Based between London and Porto, longtime friends and collaborators dj meddle, Taxikick, Endongo FM and 130-IVXX combine to produce the Scania EP - a midnight mix of sounds as playful as they are pensive.
Following releases on Tobago Tracks as well as the Edited Arts imprint, listening to dj meddle’s productions means looking through a kaleidoscope of interlocking melodies, where a gentle spin can blast us into the next dimension. On ‘Scania’, his approach is as naturalist as it is deep, with samples ranging from Crystal Palace’s Moorhen birds to scratchy guitar chords and croaky vocals.
On ‘No’ and ‘Scania’, both tracks the product of a locked-down winter, Endongo FM & Taxikick lay their first ever recorded vocals. Creating motions inspired by Moonchild Sanelly, the result is an off-kilter dance-off between sizzling snares and grandiose vocals.
*‘Scania’ pays tribute to singalongs improvised on road trips and playgrounds in Zimbabwe. It's an ode to the perils of playing with big boy trucks and big boy 'poloticks'.
*'No', meanwhile, is a reminder in English, Luganda and Swahili of the beauty of refusal. The track’s defiant vocals scratch space for themselves within a mysterious, funky-inspired beat.
130-IVXX is an artist/musician/researcher from Rio de Janeiro, based in Porto. For the past few years they've been making noise-influenced experiments with alluring melodies and rhythms emerging from apparent chaos. Exclusively using 130-IVXX’s custom-built samples, meddle showcases his technicality, building up a graceful, dystopian waltz primed for nocturnal listening.
Across 4 tracks, Scania’s inspirations - in the form of tapes taken from across the world - become clear. The listener absorbs these with body and mind - and leaves with the sense that this EP will, without fanfare, likely influence the world in turn.
Dedicated to Mark Russell.
Mastering: Sam Chadburn
Artwork: Mumptown
Contact:
clubyeke@gmail.com
released April 28, 2023