Funk-fuelled and drenched in disco, Big Child Man Child are as suited to summer festival stages as they are to club sound-systems. An electronic live act who draw from their collective experience as DJs, musicians, producers, songwriters and, ultimately - party-starters! 

BCMC's sound can be described as a mix of modern funk, disco and house music. Disco-style rhythm guitars, funk-laden bass, pianos, synthesisers and bright, uplifting vocals served on a bed of electronic beats and FX, to create a unique and captivating live act - focused only on enhancing the mood and making the people move. 

Riding the wave of their debut single, Examine & Refine, and armed with over a year’s worth of hard work in the studio, they embark on a journey of exciting bookings throughout spring/summer 2023, bringing their groove and energy to their biggest stages and audiences yet.

5 Piece Rock band from Portsmouth UK.

Our two new singles 'What Weighs Up' & 'Stand in Line' are now available for streaming and download!

http://itunes.apple.com/album/id1020757681

Darren 'Merle' Thompson has been involved in the music scene since 1990 in which time he served his apprenticeship at the infamous InTerDance production studios, 'Dance Floor Studios' in the early 90's working alongside the likes of Aubrey, Lenny Dee, John Digweed & Mr C as a young studio hand. 

Other experiences come from working in various record shops along the south coast such as Peach Flavour Records, Reflex Records, VIP Vinyl. And more recently as part of the management team at the outstanding Murge Recordings, and F-Tech Roots.

His influences come from an eclectic variety of electronic music from backroom grooves through to peak time madness including: Techno, Tech House, Deep House, Tribal, Breaks. 

With quality releases already to date on various labels such as Nathan Coles & Terry Francis Wiggle off shoot label ‘Is This’ under the guise of Cactus Jack (along side with good friend, DJ & production sparring partner, Richie Collins), San Francisco's Household Digital, London's Right Nut Recordings, Murge Recordings, Stark Futures, Mighty Moog, and Sounds of Juan.

Merle’s production style is a blend of new technology and old techniques by harnessing the power of software like Reason, Logic and Pro Tools and combining it with more traditional analogue approaches. Taking each new production with an exploratory approach to sound design to which he then moulds into his unique style. “I usually start with an idea in my mind of want I hope to achieve, lay down the beats and then let the rest of the production evolve naturally.
"I absolutely love the freedom and flexibility that working with software gives me”.

Merle has hosted on popular radio stations in his time (Some legal and not so legal !) before taking the opportunity to play regular guest slots on Richie Collins ‘Pointblank FM’ Show (London). It inspired him to start hosting his own weekly show again on Jacks House & Brap FM which ran for over 3 years.

DJ duties have seen him spinning at some of the countries finest established nights such as Club UK, The Manor, Sterns, The House & Browns (Nottingham), London Universities Tour, Ministry of Sound, Cream Tour, Renaissance Tour, Mixmag Tour, Journeys By DJ Tour and Underworld.

	
Latest Releases (Not including compilation album releases)

*Cactus Jack (Merle, Richie Collins & James Harrison): Pictures (Is This/Wiggle)
*Cactus Jack (Merle, Richie Collins & James Harrison): Desumba (Is This/Wiggle)
*Cactus Jack (Merle, Richie Collins & James Harrison): Faces (Is This/Wiggle)
*Merle, Richie Collins & James Harrison: Perception (Sounds of Juan)
*Merle & Dan Cook:  Sporks Away (Household Digital)
*Merle & Dan Cook:  Back to the Club (Household Digital)
*House of Labelle: Some Kind of House 'Merle Remix' (Mighty Moog)
*Merle & Laurence Reed: Now or Never (Stark Futures Recordings)
*Merle & Laurence Reed: Time Difference (Stark Futures Recordings)
*Merle & Laurence Reed: Rob from the Old, Give to the Young (Stark Futures Recordings)
*Merle & Laurence Reed: Take Back an Hour (Stark Futures Recordings)

In a saturated and cloned dance music market, it is becoming all too common to merely emulate, rather than stand out, be unique and create memorable music. Our passion for timeless, creative and intimate music allows us to  filter through to the artists we invite to join Decoded Magazine We do not look for just anyone, we are looking for people who create memorable music that inspires and invokes emotion, rather than be disposable chart topping hits and mixes.

We support and nurture underground house, progressive, techno, deep house, minimal, breaks, electronic, drum and bass music.

We live in a world of mass media consumerism, yet never tell a story. Never in the history of mankind, has so much information been available, yet our voices are never heard. Decoded Magazine aims to deliver thought provoking, intelligent journalistic articles that affect the generations who are passionate about electronic music, fashion, lifestyle, industry news, interviews, travel, food and breaking new emerging talent beyond the dance floor. We provide ethical, provoking and humorous content to a global audience.

We are a collective of professional marketing managers, print & web designers, recording artists, journalists, label owners, DJs, social media marketers, event promoters, music publishers and more. It is a labour of love for us, it is a passion that runs deep, a feeling of taking back control of an industry we love and so heavily invest in with our own personal lives. We are not grandstanding, we are not thinking we are going to change the world overnight, but we do hope that we can slowly be a game changer in what people listen to, explore or experience.

The passion for that 4/4 beat became an obsession when taking to the decks in the early 2000’s, with early influences from Kenny Dope, Derrick Carter and regular visits to London clubs such as Ministry of Sound and Fabric.

A long standing resident for Portsmouth based night Amplified, I have had the honour of playing alongside Dj’s including Dj Sneak, Cajmere, Hot Since 82, Derrick Carter, Pete Tong, Lee Foss, George Fitzgerald, Simon Baker, Darius Syrossian and Tim Green to name a few.

House music is a passion. 

abbosounds@gmail.com

Char Edmonds is following