SYNTH:ETIC

SHOP - https://lengrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dance-par-amour

Limited edition vinyl with artwork by the brilliant KMG - www.kmgyeah.com

Leng Records has long admired Andrew Meecham’s work as The Emperor Machine. Last year, Meecham made his first appearance on the label via a fine remix of Harks & Mudd favourite ‘Susta’. 12 months on, Meecham returns to Leng with his first Emperor Machine outing of 2021, a typically eccentric, heavily electronic dancefloor outing featuring the seductive vocals of rising star Séverine Mouletin.

Meecham is one of British dance music’s most experienced and lauded producers, with a packed history stretching right back to the acid house era. He first rose to fame as part of Bizarre Inc and Chicken Lips (both alongside long-term studio partner Dean Meredith), but over the last two decades has devoted far more time to solo work as The Emperor Machine. In the process, he’s developed a sparse, hypnotic, heavily electronic trademark sound that combines analogue and modular synthesizer sounds with nods to post-punk disco, new wave, trippy proto-house and the mind-altering experiments of the Radiophonic Workshop.

‘Dance Par Amour’, his first solo single on Leng, is typical of his now familiar personal sonic style, with echoing, alien-sounding synthesizer motifs (some reminiscent of those that marked out Chicken Lips’ club classic ‘He Not In’), with bubbly sequenced bass, unfussy machine drums, rubbery slap-bass riffs and flashes of post-punk disco guitars.

Sparse but weighty and pleasingly trippy, the EP-leading ‘Extended Vocal Mix’ is classic Emperor Machine: a near ten-minute workout in which Mouletin’s tender but confident vocals rise above Meecham’s stylish and note perfect backing track, which sits somewhere between early ‘80s ‘no wave’ New York disco, lo-fi European synth-pop and the trippy late night dancefloor dubs that were once a feature of American boogie and proto-house records.

Meecham further explores his love of these sparse, effects-laden “synth-dubs” on the accompanying ‘Erotique Dub’, a thrillingly heavy, heads-down affair awash with echoing vocal snippets, hypnotic drums and synthesizer flourishes that attractively echo across the sound space. Like the best DJ-focused dubs of the early 1980s, the remix is propelled forwards by a strong bassline, around which other elements – guitar, bass guitar, sparkling synth sounds and mind-mangling electronics – appear, make their mark and then drift off into the ether. With key passages of Mouletin’s vocal appearing periodically to encourage people to dance, it’s the kind of delightfully wayward revision that will keep people dancing well into the early hours.

LENG SHOP

The Emperor Machine & Séverine Mouletin - Dance Par Amour (Extended Instrumental)

This track was totally composed on the ARP Odyssey (white face)with MIDI, layering tracks and FX. All source sounds were recorded directly from the ARP, even melodies and rhythms. Mogg and Naudascher provided extra echo and slight edit.

The Odyssey Sound (Mogg & Naudascher Edit)

Following July’s ‘Into The Great Unknown EP’ by the Cyprus-born, Berlin-based DJ/producer, Elninodiablo pulls together a remix package for two tracks from the EP, bringing Crate Classics, The Emperor Machine, True Romantic, and Each Other onboard for a set of five quality re-interpretations that spans Drum & Bass, Italo, House and beyond. Formed of British producers Aaron Horn and Jamie Rodigan, Crate Classics tweak ‘Lunchbox Candy’ into a maximalist Drum & Bass and jungle-inspired whirlwind. Taking the razor to his own track, Elninodiablo’s ‘The Vata Deranged’ remix sees him inject pumping drums and colourful stereo FX, before True Romantic lowers the tempo for a funky, low-slung jam. NYC-based duo Each Other, composed of Justin Strauss and Max Pask, deliver a dynamic, italo-infused roller of a remix of ‘Let’s Get Sleazy’, before The Emperor Machine delivers an ‘Extended Dub’ mix of the same track, drawing for a dense, tripped out analogue workout to close out the release.

