Almunia - L & G Psychedelic

Paqua - Late Train (Emperor Machine Special Extended Version - Vocal) 96k

Torn Sail - Birds

It’s some four years since the release of Bison’s acclaimed debut single, “Way To LA”, the result of a series of productive
studio sessions between Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy, longtime collaborator Ben Smith, krautrock legend Holgar Czukay and
vocalist Ursula Major. Since then, Murphy and Smith have made a number of return trips to Can’s Innerspace Studio in
Cologne, where Czukay famously conjures his out-there musical magic.

The result is ‘Travellers’, the quartet’s long-promised debut album. It is, by anyone’s standards, a deliciously dubby and
intergalactic concoction; a fearlessly atmospheric blend of krautrock and dub disco-inspired grooves, delay-laden horns,
quirky percussion, stargazing electronics and eyes-wide-shut vocals. The dub influence is particularly notable given
Bison’s love of “versioning” tracks. Three of the tracks - “Way To LA”, “New Moon Boy”, and “Familiar Stranger” (the
latter two mixed by Conrad Idjut, who also turns the album’s title track into a clandestine, French-horn-laden late night
masterpiece) - appear in “Day” and “Night” versions. Meanwhile, previous single “Mandy” - a murky spaced-out stroll
though the collective Bison hivemind - is also included in two forms, with the Balearic stoner rock of the “Power Boy Mix”
offering a sun-kissed (but still deliciously atmospheric) reinterpretation.

Highlights are naturally plentiful, with Ursula Major’s half-spoken, half-whispered vocals wrapping themselves around
spacious rhythms, shuffling drums, twinkling, effects-laden guitars and low-slung basslines. ‘Travellers’ is an album rich
on other-worldly intent, sparse grooves and thick, enveloping production. It’s exactly the sort of album you’d expect from
musicians and producers of this calibre. We may have been waiting a while, but Bison have definitely delivered.

1. Way To LA (Day)
2. Way To LA (Night)
3. Mandy
4. Mandy (Power Boy Mix)
5. Familiar Stranger (Day)
6. Familiar Stranger (Night)
7. New Moon Boy (Day)
8. New Moon Boy (Night)
9. Travelers

Vinyl gatefold released September 1
Digital released September 8
C56LP007 © Claremont 56 2014
www.claremont56.com

Familiar Stranger (Day)

Familiar Stranger (Night)

When Paul Murphy released his critically acclaimed debut solo album, Claremont 56, in 2006, many thought it would be the first of many. In a way, it was, as in the years since he’s released a string of collaborative sets alongside Benjamin J Smith (as Smith & Mudd), and as part of underground ‘supergroups’ Paqua, Bison and Hillside. But that second solo album? Well, it just had to wait.

In early 2023, Murphy finally decided to scratch that itch, roping in some of his most trusted collaborators (keyboardist and bassist Michele Chiavarini, percussionist Patrick Dawes, guitarist Dave Noble and HF International’s Kashif included) to lay down a sumptuous set of tracks that not only showcases his now familiar (bit hard to pigeonhole) neo-Balearic sound, but also proves how much he has matured as a writer and producer since 2006.

In The Garden of Mindfulness is richly musically detailed, expertly arranged and full to bursting with fluid instrumental solos, with Murphy and his collaborators serving up tracks that brilliantly blur the boundaries between languid jazz-funk, downtempo, vintage synth-laden krautrock, dubby grooves and sun-splashed soundscapes.

It simply sparkles from the moment that opener ‘Eighty Three’ slowly rises like the morning sun, with gentle, undulating synth sounds ushering in a slow-motion jazz-funk excursion rich in twinkling electronics, spacey pads and warming bass. Recent single ‘Katanaboy’, a lusciously layered dub disco-infused dancefloor excursion in Murphy’s familiar style, raises the temperature a touch, before ‘Bonne Anse’ and the sublime ‘Unka Paw’ (whose combination of evocative fretless bass, extended electric piano solos, Clavinet licks and acoustic guitars is genuinely spellbinding) invite a combination of wavy shuffling and flat-on-the-back, eyes-closed appreciation.

And so it continues, with gorgeous title track ‘In The Garden of Mindfulness’ making way for the boogie-influenced, Japanese-British brilliance of ‘Hangsang’ (check the jaunty pianos, yearning breakdown and exotic melodies). Murphy’s long held love of warm, weighty bass, hypnotic disco grooves, colourful analogue synth sounds and jazzy guitars once again comes to the fore on ‘Afternoon Bob’ before the album reaches a fittingly triumphant conclusion with ‘Late In March’. 

A neat sonic summary of all that makes the set such a rewarding and entertaining experience, repeat listens reveals a wealth of musical details, from off-kilter triple-time drums and surprise bass guitar solos, to impeccable piano solos (provided by the immensely talented Chiavarini), fizzing jazz-funk synth doodles and stirring synth-strings. It’s a breathlessly brilliant way to end an album that was genuinely worth waiting for.

