The Emperor Machine: Vertical Tones & Horizontal Noise Parts 1 & 2

I just received in mail these two promo records from DC Recordings, the UK record label of J. Saul Kane, a.k.a. Depth Charge, a.k.a. The Octagon Man. Below are the press release notes that followed with the records.

The Emperor Machine's music is a combination of Dr. Who type of BBC Radiophonic Workshop analogue vintage synth sounds with added live bass and percussion -- which might appeal also to the fans of DFA, LCD Soundsystem, Playgroup, The Rupture and that ilk? I've spinned The Emperor Machine at our Eclectro Lounge nights every time as possible...

Artist: The Emperor Machine
Title: Vertical Tones & Horizontal Noise Part 1
Label: DC Recordings (UK)
Cat. No: DC59
Format: 12"
Release Date: 6 June 2005

A: Yes No Egg
B: Front Man (Version Idjut - Girthius Maximus)

The debut Emperor Machine album Aimee Tallulah Is Hypnotised (DC56LP/CD) was released on DC Recordings in October 2004. The increasingly prolific Andy Meechham now makes a swift return following
an Emperor Machine remix of Markus Kienzl's 'Dundy Lion' (Klein Records) with Vertical Tones & Horizontal Noise Part 1, the first installment of a two 12" set.

Diving deeper into the Alpha Centauri disco boom with 'Yes No Egg' Meecham makes use of his childhood recorder and prized synth collection as heavy drum & percussion rhythms collide with a jerky live bass line and an unearthly assortment of sound effects. On the flip side the Idjut Boys step up with a 13-minute mutation of 'Front Man', re-editing and remixing the original into a psychedelic percussion-drenched dub disco epic.


Artist: The Emperor Machine
Title: Vertical Tones & Horizontal Noise Part 2
Label: DC Recordings (UK)
Cat. No: DC61
Format: 12"
Release Date: 6 June 2005

A: Tropical Waste
B: Roller Daddy

Andy Meecham (Chicken Lips/Big Two Hundred) presents the second phase of Vertical Tones & Horizontal Noise under his Emperor Machine guise.

'Tropical Waste' is a trip into classic Emperor Machine territory, a mesmerizing synth-laden spin into lustrous analogue tones, hard drums & a dominating sense of menace, all enhanced by Meecham's exemplary production technique.

'Roller Daddy' is a mind-bending update of the Krautrock sound pioneered by the liked of Can and Neu! Full of the psychedelic ingredients, this progressive pastiche is a potent invocation of the past as well as a portal to the future.

The Emperor Machine has attracted a varied selection of supporters. Emperor Machine tracks have appeared on Andrew Weatherall's Fabric 19 compilation and Snow Patrol's The Trip album, and there's forthcoming Emperor Machine remixes of Soulwax 'Compute' (PIAS) and The Departure 'All Mapped Out' (Parlophone).

See also: The Exciting World of J. Saul Kane