There was a time when a single was a thing of desire, the most treasured item in any teenager’s life. The sleeve was an artwork in miniature, the tactile response of your hand caressing that 7” of pleasure was a delight to boys and girls alike, it was both a lover and a friend. Today a ‘single’ release is no longer experienced physically, downloaded direct to ipod or phone. There’s no object of lust, no artifact to possess, no vinyl fetish. Singles come, singles go, and are forgotten, there’s no loyalty, there’s no love.
A growing number of boutique releases are reviving the cult of the 7”, and the latest to join the scene are Sheffield recording studio Club60 who are launching the first of their Club 60 Singles Club series of specialist vinyl. The first thing that strikes you is the cover. Produced with an obsessive’s eye for detail, it’s printed by hand on paper and card, using a type face that was designed in Sheffield using individual metal letters forged in Sheffield in the steel city’s hay day. The individually numbered outer sleeve is like a first class delivery package, containing two beautiful black disks, encased in ‘60’ motif record bags. I loved the whole package before I even opened it to listen to the music, very Peter Saville and Factory Records.
Inside, the double EP are 4 tracks from Sheffield bands, recorded in analogue at Club60. My first issue is the track order. There are no A-sides or B-sides, and in every place where the tracks are listed, they come in a different order. This is not a double-A side, it is a quadruple A-side EP, very clever.
First up (for me) is The Don Genes’ ‘June July’, which projects a nostalgic melancholy, especially as I see the summer fading out of my window. With cinematic guitar textures, this is truly an end of season closer. It has an epic sound, full of character and life.
ObLONG and ‘In Remission’ is another kettle of fish. This isn’t another auto-tuned X-Factor derivative, it’s gritty guitar music with a raw edge, and it makes few concessions to commerciality, with wandering vocal pitch, dense musical structure and unremitting texture. This is dark music, something for late night radio rather than the casual listener.
Black Cat White Cat’s ‘Fridge’ on the other hand immediately projects a funky, riffy mood, again with a mildly retro quality, the sliding vocal definitely a punk thing. It’s groovey-ness is more accessible than some of the other tracks, probably the pick of the bunch.
Finally, Michael Eden’s ‘Doors’, sounds slightly unhinged. Deeper layers, more processed textures, and a warmth and depth to the vocal make it stand away from the others a little.
The EP is a triumph of craftsmanship in every way, an object of desire that you’ll want to race to own before the limited pressing of 500 sells out. Each track is a taster of something different, esoteric and challenging; showcasing some of the talent bubbling underground in Sheffield. The more I listened to the tracks, the more detail I heard, and the more I was impressed with how they sounded. This is a singles club that will hook you up with music, with tracks that will flirt with you, mixing bad boy cool with enough of a cheeky grin to turn anyone’s head. It’s like a party you don’t dare miss, you’ll have to buy it otherwise you’re always going to wish you took the chance before it was gone. I joined the Club60 Singles Club, and I had a great time, I recommend you do too.
Buy the Club 60 Single’s Club Single: http://www.club60music.co.uk/shop/
Join the Club 60 Single’s Club launch party: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=161682167240809