mnml ssgs mx fnl - morphosis

At a time when techno and house music feels like it is choking from everyone being so conservative and constantly playing it safe, we really need people like Morphosis. His music - especially when playing in a live setting - throws caution to the wind. Thinking about the way he plays reminds me a bit of the Swedish chef from the Muppets. But that is not right - there is much more method to Morphosis' madness. The man most definitely knows what he is doing. Where he differs from many of his peers is that he is more willing to take risks, he will experiment, he'll put together sounds and records that shouldn't make sense and see if they work, and he is not going to slavishly follow trends or expectations. This does not necessarily mean the results are going to alienate the listener - check his excellent album, 'What We Have Learned', for an example of how this approach can be channeled into something accessible and workable on the dancefloor. But when Morphosis starts playing, he'll push you, he'll challenge you, and don't expect him to compromise. And this is one of the reasons why we love him.

This recording is the first hour of Morphosis' DJ set to open the Delsin night at Panorama Bar in May 2012. And it is worth keeping this context in mind when listening to it... Before moving things more directly towards rocking the dancefloor, he spent the opening segment of his set pushing and pulling the crowd. And the results are special. He creates a bold, powerful set that educates, engages and enlivens you all at the same time. For PC and myself, this is precisely what we need more of - music that expects more than passive acceptance, music that demands your attention. Quite simply, what the ssgs want is 'more fucked up chaos' and this is precisely what you get from Morphosis. Beautiful, exciting, entertaining, fucked up chaos. Or as Rabih would say, 'pure madness'...



For more info about Morphosis, check his label hompage and his artist page at Octopus Agents. 'The TEPCO Report' EP on Morphine from earlier this year is a beauty, as is the new remix EP on his Redose sublabel, with reworks from Dozzy and Hieroglyphic Being. The next Morphine record is a very exciting one, coming from the previously unknown Metasplice and is on a roughly similar vibe to the Container LP on Spectrum Spools last year. We have talked here before about the kind of exciting links and fusions (real and potential) along these lines, with 'outsiders' from the noise scene and elsewhere making more techno orientated records. It is interesting, and perhaps not very surprising, to see Morphosis being one of the people to lead the way in exploring these possibilities... Our great thanks to Rabih for providing us with a recording that gives such a clear demonstration of what we would like to hear more of in contemporary techno and house music. Enjoy.