The Real Dolls’ debut release ‘Trophy’ is a dark electronic Hip Hop tune, which mocks the notion of the flashy 21st century playa and his accessory model girlfriend. “ You’re my trophy girl, come stand close to me”. Rod Hotly’s satirical eye examines the two sides involved in the trophy relationship; the first verse plays out the male perspective and the second the female. Bringing home the final verse is Afrikan Boy, M.I.A collaborator and genius MC, going hard and putting down some serious fire. ‘Trophy’ is already proving a force to be reckoned with, regularly taking over the dance floor at the Dolls’ Manchester club night ‘Pronk!’

“Anti-dance brilliance” – BBC
“Immensely brilliant display of wacky talent….unfeasibly well written” – Manchester Music
“The sound of a city reborn” – NME
“Fast becoming creators of popular dance music” – High Voltage

The Real Dolls’ music defies easy description; they’re part punk, part electro, part J-Pop, part Hip Hop. Reminiscent of Santigold, Gorillaz and N.A.S.A, at the same time they’re something completely different. Their contagious enthusiasm and high-energy live performances will capture the imagination of even the most committed cynic.

The concept of the Real Dolls came from rapper, Rod Hotly. Inspired by a Frank Zappa interview where an ailing Frank wondered why nobody was writing songs about all the fantastic cyber sex gadgetry and all the other bizarre freaky shit that came with it in the late 80’s/early 90’s. The Real Dolls have picked up the challenge and have emerged with a fresh, fun, futuristic sound. The band has been busy solidly building a loyal fan base for the past few years, collecting band members and eclectic influences along the way. The current live outfit stands at five: rapper Rod Hotly, world-class scratch DJ Peter Parker, production savvy RealDave, vocalist Zoe Hooker and part rapper/part dancer/part energetic glitter ball Yoshi.

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Swalf16CD Released 18/05/09

Format CD / Digital / £8.99

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Make Lists Do Something is the debut album from Magic Arm and features the singles ‘Bootsy Bootsy‘, ‘Outdoor Games‘ and ‘Widths & Heights‘

Magic Arm – is otherwise known as Marc Rigelsford. Like Beck, Beta Band or Patrick Wolf, Magic Arm is a sonically curious soul who fuses folk, pop and effervescent electronics. But, as reference points, none of those three quite hit the spot.

It helps that so little (outside of the Beach Boys and “early” McCartney) has obviously influenced the Magic Arm sound. You might expect him, given his love of bleeps and farty electronic squelches, to be a big fan of everything from Kraftwerk to Autechre. Not so. “Buying a Yamaha CS-10 in Cash Converter was the biggest influence on my sound,” he says, dryly, before talking about his love of Gwen Stefani, Dizzee Rascal, Peaches and Gnarls Barkley. “I’m literally trying to write pop music,” says Marc, “but it never comes out that way. There’s always a dark edge to it.”

Quite. On the album, Magic Arm’s smart update of an old Leroy Carr blues song, ‘Six Cold Feet Of Ground’ (which he turns into a desperate, hurtling, computerised gabbled plea for forgiveness), appears alongside songs called, darkly, ‘Sound Of The Night’ and ‘Rested Bones’. “What can I say?” says Magic Arm, trying to dodge the question. “I’m a moody Cancerian.” Listen closely to the ostensibly larky singles ‘Bootsy Bootsy’ (”Inside everyone, I hear the end, and that’s ominous.”) and ‘Widths & Heights’ – a “bitter” love song – and behind that brash folk-pop exterior, there is clearly trouble at the emotional mill.

Not that Magic Arm will explain why, or reveal many of the close biographical details which inspired these songs. In an age of emotional incontinence, he is wary, uncomfortable with the idea of explaining himself to strangers. He can articulate vulnerability in song; but, in person, he needs to keep those songs at (Magic) arms’ length. “I find lyrics difficult. I can spend hours and hours over one line. ‘What am I giving, or not giving, away here? Do I sound like an idiot?’ You’re right, on the album, there’s a lot of happy music undercut by sentiments that are quite bleak. But isn’t that how music should work? It should fool you, slightly.”

He is reticent to spill, you suspect, precisely – and slightly ironically – because he feels the songs so keenly. “I want to move people emotionally. But, primarily, I want to move myself. For me, writing the songs is emotionally cathartic.”

Whilst such ambitious projects often shine in the studio, on the stage many a 21st century one-man-band has come unstuck. Not so Magic Arm. Early solo performances led Samuel Beam of the much loved Iron & Wine, to hail Marc “the master of the loop pedal” and he wasn’t wrong. More recently though Marc has abandoned this tricksy bit of kit and has been taking to the stage with a real live band. No longer focussed on layering up live-sampled layers of sound, the Magic Arm live show has a new passion and energy that give the songs a life beyond the recordings.

