Speedy Wunderground share SXSW EP ft. Enumclaw, Revival Season and alexalone
Today, as part of Speedy Wunderground's 10th anniversary year, the label shares a new digital release - the SXSW EP - a three song EP recorded by Carey on the ground in Austin at 512 Studios.
Who is on the EP?
The EP features contributions from Enumclaw, Revival Season and alexalone.
Enumclaw are an already much-tipped American indie-rock band from Washington. They're signed to Luminelle, a Fat Possum imprint, and have recently wowed UK crowds with sets at Wide Awake and with a headline performance at Moth Club.
Enumclaw Hi-Res Photo here | Credit: Colin Matsui
Revival Season is a collaborative hip-hop duo featuring rapper Brandon 'Bez' Evans and producer/multi-instrumentalist Jonah Swilley and signed to Heavenly Records, the revered independent label who helped Speedy Wunderground find their feet when they first started. The duo performed an incendiary live set at Speedy’s SXSW showcase at Sellers Underground performing alongside The Lounge Society, Heartworms, Miss Tiny (featuring label boss Carey himself), Warmduscher and Been Stellar.
Revival Season Hi-Res Photo here | Credit: Aidan Lyerly
alexalone are an experimental noise-rock trio local to Austin itself, signed to the much-loved US label Polyvinyl, whose debut album ALEXALONEWORLD saw the group pick up significant praise from the likes of The FADER, Stereogum, Paste and more. "Unpacking My Feelings" is the band's first release since last year's cover of "Rainbow" by Japanese doom titans Boris.
alexalone Hi-Res Photo here | Credit: Lilo Hulett
How did the EP come about?
Ahead of a planned trip to the US for this year's festival, Dan Carey and Pierre Hall from the label approached a number of artists they admired playing there, asking if they might be interested in recording something for Speedy while they were all in the same place. Progress was made, management conferred, dates lined up, Enumclaw and Revival Season confirmed to put sounds down but - as always with Speedy - there's room for spontaneity.
On the evening of their arrival Carey and Hall, who at this point were some distance from central Austin and the festival itself, heard loud music coming from inside a barn, down a beaten track, on their walk back to their Airbnb. The natural conclusion was to investigate and see who could be making it - so, still holding the plastic bags full of beer and milk they had been transporting back to their digs, they entered and watched said noise-makers.
Following a short conversation later that evening, their prized barn discovery, alexalone, were the next band confirmed to record for them on that trip, heading into the makeshift Speedy studio with Carey a couple of days later.
Pierre Hall had the following to say about the SXSW EP:
"It was so good to be able to spread our wings and take Speedy transatlantic. And obviously as soon as we found out we were going to Austin we immediately started looking at studios. Some of these were actually recorded even quicker than the usual ones in London – often two in one day rather than one. So here we are, still breaking our own records, ten years on.
There’s definitely a distinct difference in the sound of these but despite the strange surroundings and lack of regular equipment it’s clear they are unequivocally Dan, and quintessentially Speedy.
You can take the boy out of Streatham…"
Listen to Revival Season's "Gold Teeth" here
Listen to Enumclaw's "Spots" here
Listen to Alexalone's "Unpacking My Feelings" here
Stream/embed full EP here
As well as today's digital release, the EP will receive a limited 12" release, landing November 17th.
Pre-order SXSW EP here
Further 10th Anniversary information:
Speedy Wunderground, the revered London-based indie label headed up by producer Dan Carey alongside Alexis Smith and Pierre Hall, is 10 years old in 2023. The fast-moving, ever-evolving creative force that is Speedy has seen numerous professional accolades and personal triumphs over that time, always acting on intuition and their own terms.
Most recently, the label picked up "Best Small Label" at the AIM Awards and "UK Producer of The Year" at the Music Producer Guild Awards for Carey. As well as significant interest building in recent signings Heartworms, Viji and O., they have released debut singles and some of the earliest material from a wide range of now well-established acts including Squid, black midi, Black Country, New Road, Loyle Carner, Kae Tempest and The Lounge Society, garnered critical praise for Carey across a range of successful production work (Wet Leg, Fontaines D.C., slowthai) and built acclaim for the label itself, with The Quietus effusing:
"The label has become genuinely prestigious. It is not ridiculous to wonder whether one day it will be looked back upon with the same reverence as labels like Factory, Sarah, Zoo or Creation receive today."
To celebrate the landmark ten years, they're also throwing a sold-out party at London’s iconic Village Underground on Saturday 16th September. Carey and team have curated a mammoth 7-hour celebration, which features an array of SW alumni ‘past, present and future.’
Based on the wide range of era-defining artists they’ve worked with over the last decade and the significant influence they’ve had/are having on the current independent musical landscape – anything could happen, and probably will. Expect the unexpected.
As well as the 10th Anniversary party, the label also celebrated with the release of a highly collectable 7” box set - limited to only 250 copies - containing 10 discs and 20 tracks of the original Savage Gary (Dan Carey) dub remixes from their now iconic singles series.
For "The Dubs - Vol.1", out now, Carey - who first learned the ropes in studios by working alongside pioneering dub producer/selector Nick Mannaseh and later went on to work with Lee Scratch Perry - has picked some of his favourites from across the decade, including reworkings of tracks by:
Archie Bronson Outfit, Toy, Natasha Khan, Scottibrains, JUCE!, Kae Tempest, Loyle Carner, Telegram, Teleman, Peluché, Melt Yourself Down, DEWEY, black midi, Black Country, New Road, All We Are, Alex Kapranos, Tiña, Pynch, PVA, Brodka, moa moa, deep tan and Honeyglaze.
The boxset features one completely new dub remix from Carey, his take on Honeyglaze's "Burglar", named "Savage Gary's Robber Dub Dub Remix".
Buy The Dubs - Vol.1 Boxset here
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