Record Shopping: Dam Mantle

Pretenders beware, Dam Mantle know their shit. From the high-speed new sound of South Africa to Black Dice sideprojects, if its got beats they've heard it. Not content with just sitting and nerding their mates, they've taken this knowledge and made something pretty special of their own. Since late last year, Tom Marshallsay has been composing his own kind of shattered soundscapes. Now joined by mate Calum for live shows they've played all over the country, spent a fair bit of time on the continent and will play shows at Leeds Festival and The Roundhouse in the coming months. It's transfixing those who like to dance and those who like to kicking back in their bedrooms.

Orchestre Regional De Mopti - Les Meilleurs Souvenirs de la 1ere Biennale Artistique et Culturelle de la Jeunesse



Tom: Because the beats were better than anything in the electronic section. Everything, especially the musicality of it was, is just beautiful,.I love the scales of that part of the world. They have some beautiful female vocalis on this.

Neu: Do you like the Sublime Frequencies stuff?

Tom: You'd have to say Omar Souleyman but he's just the biggest isn't he?

Calum: I love the intercepted radio stuff they do. I've got Bali and Sudan.

Neu: There are so many pockets of stuff from all over the world. Recently it seems to have more attention....

Tom: Staying on that theme...

Shangaan Electro - New Dance Music from South Africa



Tom: This has been blaring out of our house. We've just moved and have been playing it non stop. It is the coolest thing, it is so quick. If sonic was invented in Africa this is what it would sound like. I think I'm actually going to buy this one. I've got it on mp3, not record. It's something totally different you know.

Neu: Is that important to you? Not having heard anything like it before?

Tom: Yeah, totally. I went through the "dubstep / wonky" section and none of it stands out. I put this on and it is like 'fuck". I like the artwork too. The videos are sick... All green screen.

Calum: It's hard to figure out what it would sound like

Neu: They kind of look like Slipknot or insane clown posse...

Tom: For us it's a complete blank context.

Neu: I always wonder how it is perceived in the county its from though.

Calum: Yeah, I always wonder that. These guys don't come over here.

Tom: They just get picked up somehow.

Neu: It's the internet.

Tom: Exactly, Omar Souleyman isn't big in Syria.

Calum: Yeah he just does weddings. I'd love him to play my wedding!

The Summer of Shortstuff - Part 2



Tom: It's the second part of the thing RAMP has put out. I guessed I should get some beats in there. This stuck out. It's the 362 record! That's really... wow.

Calum: There was a good thing on RAMP in the Guardian recently. They're good guys.

Tom: The artwork is good too. These work well together!

American Men - Cool World



Calum: These guys are from Glasgow, they're a super group of sorts. There are members of Dananananaykroyd.

Neu: Do you often get that in Glasgow. Different styles coming together?

Calum: Because there are so many things happening in Glasgow and so many things getting attention, naturally there will be some overlapping. It's interesting.

Tom: It reminds me more of the Leeds stuff.

Neu: Like Runners?

Calum: Yeah, All the remixes on here are more dubsteppy. Ikonika, Falty DL...

Tom: At first I thought they were covering Hudson Mohawke but in a band. It is straight up jamming.

Drum Eyes - Gira Gira



Tom: This is Scotch Egg and the guy from Boredoms.

Calum: Have you seen Drum Eyes?

Tom: No

Calum: They played Croc!

Tom: It isn't on anymore, but it was a club where they used to do really crazy things like fill Pinatas with bread...That's probably where we met.

Calum: Lots of music came together through Croc actually. Ultimate Thrush met through Croc.

Neu: Ah, they're great

Calum: When I was 16 I got into Scotch Egg. Gay Against You and things like that. That's died but people are still doing this.

Neu: When he was in Brighton they were threatening to throw Scotch Egg out of the country because his Visa was running out.

Calum: No way!

Tobacco - Fucked up Friends



Tobacco is the guy from Black Moth Super Rainbow. He's done a lot with 80s commericals and it's got that hip hop but not hop hop grainiess. It's great. And expensive! This is on Anticon. We played with Themselves the other week actually...

Tom: that's a life goal...

Eric Copeland - 7"



Calum: I can't remember which one this one is but I'm sure it's good. It's off Alien Garbage Dump. Like the cover it's collage sound.

Neu: Black Dice are great live.

Calum: They've never been up north. There's a big noise scene in Glasgow. People are so ready for it.

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