Scottibrains has shared the video their new single Aristorats, which is due out on April 10 via Speedy Wunderground. The video was filmed while the band was in self-isolation. Watch it via YouTube below.
Scottibrains is the enigmatic, elusive four-piece who formed through a love of late night / early morning jams at band founder, producer Dan Carey’s Speedy Wunderground Studios in Streatham, South London.
Made up of record producer Carey (Kate Tempest, Bat For Lashes, black midi, Fontaines DC), producer Oli Bayston (Boxed In, George Fitzgerald, Teleman, Petite Noir), drummer Liam Hutton (Boxed In, Edwyn Collins, Kate Tempest) and Oli’s wife Beth Buxton – they previously put out the 4th single on Carey’s Speedy Wunderground label, the motorik psych-kraut wig-out ‘Keep Your Eyes Open Boy’ back in August 2013.
Their second release and the 23rd single on the label – Sustained Threat – was a full-on assault of the senses based on a Shepard tone sound – a tone that ‘creates the audio illusion of a tone that continually ascends in pitch yet which ultimately seems to get no higher or lower.’ The title itself came from a BBFC regulation Bayston saw at the start of a film warning that there would be Sustained Threat in the film. It seemed apt.
Their 3rd release for the label – a digital-only single, following in the footsteps of Black Country, New Road’s 9-minute opus Sunglasses– the first ever digital-only single for the label, will be the powerful live fan favourite Aristorats. Produced as always by label boss Dan Carey – it was mixed by his 15-year old daughter, Orla – proving the apple doesn’t fall that far from the tree.
“We had this amazing concept for the video” says Carey, “but obviously in the current climate – we couldn’t do it – so we made it this way instead, all of us remotely. However, rest assured, when this all blows over – we will make that video.”
Their live shows are incendiary, provocative and volatile experiences, pummeling rhythm sections, blitzkrieg guitars, with Buxton’s deranged half spoken / half shouting frenetic mantras over the top – these legendary outings are fast becoming the talk of underground folklore – a mass of sweat and bodies, 3 or 4 songs stretched out over 40 blistering strung out minutes amidst a sea of smoke and lasers.
Prepare to be beamed up.
Fresh from Carey winning ’UK Producer Of The Year’ at this year’s prestigious Music Producers Guild Awards, beating the likes of Nigel Godrich – Speedy have definitely been keeping themselves busy, continually proving they are the most essential label out there, with releases already this year from PVA, Tiña and last week’s seminal debut single from Hebden Bridge’s The Lounge Society – the label’s fastest ever selling 7” and only repress since the debut single from black midi.
On top of that in these turbulent times they’ve just announced details of their ‘Quarantine Series’. An ongoing project in which Dan Carey’s ‘Savage Gary’ alter ego collaborates with a range of different artists – established and new, him doing the music, all parties working remotely over the internet.
The first one features regular Carey-collaborator Kate Tempest in her timely state of address ‘I Was Looking Forward To The Summer’ –
“As always the key here is spontaneity” says label co-runner/A & R Pierre Hall, “we’ll hopefully be putting a new thing up every couple of days – which is exciting for us and hopefully for other people.
It’s nice to be able to shine a (strobe) light in, during these strange and unsettling times.”
Speedy Wunderground’s fourth singles compilation – ‘Speedy Wunderground – Year 4’ is out now – featuring: Scottibrains, black midi, Squid, Black Country, New Road, All We Are, Alex Kapranos, Tiña, Treeboy & Arc and Sinead O’Brien.
