Sunshine be damned – FACT mix 390 is a brooding, thrilling set from the excellent Powell.
From Sandwell District through to The KVB, we’ve always been more than a little partial to music bridging the abyss between techno and post-punk. Synthesizing the two with more flair than most is Powell – a Londoner making dance music possessed by the poltergeist spirit of no wave. You’ll likely find Powell’s music in the techno racks, but it seems like a hopelessly limited term for his output – sometimes mean, sometimes romantic, always accomplished. If Hype Williams had The Soft Moon’s record collection and Regis’ direct line, they might sound just a little bit like Powell.
Debuting in 2011 with the tumbling ‘The Ongoing Significance Of Steel And lresh’ on his own Diagonal imprint, he kicked the doors in on last year’s Body Music EP – a remarkable six-track collection of lithe, supple drum programming and noir atmospherics. Further releases, including a limited release for art/music label The Death Of Rave and the Fizz EP for Mute offshoot Liberation Technologies, have shown him continuing to navigate techno’s wild fringes. He’s also recently expanded Diagonal’s remit, bringing Simon Pomery’s punishing Blood Music project into the fold, and locking down Prostitutes and Death Comet Crew for future releases.
For his maiden FACT mix, Powell draws on dark dub, first wave electro-pop and spooked post-punk. On the basis of these 90-odd minutes, Powell’s is a world where Einsturzende Neubauten rub shoulders with Container and Sonic Youth make eyes at EVOL; it’s certainly the first time we’ve seen Dome and Dirty Beaches sharing a tracklist. There’s also a glut of unreleased material to enjoy: fresh business from Vessel, new Cut Hands, and unheard Prostitutes and Death Comet Crew from the Diagonal vaults all feature. Harnesses on – it’s time to go spelunking.
Tracklist:
EVOL — Proper Headshrinker 4 — Editions Mego
Dome — Because We Must [Version 1] — WMO
Powell — Edit — N/A
Executive Slacks — 30 Years — Red Music
Merzbow — The Celebration of the Lizard — Dirter Promotions
Onyx — S.O.S. — Light Sounds Dark
Goat — Redg Weeks Re-Work Mix — Rocket Recordings
Front 242 — Angst — Red Rhino Europe
Dirty Beaches — Casino Lisboa — Zoo Music
Alan Licht — Four Years Later — Editions Mego
Einsturzende Neubauten — Abfackeln — Jem Records
Pornotanz — CySex — New Zon
Tim Taylor + Dan Zamani — Acid Over Manhattan — Planet of Drums
Klangwerk — Klangwerk — ZYX Record
Container — Protrusion — Spectrum Spools
Fruit of Life — Not Afraid to Dance — Subway
DNA — DNA on DNA — No More Records
Alan Vega — Body Bop Jive — Musidisc
Russell Haswell — Chua Acid — Downwards
Peter Gordon + Factory Floor — Beachcombing — Optimo Music
The KVB — Dayzed [Regis Edit] — Cititrax
Sonic Youth — I’m Insane — Homestead Record
Faith in Chaos — Possession [Kemal + Rob Data Remix] — Outbreak
Rapeman — Steak and Black Onions — Touch and Go
Death Comet Crew — Drag Racing — Diagonal [Forthcoming]
CoH — Satsugali — Editions Mego
Prostitutes — Kisses Undelivered — Diagonal [Forthcoming]
Butthole Surfers — U.S.S.A. — Blast First
Cut Hands — Madwoman — Downwards [Forthcoming]
Lenka Clayton — A-My — Accidenta
Powell — Rider — Death of Rave
Vessel — Anima — Triangle [Forthcoming]
Martin Rev — Clouds of Glory — New Rose Records
Shit and Shine — Blowhannon — Diagonal [Forthcoming]
