Bakk Heia Records has evolved outta the celebrated Manchester / Salford based club night of the same name. The label appears to mirror the clubnight's ethos - 'blurring the lines between ambient drones, performance, abstraction, hedonism and dance music.' Add to that a keen ear for the cutting edge and brand new sounds and you've got, in our humble opinion, a recipe for success! The clubnight, currently based at the White Hotel, has brought over a who's who of underground modern music players (Toulouse Low Trax, Radioactive Man & Intergalactic Gary amongst others) and if this first record's anything to go by, they're gonna present a who's who of modern music MAKERS!

Johnny Phethean aka Shuttle was born in Newcastle and currently resides in Mancunia (alongside label head Jack Tomson) and heads up this killer first release. "Grade 1" deconstructs B-boy and electro references into a angular, jaunty trip into the inner workings of the mainframe. Add some eerie, AFX-indebted keys and you've got a haunting and skeletal midnight dance ritual for broken hearts. "Speke" is beautifully stripped back and poised. Elegant, slightly Detroitian, synthesized rhythms jostle against delicate melodic flutters as a steady kick keeps time.

After the warming bosom of side A, B-side track "Utensil" is much more fierce and gnarly beast; a weaving, dark n dusty corroder you wished was on the last I Love Acid EP. Finally, in keeping with the multifaceted moods and feels of their clubnight, "Grade 2" provides a gentle return to the atmosphere; a celestial slice of space-aligned ambience that wouldn't sound out of place marking the much celebrated return of the Moomins to our humble planet.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: A ridiculously well conceived beginning to this project; perfectly encapsulating both the mood of Bakk Heia by night, and exposing this new producer to some very willing minds, ears and bodies. Top one lads - keep it up!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Grade 1
A2. Speke
B1. Utensil
B2. Grade 2