Contemporary conceptions aren’t so much ignored as they didn’t exist, these works being created well before the modern flavors of the month. This lack of adherence frees the music, unshackles it from the present—allowing for a rich variety of ambient, IDM and techno to bloom.
Living in in a post-ironic world, as we do, it’s no surprise that many artists have returned to the former prefix of choice, DJ. Of course there’s also a decent amount of tongue in cheek self awareness connected to contemporary musicians taking on past monikers; DJ Seinfeld being a good case in point. Nevertheless, I’m not sure that this irony can be applied to DJ Guy; though I’ve a feeling it could well be.
DJ Guy, Guy Evans was, and is, part of the 90s, a seminal time for electronic music. I say “is” because the Cardiff musicians output is from an archive of tape material recorded some two decades ago. Before recent releases on Hypercolour, All Caps and Organic Analogue, Evans’ output was limited to a few remixes of fellow Welshman Super Furry Animals under his Force Unknown moniker. But the finding of Dj Guy has ignited interest, his freestyle and unprocessed sound having just been picked up on Italy’s La Beauté Du Négatif.
Four tracks make up the fairly self evidently titled 1993/1994 Unreleased Tracks. “Whale Song” opens and is an absolute beauty. Rhythms slip and slide, ducking into the thick foliage. Texture is a central component, a forest of soothing sounds takes root with bird song soaring in the lush canopy. “SXII90 Tape (Side A) Trk 1,” which follows, is a different beast. Spiking synthlines are sent into the red, beats titter as melodies bend in on themselves. The flip takes a more aggressive tone. “BX90 Tape (Side 1) Trk 2” cracks and hisses with industrial intent, steam screaming from vents as pressures build and boil over. In many ways the Cardiff producer is akin to RX 101, his influences, era and musical execution mirroring the Dutchman’s. The last installment is “BASF Ferro Extra Tape Side B – Trk 4” and is perhaps the most difficult to define effort on the 12”. Chords cascade, flowing over one another to produce a flicker effect that is both engaging and unsettling.
I’ve been listening to DJ Guy for a while now and have been really impressed. His range is beyond admirable but he also has that ability to construct electronic music in a different way. Contemporary conceptions aren’t so much ignored as they didn’t exist, these works being created well before the modern flavors of the month. This lack of adherence frees the music, unshackles it from the present—allowing for a rich variety of ambient, IDM and techno to bloom. Let’s hope there’s a few more duffel bags of cassettes in the attic.
1993/1994 Unreleased Tracks is available on La Beauté Du Négatif. [Clone]
