Track By Track: Inversions 001

 
Music

Power Vacuum has long since been a label of driven ambition, both in the music it presents and in its aesthetic. Never standing still there remains a continued commitment to pushing harder sounds forward and into the limelight. Inversions is the latest project to emerge from the Power Vacuum camp, continuing the label's musical sentiment and ethos, but with a twist towards live recording and instrumentalism. Formed by Milo Smee and Thomas Franklin they invite a collection of friends to launch proceedings. The first release on the newly formed sub label sees features from Cavern Of Anti Matter, Clean & Jerk, Fupper and more. Take a tour of the release track by track below…


Cavern of Anti-Matter: Bring the Hiss (version) 

I met the drummer Joe Dilworth playing at the 2005 Tapestry festival. He lived in Berlin and generously said I could come visit him and crash for a bit. We got on well and had lots of common interests – drumming, moaning, drinking etc. We played in a band together for a bit called Zirkon with Tom Franklin as well, who I'm doing this label with. That band went really well for about six months. We supported the Klaxons, Goblin and Nissesenmondai with our first 3 gigs, but then lost momentum because I spent all my time name-dropping. Through Joe, I met Tim Gane – specifically to borrow a nice microphone off him. He had Joe's drum kit in his studio and I knew they were up to something musically once again. I saw some 'early' Cavern of Anti-Matter gigs and loved it, and they were the first people I approached for a song for the new label.

Booze: 5 Minute Break

The mic I borrowed off Tim was for some recording Demian Castellanos and I were doing as Booze. I think I met Dem on a night out, when we ended up having a jam with some of his pals afterwards. We made a plan to do some music together, and got on it really quick. I love doing band stuff with Dem. Ideas come thick and fast and we have a good time doing it. It's just finishing stuff off that takes years, which I think is standard for most people.

Fupper: I'm Fine Little Man

Simon and I went to school together in Essex. He arrived maybe a year later in school, after moving over from Canada. He made an impact with the girls in my class because of his exotic accent, and long sun-kissed hair (pre-dating the rave curtains we would all have a few years later.), which stirred some jealousy with other 12/13 year-old boys. We gravitated toward each other through music. He was into Dinosaur Jnr., Husker Dü, Black Flag, Dead Kennedy's etc., which was all new to me at the time. We hadn't been in contact for a long time, but I needed to find music for this first release so found out what he was up to and lo, he has been self-releasing continuously. I love this track 'I'm Fine Little Man.' It reminded me of getting a killer 7 inch and just putting on again and again.

Clean & Jerk: Silhouette Du Barry

This is a part time band Tom Franklin and I do when we can get together. Tom's a great bass player to jam with, and like me is a bit perversely infatuated with odd time signatures – which are generally beyond my ability to play, this being a fine example.

Apotheose da la Trahison: Escape to the Black Cloud

Holger is an enigma. Ask anyone. A prolific guitar and studio nut, who is technically insane and dwells in a copper-bottomed time warp. He grew up in the Ruhrgebiet, a heavy industry area in Germany. This is a track from one of his projects which I can't wait to open up a DJ set with. You won't find him on social media; he has no interest in playing the game that, to quote my good friend Ben Gatto Fritto, "music has just become an Internet popularity contest". I'll leave you with a photo of the man.


 

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