The King’ is Chaines’ commanding return to Slip: a claustrophobic, dank book of abstracted torch songs, festering in an uneasy grandeur.
The LP collects work diligently amassed in the 3 years since the British composer/producer’s Slip debut ‘OST’, which housed contributions from ‘cellist Oliver Coates and artist Mary Stark within melancholic, uncannily tactile productions. The intervening period has seen Chaines collaborate extensively with the London Contemporary Orchestra, with commissions performed at The Roundhouse, Union Chapel, Printworks, and Tate Modern.
‘The King’ sees Chaines’ eccentric, singular language grasp a fresh immediacy and emotive potency. Chaines’ voice is more present than ever – creepy, seductive and pained on the Scott-Walker-does-ASMR of “Eraserhead”, and diva-ghost of “Population 5120” – and their arrangements dissolve the symphonic into freakish forms – “Carpathia” and “Knockturning” spike pastoral organs and flutes with industrial menace and convulsing beatwork.
‘The King’ [SLP037] is available on LP and download from March 2018. Artwork by Chaines. Mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi. Distributed by Boomkat.
Chaines (Cee Haines) is a musician based in Manchester, UK, who writes rather peculiar electronica and electro-acoustic music. More recently, they have had their music toured by producer and cellist Oliver Coates (PRAH Recordings) across Europe and America, and large scale electro-acoustic premières given by the London Contemporary Orchestra and organist James McVinnie (Bedroom Community) in venues such as the Roundhouse, Royal Albert Hall, and Tate Modern. They have been in residency with SAY award winner Anna Meredith and Grammy Award winner Imogen Heap, improvising, performing and producing audio and video.
