Friend may hail from the ratracing, ploom and doom hubub of London but on the evidence of the above video for “Doki”, the standout track from the madly talented beat-conjurer’s first original material following a series of well received remixes (including a particularly sumptuous re-work of the ever wonderful Memory Cassette ‘s spectral space-wedding first dance number “Last One Awake”), his true domain is somewhere a little more remote, a little freer and with a little more space to roam. There’s a tranquility and fluidity to Friend’s productions that is precious, where songs are built with devout brick-by-brick methodicism and built to stand for centuries. His is the expansive sound of glistening hidden valleys in an ancient future orient; silent stolen seaside at the end of the world; the parallel dimension palacial pomp and glory of buried alive, forgotten empires.

Memory Cassette – Last One Awake [Friend Remix]

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Memory Cassette have announced their debut EP release, to be a joint venture between Acephale and Sincerely Yours, entitled “Call and Response” and strictly limited to 500 copies. I’d recommend jumping on this pretty quickly. Pre-order here.