Salford’s very own master of Techno returns on August 28th with a new EP and on September 4th with a full album.
The Junta is the alter-ego of Salford musician John “Monty” Montague.
Monty, aside from delivering electronica via The Junta also plays bass in Kit B and Positronik and is a DJ on Salford City Radio and can be seen DJing around Eccles on a regular basis.
We released a radio edit of the single from the new album, “Tech Noir” on May 9th. A remix EP featuring new versions of the song precedes the new album. Of this Monty says:
“Recorded during the wilderness year. Inspired by my favourite 80’s/90’s artists, I decided again to release another remix e.p.TECH NOIR this time, remixed by some very good friends of mine. SPACE MUSEUM, NIGHT OPERATIONS, and POSITRONIK. “FILM NOIR” is a fabulous mash of TECH NOIR and Positronik’s “SUPERHEAVY”, featuring the wonderful production of JEFF BLACK and the vocals of NATHALIE HALEY. And a little reunion for Positronik! Oh and I couldn’t resist a Junta Remix of my own in the form of the T-800 Mix as a homage to The Terminator.”
A week later a brand new album “J3” follows – we think it’s his best yet. Plans for vocal versions of a couple of the tracks featuring some special guests had to be abandoned due to the lockdown but we hope will emerge when things get back to normal. Of the new album Monty says:
“Recorded mostly between Feb and June 2020…idle hands and all that! Wanted to avoid doing a bunch of lockdown songs, because I thought there’d be a wealth of them. Though couldn’t resist throwing in MAN AS AN ISLAND. Can’t wait to actually take these tunes on the road…when Boris green-lights the venues again.”
All instruments and recording on these releases are the work of The Junta with mastering being done by Space Museum at his Half Edge Studios. 100% produced in sunny Salford!!
Australian duo Peter and Daniel from sycloner are back with a new EP “Running Interference” and to mark the event they have curated a podcast which includes three of the four tracks from the EP as well as a selection of music by their favourite artists. Music from The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Mr Bungle, Cornelius, Massive Attack and The Necks makes an appearance.
A Slapstick Life is Moff Skellington’s 45th release and is a collection of tunes based around an early recording of his called “Remembering a Slapstick Life”. It is released digitally via German Shepherd Records on August 21st 2020.
The music on the new release is rooted in old jazz and ragtime recordings, described by Moff as a Hal Roach fever dream.
The track entitled ” Remembering a Slapstick Life ” is a montage of recordings from the original project from 1985-90. Moff took the Picasso/ Matisse path and used only what was irreducible, so it could be termed “Atomic”. The track has echoes of Viv Stanshall and the construction of the varying layers and elements is very good indeed – we were reminded of John Zorn’s “cut-up” music as evidenced on “The Big Gundown” and “Spillane” albums.
The recordings are full of jazz ghosts and narration is delivered by Babe Handy i.e. W C Handy meets Oliver ‘ Babe ‘ Hardy, thereby consummating the marriage between jazz and slapstick. Handy’s voice might be perceived as belonging to an overweight and seedy northern comic from the early seventies.
The listener is transported to Weimar Republic Berlin where Brecht and Weill might be constructing an entertainment for the theatre. And there’s a piece of synchronicity in that Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush” had a significant impact on Brecht. Slapstick is omnipresent.
The track “Fragile Comfort Seeker” is a particular favourite with a “wandering” sound underneath the narrative.
Moff has captured the music of the slapstick era wonderfully although it is heard through the prism of Eddodi – if indeed you can hear things through a prism.
In the latest of an ongoing series of podcasts Moff Skellington introduces his forthcoming album “A Comet Full of Pigeons” with a unique and compelling narrative about the purchase of tobacco and Rizla Papers and the attendant tales associated with that commercial endeavour. A surreal dream like journey around the nooks and crannies of Abstercot with echoes of Lewis Carroll, Flann O’Brien and Spike Milligan.
Our very busy August continues with two releases on the 14th
STAGGS – THE DEATH OF STAGGS
Staggs refresh the parts other brands cannot hope or dare to reach.
Mortality is at the forefront of minds at this time and Staggs, never ones to opt out of considering the vagaries and ultimate consequences of life, focus on the transition between this world and the next (if you believe in that sort of thing).
Staggs are pioneers, so it’s apt, if not deliberate, that a 1969 track by The Pioneers is raided for the closing electro punk work out about meeting the chap at the Pearly Gates. A well known and somewhat apposite refrain underpins m.t. scotts world weary travelogue on the death of Staggs which links the third and first tracks. Familiar arpeggiating strings link travels in europa and self-referential nods back to earlier works and a suggestion that this is the last work. If this is indeed the end then it is a suitable way to end the Staggs journey.
No one does funk quite like Staggs do it….opener Curtains raids bass riffs and other things to remind us that it is OK to dance your way out of your constrictions. As with all Staggs productions the language is rich, and the tune construction innovates and provokes a knowing smile.
The end of Staggs, who can tell? Staggs always keep you guessing….
Les Staggs est mort, viva Les Staggs
MATTHEW HOPKINS
The second single from Matthew Hopkins finds Anne, Julia and Max in fine form with a strident song about relationships which is equally as full of pop smarts as it is imbued with anger and frustration. With a catchy vocal opening and great interplay between the group members we hope this is the one that gets them the attention they deserve. An article on the group will be appearing in the August edition of the excellent Eighth Day Magazine to coincide with this release. A further single will follow in September. Here’s the great video which accompanies the song.
MORE VIDEOS
We have been adding more videos to our Bandcamp Page check them out…
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