GRAMME Vinilo y CD

Review: After emerging out of retirement some 12 years after their initial flurry on the UK underground post-punk circuit, Gramme have been back in the game with a dedicated label, Physical Release records. By their third EP for the new venture, its noticeable how driven by disco they are compared to their angular roots, but there's still a healthy amount of dubby effects and strung-out sounds flying all over the place. Just listen to the hard-panning synth delirium of "Two Minds" to get a feel for the new kind of strange that the band are pursuing these days. Recommended.

Review: For those out there that still hold a candle for the jagged punk funk sounds of the late 80s and those bands who later attempted to replicate it during the early days of Output and DFA, the return of Gramme earlier this year made for one of 2012 more welcome (and unexpected) surprises. Some months after that triumphant return with EP 2.1, the band return with another quartet of tracks on the Too High EP, which allegedly forms the prelude to a long overdue debut Gramme album set for release later this year. From the spinal bass guitar riff that opens the lead title track, its obvious Gramme have not swerved in their stylistic approach, with Sam Lynham's high pitched vocal swagger as ever the perfect foil for the taut grooves that follow. We await the full album with a sense of gleeful expectation!

Review: EP 2.1 marks a quite unexpected - but more importantly very welcome - return to the art of releasing records for punk funk troupe Gramme. If your ears weren't mature enough to indulge in their Pre Release EP for Trevor Jackson's label upon release back in 1999, you might recall that release's crowning glory "Like U" soundtracking the early moments of Hot Chip's DJ Kicks mix. There's an accompanying tale of music industry woe which stumped Gramme's rise first time round which is all too familiar these days, but we should be eminently thankful the band are back doing what they do best. The four tracks here reveal they've lost none of their verve for delivering skittering, jagged dub punk grooves that were once described by fashion rag Sleazenation as "PIL meets Liquid Liquid". Do check the B Side for the excellent "Laugh Out Loud" and "Rough News" which fully showcase Sam Lynam's throaty holler.

Review: 6 E.P.II" is the second Vinyl E.P. taken from Headman/ Robi Insinna "6" Album which was released via Relish on the 15th September. E.P.II includes on side A1 Number 9, A2 Swing Now Out Dubfeaturing TarafromIt Rough fame. First track on the B side is called Somethingwith vocals by David Shawwho just released his first collaboration with Jennifer Cardinion Correspondant. The last track on the B side Take Me To The Top Dubfeatures Bozzwellaka Hiemfrom Firm fame. The Dub versions are exclusive for the Vinyl release. Robi's cover design is again in the same line as the whole Album project, including the Artbook, Video and Screenprints.

Review: As Headman gears up to release his sixth album it appears he's having something of an identity crisis... Is he Headman? Or is he, as his mother named him, Robi Insinna? Either way, he's one of disco's most daring of producers and, monikers aside, anything he releases is well worth your attention. Especially this first sampler from the album 6. A collaborative affair, each track sees him teaming up with kindred spirits and friends to forge new groove paths and re-position old references. "Work" takes a Kraftwerkian recipe and stretches it like a well made pizza dough, "Barbarism" dusts off the cosmic guitars for an enlightened star-gazing session, "Der" sits happily between Black Strobe and Jeff Wayne while "Sleep Red" cruises towards DFA City Limits in a cowbell Escalade. Each one of them will have you hankering for the album. Guaranteed.