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Following on from the rather massive Azure single, Slam bring you their outstanding fourth studio album “Human Responce“. Not content to stand still, this album sees Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle pick up the techno baton, twisting the genre even further still, to create a forward-thinking new sound all of their own. These are artists at their creative peak.

In this technological age Slam utilise the human touch to inject a myriad of emotions into their electronic machine music. The end result is much more than a collection of tracks. “Human Responce” flows and grows and, in an era of single track downloads, Slam provide an album that you can listen to from start to finish.

Human Responce opens with “Subject Invisible”, a sublime haunting piece of introspective electronica that sets the mood for the journey ahead. “No One Left to Follow”, the first of two collaborations, follows, as My Robot Friend delivers a hypnotic vocal over an intricate dubbed-out, deep, twisted modern day work-out. “Weekday Mourning” with its poignant strings is next. A warm emotive interlude which leads on nicely to last year’s “Looking North”, (one of the highlights from Soma 200, written specifically as a taster to this album), re-edited and remixed. This is an epic, soulful, Detroit-inspired excursion that weaves a web of glistening, unfathomable melodies and intricate percussion. “Ghost Song” is a swinging, jacking spiritual anthem with syncopated sequences and spacey chord triggers, already a big favourite in Slam’s sets. Next is “We Medicate”, an unusually dark, filmic, epic slice of electronica. Add to this, the talent of long-time collaborator, Dot Allison, fresh from her tour with Massive Attack and duets with Baby Shambles singer Pete Doherty. Dot adds her own eerie enchantment to the track making it one of the albums undisputed highlights. “Reluctant Traveller”, a beatless, high octane, synth-led expedition, spaced-out and emotional, leads perfectly into “Azure”.

The first single from Human Responce, has already caused a stir, gaining support from the likes of Laurent Garnier, Sven Vath Mandy, Radioslave, Carl Craig, Josh Wink and a whole host of others. Already huge, this tune is predicted by many to grow further and become one of this Summer’s anthems. “Staccato Rave” is 21st century twisted techno mayhem with unexpected twists and turns. During this dark experimentation the album approaches its ethereal climax before the freakish “We’re Not Here” kicks in, with its hypnotic rhythms and tripped-out sounds and percussion, it bleeds intensity from its pores. The journey ends memorably with aptly named “Memoir” and its dark edged beauty. Slam respond to what they see around them, releasing an album brimming with emotion and honesty, uplifting and beautiful electronic music, with that moody Slam undercurrent. The end result is a soundtrack for now and for the future.

Slam have played all around the world, championing UK underground electronic music, whilst always living and working in their home base of Glasgow, where they have helped to develop and influence one of the best music and party cities anywhere. Ask any of the bands and DJs who have performed at their monthly Pressure parties. People like Vitalic, Luciano, Beyer, Villalobos, Mills, Hawtin, Green Velvet and Weatherall all cite the city and the club as being amongst their favourite gigs in any year. When you add that Slam are currently preparing their eleventh production of the annual, (15 thousand capacity) Slam Tent at the T in The Park, (which sold out in an hour again this year), then you start to get a feel for the passion for their scene and their music that Orde and Stuart have. Soma is another example of their dedication to the cause. At a time where its daunting to be an independent label, Soma are incessant in their march forward, after confirming their position in history with last year’s Soma 200 release in the label’s 15th anniversary year. Soma artists like Alex Smoke, Vector Lovers, the Black Dog and Funk D Void all help to make their label one of the most forward thinking around.

Tracklist:

1. Subject Invisible

2. No One Left To Follow

3. Weekday Mourning

4. Looking North

5. Ghost Song

6. We Medicate

7. Reluctant Traveller

8. Azure

9. Staccato Rave

10. We’re Not Here

11. Memoir

References:  http://www.myspace.com/slamofficial