Various Artists – Melodic Today

‘the coolest label in the country’ NME

Couldn’t resist that opening quote. Expect to see it at the top of all press releases for Melodic records from here on. To be fair, it maybe balances out after Melodic’s Lucky Pierre garnered 3 out of 10 in the same publication a few years back (having had rave reviews elsewhere) so hey, let’s dine out on it for as long as we can.

Melodic Today is the third compilation album in the same amount of years to come from one of the most exciting and innovative labels in the UK today. Melodic’s roster includes the likes of Pedro, L Pierre, Baikonour, Topo Gigio and Wren as well as a few other aces up it’s sleeve (including the debut single by this year’s brand new indie darlings, the Nine Black Alps which came out last year).

Where, in the past, Melodic has given us some of the most beautiful instrumental music around, the label’s roster is widening in breadth and also vocal talent which ends up with a compilation more eclectic than ever and a 50-50 split of vocal and instrumental pieces.

Kicking things off are brand new Manchester synth-rock combo Working For A Nuclear Free City who we guarantee you’ll be hearing a lot more about soon. Following this, there’s a taster from Jean Emmanuel Krieger aka Baikonour’s debut album due for release in June, then Melodic’s brand newest signings Department Of Eagles from Brooklyn, NY. Short, but incredibly sweet is Hebden Bridge’s very own GNAC, followed by our favourite acoustic songwriter in Manchester (by a mile), John Stammers. ‘Monsieur you’re spoiling us’ we hear you say when you get to Transelement – possibly the most exciting thing ever to come out of Colne, Lancashire and one of John Peel’s faves. Dungen (that’s him on the right, he’s also currently on the cover of US mag Fader) hail from Sweden with a hippy / rock swagger that created one of our favourite and most hideously underrated (in the UK at least) albums of last year in Ta Det Lugnt.

After his recent Fear & Resiliance remix album where the likes of Fourtet and Dangermouse among others took on remix duties, Pedro comes at us with perhaps his finest track to date in Lung. He’s about to collaborate with Khonnor and has another collaboration with Prefuse 73 on said Scott Heren’s new album. Next up is a bit of deep Detroit house straight outta Rochdale, and listen to DNCN’s voice samples – they’re a bit blue! Newest Melodic signing Wren provides the most perfect description of folktronica (aaaggghhh! The F word) with Me & My Army. With Weir’s Way L Pierre delivers the most soothing track on the album before frenchman Topo Gigio gets us all trippy and finally Photographs from Ireland’s Hulk gently closes proceedings perfectly.

A 12″ featuring the Working For A Nuclear Free City, Department Of Eagles, Pedro and DNCN tracks will be released to keep the DJs among us happy.

It’s maybe a good time to mention that Melodic is set to launch a new label within it’s set up. Imaginatively titled ‘Melodic Re-Issues’ the aim is to release some of our favourite records that are either unavailable or haven’t had the kind of exposure we think that they deserve. The first album due in April will be the re-issue of A Certain Ratio’s ‘Live In America’ album from 1985.

The previous Melodic compilations A Room Full Of Tuneful (2002) and Tracks For Horses (2004) provided the platform for early releases by artists such as Adem, The Earlies, Psapp, Micah P Hinson and Minotaur Shock. Let’s hope we are predicting some equally bright futures with Melodic Today.