Lunchbox Candy / Let’s Get Sleazy (The Remixes)

BUY LINK

PREMIERE : Elninodiablo - Let’s Get Sleazy (The Emperor Machine Extended Dub)

As we get towards the end of the year we are taking a look back at 2022 – Tracks, remixes, producers & labels that  were standouts for me. Tonights show is part 1 as there is just so much good music 2 hours doesn't do it justice

The Emperor Machine- Chumchwo - Lets Dance (Extended Vocal)	
Jules Brennan - Kamakiri-(a buggy re-incarnation)	
The Found Sound Orchestra - My Sister	
Secret Soul Society - Aint No Witch	
Sofiane Pamart - Dear	
Joyeria - Performance Review	
Kevin Morby - Rock Bottom	
Warmduscher - Eight Minute Machines	
Collignon - Aquacates	
Toro Y Moi - Postman	
Bad With Phones - Living Surfing	
Courting - Tennis (Edit)	
Laibach - LOVE IS STILL ALIVE (Moon, Euphoria)	
Dombrance - Pompidou (Feat. Sarah Rebecca)	
The Gino Fontaine - Revnorev (Pete Herbert Remix)	
Tigerbalm - Cosmic Camel (Original Mix)	
Jezebell - Too Shy (Jezebell's Hush Hush Edit)	
Felix Laband - Death Of A Pervert	
RSS Disco - Irusu	
Simon Says - Feel Me (Yuksek Extended Remix)	
Barry Can't Swim - Can We Still Be Friends (with Laurence Guy)	
Working Men's Club - Money Is Mine (Toddla T Home Sick Remix)	
Machia & Velli - House of Machia (Deomid Remix)	
Dele Sosimi & Medla - Shine On feat Zito Mowa	
Teddy Pendergrass - Life Is A Song Worth Singing 
(John Morales M + M Mix)

If you enjoy what you hear please like and re-share it to your networks.

The Shizzle
Bay FM 99.9
Wednesday Nights 8-10pm (AEST)
www.bayfm.org//shows/the-shizzle/

The Shizzle : 2022 Highlights Part 1

From the Lock Tavern via The Gun to spoons…

Family Silver are Mr Nick ‘The Gun’ Stephens and Casper ‘Volte Face’ Clark.

Nick was the publican at The Gun, a much-loved Hackney institution that recently closed its doors – more on that here for those who have been living under a rock. Nick’s excellent Netil radio show can also be found here.


 
Casper, is based in Clapton and was the music programmer for Camden institution The Lock Tavern where our paths originally crossed – most of the time being kicked out whilst DJing. Casper’s shared stages with Justice, Jeff Mills, Helena Hauff, Daniel Avery and many more and is also known for his long-running BleeD events via which he collaborated with labels like Blackest Ever Black, PAN and Downwards. Both share a love for “v lo-fi early eighties sound, kosmische, post-punk and scuzzy electronics,” with Nick’s influences ranging from 80s TV themes and Giorgio Moroder to The KLF, while Casper was shaped in his youth by electronic acts like Leftfield, Underworld, and William Orbit with DJ Hell’s International Deejay Gigolo Records becoming a huge influence later on.

Their sound sits between post-punk and the electronic… so with that in mind let’s give it a listen shall we?

Handily via the wonder of a recording  from this year’s Field Maneuvers where they opened The Gun’s stage.

Listen and read the interview here: 
https://www.theransomnote.com/music/mixes/line-out-family-silver-live-sputnik-field-manuevers-2025/

@volte_face_bleed @fieldmaneuvers

INTERVIEW

Line Out: Family Silver Live @ Sputnik, Field Manuevers 2025

Metro Area - Atmosphrique

What's In The Box?

Non-Functioning Apeman

Miura - Metro Area

Steak

Plug It

The Emperor Machine - Function EP
Release date : June 7th 2019
https://soundcloud.com/skintrecords
https://soundcloud.com/theemperormachine

Studio wizard The Emperor Machine is back with more of his brilliantly inventive and colourful tracks as he joins the Skint family.

The UK artist, born Andy Meecham has long been dazzling dance floors with his synth heavy, tough edged and psyched-out disco beats. He has released solo as The Emperor Machine for labels like D.C. Recordings, Internasjonal and Southern Fried Records and has a long and revered history as part of Chicken Lips, and before that Bizarre Inc. He makes truly rugged club music with sci-fi influences and killer basslines that never fail to get the club in a sweat and he now brings all his prodigious talents to his new home at Skint.

This joining of musical forces seems to have been an inevitable outcome for imprint and artist, as label founder and creative director Damian Harris says "When they come to write the story of Skint Records & Andy Meecham – ‘Don’t Give up on Love’ - should be the title. ‘I always wanted to sign you’ I said. ‘I always wanted to be signed to Skint’ he said. 20 years on those dreams became reality. We met on a post by our mutual friend Erol Alkan. Facebook can’t be all bad if it facilitated this match made in dance floor heaven."

