Memory Lab
From a great excursion in braindance which makes me think of RDJ’s The Tuss moniker (‘The Double’) to psychedelic slow techno (‘Stellar Surf’), oldschool house (‘Spice War Part One’ & ‘More Eyes’) and melancholic trip-hop in the veins of Massive Attack on the closing track – this LP contains many unique ingredients which result in an excellent-flavored and diverse dish.
Parisian cinema composer Jean-Gabriel Becker is best known for idiosyncratic soundscapes, whilst Susumu Mukai is a world-renowned Japanese composer and multi- instrumentalist. Together they’ve created fresh new music that floats effortlessly above traditional genre delineation, with a dubbed-out and experimental melange of modern acid house, post punk, global grooves and clattering beats.
Susumu Mukai, originally from Osaka, Japan, is one of London’s most sought after musicians, whose list of collaborators includes Floating Points, Vanishing Twin, Alexis Taylor and Fimber Bravo. His discography includes releases for XL, Ed Banger, Multi Culti and Kitsune, with remixes for Trevor Jackson, John Cale and Air.
Most renowned for fabulously oddball recordings as his alter ego Zongamin, this new adventure in Becker & Mukai marks the long-awaited next chapter from a singular virtuoso.
Jean-Gabriel Becker, originally from Paris, is a prolific composer for cinema, who has worked alongside Massive Attack on acclaimed film soundtracks and recorded with John Foxx. He produces music under various guises, including Jeanga And George, Economy Wolf and Lux Prima.
Becker & Mukai began when the pair held jams in an underground studio/den in Shoreditch around 2017. Beginning as exploratory and spontaneous, these improv sessions evolved as the duo found their own blend, which came to combine Tunisian saxophones and West- African shakers with FM synthesisers and Eventide harmonizers.
Their first recordings were unveiled in 2018 on the artfully unusual and vivacious ‘Eyes’ EP, which gained support from Love Vinyl, who included it in their best-of-year list, NTS, who played it on repeat, and Andrew Weatherall and JD Twitch (Optimo), who provided further rotation.
Released earlier this year, a collaborative EP of space-disco-meets-experimental-electronics called ‘Auf Togo meets Becker & Mukai’ moved in a dance orientated direction, and was championed by Dublab in California and Sonar Kollektiv in Berlin, amongst others.
Still not complying to genres, ‘Time Very Near’ is their tentacular new album, which gathers sounds and inspiration from an ever-expanding palette of influences, assembled into something amorphously intangible that’s simultaneously refreshing and sharp, meandering and cosmic, futuristic but timelessly vintage.
credits
released April 3, 2020
All tracks written and produced by Jean-Gabriel Becker and Susumu Mukai.
Jean-Gabriel Becker: synthesisers and machines, guitar, percussion. Susumu Mukai: synthesisers and machines, bass, percussion, drums. Kenichi Iwasa: trumpet on ‘Tout Azimuth’ and ‘The Double’
Olly Betts: drums on ‘Time Very Near’
Illustration by Susumu Mukai, sleeve design by Becker & Mukai
Gear used:
Boss Dr Rhythm DR-110, Roland TR707, Roland TR808, Korg KPR77, Kawai R100, Roland TR606, Roland Juno 60, Roland Juno 106, ARP Odyssey, Casio CZ3000, Ensoniq ESQ1, Yamaha CS-5, Crumar Bit-One, Eventide Harmonizer, Yamaha DX7, Mutron Biphase, Yamaha REX50 multi-effects, Fender Stratocaster Japan 1987, Epiphone Newport Bass 1965, Hofner bass 1961, Fender Telecaster 1975, Fender Jazz Bass 2010 and more.
Becker & Mukai are Jean-Gabriel Becker and Susumu Mukai, 2 friends who have been meeting for regular recording sessions at
SaS studios in Shoreditch since 2016.
The recording sessions typically unfold as a musical dialogue.
They started as experimental and improvisational and evolved as the duo program and perform live on electronic instruments, but also on other unusual acoustic instruments....more
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