Dime, the dudes in the South of France who originally brought you that dope reggae cover of the Stone Roses’ Fools Gold, are also home to the incredible Inner Space Quartet. Alerted to outfit’s activities by their recent remix of Revival Season, which had me reaching for references like David Axelrod and Trevor Jackson’s Underdog, I went looking for more info and sonic offerings. 

Rising from the debris of the now sadly defunct Discodor, ISQ are not a quartet, but more a rotating assembly of terrifically talented musicians, driven by the duo of Lee Skelly and The Bees` Aaron Fletcher. Dime have pressed the pair’s productions in super limited quantities on bespoke lathe-cut 5” records, but the music is thankfully also available digitally. On the label’s Bandcamp page you find a range of releases that can be (very) loosely described as slow, psychedelic instrumental funk. Rhythms rattled out on tight, tight trap drums. Fiery Hendrix-like flashes keeping head-nodders on their toes. 

Tracks such as Gold Horse – with its folky, Spanish picking, mysterious Middle Eastern murmurings, and booming, bad ass break – and Pool Phase – stuffed full of birdsong and hand percussion, and toting a more syncopated, Tiki-lounge exotica swing. Death Valley Paradise formed the basis of that rocking Revival Season rework, all acid guitar and shimmering `60s, Ray Manzarek organ. Signals, though, is a bit of an outlier. Leaving the library music influences alone for a moment, it kicks off with Konono #1-like distorted, over-amped, kalimba and crashing crunchy computerized beats, before tempering, transforming, those with an emotive Music Has The Right To Children Too-era Boards Of Canada melody. Demonstrating that ISQ certainly have a few surprises in their magical multi-instrumentalist, vintage gear packed, musical box. 

Perhaps easier to find physically are a couple of regular 7” 45s, that Lee and Aaron have licensed to Funk Night. Paranoia Party is a strange cinematic mix of vibes and sirens. Room-shaking reverb reinforcing its drums. Medicine Bag counters its creepy harpsichord keys, and echoed screams and shouts, with gentle, whispering woodwind. Delay is a frenzied wah-wah and fuzz-boxed freak-out- cymbals and snares smashing, Goblin, Giuliano Sorgini, Giallo, horror score feels to the fore – while some super sitar leads, heads up, Holy Water. The latter, making like a pitched-down take on Dave Pike’s old oddball soul stomper, Mathar. Adding a shredded, electric axe solo. 

Inner Space Quartet’s marvelous music can be purchased directly from Dime and Funk Night Records.