Mekon, aka John Gosling, has worked with some of the most influential cultural innovators of the last 25 years including Genesis P.Orridge, Goldie, Marc Almond, Schoolly D, William Orbit, Afrika Bambaataa and Alexander McQueen. He’s also been an integral artist for the pioneering Wall Of Sound Records (Royksopp, Grace Jones, Jacques Lu Cont, Aeroplane, The Bees, I Am Kloot, Felix Da Housecat et al) run by lovable eccentric music mogul, Mark Jones. ‘Piece Of Work’ is Mekon’s fourth album for the label.

‘Piece Of Work’ features a roll call of likeminded collaborators including Schoolly D, Throbbing Gristle/Psychic TV’s Peter Christopherson, Marco Pirroni from Adam & The Ants, PIG and more, with the album’s 12 tracks ranging from electro rap, industrial techno and balearic to ambient and neo-classical.

Beginning with the South East’s post-punk scene through early electronic music, graffiti culture and acid house, proto-jungle/drum & bass with Goldie (who provided the nickname, Mekon), big beat and then the Noughties fashion/music crossover soundtracking catwalk shows for McQueen, Mekon has brought his influence to bear on numerous key moments in British alternative music culture. The first artist signed to Wall Of Sound, this album follows ‘Welcome To Tackletown’, ‘Relax With Mekon’, and ‘Some Thing Came Up’.

A personal history this rich (and an evergreen set of ears) gives Mekon his unique musical edge. ‘Piece Of Work’ begins with the breathy industrial electro-pop of ‘When I Was Walt Whitman’, featuring cult NYC fashion icon Leslie Winer. After an ambient interlude, ‘Atlantis’, eases into ‘No Business I Know’, a great angelic, shimmery Balearic anthem. ‘Sleazy Says’ features the late Peter Christopherson, one of the original members of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV, a neo-classical choral piece paying homage to the post-industrial artist.

A robo vox kicks off Schoolly D’s electro-rap re-work of ‘Saturday Night’, leading into the sleazy new-wave of ‘Wasted Mind’ with Celo Torrez from Agent Provocateur. ‘Disco Bloodbath’ features Psycho-style violins and shuffly hi-hats, then the grinding industrial techno of forthcoming single, ‘Bin Therre’, with Pig. Schoolly D returns alongside Marco Pirroni from Adam & the Ants on the punk funk of ‘Hardcore’. The lilting piano of ‘Be Like Me Intro’ provides a brief pause before the riotous closer, ‘Ravagable’ featuring Rita Brown.

For further information on Mekon and Wall Of Sound please contact:
Matt Learmouth @ Alchemy PR on: 020 8996 1520 or email matt@alchemypr.com

Thanks to Peter E. for reminding us that they exist.

Alexander McQueen Menswear Fall/Winter 2013
John Gosling used Raymond’s Analgesia and a couple of other piggy bits for this one. Also, the clothes.

Okay, devotees of the forums will have noticed a couple of new tracks from El Scaballero. One is his Pork Talk Remix of Drugzilla, which, personally speaking, is my fave PIG track in about a decade. (I know, I know, hush up now.)

And of course, Dominator, from Raymond Watts soundtrack for the forthcoming motion picture, Plato’s Reality Machine.

But what you have yet to see, my merry piglets, is this: http://raymondpigwatts.bandcamp.com/album/platos-reality-machine-original-soundtrack-2

What is that? Why, it’s a Bandcamp listing of the entire soundtrack which features 12 new pieces and which also contains Transceration by request of the filmmaker, I hear tell. Check out a songwriting collaboration with John Gosling and Mike Watts as well as Raymond’s solo originals.

The film is still in post-production, but you can getcher hot pork soundtrack right (t)here, right now. There’s a suggested price of $8 – bargain – but if you want, you can pitch in a little extra. Think of it as an excellent way to tip the house for all those free downloads of the out of print stuff, eh? Eh? (The money goes straight to Raymond, by the way. The Swining is just pointing the way.)

How’s that for a Merry fuckin’ Crimbo?

PS: Greasy totally spotted the album before it was announced, linked it on the forums, and was totally cool about us going err hold fire, greasepig. This is what you miss when you don’t haunt the forums. Also, a lot of silence, we’ll admit.

PPS: Raymond kind of hates the cover which I threw together from a little piece of PRM’s website graphic, so don’t blame him. No budget, brothers and sisters. Hoo-ah! Still, he didn’t make me take it back, so he’s clearly loving on you people.