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Six of One

by Mongo Shakers

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Sydenham Broadcasting Cooperation
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1.
Yesterday is Dead 05:39
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2.
4am Mountain Standard Time 04:58
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3.
Things Before You Die 05:12
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4.
Ship of Life 05:03
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5.
Dad the Inhaler 05:32
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6.
Could've Been Happy 04:13
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about

Six of One blends a vivid spectrum of musical colours, featuring the band's signature sample-based approach with a fusion of live drumming, 70s electronica, ECM acoustic jazz textures, field recordings, documentary voices, prog arrangements and TV theme tunes.

Mongo Shakers is the nom-de-plume of Matt Button who writes, arranges, programs, produces and brings his musical ideas to life. He is aided and abetted by virtuoso guitarist Richard Ferguson whose lyrical solos, melodies and sonic palette are featured throughout the album.

The entire album was written, arranged and mixed on a laptop using GarageBand at Matt’s home close to Teddington Lock. He comments that
“These songs reflect the emotional turmoil of the last few years, from the fear for my family caused by Covid, to my father’s failing mental and physical condition and his eventual death, and the deep anxiety over my daughter’s health and future. Each song is a poignant and personal response to the delicacy and balance of life in my 50s.”

The songs are primarily instrumental, and feature carefully considered samples that range from the AMSR-like sounds of an insomniac woman awake at 4am; a long-lost epic rock ballad by the Glitter Band; an original ARP Odyssey synthesizer demo, and the ominous drone of the Hive at Kew Gardens. Plus edits and loops from Roger Powell, Wolf People, Dhafer Youssef, Kiki Dee, Eberhard Weber with Norma Winstone, Robert Glasper, Bill Frisell and Starship Commander Woo Woo.

Mongo Shakers is a musical project that’s been making underground music for over 33 years. Originally a studio-based duo, they were part of the vibrant artistic community in Shoreditch that presaged the hip-ification of that area. The founders, Matt Button and the late Chris Grayson, built and ran basement studios which became creative hubs where musicians and DJs and artists of all stripes jammed, made demos and collaborated: from free jazz beatniks (e.g. Lol Coxhill and Mike Walter) punk poet shouters (Joshua Compston) to earnest young junglists.

"Six of One" spans many genres, from contemporary jazz to drum and bass to progressive rock to chill out. A kind of prog-hop, if you will, that blends creative experimentation with disparate sounds and samples into a cohesive musical whole.

credits

released May 1, 2023

Mongo Shakers:
Matt Button – drums, percussion, arrangements, samples, programming, production and crea-tive direction.
Richard Ferguson – Ayr guitars, bass and indispensable musicality and harmonic guidance
Will Tubby – bass on Things Before You Die

Produced, arranged and mixed by Matt Button
Mastered with golden ears and a stout defence of the Snazz by Loz at fatasfunk.com
Album cover design by Wendy Bartlet
© Mongo Shakers 2023

Mongo Shakers would like to thank all the contributors unwitting or otherwise:
Tim Button, Sue Fisher, Elvis Presley, Tiffany Palmer, The Glitter Band, Roger Powell, Wolf People, Dhafer Youssef, the Hive at Kew Gardens, Charles Williams, AnalogAudio1, Peter Reno and Simon Haseley, Kiki Dee, Bill Frisell, Eberhard Weber with Bonnie Herman and Norma Winstone, King Crimson, Robert Glasper, the voices of Meanwood Park Hospital, Starship Commander Woo Woo.

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Mongo Shakers London, UK

Mongo Shakers music is an audio casserole of mis-remembered 70s Smash Ups, prog hop, mind funk and audio tomfoolery.
They come from the creative community in Shoreditch in the 90s. The founders, Matt Button and the late Chris Grayson RIP, ran studios where free jazz maestros, punk poet lunatics and earnest young junglists jammed, and recorded.
They now live on a laptop by Teddington Lock. ... more

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