So much music is safe, predictable, a commodity, but Magic Arm is here to remind you that it can still be liberating, messy and powerful. Radio 1’s Zane Lowe and Huw Stephens, and Marc Riley, are already fans. He has supported the likes of Beirut, Iron & Wine and James Yorkston. Steve Lamacq declared Magic Arm’s Glastonbury festival debut a “highlight”, while the Manchester Evening News have dubbed him: “The most innovative and sparkling new musician in the city.”

Ed Droste from Grizzly Bear wrote on his blog ‘Two Things I Love’ My dog and This new band “Magic Arm” out of the UK. “Incredible music”

‘Move Out’’s sleazy bleep-funk, meanwhile, sounds like the best MIA backing track you’ve never heard, while blues standard ‘Six Cold Feet Of Ground’ is reimagined as a haunting electro-ballad. NME

Format CD / Digital / £8.99

1. Widths & Heights
2. Bootsy Bootsy
3. Outdoor Games
4. Move Out
5. The Coach House
6. Getting The Way
7. Slates On A Roof
8. Six Cold Feet Of Ground
9. Rested Bones
10. Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
11. People Need Order
12. Sound Of The Night

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Swalf15 Released 23/02/09

Format 10″ / Digital

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Magic Arm is another solo poppet, another Sam, this time Samuel Beam. His trippy brand of electronic pop reminds me a tiny bit of the likes of Tiga crossed with late period Simian, Patrick Wolf or Clor. On ‘Bootsy Wootsy’ an unobtrusive DIY beat is topped with giddy accordian-like keyboard flourishes, subtle bass bloops & overall a chirpy, whirring electro-pop catchiness. His dreamy vocals, simple, pure & memorably sing-song. A quality opener. Elsewhere, jazzy flickers & wistful piano prop up some fragile, unique home-spun pop. The heartening cover of LCD Soundsystem’s ‘Daft Punk is Playing…’ I actually prefer to the original. It reminds me a little of The Beta Band in it’s juddering toytown-hop majesty!

Elsewhere on side 2 you get a curious Balkan folk flecked waltz that somehow reminds me both of Tunng & Beirut whilst resembling neither! 6 tracks on here, culminating in a fine remix of the opening number, a Postal Service-ish floor-filler at your local indie disco I guarantee! Watch this boy, he’s wowing them out there & that Iron & Wine chappie has been waxing lyrical about his effortless songsmithery & POP prowess. Miss this 10″ EP at your peril

Norman Records

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6 track EP featuring:

1. Bootsy Bootsy
2. Break My Lungs
3. Daft Punk Is Playing In My House

Side B

4. My My
5. Said Things
6. Bootsy Bootsy – The Real Dolls Remix

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Swalf14 Released 11/05/09

Format 7″ / Digital

‘Widths & Heights’ is a masterpiece of modern musicianship, with layers of sounds, bleeps and vocals all fighting for supremacy over each other, yet working side by side to produce a playfully organic gem, whilst at the same time serving the best interests of pop music.

B-side ‘Ballad of Melody Nelson’ is a cover of the Serge Gainsbourg classic which has now become a regular in his live show. Marc was invited to perform a song at an evening celebrating the French singer, and he proceeded to leave his unmistakable stamp all over the classic, to a fantastic response.

Buy

1. Widths & Heights
2. The Ballad of Melody Nelson

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Swalf12 Released 11/05/07

Format 10″ | £5

Recorded at home on Magic Arm’s computer, the EP ranges from twisted psych-folk to sinister pop and austere electronica.

There’s plenty to love here: the title track builds to a towering crescendo, People Need Order takes the ’60s harmony-pop formula and skews it with a freaky backing track and instrumental I Want You You Want Me is built on a Casio organ beat but expertly – if incongruously – blended in with banjo and church organ sounds.

Elsewhere, DAQ (Don’t Ask Questions) is what Marc refers to as his “un-informed take on electronica,” but is actually a neat track that pokes fun at the pretensions of the genre, love song You Should Know has elements of ‘30s pastiche and Move Out boasts a looping flute over a clockwork-sounding backing.

This EP is limited to 500 copies and we only have a few left, all the versions are home recordings which don’t appear on the album.

A side
1. Outdoor Games
2. People Need Order
3. I Want You You Want Me

B side
4. D.A.Q
5. You Should Know
6. Move Out
7. Reprise

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Format 7″

The Ting Tings, imagine The White Stripes reversed with a synthesiser and massive bass drum play effortlessly cool synth-pop with Peaches style vocals & Tom Tom Club haunts. ‘That’s not my name’ is a catchy yet clever synth-pop ditty that’ll get stuck somewhere in the back of your head and have you singing ‘they call me Jane’ under your breath hours later.

Hearing ‘Great DJ’ is like coming up for the first time in a really good club. White’s effortlessly sexy voice over an addictively edgy loop makes for an electro-disco hit.

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Swalf X
CD // £5.00 //
21/08/06

Home to disco punks Valerie, Magic Arm’s traditional tech wonders and the aural antics of Gideon Conn to name but a few, this 14 track compilation promises to amaze, astound, and give you the full tasting menu of what’s happening in alternative music, right now.

