug went on to start one of Manchester’s finest underground clubbing experiences “Wet Play”. Still running today if you’re from outside the city and want to really experience something special I highly recommend this club night.

Ste Spandex is producing so much music so quickly I can’t keep up and thankfully, with fellow Wet Play crew, is starting Wet Plays’ own record label with the first release imminent and no bullshit, I’ve heard the stuff, its fukin beltin! This will be hot so keep your eyes and ears peeled

Kid Machine – Pegasus

Fuck me this is so dark and heavy it’s like holding a black hole in the palm of your hand. I think this is the slowest track Kid Machine has made and it gives the feeling of a dark, retro future, sci-fi horror score. Great for listening, being transported to another place and stimulating the imagination.  Fukin CGI and special effects not needed. That Hollywood chump Michael Bay needs to wake up and see the power of music on the mind rather than trying to make the imagination obsolete with multi-million dollar special effects and a piss weak love story so cheesy you end up wishing the developing lovers contract gonorrhea . 

I have documented the story of how I met Kid Machine and Starion before but its still funny to think that 3 people living in Manchester who never met were brought together through a love of strange early 80’s Italian produced records!! And dare I say it ‘Internet Forums’ (10 years ago I wouldn't have pissed on a blogger if he was on fire. I thought it was that un-cool! I have definitely changed!). Recently Kid Machine has sent some music for planned future Red Laser releases that has blown my fukin socks off. The future is dark. Brilliantly Dark!

"CLICK HERE TO PRE ORDER EP2"

Il Bosco