Late In March

Unka Paw

Afternoon Bob

In The Garden Of Mindfulness

Hangsang

Katanaboy

Eighty Three

Since launching in 2020, Claremont 56’s Claremont Editions series of compilations has delivered a trio of must-check collections featuring a mixture of unheard gems from the label vaults and brand-new, previously unreleased tracks. Label founder Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy continues with this blueprint on 2024’s instalment, the fourth in total.

There's naturally some genuinely headline grabbing highlights amongst the nine tracks on display, starting with opener ‘Crossing’ – a fresh cut from C56’s in-house super-group Hillside (AKA Paul Mudd Murphy, Alex Searle and Patrick Dawes), featuring lead vocals from long-time friend of the family Quinn Lamont Luke. The track is prime Hillside: all rolling hand percussion, warming keys, simmering synth-strings, sun-splashed solos and blue-eyed soul vocals from the effervescent Quinn.

It sets a high bar, quality wise, but predictably the rest of the collection hits similarly heady heights. Mudd contributes two other tracks of note: a first collaborative outing with long-time creative partner Ben Smith for five years, Smith & Mudd’s ‘Journey Seven’ – a languid, slow-motion affair that hints at what we can expect from their forthcoming album – and a typically rich, jazz-fusion influenced solo excursion, ‘Massimo’s Steps’. As vivid, emotive and detailed as you’d expect, the track explores similar sonic territory to Mudd’s recent album, In The Garden of Mindfulness.

It's usual for Claremont Editions collections to include tracks from new members of the Claremont family. Editions 4 is no different, with Danish producer Fureby – a close friend of fellow Danes Mike Salta and Peter Visti – joining forces with Guy Moscoco and Brian Faber on ‘Halcyon (Extended Mix)’, a gorgeously kaleidoscopic Balearic groover rich in fluttering flute solos, simmering disco strings and sun-bright electronics.

Elsewhere, a few familiar favourites contribute suitably stellar tracks. Mai Fujinoya dons the Yamp Kolta alias for the first time since appearing on the first editions compilation in 2020, serving up the languid Japanese language Balearic pop brilliance of ‘Saturate’, featuring beautiful lead vocals by Yuzz. Krautrock-influenced duo Neumayer Station – who made their C56 bow on last year’s Editions collection – lay down a typically stretched-out, dubbed-out groove with Spaghetti Western soundtrack flourishes (the lilting and atmospheric ‘Bassrutscher’), while Ferdi Schuster invites us to dive into the immersive depths of ‘Resonance’ – a lightly art rock and progressive rock-influenced soundscape best enjoyed while lying flat on your back.

Slow-motion house specialists Hear & Now continue to join the dots between tactile Balearica and pitched-down Italian ambient house on the stunningly gorgeous ‘Chimaera’, while there’s a surprise return for a Claremont 56 favourite: Mudd’s sought-after extended mix of Bel’s 2018 single ‘Ready To Die’, a sing-along modern Balearic classic. This time round, it has been re-edited by Blank & Jones, who teases out the sun-soaked instrumentation before finally dropping the original’s emotion-rich lead vocals.

It all adds up to another must-check instalment of the indispensable Claremont Editions series. As usual, the vinyl version has been pressed in limited qualities and comes housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve, complete with another stunning cover painting by illustrator Mark Warrington.

Hear & Now - Chimaera (Clip)

Ferdi Schuster - Resonance (Clip)

Yamp Kolt Feat Yuzz. - Saturate (Clip)

Neumayer Station - Bassrutscher (Clip)

Smith & Mudd - Journey Seven (Clip)

Fureby, Moscoso & Faber - Halcyon (Clip)

Bel - Ready To Die (Mudd's Extended Mix) (Blank & Jones Edit)(Clip)

Mudd - Massimo's Steps (Clip)

Hillside Feat. Quinn Lamont Luke - Crossing (Clip)

As Claremont 56 speeds towards its’ ten-year anniversary, label founder Paul Murphy continues to champion little known producers and previously unheard artists.

Over the past 12 months, the label has showcased material from rising talents such as Bella Figura, Simon Peter, Paraiso and Oma &amp; Amberflame. Now, Claremont 56 is adding another new name to the roster: Statues.

Essex-based trio Bradley Lucke (production/bass/percussion/keys), Mark Crooks (keys/production) and Grant Carruthers (vocals/guitar) has been making music on-and-off together since they were teenagers, and last year decided to come together under the Statues alias. They submitted a number of demos to Paul Murphy, who was so impressed by what he heard that he offered to help produce and write an album with them.

