Agile Experiments - Loukoumades

‘Loukoumades’ is the latest album from the Dave De Rose led international improvisation project Agile Experiments. With 11 prior releases under it's belt, featuring some of the most admirable musicians across the UK (Ruth Goller, Dan Nicholls & John Edwards to name a few) and Greece (Fotis Siotas, Jan Van, Kyriakos Tapakis) this record was produced from improvisations by Dave, drummer Gustav Penka and guitarist and sound artist Marius Mathiszik. While this combination is new to the Agile Experiments umbrella, these three musicians have been working together for many years under different guises such as Forest Binary & I Work In Communications, as well as featuring on various funk compilations on Fortune Cut Records. This album is the first from Agile Experiments to be released on independent label None More Records.

Cooked up in Athens, Greece, at Gustav Penka's PiGi studio, the material on the album was originally jammed out over 4 completely open improvised recording sessions. The style of music was not discussed but rather each individual was asked to bring to the performances their own character. These were later edited down by Dave who then presented 74 individual cuts to choose from. Gustav's particular taste for what would be the most fun and inspiring tracks to mix completed the selection process for the album. The audio tracks where then run through his vast array of analogue tape and tube machines in an extremely enjoyable hands on mixing experience.

The title ‘Loukoumades’, which is the Greek word for doughnut, was inspired by J Dilla’s album “Donuts”, tipping the hat at the connection between the Greek location of the sessions, the musical style of Penka's hip-hop/funk drumming and the Agile Experiments avant-garde sonics the project was founded on. The record is built on breaks and beats layered with eerie loops and effects, calling on hip hop, post-punk, psychedelia, dub and further out-there experimental textures. ‘Loukoumades’ brings to mind the textures of El-P’s production work for the likes of Cannibal Ox or DJ Shadow in his Endtroducing era, whilst the live drums and bass guitar give the album a real energy and tightness reminiscent of Portishead’s Third or Can at their funkiest.

Released on September 20th, first Single ‘Got Something’ showcases one of the dubbier grooves on the record, with the crisp beat and deep bass line peppered with dub echo, cold, swirling synths and ghostly textures. It’s a neck-snapper of a tune aimed squarely at the bass bins.

Second single ‘Bubble Smoke’, out on October 18th, is built around a looping groove of a bass line, as if aliens were delivering an unhinged attempt at For The Love Of Money. The drum beat locks in and dripping pads and textures push the tune into killer new territory. The third single ‘Dark Agogo’, which will drop on November 8th just before the album, showcases more of the experimental side of the album where layers of wavey, atmospheric synths bounce around a percussion heavy groove.

Like Dilla’s Donuts though, the album is best enjoyed as a whole. There is a unique sound running all the way through the album, from the heavy hitting opening shuffle beat of ‘Gang Swerve’ through to the static funk of ‘F**k*d It’ and the industrial sounds found in ‘Simple As’ that could only come from such the killer group of musicians. Creating these one of a kind musical meetings is Agile Experiments’ main focus and this time it's fruition has completely nailed its objective.