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User:Ninquelosse/sandbox/Mordant Music

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https://thequietus.com/articles/03115-bizarre-and-beautiful-mordant-music

Lead

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Mordant Music (2001-2019)[1] was a music label, sometimes also used to refer to music made by the group Mordant Music, or works by the label's originator Baron Mordant, who is from Hastings, UK.[2]

The label has been compared to Ghost Box Records and Trunk Records as part of the 00s exploration of hauntology, library music and 1970s memoradelia and the haunted generation - but with a uniquely heavy sound, drawing from electronica and dubstep.

The word mordant is a pun: referring both to a musical term mordent, an acidic etching process, and related to the Latin word for "biting".

History

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Early Career

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Ian Hicks (a.k.a. Baron Mordant) has "a long history of involvement with post-rave and post-industrial dance"Reynolds2. He credits seeing Kraftwerk on their 1981 Computer World tour as the spark for his interest in electronic music[3]

His early work can be found under various names for 400 Blows’ label Concrete Production (as 'Johnson Engineering Co./Havoc'), Orbital's Internal imprint (as 'Deadstock'), Leftfield’s Hard Hands label (as 'Broadway Danny Rose)[4] and Portion Control[5]

Mordant Music launched in 2001, with its first release: "a CD booklet – without a CD – called “Nijmegen”.[6]

Mordant members and artists

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Initially, Mordant Music was a "shadowy duo" of Baron Mordant and Admiral Greyscale (a.k.a. Gary Mills), who co-ran the label. Admiral Greyscale departed before SyMptoMs (2009), which only featured the Baron.[7]

The Mordant Music label released music by Nick Edwards as Ekoplekz. From 2012, it also released regular collaborations of Ekoplekz and Baron Mordant under the name eMMplekz.

Baron Mordant also collaborated with Belbury Poly Ghost Box Study Series 03: Welcome to Godalming on Ghost Box Records, a hauntology label frequently compared and discussed alongside Mordant.[8]

Mordant Music also released albums and singles by other artists, including Tod Dockstader, Vindicatrix, Cosmic Dennis Greenidge, Some Truths, Shackleton[9], Mr. Maxted and Brian Morant - with Jonny Mugwump suggesting that at least some of these may have been pseudonyms of the Baron[10]

Notable Releases

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The three parts of the dark ambient Tower series were released 2005-2009. The well-reviewed[11] album series The Travelogues were released between 2007-2019, with 22 albums in total.

Dead Air (2006) was Mordant Music's breakout album, created by Baron Mordant and Admiral Greyscale. In the CD sleevenote, it is described as “the lost broadcast from a ghost transmission mast”[12], and Greyscale described the mood as "very much like a black box recording of a warning dredged post-apocalypse”[13]The album combined dark electronica with spoken word segments by vintage television announcer Philip Elsmore, "sounding not unlike some lost Dr Who episode"[14]

"The duo persuaded Elsmore to come out of retirement and provided continuity for Dead Air, his reassuring voice applied to an increasingly bizarre series of utterances, from "apologies for the sundry glitches… in the meantime, keep your nerve" to “the following contains graphic scenes of a strobing magpie's wing" to “keep sporing in the nessst”. Near the CD’s end, Elsmore declares that "Mordant Music will be back once the dust has settled with more vague unpleasantness...Insinuating unease and “faint queasiness” are the duo’s modus operandi"[15]

eMMplekz - a project by Nick Edwards and Baron Mordant released through the label - was also well reviewed:

the duo knit together Mordant's often cryptic, frequently sombre, occasionally scary and sometimes hilarious lyrics, ones that eviscerate modern British life even as they draw its portrait in vivid hues, with Edwards' mutated, sickly mélange of dub and electro-pop[16]

Notable releases include

End of the Project

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In 2019, Baron Mordant announced the closure of the project after 99 releases over 20 years; Hicks continues to make library music.[18]

reynolds on the last album

Musical style

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– a summary of the sort of music played/written/performed by the musician/band – if the music style was new, then it should be also mentioned in Legacy


https://thequietus.com/articles/16299-incubate-2014-carter-tutti-void-goat-review



"hyper-sampleadelic plundering" https://ynamoh.blogspot.com/2008/06/mordant-music_4419.html

