Introducing: The Chain

Not content with pushing the boundaries of current electronic music as the A&R man for R&S Records, picking up such era defining gems as James Blake’s “CMYK EP” alongside artists such as Untold, Pariah, Vondelpark, Blawan, Lone and Space Dimension Controller; Dan Foat has once more teamed up with Nathan Boddy to create music as one half of The Chain.

Moving away from the melodic techno of their debut 2009 release, “Letting Go/Geo” and the tech-house mixes of Mads Langer and Mike Sheridan’s “Too Close” and Delphic’s “Counterpoint” they bring something very 2011 to the table. The influence of the current wave of dub/2-step inspired mutant house and UK bass of R&S’ recent release roster is very audible on new track “Lostwithial”, named after a sleepy Cornish town, but that isn’t to accuse it of plagiarism. In fact, this may be one of the strongest releases on R&S this year. Floating melodies underpinned by synthetic steel drum, or something similar, and smooth sounding yet somewhat staccato bassline stretched over taught percussion. Snippets of vocal sample merely add an extra layer of tone to proceedings without adhering overtly to the trend set from Burial’s “Archangel” back in 2007.

All at once upfront and forward thinking but warm and familiar at the same time, this is one of those rare beasts that you immediately feel at home with as though sat in a record collection for years whilst never feeling old or forced. So, while R&S may be moving away from some of their more traditional house and techno releases, their current roster is rapidly transforming that rearing horse from a mere logo into an international stamp of quality, and The Chain may just prove to be one of their crowning glories.

– James Hoste