Sound Track: Mutant Vinyl – ‘Acid Honey’ / ‘The Wind That Woke Our Baby’
For us, the recent arrival of Mutant Vinyl on the local scene has invigorated our enthusiasm for what bh one is all about. There appears to be a wave of new bands appearing, pushing boundaries, making quality, exciting and original music. Mutant are leading the way, their prominent jazzy sax licks and deep dubby bass grooves are the staples of their sound, and on ‘Acid Honey’ they’re used better than ever. Clearly focussing on a vocal hook, the repeated “It was a taste in between acid and honey” hits the spot perfectly. Massive Attack meets Courtney Pine playing pop.
‘The Wind That Woke Our Baby’ is a gorgeous song. Heavy, intense, delicate and passionate, Ed’s vocals are reminiscent of Jeff Buckley, encompassing all four adjectives. It’s this track that sees a progression in Mutant Vinyl’s sound, with the song and melody being the feature rather than the groove. This is just the start. There is much, much more to come.
Mutant Vinyl on ‘Acid Honey’…
‘Acid Honey’ for me marks the start of a new era for Mutant Vinyl. After meeting Josh Parker of Conversion Studios at the DMA Semi-Final, I knew that we could create a mad piece together. From the offset, I knew I wanted to make a chorus that people could remember and sing, and then a sax solo that would take them on a hallucinogenic-esque adventure… listening to the track, I think this has been achieved!
Recording the lead sax riff was a nightmare; take after take after take. And then scrapping recorded drums for processed beats again was a logistical pain, but listening back, I think it adds attitude to the MV sound on this track. Lyrically, I’m trying to convey the ‘sweet & sour’ situations in life that so often come about. Something that feels amazing at the time, but creates problems after – a lyrical theme I thought everyone could find a memory in their life to relate to.
The song for me suits an evening room at a high volume (or preferably on the Pyramid Stage at dusk!). But if possible, turn it all the way up and let the kick drum create some structural damage to your home!
Mutant Vinyl – ‘Acid Honey’
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Mutant Vinyl on ‘The Wind That Woke Our Baby’…
I’ve being playing The Wind…for many months now, and it’s always been a favourite. It always feels peaceful to me and helps calm me down during a gig. For the live recording, I got to finally use the Hammond Organ that was sat in the studio. Using it gave a colouring that Mutant haven’t seen before and I think the track feels really different, especially in comparison with Acid Honey.
Lyrically I’m looking at the way in which people outside of situations can sometimes make a better judgement to those involved. “My advice, write this one off….”. Maybe if you looked at things from a stranger’s perspective, you’d get a better insight on your problem.
It’s a fragile Mutant song for sure, but one that I will always love, mainly because I went for it in the studio, which I think comes across. I wanted the vocal to feel distressed and meaningful, and I think that’s how it sounds. Really chuffed with this one!
Mutant Vinyl – ‘The Wind That Woke Our Baby’
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
