Stream: Claremont - 'Meeting Mushi'
Claremont is a Manchester based producer, treading the realm of '4AM music' with his mellow blend of rhodes-driven electronica. Following up his 'For Sony'r' EP that dropped last December on Loveless Records, the producer returns with a stunning eight-tracker, 'Meeting Mushi'. From the flowing grace of EP opener Power Cut Between The 9th And 11th Floor through to padding late-night prowess of Claire, the release successfully achieves its aim of drawing together elements of organic and electronic sound, blending field recordings and everyday sounds with Claremont's penchant for slick Rhodes and synthesised flavours.
The EP also laid the path for a meeting of minds with Claremont's close collaborator (and cousin) Escha of Cold Heart Collective. Established in 2011 with aims to create one-off, hand-printed products – 'Meeting Mushi' was the ideal project for founder Will Green, who pieced together the release artwork and its accompanying garment (pictured below). Incorporating the collage-heavy aesthetic of the Collective, the shirt is finished with a lighter colour palette and Oriental influences to parallel the music; re-working stills from the anime with a cherry blossom branch and needle sleeve patterns to represent a temporary beauty that can’t be recreated – mimicking the production process of the shirt and also the live field recorded aspect of the tape. Also, the inner label contains a printed URL link to a file of bonus musical content, adding something exclusive to the buyer.
"They are distant creatures. Primitive and peculiar, they are things unlike any animal or plant we’ve grown to know. In time and with fear, man has come to call them “Mushi…"
in Claremont's own words:
"‘Mushi’ is the name given to creatures that represent the primeval body of life that surrounds us, that so few of us are aware of and that hold such great influence over our daily lives. These phenomena are documented in the manga series ‘Mushishi’, written and illustrated by Yuki Urushibara, which is the main influence for both the tape and shirt. The presiding feeling is one of calm, quiet reflection. It draws the viewer in to its incredibly beautiful watercolour landscapes and inspires the same kind of thought-provoking response as we’re looking to bring to people in our project."
'Meeting Mushi' is out now (buy). The limited edition Cold Heart Collective x Claremont t-shirt is also available to purchase here.