Here he serves up three versions of new single ‘Function.’ It is an epic ten-minute masterpiece with cosmic chords and corrugated basslines that jerk your body. Hip swinging claps and timeless disco percussion pump the groove while the expansive synths bring the heat.

The excellent Warehouse Mix is a real throwback jam with big piano chords hammering away and getting hands in the air as the off-kilter drums bounce below. It’s feel good, timeless music that is widely appealing and hugely effective.

Finally, the Version mix is a loose limbed boogie-funk bomb. The slippery lead synth takes you on a journey as the drums twist and turn and the whole thing exudes soul and colour that will light up any party. The EP also includes a series of DJ re-edit tools that focus variously on a dub, synth, percussion and warehouse version.

As ever, The Emperor Machine has cooked up the sort of dance floor magic he is so well loved for.

LISTEN ON YOUTUBE

PREMIERE : The Emperor Machine - Function (Version)

A compilation of interviews from Paper Radio over the last ten years we did for our recent Reform Radio takeover.

1. Andy Meecham (The Emperor Machine)
2. Lindstrøm
3. Raf Rundell (The 2 Bears)
4. Late Night Tuff Guy
5. Hot Toddy & Danielle Moore (Crazy P)
6. Psychemagik
7. Bonar Bradberry
8. Terry Farley
9. Ashley Beedle
10. Yam Who
11. Daco

Paper Radio Interview Compilation

Andrew Meecham AKA The Emperor Machine has always been revered for his engaging stage shows and his new live set is certain to further cement his reputation. It’s a laptop-free affair featuring dual MPCs with an array of synths and samplers that are changing all the time and finds him cooking up all sorts new versions in the heat of the moment. He has been doing this in one guise or another since the birth of the 90s, firstly as part of Bizarre Inc, then Chicken Lips, and now as a solo analogue performer who has remixed everyone from The Knife and The Rapture to Erol Alkan, Andrew Weatherall and Daft Punk.
His latest outing as The Emperor Machine on Skint is another mini masterpiece: ‘House de Lowe’ is a rugged analogue disco jam with a tough bassline. Majestic cosmic synths go off like fireworks up top and the chattering percussion and swinging claps keep your hips moving in true Emperor Machine fashion.

The Version 54 is more direct and propulsive, with shiny arps and shooting lasers lighting up the macho disco grooves in futuristic fashion. Last of all is the excellent Warehouse Jam which edits the track into something more direct still. This time the claps hit hard, the lithe synths rip through the track and an acid bassline ensures maximum dance floor destruction as the chopped up rhythm makes you jerk your body.
This is another devastatingly brilliant package from the one and only The Emperor Machine and comes ahead of live appearances at POW x Disco Deviant at The Prince of Wales on November 15th alongside Maurice Fulton, and a 13th December event at London’s Lion & Lamb with Tristan Da Cunha.

House Des Lowe

PREMIERE : The Emperor Machine - House De Lowe (Extended)

Grand Central Shuttle

Coquine (Supermarket Mix)

We have Low Inner Sounds Host, Shroomie, starting the mix off with some proper house tracks. Enjoy and vibe out.

Our guest this time around is Moskalus. You may know his YouTube channel, which has given many artists a platform to premiere new tracks on and home for fans to listen to new grooves. Tune in to hear his selections 👌🏼
-
This series is about letting the artist choose what they want to do. Whether it be sounds that have inspired them from their creative inception to sounds that are currently engulfing them with creative fire. We let them decide where it starts, goes, and ends.
-
Along with the mix, we ask them to take a photo that is part of their daily life/has some importance to them. Here's Mareks’ shot!

Low: Inner Sounds # 9 - Shroomie w/ Moskalus (26/02/20)

♫ Info + Tracklist ♫
www.deephouseamsterdam.com/dha-fm-mix-455-by-the-emperor-machine

The Emperor Machine
https://www.facebook.com/TheEmperorMachine/
https://soundcloud.com/theemperormachine

♫ Info + Tracklist ♫

The Emperor Machine [LIVE] - DHA FM Mix #455

DJ Harvey is one of the most enigmatic people you could ever hope to meet. His "anything goes" approach to DJing, music and life has created some of the most out-of-sync, synergistic audio excursions and parties of the past 25 years. He has always stayed one step ahead by doing exactly what he wants, regardless of opinion, as an army of one, a cult leader for a last generation of pirates. 

