On April 8, Optimo Music, the label of Glasgow’s Optimo club, will be releasing a collaborative EP between Factory Floor and New York music scene luminary Peter Gordon, the former Arthur Russell and Laurie Anderson collaborator and founder member of the experimental collective Love Of Life Orchestra. The EP (artwork above), which will be released on 12" vinyl and download, features two tracks ‘Beachcombing’ and ‘C Side’, produced via a series of e-mail exchanges between the band and Gordon – have a listen below:
‘Beachcombing’:
‘C Side’:
Driven by a kinetic synth bassline, ‘Beachcombing’, featuring Gordon alongside Factory Floor’s Nik Colk Void and Gabriel Gurnsey, has an almost Kraftwerk-esque clarity, albeit a Kraftwerk bound cosmos-wards. Electronics flicker and pattern the track, while Void’s vocals are transmuted into a distant, ancient murmuring. Gordon’s soprano saxophone is a fluid element, dropping in and out of focus, sometimes gliding, others frenetically spasming, building towards a final, cataclysmic endpoint.
‘C Side’, Gordon’s collaboration with FF’s Dominic Butler, by contrast, forefronts the sax, over looped piano and an almost motorik beat, gilded later by synth chords, forging something that approaches a synthpop-like sheen, of which Gordon rightly says: "There is kind of a sweet quality which surprised the both of us".
Factory Floor member Nik Colk Void initiated the exchange, sending Gordon the following e-mail:
“Hey Peter, just noticed you on a Rhys Chatham link. Just want to say I adore your work, I had a release on DFA recently, and they sent me some of your releases you did with Jonathan – so brilliant! I’ve had ‘Condo’ track for a while, this completely catches my personality and when I feel disillusioned or need comfort, I always put this on, and it makes me feel good and strong…..i will stop gushing now! Thank you!
Nik Colk Void x”
Gordon then takes up the rest of the story:
“I was quite flattered and was glad that ‘Condo’, one of my lesser-know tracks, was being appreciated. (I was also curious, because the most-viewed clip of ‘Condo’ on YouTube [listen below] is actually a slowed down version: someone played the 12” 45rpm EP at 33 rpm. The result, however, is quite beautiful.)
"I responded, said I hoped we could meet the next time I am in London, and Nik then suggested that she had a track that she was working on, and would I like to listen to it and possibly collaborate […] I was immediately struck by the haunting and evocative nature of the track, the analog synths feeling fresh and familiar at the same time, the vocals having a primal quality of breath and phrasing. I loaded the track into Ableton and instinctively began recording some overdubs.
"Nik responded quite positively, and over the next few weeks we exchanged files back and forth, experimenting with different mixes and submixes. After a couple of dozen rough mixes, accompanied by email discussions among the three of us (Gabe had entered the process after the first few exchanges) we settled on a final mix.
"Initially, there was going to be a one-sided 12”, with ‘Beachcombing’ the only track.
Nik then wrote to me that Dominic was also interested in working on a track, and would I be interested in working on a B-side with Dom. Of course, I readily agreed […] Once again, a series of file exchanges of mixes, submixes and discreet tracks ensued, and we finally settled on mix #26a. There is kind of a sweet quality which surprised the both of us."
For more details on the release, stay tuned to Optimo Music’s site here.
