De:Fence Records' 10x10 Vinyl Box Set comes as the culmination of a
seven year project from
OnTheFly, bringing together the electronic fringes of
those involved in
Fence to show there is more to the East Neuk than the folk it
is so widely known for. Each of the 10" records is available individually from
De:Fence’s bandcamp, with the box available as an add-on as well as a
standalone release.
From looking at the set and the list of contributors it's not
hard to tell that the collection fulfils the two expectations of a great box
set: full of hard to find material that without compromising in quality and
packaging to be proud of. The set is presented in a wooden box that snugly fits
all ten records in a felt lined interior, accompanied with a certificate of
authentication. The box comes in four runs of ten (now in its last set), each
varying in wood tones and print colours. It's a hugely special labour of love
that thoroughly deserves its price tag.
Musically the set is comprised, somewhat self-explanatorily,
of ten 10" vinyls released over the past seven years. Eight of the ten are
splits with the fifth and tenth release compiling collaborative works under the
name Ministry Of Defence. As with all Fence releases, collaboration is key to
the whole set, and what makes it so special.
The records can be split roughly into four categories:
releases that may be seen as collector’s items with exclusive material for fans
of the more known artists; the releases that fans of an artist will buy, and
subsequently be introduced to the other side; and the Ministry Of Defence
records.
Of the collectables there are three. The
Jon Hopkins and
Reuben Taylor split is the most sought after, and it is easy to see why.
Circle
My Demise is a stunningly beautiful, drawn out early collaboration between Jon
Hopkins and
King Creosote, predating
Diamond Mine by five years, although still
having the understated charm of their later collaboration, rather than the earlier,
Jon Hopkins produced
Bombshell. This, along with the ambient collaboration with
Barbarossa is a hard act for Reuben Taylor to follow. In spite of this
Fanfare
is an ambitious symphonic work, a mile away from Taylor’s playing with
JamesYorkston and
Meursault. The neo-baroque tendencies mixed with MIDI production
threaten to question its integrity, but from seeing Reuben play live you can
grasp the tone of the piece a little better and understand where its tongue is
positioned.
Fence fans will be glad to see a rare release from
HMS Ginafore, whose albums are long out of print and extremely difficult to find. On
listening to
10x10:07 it’s easy to see just why Ginafore’s voice is such a cult
favourite.
Rock Of Ages and
Take My Hand are both gentle and sparse songs, the
former with electronic undertones while the latter percussion-less, on which
there is an ethereal quality to the vocals. King Creosote remixes
Having
Wintered showing that a voice this strong can sit against anything with ease,
even the bizarre but brilliant tango inflections Kenny brings to the fray. Iona
Marshall’s soft but dramatic side draws from Celtic folk as well as turn of the
millennium electronic music. The percussion on
Free Elephants is a little
underwhelming, but made up for in the songwriting and singing.
Finally,
Malcolm Middleton’s contribution makes up the three
more collectable records. Middleton’s distinctive style and voice carry the
songs in a typically miserable yet uplifting manner that feels like a direct
predecessor to Human Don’t Be Angry. Despite the title and lyrical content
The
Whole World’s Gone To Fuck is not as downbeat as it may initially seem, whilst
A.W.L. veers towards Randolph’s Leap in terms of upbeat, sing-along tunes. The
other side is complemented by
River Of Slime, aka Kev from
FOUND. Slime On
De-Fence is ten minutes of electronica that varies from a jittery, danceable
beat to looped samples that get increasingly cut up forming an abstract piece
almost reminiscent of latter-day Oneohtrix Point Never over a trip hop beat.
The remaining records may not have such a wide appeal, but are
certainly no less brilliant. OnTheFly opens the set with High Street, a trip
hop track that shifts between the light and the shade, including a haunting
contribution from King Creosote. Submachine takes more from the darker side
with, built around a laid back beat and a driving bass line with cut-up and
processed vocals. Reporter compliments OnTheFly with a similar, albeit more
traditional, downtempo feel, taking as much from Air as it does from the
Balearic sounds of the late '90's. Reporter’s sun-stroked melodies and warm beats
grow naturally and flow fluidly.
Seven Sang provides a gentle melody against intricate but
laid-back beats that twist and turn in the same way as early Jon Hopkins
records. This pairing of simple songs with involved production makes
Still Life
and
Dragons honest and personal before the ambient sounds of
Stolen.
Love.Stop.Repeat follow in the same vein with remixed from Art Pedro and
OnTheFly. In line with the theme of 10x10 these remixes show the delicate
building blocks in a new light, graced with soft beats of Art Pedro and the
darker, more left-inclined production of OnTheFly.
Also of interest to fans, SteXis is a collaborative effort
between
Steve Mason and Alexis Giles.
As Fuck My Acid implies, SteXis is an
acid house outing for the duo, with slowly morphing Roland TB-303 bass lines
taking the forefront in this '90's throwback. The efforts are impressive in their
authenticity, but are overshadowed by
Jonnie Common, who reinterprets
Bed Bugs
and
Hand – Hand from 2011's excellent
Master Of None. These re-recordings are
representation of Common’s live sound at the time, and the strength of the
songs shine, acting as either a great introduction to Jonnie’s music, or set of
valuable alternative versions. As always these songs are accompanied by a phone
message and a short ditty that feels more like an idea for a song, rather than
a song in itself.
Viva Stereo offer
Alpha State, a regimented and motoric song
that pulses on, alongside the much more warm and laid back
Glassed, which would
make for an excellent summer selection with its light percussion and synths and
wonky vocals.
Con Brio step up the production with percussive electronica
comprised of busy and jittery beats that are underscored by a slow and almost
ambient synths. As with Seven Sang the percussion morphs and is constantly
moving with no bar the same as the last.
FOUND take a similar route to Jonnie Common, allowing for a
few ditty’s to be included in the short contribution. Their undeniably hooky
melodies are backdropped by stuttery synths on
FND043, whilst
Find Some Peace
is an instrumental jam, closed with the coda
Find Some Piece. Lo-fi electronic
pop group
Weasel Squeezer rounds the split off wrapping rockier melodies in an 8-bit
sound on
Weasel War Dance.
The Ministry Of Defence records, however, are the real
cornerstones of the set, with the collaborations epitomising the Fence ethic.
Being comprised of various collaborators the records are more varied, ranging
from the indie of Turning Around Like You to the minimal sounds of Keep Busy, the
tropical house of Malcamalgam to the off-kilter hip hop of Five Spice Smile.
All this is reigned in and presented as well curated 10"s that flow as well as
any of the others in the set. Nothing here falls short of the mark, each seeping
with integrity, honesty, passion and prowess. These records alone are a fine
example of Scotland’s diverse output, and taken as part of the expansive set
only cements this diversity and talent in all fields. This is a truly fine
release.
- Ashley Leiper
De:Fence Records -
10x10 Vinyl Box Set is out now via De:Fence Records and is available
here. Only three copies remain.
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