Following on from last year’s righteously rocking ¡La Ruta! – a cracking collaboration with Hardway Bros Sean Johnston – former Inspiral Carpets bass player, Martyn Walsh, now teams up with keyboardist Simon Lyon, for Afterglow. In its original form this is a piece of pounding post-post-punk dance. With Martyn punishing his strings in a manner very reminiscent of Peter Hook, while delivering his vocals with an Al Jourgensen-esque growl. Simon’s sequences snaking in between the big, banging, beat. Sean`s remix keeps it heavy, but lightens the tone, by focusing on Martyn`s female foil, Claudia Caraffini, and taming the kick a tad. Spinning in soundsystem, soundclash, sound-effects around those psychoactive synth-lines, and adding a bulbous 303. Rico Conning – William Orbit`s old spar – co-conspires with Danny Briottet – a reformed Renegade Soundwave – to add a more “pop” bounce. Giving each element space to breathe, gating and phasing everything amongst rimshot ricochets. Building to a short, parting shot of euphoric stadium rave. 

Dispensary features Abs Ward, Howie Jacobs, Phoney`s Kath McDermott, and ex-Lionrock-er, now Sister Of Transistors Mandy Wigby. The quartet diffuse the dread tension even further by submerging the track in wave after wave of late night dub techno texture. While the machined claps and bold bottom end punch owe something to classic electro, theirs is definitely the most house, and deepest, mix on offer. Gemma Cullingford and Maria Uzor, aka Sink Ya Teeth’s take is suitably snarling, a meeting of Ministry and Front 242. An EBM upgrade, augmented trans-human BBM – Bionic Body Music. 

You can order Afterglow directly from Martyn and Simon over on Bandcamp.