We first came across Sad City’s (aka Gary Caruth) distinctive and unique sounds through our wonderful friend Julian Lynch after the pair met at university in Aberdeen, Scotland. Not long after hearing Gary’s music, we featured one of his tracks on our first label sampler (Summertime Showcase) and have been anticipating a proper release ever since.

Gary’s been involved in deep, layered electronic music since his teenage years. Growing up just outside Belfast, surrounded by his Dad’s old 7” disco records (his Dad was a cross-community DJ during the height of the Troubles), Gary became fascinated by the production techniques of Cerrone and Giorgio Moroder. Over the years he became increasingly intrigued by minimalist composition, and his exposure to the musique concrète aesthetic and process eventually led him to experiment with reel-to-reel tape recording, sampling, and the use of high and low level frequencies. That concept – of finding and discovering new and organic ways to create music – lies at the very heart of this record.

“Shell (or Wash)”, cinematically creeps through waves of flange and reverb, finally phasing into an incredible swell of unified, wavering noise. “Night Time Trail” follows on with the shimmer and stabs of carefully manipulated sounds sustained by a steady house/dub groove. “Jaya” then loops and merges a far-east sax line that gains intensity as the rhythm builds around the layers, ultimately breaking down to reveal a mesmerising freeform sax flutter. The closer, “Twilight (or Tightrope)” concludes the record in perfectly understated fashion, looping a dreamy piano line that washes and echoes alongside an emerging rhythm track.

Tracklist:
Shell (or Wash)
Night Time Trail
Jaya
Twilight (or Tightrope)

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