Opening the collection, The Unheard, a Manchester-based producer and DJ extraordinaire, weaves forgotten sounds like the snuffle of Rolf Harris into sonic tapestries. Jan Wolstenholme is a multi- instrumentalist and has been in several bands, most notably as bassist/vocalist in Bandit Queen. while Curvilinear give us a dose of late night tragedy. Whimsical Gideon Conn sounds precisely like he should be in a speakeasy with Talullah and Magic Arm lends a sliver of his fantastical folk for your delectation.

Tour mate of Lone Pigeon and Aidan Smith, John Stammers will break your heart with this country-inflected heartbreaker and My Side Of The Mountain say: “We spend our days creating pretty sounds from whatever we find including the finest primary school percussion in the land.” All true. Half English, half American, Belle of les Bois is inspired by the two nations musical histories, with the echoing ambition of open spaces reverberating through her songs.

In a grand finale, Electrelane’s best mates Valerie showcase their ability to be both DIY mentalists and catchy tunesmiths in the one, violent ballad while Sporting Hero is both one man band and the whole goddamn orchestra – electronic, yet delicate, Switchflicker’s son will go forth. To close the show, former Monaco member Dave Potts goes all 60s on us with his solo stuff – think Beatles, Who, and classic, chunky sounds.

Reviews
Along come SWITCHFLICKER, purveyors of eclectic clubs and maverick releases. Crossing the boards between dance, electronica, edgy weird folk music and shades of lo-fi punk rock, this compilation possibly paints a better picture of what Manchester is about. A spirited, inventive, melodic, creative, melting pot that doesn’t bow to other fashions, but actually creates its own.
Switchflicker Comp review from Manchester Music

Manchester based label Switchflicker have surpassed all expectations with this collection of outr pop sounds from some of the most interesting young acts in the country at the moment, skating through genres with a refreshing disregard for what’s hot and what’s not in the eyes of the contemporary music scene.
BoomKat

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Swalf 08 Released 08/10/05

Limited edition blood red vinyl, individually printed middles plus fanzine made by Jo, Vix and Elv.

Valerie have been tearing up the European gig circuit for the past few years. Playing with the likes of Le Tigre, Erase Errata, Liars, The Gossip and Sleater-Kinney, those who have witnessed the Manchester trio’s live action have heralded them as stars in the making – the rock band’s band, even the she-cool of ‘Karen O’ listens to them in the shower! Disco V Punk EP is Valerie’s second release on Switchflicker.

The Disco side is home to the underground call to arms that is Disco Punk Resistance. Undeniably Mancunian, DPR does a nice line in Happy Monday’s style euphoria, backed up by urgent guitars and sleazy beats. On the Punk side highlights include, Big Bad Billy C, an angst-ridden threat to art students who natter at gigs, and the legendary punk strop, Music 4 Townies, a picture postcard of inner city tensions. Valerie are Jo(vox), Elvis(drums/keyboards/vox/toys) and Vix (guitars/vox).

Their interests include, beer, Woody Allen, John Waters, zombies, greasy spoons, seaside towns, noise, soaps, dancing, music and scrabble.

http://www.citylife.co.uk/music/news/4761_valerie_do_it_the_hard_way

“A whole bundle of fun…excellent stuff, truly excellent” Everett True, Plan B /Careless Talk Costs Lives.
“Snot Rawk Bollocks.” NME.
“Get with the program and let Valerie into your lives.” Flux.

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Swalf 7 Released 08/09/05

SoundProof, the debut ep from Manchester based DJ and producer,The UnHeard.

Soundproof is a subterranean jumble of esoteric sounds for the mind, body and soul. The A is a trilogy of beats and pieces; opening with Yorkie Bar breaks upfront, emotionally wrought strings in the back, and a couple of RJD2 tunes on the stereo. Cheekily buffered by a DJ Nobody-style Hawaiian refrain and scratch weapon kit (’Jazz Belly Ride’/'el-skit’ respectively), turn it over and you get a fair depiction of how a 70’s cop-mystery show would have sounded were Dan Snaith in charge of the soundtrack; wah-wahs/flutes and a cavalcade of axe-wielding synths (’Complete Sweet’). Done.

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Swalf 06 Released 08/06/05

If the idea of a band who combine the Coral, The Zutons and (whisper this one!) Space, fill you with unmitigated dread, then Sporting Hero are quite possibly not for you. However given that I f*cking loathe all but one of that trio and I quite enjoyed the ‘Calendar EP’, it’s maybe not wise to react on first impressions…

Possibly bearing a closer affinity to a mongrel cross-breed of the Coral, The White Stripes and even the Moldy Peaches, Sporting hero touch upon Twisted Nerve acoustica, jaunty Wirral-pop and multi-instrumental blues within the mayfly duration of the four pieces swirled onto this vinyl. Good game, good game

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