If you’re a Londoner, and ever been into either hip hop or house, then Noel Watson should need no introduction. Noel, and his brother Maurice, where there right at the start of hip hop in the city, DJing at their groundbreaking warehouse parties on Battlebridge Road, and mixing several of the seminal Streetsounds Electro compilations. Later at their legendary club night, Delirium, they famously helped to break house music in the capital. A while ago now we did two epic interviews, one focused on each scene. I`m not sure if those articles are still online. If not, we’ll try to fix that. 

Wonderful words by Noel Watson

Beat Pharmacy’s Virtual Science Fair is the latest offering from New York’s elusive and highly respected Brendon Moeller, released via the Belfast-based imprint, Rudimentary Records. Described more as a mini-LP, clocking in at just under 54 minutes, it once again highlights Mueller’s discerning subtleties as dub tech producer numero uno.

Having released music with Electric Deluxe, Echocord and Silent Season, Moeller’s prominence in his genre is already well established. He’s worked with many seasoned vocalists and collaborators, as well as DJs and producers from the worlds of jazz, techno, afrobeat and psychedelia, and is held in high esteem by his peers in each category. This E.P. manages to keep the bar extremely high, and is a welcome return to Moeller’s dub-tech trademark sound.

The album starts with the title track, then moves into Beams of Light. These are two slow spacey dubs, gently coaxing the listener into Brendon’s familiar soundscape, of subtle keys and textures, spontaneously occurring in a natural and uninhibited process, with echoes of his love for techno and jazz hidden beneath their shimmering simplicity. Segments are never pushed beyond their limits, and that’s the secret, his restraint. Plus, his virtuosity as an arranger keeps it all listenable and interesting, where others tend to perhaps extend the dub elements to the point of tedium, Moeller keeps proceedings dimly lit, but never lets the light goes out. 

Haunted Focus, the third track develops the ambient journey even further, a 12 minute dubbed-out bass-driven landscape that surprisingly introduces a jazz-flute. Gently drifting in and out of the mix, in lesser hands this could work against its counterparts, but with Moeller’s musical knowledge and timing it avoids ending up twee. Nutrition Dub and How Do I Know continue to furrow into the E.P.’s deep dub roots, before we’re treated to a 24 minute elongated mixdown of what’s gone before. This bonus uncredited track takes the listener on an increasingly enlighted path, into a joyous exultation of swirling synthesized electronics, before gently closing down proceedings with fluttering percussion, Sci Fi strings and echoing chords. Out July 7^th on Rudimentary Records, it’s an essential listening pleasure that shouldn’t be missed.

You can keep up with Noel and his forthcoming Strangford / Born Of The Sea project on Instagram.