As debut singles go, “Alaula” is stunning. Reminiscent of many softly spun moments from the Claremont 56 back catalogue, it builds slowly and breezily via subtle waves of organic and electronic instrumentation. Carruthers’ impassioned vocals pop in and out of the mix at opportune moments, peeping above alluring acoustic guitar, bass, synthesizer and Rhodes parts. Throw in tumbling, life-affirming piano lines and swelling cello parts – both provided by friend-of- the-family Robin Lee of Faze Action – and you’ve got another near-perfect chunk of sunset-friendly, horizontal brilliance.

On the flip, Murphy dons his familiar Mudd alias to provide a superb Piano Dub. Building the action around a sparse, delay-laden percussion track, Murphy teases out the track’s most potent moments, in the process creating something that lingers even longer in the memory. Lee’s superb piano and cello work naturally takes pride of place, as Murphy expertly emphasizes the track’s impeccably atmospheric nature.


Statues - Alaula

After eight years, Claremont 56 is proud to present its’ 50th 12” single release – a special collaborative 12” that’s been some nine years in the making. Seu Torriso marks the debut from Paraiso, a project schemed up in the hilltops of Derbyshire, the sun-soaked beaches of Brazil and the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong.

The story begins in 2006, when then Matlock-based producer Ant Harrison (now resident in Hong Kong) began daydreaming about South American music. The veteran studio maestro – best known for his deep house partnership with Matt Rhythm under the Rhythm Plate guise – took to the Internet in search of inspiration, and found a Brazilian duo, guitarist Carlos and vocalist Nego. Having offered to produce some tracks from their jamming, he put together a range of tracks, adding drums, bass, Rhodes, strings (expertly played by Richard Hancock) and additional percussion.

Now those tracks, expertly mixed from the stems by Claremont 56 boss Mudd, are finally available. Both are deliciously breezy, with the duo’s loose samba vibe enhanced immeasurably by Harrison’s deft production and sympathetic rhythms. The title track kicks things off, delivering a jaunty, sun-kissed blend of shuffling acoustic guitars, cheery vocals, lilting saxophone and undeniably Balearic grooves. Mudd delivers an extended mix of “Filhas De Oxhum” on the flip, stretching out Harrison’s groove seductively, whilst leaving enough space in the mix for Harrison, Carlos and Nego’s original instrumentation and vocals to breathe. The result is a mesmerizing chunk of shuffling dancefloor Balearica, in true Claremont 56 style.

Paraiso - Teu Sorriso (56 Mix)

To celebrate Record Store Day 2016, Claremont 56 is proud to present something rather special - a killer single-sided release whose origins are shrouded in mystery.

“Tropic Of Capricorn” arrived at C56 HQ with little or no information. While its’ humid sound effects and glistening, unfurling melodies evoke hazy memories of Mediterranean sunsets and Adriatic sunrises, the track’s creators live East of Ukraine, in the colder surrounds of the Russia.

Regardless of who made it, you’ll struggle to find a single that’s quite as warm, tactile and seductively groovy. Built around a hypnotic, slo-mo groove, “Tropic of Capricorn” soothes and sedates from start to finish. Its’ ingredients are relatively sparse – think gently undulating beats, toasty chords and an electric harp that gently ebb and flow like the waters of a mountain stream – but the results are nothing less than stunning.

Oma & Amberflame - Tropic Of Capricorn

You’d be forgiven for not knowing the newest addition to the slowly expanding Claremont 56 roster. You see, there’s been no recorded output from German combo Bambi Davidson since the release of their largely overlooked “minimal post-rock” debut album, El Faco, in 2000. Until now, that is.

Following the release of their debut set, founder members Robin van Velzen (guitar/vocals) and Hans Christian Fuss (drums) became frustrated with their lot. Bored with “rocking out” as a two-piece, they decided to start inviting other musicians to join them on stage. That meant that each performance was unique, with new tunes – often improvised on the spot – being developed for, or at, every gig.

It’s an approach that frequently paid dividends. One particular collaborative gig, with Mountaineer) and Sofia Fuss, went so well that both were asked to become permanent members of the band.

into the studio to record a new album, some 15 years after they’d recorded their debut. As you’d expect with a new line-up, things are a bit different this time round. Whereas El Flaco was a stripped-back affair with most tracks featuring just guitar, drums and vocals, Bambi Davidson features additional bass, electronics and keys provided by Frank and Sophia. The result is an expansive but atmospheric album built around sensual, undulating production.

Often magical and always immersive, the six tracks that make up Bambi Davidson are delightfully contrary. While pleasingly accessible and capable of inducing broad smiles on on each listen. This is particularly true of “Foxhunting” – reminiscent of fellow Claremont 56 with Van Velzen’s weary, emotional vocals riding a wave of vibrant colours. Hazy, intoxicating and evocative, it sounds like a horizontal anthem in the making.

