Some music is made for the club, some music is made for before and some for after. Some music is made for a specific club and some music just evokes the experience from a certain club. Sometimes this can be highly successful and sometimes, not so much. But when a track or album manages to cross that boundary, be of a very specific club or scene, but then jump out of that environment and stand on its own merits - that can be something pretty special.
The White Hotel sits, let’s be honest, in a still fairly grim hinterland where central Manchester blurs into Salford. Opposite the club is a high fenced off car park with vehicles in various states of disrepair. Somehow it feels like the contents are being protected from greater dangers that lie beyond its boundaries. It’s that kind of place. The club itself is pretty unassuming, an old MOT garage repurposed for dancing. The interior decor is unique, to put it mildly, and reflects the singular approach to clubbing the place represents. It’s dark, disruptive, unnerving, but there’s a wry funness to it that stops it being too po-faced. The programming has never been less than excellent, whatever your flavour, you can find it here. It’ll push your boundaries, physically and in many other ways. It’s unique, and in about eight weeks it will be gone.
In that context the release of BFTT’s ‘Loving (Tillman Close)’ is timely. A regular at the Hotel, playing DJ Finn’s Sunday Club sessions (recent guests have included Shy One and Eris Drew and Octa Octa with Norris Windross headlining the final get together at the end of December). Although he’s also self released music via his own co-founded YCO label, this album drops via Local Action. A kind of fitting home, given label runner Tom Lea’s dedication to all things night time and underground.
The album itself is an ode to the ‘L’ word. Vocalised snatches throughout allude to the meaning and feelings that come with it. Calling it romantic is one take, and makes sense given the time period over which the record was put together. ‘Falling’ bowls over and over a rolling synth wash and filtered bass and snare chopping in and out. The sound of a head rush in microcosm. ‘Want You To’ pulls back into a more straight ahead dance mode, punching in with a simple keyboard stab and vocal hook before dropping into a nice two step-like mode. ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’ is based around the sampled title, turning it inside and then back out again, warping the bass in the background in a delightfully expansive way, before some drums of death type interlude prior to closing out as it began.
‘Too Late’ takes a very old school garage sound with some nice drum touches and maybe a little of the rave in there, because, why not? All good nights need a little time out and the mid section chill of ‘All The Time (Interlude) works after its hectic predecessor. ‘Do Anything’ veers a little more into a dubstep realm but keeping that house sensibility in the background, without losing any intensity. ‘Who Do You Love’ steers off in another direction, almost entirely beatless and focussing more on stolen spoken moments in love. Lastly ‘Loving’ quivers in and out with yet another nicely selected vocal providing a moment of calmness and reflection to close out the night. A fitting soundtrack to the end of an era.
‘Loving (Tillman Close)’ is released tomorrow and available via Bandcamp.
