The Chain

Lostwithiel The Chain

The emergence of (another) very British sound in the form of dubstep some years back now has mutated into something altogether more cerebral. The Chain are a product of this incipient sound and the many new strands that have splintered forward from it. Dan Foat is one half of the team that runs R&S, the newly invigorated label that is back at the forefront of contemporary electronic music. He’s also one half of The Chain. Dan & Nathan Boddy have for a while now had a studio near London Bridge, which has formed into the R&S engine room, a hub for the second wave of their artists, Pariah, James Blake, Space Diimension Controller et al who regualrly pass through the basement to drink tea and listen to new tracks. New signings and rising stars Vondelpark and Cloud Boat are also currently working in The Chain’s studio with Nathan mixing their forthcoming releases due out this summer. The (Fleetwood Mac inspired) Chain, is the brainchild of these aural-philes Dan & Nathan, a way of channeling all those ideas that exist beyond the mixing desk. With the Lostwithiel EP we get their first statement of intent. Both initially DJs from a deep house background they began to explore the boundaries of electronic music outside of the confines of the 4/4 after years attending DiY Free Parties around the West Country and East Midlands. Lead track, Lostwithiel is the soundtrack to a Pagan weather conducting experiment that Dan & Nathan are currently working on top of Silbury Hill. Opening with weather chimes, the scene is laid in front of us for the impending downpour from the heavens to come. ?The rolling, jilted live percussion gives way to the clipped vocal and bassline stabs that wouldn’t sound out of place on late nineties garage track. Listen further and the expert deployment of guitar and flutes into the mix bears resemblance to recent electronic talismen Four Tet, Mount Kimbie and Caribou. It’s a perfect encapsulation of the cross-pollination going on in electronic music ri