There are plenty of other highlights, too, from the hypnotic, pitched-down dub-disco-meets- touchy-feely rhythms and stargazing chords of “Hubble”, the four-piece’s most intergalactic cut yet. Give it time, and we guarantee that you’ll fall in love with Bambi Davidson as much as we have.

Brunswick

In the spring of 2007, musician and producer Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy decided to launch his own label. Named after the house he grew up in, Claremont 56 would release beautiful music by friends, associates, collaborators and like-minded musicians.

In the 10 years that have passed since, Claremont 56 has more than surpassed Murphy’s modest expectations. It has built up a cult following around the world, with listeners responding positively to the label’s combination of magical music, beautiful artwork, and impeccable packaging.

To mark the label’s first decade, Murphy has put together a sumptuous vinyl box set of previously unheard material, produced and presented with the same attention to detail that listeners have come to expect.

Each copy of Claremont 56: 10 Years contains five weighty slabs of wax and a bespoke info sheet, housed in a specially designed, hand-numbered box with de-embossed logos on the front and rear. There is also a limited-edition run of 200 copies which come with an additional 12” containing exclusive remixes and a brand new Paqua track, ‘Dalas’.

However impressive the packaging, it’s the music that makes Claremont 56: 10 Years stand out. Featuring a mixture of unreleased tracks and brand new remixes of vintage label releases, the highlights come thick and fast.

As you’d expect, some of the most impressive contributions come from those artists you could describe as “legendary”, including Chicago deep house originators Larry Heard and Ron Trent. Can legend Holger Czukay kindly contributes one of the standout moments, the eccentric ‘Music To Be Murdered By’, from his own unreleased catalogue, while Afro-cosmic pioneer Daniele Baldelli joins forces with Marco Dionigi to deliver a typically spacey remix of Bison’s ‘Familiar Stranger’. There’s also an epic, Afro-tinged dub disco remix of Smith & Mudd’s ‘Nether’ by Norwegian scene founder Bjorn Torske.

Elsewhere, Good Timin’ man Jex Opolis turns an overlooked track by Paraiso into a samba-boogie killer, Sean P dubs out Zee Erf’s beautiful cover of ‘Southern Freeez’, and Phil Mison turns FreshRo’s laidback electrofunk cut ‘Pacific State’ into a breezy, Balearic gem. Look out too, for the emotion-rich beauty of Statues’ ‘River Darkness’ – a track arguably worth the cost of the box set on its own – and the deep space explorations of Almunia’s Leo Ceccanti.

We could go on, but we’re running out of space. Suffice to say, Claremont 56: 10 Years is a lovingly compiled, curated and presented celebration of the label’s first decade.

Paraiso - Teu Sorriso (Jex Opolis Remix) Clip

Holger Czukay & U-She - La Premiere (Mudd's Ode To Phreek Mix)

Almunia - Pulsar

Smith & Mudd - The Surveyor

Sillyboy’s Ghost Relatives can proudly claim to be “Greek radio’s favourite soft rock band”. The Athens-based quartet – fronted by bass-wielding former TV commercial composer turned Balearic popster Charalambos Kourtaras – are rising stars in their home country, with listeners warming to their distinctive blend of atmospheric guitars, retro-pop synths and head-in-the-clouds grooves.

So far, international stardom has passed them by, though their distinctive songs have caught the ear of a range of DJs across the globe. One was Claremont 56 founder Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy, who has worked his magic on one of the band’s previously unreleased gems, “In A Small Place”.

Perfectly capturing the claustrophobic reality of life in a small, remote town or village where everyone knows everyone else’s business, the song sees Sillyboy plan his escape over a mesmerizing backing track rich in ghostly synthesizers, chunky bass guitar, spacey electronics and a shuffling groove that sits somewhere between pitched-down dub disco and early ‘80s West Coast AOR.

Murphy’s “Extended Version” allows the track room to breathe, teasing out the clandestine and atmospheric instrumentation – eyes-closed guitar solos included – before introducing Sillyboy’s rueful and paranoid vocals. You’ll find the Greek band’s slimmed-down – and arguably even more trippy – original version on the B-side, completing a fittingly high quality musical package to kick-start Claremont 56’s 2019 release schedule.

In A Small Place (Mudd's Extended Mix)(Clip)

The Popes - Bastards (Mudd's Moule Frite Mix)

Mudd & Pollard - Mawson's Walk

Four hands - Hizou

Paqua - Late Train (12" Mix) (96k)

1. The Awakening
2. Wrapped In Your Hair
3. Ode To Mom
4. Views From A Blue Train
5 Follow What You Are
6. The Magician
7. Secret Marriage
8. Pulsar

Almunia - Pulsar (clips)

Almunia - New Moon

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