One thing we wanted to do in 2010 with the Breaks is to welcome onboard more contributors to the team. So, to kick things off, we welcome aboard Mike Coleman to the team, who’s first contribution is this rather good review of Joy Orbison’s ‘The SHew EP’, which is released on February the 22nd. Similarly, if you think you want to be involved writing for Breaks Of 10, get in touch with me here.
Making the journey from inception on ‘Crap PC Workshop Speakers’ to being featured in the top #20 tracks of 2009 at Pitchfork, topping the tracks of the year at both Electronic music specialists Resident Advisor and Fact Magazine and even being selected as the “BBC Sound of 2010”, Joy Orbison’s phenomenal release ‘Hyph Mngo’ left 22 Year old producer Pete O’Grady with not only one of the biggest surprise hits of the year, but something near-impossible to top.
Far from faltering or failing in the face of this fairly gargantuan task, his November 2009 release ‘J. Doe’/’BRKN CLLN’ on his own ‘Doldrums’ record label quickly dispersed any feeling that Croydon’s Joy Orbison had peaked with his first effort. J.Doe’s swelling mass of shimmering drums, mesmerizing vocal loops and rolling sub bass let you forget about Hyph Mngo for a few minutes, whilst BRKN CLLN’s taut bass groove and sharp handclaps showed Orbison was as capable of sparse, considered minimalism as he was sweeping euphoria.
With similarly outstanding remixes of Four Tet’s ‘Love Cry’ and Jose James’ ‘Black Magic’ released, Orbison is proving himself to be not only a surprisingly prolific artist but a consistently impressive one. New release ‘The Shrew EP’ hits digital and vinyl stores in February and seems set to demonstrate that Orbison’s talent for constructing startling music hasn’t ebbed away in the slightest since the incredible success of Hyph Mngo.
The curiously named track “The Shrew Would Have Cushioned the Blow” opens the EP with a hypnotic, kick-heavy drum pattern, slowly submersed under a variety of Orbison’s trademark thick, shimmering synthesizers. Vast and spacious, the heft of the track’s warm, heaving bass and firm drums stop the track from descending into bizarre ambience whilst syllable-slices of soul vocals float through the wash of electronics. ‘So Derobe’ offers the more melancholy moment on this EP. Driven by lumbering bass and whip-crack snares, the track is surprisingly sparse. Encouragingly far removed from Orbison’s usual forays into giddy elation, with its melancholy vocals and sparse layers, if you were to replace the warm ambience of the humming synthesizer with the crackle of vinyl and sound of rain, this track wouldn’t be out of place on a Burial album.
To finish up, Actress takes up the remix duties with a.. erm… “Neu Haus So-Glo” remix of The Shrew EP’s title track, which is unfortunately only marginally less shit than its infuriatingly stupid name. A mess of frankly bewildering spring and siren sound effects and a stunningly dull sample punctuate a monotonous thumping beat so underwhelming that not only fails to go anywhere in its generous 8 minutes and 27 second runtime, but also manages to oh-so-cleverly omit every positive aspect of Joy Orbison’s heady electronic euphoria.
As the Shrew EP adds another pair of astounding releases to his repertoire, it’s becoming clear that, as he further establishes the core elements that comprise his soulful sound, Joy Orbison will not be the only person in 2010 to release music that sounds like Joy Orbison. So this year whilst he contends with the inevitable queue of imitators, you can only hope that Pete O’Grady, whose warm synthesizers and stuttered vocal slices currently offer escape from mediocrity, doesn’t accidently find himself trapped in his own musical formula.
The Shrew EP is released February 22nd on Aus Music
Listen here: http://www.simplerecords.co.uk/#/releases/82
Related Links:
If you’re a Newcastle local, Joy Orbison is playing at ‘Dada’ on Saturday the 30th at Cosmic Ballroom. Details here.
