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THE NOTHING SPECIAL

'Sometimes life can kick you in the nads,' says Dominick Martin (aka Calibre). 'When life does do that, I need to make music like this. With its tones of hope and gospel-level layers of self-recorded vocals. Raw, uplifting, soulfull... Even to the most ardent of Calibre follower, ' Grow' sounds like nothing else he's done before. Yet it's not actually on the album it gave a name to. Partly because its ultimately positive veneer (even though it was written in the midst of two toxic relationships - one personal, one with the bottle) doesn't quite complement the deeper, more contemplative aesthetic of the album. But also because this is the start of a whole new story for Calibre...

'A part of Dominick is a poet and a part of him is a man who's lived through Northern Ireland at its worst,' observes Craig Richards . 'There's a gentleness and a tension to him and his past and his experiences. Somewhere in that middle ground is his music.'

Taken from a interview by Dave Jenkins for DJ Magazine

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Calibre delivers a supreme curveball featuring for the first time, his own vocals. As usual it's smothered in that Dominick Martin patina - futureproof as a Swiss army knife and dazzlingly colourful.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Grow
B1. Lost
B2. Strange Are The Days

Calibre's new album - "Double Bend". Nine tracks pressed over three pieces of 180 gram vinyl with artwork by Craig Richards.

Dominick Martin has become a rightly celebrated legend of electronic music. Fabio coined the ‘liquid funk’ sub-genre of drum & bass solely to describe Calibre’s style. He’s was a major collaborator with Marcus Intallex. But then he could also turn his deft hand to house, techno and everything in between; yet still retaining a sense of identity and purpose which makes most other artists blush. Released on Richard’s The Nothing Special in 2022, “Double Bend” is regarded as a high watermark of the producer’s more recent catalogue. Back in stock for a limited time and sounding as good as ever. You know what to do! 


STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Wrapped in a neon-hued & futuristic luxe patina, and exploring unconventional rhythms, "Double Bend" finds Calibre in comfortable stride.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Double Bend
B1. Hostage
B2. Savoury Skank
C1. Grinch
D1. Turtle Duv
D2. Going To Ground
E1. Frinzingly
F1. Rare Groove
F2. Im Ent

You lucky buggers! One of my all time favourite techno / tech-house secret weapons is back in stock once again!

Released on Craig Richard's seminal The Nothing Special imprint and featuring Irish wonderkid Calibre on production, the double A-side release begins with "Trimming" - a highly swung piece of techy heft. Thick bass, punctuated with a concentric beat pattern, echoed pads and loads of head-mangling sfx. If you were to take a ride in a giant tumble drier while on a cocktail of quaaludes and LSD, this would be the perfect sonic accompaniment!

But for me, the magic happens on side B track "Getter Go". Opening with an almost shy, understated pad sequence and gentle jazz piano notes, it's takes a while to get going but eventually the mother of all basslines is introduced, along with an infectious drum pattern and cascading dub shards tearing through the mix which to me, is one of the greatest tech-house loops ever conjured up. Suitably, Calibre doesn't fuck around too much with the arrangement, simply letting the dancefloor dynamics dictate the various kill switches and cuts necessary to keep us on the edge of our seats or indeed, dancing eyes-wide-shut next to the speaker stacks until the track's natural conclusion. Hypnotic, heavy, endlessly grooving - and able to segue into both house and techno sets with a poised finesse. It simply doesn't get much better in by book! 


TRACK LISTING

A1. Trimming
B1. Getter Go

C.A.R. (Choosing Acronyms Randomly) is the musical project of Chloé Raunet, a Canadian-born, London-based artist known for her icy synths, warm vocals, and leftfield pop sensibility. Drawing from post-punk, electro, and experimental songwriting, she creates music that’s both emotionally charged and sonically adventurous.

Following a five-year hiatus, C.A.R. returns with "Shyana", the first single from her long-awaited fourth album, "Dance at Oscar’s". Produced by Nathan Ridley, the release marks a creative rebirth: a new label, a new live formation with Joni Green, and a sound pulsing with revitalised energy. After a pandemic-induced break to focus on filmmaking — and a period of burnout and disillusionment — Raunet was ready to walk away from music altogether. But a pair of carried-over festival dates and an impromptu onstage reunion with longtime friend Joni Green unexpectedly reignited the spark. What was meant to be a farewell became the start of something new.

"Shyana" is a shimmering slice of machine-funk — a warped and groovy tribute to Paul Anka, filtered through C.A.R.’s surreal pop lens. A meditation on teen hysteria, pop manufacture, and the strange alchemy of early fame, the track pulses with wonky elegance and strutting confidence. One of the most playful cuts from "Dance at Oscar’s", it showcases Nathan Ridley’s tight, swaggering production while capturing the album’s embrace of movement, humour, and the weirdness of cultural nostalgia.

On the B-side, "Cecilia Road" offers a more reflective counterpoint — a nostalgic, synth-drenched ballad built around a call-and-response vocal, throbbing melodies, and emotional tension. Intimate yet expansive, it hints at vulnerability without losing the pulse.

Artwork by Chloé Raunet, Craig Richards and Oliver Hupfau.

Credits
Rupert Cross – Synths, production
Joni Green – Live performance, energy generator, chaos coordinator
Chloé Raunet – Vocals, synths, production
Nathan Ridley – Synths, drums, bass, percussion, production

Artwork by Chloé Raunet, Craig Richards and Oliver Hupfau

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Interesting 7" curio from Craig Richard's The Nothing Special label. Soaring synth-(pop?) greatness on side A with a glitchy, vocal, Villalobos-friendly house track on side B.

TRACK LISTING

A. Shyana
B. Cecilia Road


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