Harvey's critically acclaimed 'Locussolus' project is finally receiving its long-awaited reissue for the digital generation, in its expanded entirety, as the debut release on Harvey’s new imprint HGS. The self-titled album saw Harvey's imagination run wild — from the big room stormer named after the club 'Berghain', the twisted psychedelic minimalism of 'Gunship' and 'Little Boots', to the "Fleetwood Mac on Quaaludes" trip of 'Tan Sedan', the Electro-Funk of 'I Want It' and 'Next To You' which features guest vocals by Heidi Lawden. On its initial limited release, Locussolus saw support from disparate sources such as Andrew Weatherall, Carl Cox, James Holden, Lovefingers, Francois K, Tim Sweeney, Trevor Jackson, Rob Da Bank and Ivan Smaggahe. David Mancuso even proclaimed 'Next to You' a “Loft classic” and it was included on many of that year’s DJ and Record Store "best of" lists.

Included alongside the album’s original full track listing are the complete remixes, dubs and instrumental versions, many available for the first time. To coincide with the reissue, Beatport is also hosting a remix competition from which the winner’s track will be included on a forthcoming remix package alongside new remixes from London’s Kiwi and LA’s Lovefingers, Bears In Space and Warehouse Preservations Society.

Locussolus (Expanded) - SNIPPETS

[HGS001] LOCUSSOLUS - Locussolus (Expanded)

Tan Sedan (Dr Dunks Buick Regal Dub) - SNIPPET

Remix Requests  please contact lipstudio2@gmail.com

EMPEROR MACHINE  Biography
Over 30 years since acid house’s summer of love and there are few of 1988’s cast of actors still left standing. Still fewer are those whose music is still resolutely pointing towards the future rather than endlessly looking to the past. In fact, there’s arguably only one candidate left in the UK. While his peers are content with revival parties and classical house nights at the Albert Hall, Andy Meecham is out on his own as one of the few whose gleaming analogue machines are still pointing towards an imagined future rather than an endlessly relived history.
As the Emperor Machine, Meecham’s solo project since 2003, he has been wrenching monumental basslines, strange keyboard figures and luminescent rhythms from his beloved synthesisers, inspired by everything from sci-fi movies and KPM library albums. In some ways, his mission has scarcely altered in the 35 years since he first heard ‘Planet Rock’ in the early 1980s. “That’s the thing that got me hooked,” recalls Meecham. “The fact that it was futuristic sounding.  Anything that was sci-fi: UFO programmes, Dr Who, Star Trek. Stuff that suggested the future.”
While he’s happy to plough towards the future, we still has some serious history to contemplate. Meecham is one of the clique of acts in Staffordshire inspired by house music that included Candyflip, Altern-8, Sure Is Pure and Nexus 21. Meecham’s band with long-time conspirator Dean Meredith, Bizarre Inc, was one of the most successful of their generation and 1991’s ‘Playing With Knives’ was a staple in all self-respecting DJs bag that year. Major label deals, led to swift dissatisfaction; Meredith and Meecham went back to the mixing board to rethink their future. 
As Chicken Lips, they re-emerged alongside peers like the Idjut Boys and Faze Action, to offer their delayed and dislocated rhythms to an audience hungry for relief from the monotony of the four-to-the-floor house rhythm, with joyously dubbed out originals and fiendishly clever remixes for luminaries like Ennio Morricone and Groove Armada to Wolfmother, transforming Love Train from a metallic romp into a disco-dub delight with a bottom-end bigger than a Kardashian. Then there are Andrew’s other aliases (he’s had more than Carlos The Jackal), notably Sir Drew, Future Four, Gino Fontaine, BIG 2000, Randee Jean and Zeefungk.
The Emperor Machine was born out of an online slating of one of his favourite synths, the Roland SH 3A. Indignant at this appalling slight, Meecham set to work on a track only using said Roland. James Dyer at DC Recordings loved it so much, he asked him for another and gave the project its name. Emperor Machine it was.


 As with most of the Emperor Machine music, the methodology goes against the grain of how most electronic musicians approach producing. Rather than reducing it to mathematical blocks of music on a computer screen, Emperor Machine is about long passes, played live and then edited down by a crack team of highly-trained Potteries-based orang-utans, lorded over by merciless taskmaster Meecham.
The key to success is not dancefloor domination, but a far simpler rule, says Meecham. “The music has to make me shudder. So I work on something until I get that tingling feeling. So it’s almost more of a drug thing really. I have to get that out of the music and I can’t get that from full-on 909 four-to-the-floor dance music.”
A shudder and a tingle. And maybe a monster bassline. Emperor Machine redux. 
Bill Brewster

Non-Functioning Apeman

The Emperor Machine

Related tracks