Albvums Which Got A Good Writeup

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https://thequietus.com/articles/14910-hyperspecific-27-bass-clef-evian-christ-clark-ishan-sound Bedlam

Rook to TN34 https://thequietus.com/articles/19899-emmplekz-rook-to-tn34-review

Travelogues https://thequietus.com/articles/00917-fuck-art-let-s-dance-and-vice-versa-m-brad-and-j-mug-say-tara-to-08

general sources

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Archive: http://www.mordantmusic.com/

radonbrainstorm.blogspot.com

https://thequietus.com/articles/09744-coi-mordant-music-misinformation-bfi-dvd

https://thequietus.com/articles/17394-jonathan-meades-announces-album

https://thequietus.com/articles/03115-bizarre-and-beautiful-mordant-music

https://reynoldsretro.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-caretaker-baron-mordant.html

https://blissout.blogspot.com/

https://cardrossmaniac2.blogspot.com/2019/05/mordant-music-mark-of-mould.html

https://cardrossmaniac2.blogspot.com/2014/10/you-might-also-like-emmplekz.html

https://cardrossmaniac2.blogspot.com/2013/05/im-in-2012-now.html

https://cardrossmaniac2.blogspot.com/2013/12/2013-best-lps.html

https://cardrossmaniac2.blogspot.com/2018/03/2018-unengaged.html#comment-form

https://twitter.com/MordantMusic

https://cardrossmaniac2.blogspot.com/2018/03/2018-unengaged.html#comment-form

Sources and critical reception

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Retromania Ghosts of my Life


Style

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Mordant Music are associated with hauntology[19] and library music[20], but with a far heavier edge than other artists in these genres, referencing techno, dubstep[21], "danktronica"[22]The Wire describe Mordant Music as "sound scavenger", "uneasy background sounds" and distorted spoken-word with "the dub treatment". [23]. Simon Reynolds, a music journalist who championed their sound called it "eldritchronica".

Albums frequently include the spoken word, often patrician Queen's English voices chosen from classic British television; this includes BBC broadcaster Jonathan Meades[24], and former Thames TV announcer Philip Elsmore and playwright David Rudkin[25], or Hicks own deadpan voice.

Reynolds calls the Baron's writing style "uniquely macabre brand of Anglo-surreal humour"

Englishness is a recurring theme. On Ghost Box Study Series 03', they "examine this small English town." The album Rook to TN34 intends to "lacerate english culture", and You Might Also Like is described as

a furrow-browed mooch around a Southern English bloke's outsider psyche. Expect sordid, name-dropping tales about an olde English tobacconist ('Name Blotter') and misanthropic rituals set to psychoactive dub in 'Stag Don't', next to unsettling kosmic dub ('Anglorum Saxonum'), and laments for Glastonbury ('Magical Mystery Megabahn'), plus the unsettling 'Bedrheum Raver', and the brilliantly scrambled syntax of 'Gargle Tronslate'.

https://boomkat.com/products/you-might-also-like-e51cf199-62a9-48e0-a25e-dd90f10c2e1a

Receiving Calls by Thanet (where Nigel Farage was elected MP )is described as "transmitted from the edge of English civilisation...the Ramsgate-Oostende crossing...the Kentish cost"[26]

Baron Mordant's final album is "one ripe terrain is the sort of modern-day U.K. ugliness that inspires online forums like Shit London and Boring Dystopia. A Robert Macfarlane of built-up Britain,"

Interesting things they have done

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MisInformation https://www.thewire.co.uk/video/mordant-music_misinformation

Iain Sinclair https://thequietus.com/articles/15401-iain-sinclair-70x70-film-screenings-touch-of-evil-psycho


Soundtracks

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Mordant Music have worked with the BFI five+ times, providing scores for archival footage.

