Skream

“The point is to use the studio for what it does best: making impossible music.” – John Foxx

This week FACT was lucky enough to talk in-depth to John Foxx about his life and work. The Chorley-hailing renaissance man is best known for co-founding Ultravox, and for the massively influential solo album which he made upon departing that band in 1980 – Metamatic, a Ballard-inspired synth-pop masterpiece that is surely among the most important and influential records ever made. Our interview touches on the free-spirited approach to production he learned from Lee Perry and Conny Plank, his love of London, his time writing computer game soundtracks and collaborations with the likes of LFO, Benge, Bomb The Bass, Harold Budd and Iain Sinclair. Elsewhere in features we profiled Brainfeeder’s Lorn, and Kiran Sande saluted the tribal-inflected sounds of Altered Natives and Szare in The Month In…House/Techno.

Taking care of the FACT mixes this week were Ariel Pink, who has a fair claim to being called the most influential musician of his generation, and techno’s muscles-from-Brussels, Mr Peter Van Hoesen.

Also this week FACT’s very own Tom Lea launched his Local Action label, a three-track EP from T.Williams comprising ‘Afric’, ‘Flooring’ and the aptly named ‘Anthem’. Don’t sleep on this platter of next-level UK house, which has been deservedly picking up support from Kode9, Jackmaster, Joy Orbison and everyone else that matters – get your copy now.

You can catch T. Williams repping his Deep Teknologi crew at FACT’s whopping party taking place at Cable in London next Friday, 4 June. He’ll be joined in Room 1 by Mala (DMZ), Fiedel (MMM/Berghain), Scuba (UK live debut), Spatial and Altered Natives, while Room 2 plays host to Seiji, Subeena and – in association with Night Slugs – Chicago’s DJ Rashad, Lil Silva, Bok Bok vs L-Vis 1990 and Jam City vs Girl Unit. Tickets are selling fast so make sure you grab yours sharpish.

News-wise, we’re particularly excited about the return of Lukid, who has a new album coming out on Werk Discs entitled Chord, and we’re damned curious to hear Outside The Box, the eagerly awaited sophomore full-length from Skream. New LPs and EPs from Autechre, punk-funk survivors !!!, Instra:mental associate ASC, The Pop Group, grime hero Terror Danjah, Wavves, Arcade Fire, PVT, La Roux & Major Lazer, plus reissues and compilations from Walter Gibbons, Roy Ayers and Honest Jon’s. Oh, and the slightly less edifying spectacle of MIA throwing her toys out of the pram provided us with no end of amusement.

In reviews this week, James Blake’s CMYK EP hit heady four-star heights, while new albums by Crystal Castles, Ellen Allien, Rudi Zygadlo and Hot Club de Paris’ latest EP were all well received; Born Ruffians’ ‘What to Say’ and Uffie’s ‘A.D.D. S.U.V.’ fared less favourably. We also found time for an in-depth review of Sigha’s Shake EP for Hotflush.

Have a good bank holiday weekend – normal service will be resumed on Tuesday, but tune in on Monday as usual for the next FACT mix (it’s a belter).