Comic Book

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In 2013, Baron Mordant and Zeke Clough released a 24-page comic book entitled Hard Shoulder, released in an edition of 200 copies.[30]

Library Music

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As well as being inspired by the legacy of library music, Mordant Music have also produced contemporary library music for Boosey and Hawkes https://cdr-projects.com/interview-baron-mordant-tod-dockstader/

"Admiral Greyscale: “They approached us on the back of Dead Air to produce some 'atmospheric drones' for them and we're in the process now...it's a natural habitat for MM and one which we hope to continue to reside in...I too thought that they had turned to dust, however, they have a vast online presence.”" https://blissout.blogspot.com/2006/12/haunted-audio-dubversion-deleted.html

Discography

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https://www.discogs.com/artist/131298-Mordant-Music

  • ModernismuseuM (2011) - the label's 50th release, a 41 track celebration compilation featuring Shackleton, Ekoplekz, Mordant Music, Vindicatrix, Mr Maxted and others.[31]


Baron Mordant

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https://baronmordant.bandcamp.com/music

Ekoplekz

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general guidelines

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians/Article_guidelines Include a navbox at the bottom: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Navbox_musical_artist

Add infobox to talk page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians/Infobox

  1. ^ "Mordant Music announce final releases and share Travelogues 22". The Wire. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Mordant Music". Bandcamp. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  3. ^ "INTERVIEW: Baron Mordant (Mordant Music)". CDR. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  4. ^ Reynolds, Simon. "haunted audio: dubversion deleted scenes/rematerialized tangents/bloopers/offcuts". blissblog. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Mark of the Mould". boomkat. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Mordant Music announce final releases and share Travelogues 22". The Wire. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Mordant Music announce final releases and share Travelogues 22". The Wire. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Study Series 03: Welcome to Godalming". Ghost Box @ greedbag. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Mordant Music announce final releases and share Travelogues 22". The Wire. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  10. ^ mugwump, jonny. "Bizzare and Beautiful: Mordant Music". the Quietus. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Fuck Art Let's Dance! And Vice Versa! M-Brad and J-Mug Say Tara To 08". The Quietus. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  12. ^ Reynolds, Simon. "HAUNTED AUDIO, a/k/a SOCIETY OF THE SPECTRAL: Ghost Box, Mordant Music and Hauntology". ReynoldsRetro. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  13. ^ Reynolds, Simon. "haunted audio: dubversion deleted scenes/rematerialized tangents/bloopers/offcuts". blissblog. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  14. ^ "Dead Air". Boomkat. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  15. ^ Reynolds, Simon. "HAUNTED AUDIO, a/k/a SOCIETY OF THE SPECTRAL: Ghost Box, Mordant Music and Hauntology". ReynoldsRetro. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  16. ^ Burnett, Joseph. "eMMplekz". the Quietus. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Mordant Music releasing late Tod Dockstader work". The Wire. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Mordant Music announce final releases and share Travelogues 22". The Wire. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  19. ^ Reynolds, Simon. "Illusions (A Film On Solvent Abuse)". 4:3. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  20. ^ Reynolds, Simon. "HAUNTED AUDIO, a/k/a SOCIETY OF THE SPECTRAL: Ghost Box, Mordant Music and Hauntology". ReynoldsRetro. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  21. ^ "Mordant Music". Arkhive. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  22. ^ Reynolds, Simon. "The Caretaker + Baron Mordant". Reynolds Retro. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  23. ^ "Mordant Music collaborating with Jonathan Meades". The Wire. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  24. ^ "Mordant Music collaborating with Jonathan Meades". The Wire. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  25. ^ "Pinvin reMMix". Mordant Music @ bandcamp. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  26. ^ "Recieving Calls by Thanet". Thanet @ Boomkat. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  27. ^ Nield, Anthony. "MisinforMation Review". The Digital Fix Film. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  28. ^ "News In Writing Audio Video Galleries Events Magazine Subscribe Shop AboutAdvertisingContactNewsletter Subscriber Log In Mordant Music Scores Un Chien Andalou". the Wire. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  29. ^ "News In Writing Audio Video Galleries Events Magazine Subscribe Shop AboutAdvertisingContactNewsletter Subscriber Log In Mordant Music new score on Blu-ray edition of Man With A Movie Camera". The Wire. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  30. ^ "Mordant Music publishes comic book". The Wire. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  31. ^ "News In Writing Audio Video Galleries Events Magazine Subscribe Shop AboutAdvertisingContactNewsletter Subscriber Log In Mordant Music Compilation Marks The Baron's 50th Release". The Wire.
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