Introducing PowerPlay — the new collaborative project from C Powers (Sweat Equity, CGI, Astral Plane/Contagion Discs) and PlayPlay (Knightwerk, Juke Bounce Werk, Worst Behavior). Long in the works, Sorry Records is proud to present the duo’s debut release Breaking Capacity. Eight tracks that gleefully fuse breakbeat frenzy, energetic jungle, and uncompromising queered antifascism made with love by two long-time members of the American South rave underground.
There's also two huge remixes — an acid take from rising Brooklyn producer Escaflowne (Sorry Records, Fixed Rhythms) fresh off his inclusion on all three of MoMa Ready/AceMo's mission statement Haus of Altr V/As as well as a jaw hanging bass mix from west coast rave royalty Bored Lord (CLUB CHAI, Loveless Records, Juke Bounce Werk)who has a forthcoming release via Octo Octa & Eris Drew's T4T LUV NRG imprint.
PlayPlay and C Powers first connected years ago bonding over their similar experiences growing up as young queer ravers in the south. These two trans/non-binary comrades felt as if they were cut from the same cloth and shared a love for late 90’s American Drum and Bass, cheesed-out “electronica” and the less-savory staples of the southern rave experience like muddy Kikwear and JNCOs, Mountain Dew at the rave, dehydration, afterparties on racetracks, and 5 a.m. Waffle House visits.
The duo began their production collaboration four years ago and like typical southerners they’ve been slow-cooking it. The results yield fall-off-the-bone basslines, well-seasoned Amen break experimentation, submerged voices, and sauce-doused synth work. One of their earliest efforts, “ACAB”, has taken on new significance as America slides further into a state of societal collapse. On “ACAB” breakbeat-based elements from the past collide in new configurations of bass, speech, and queered takes on beat sequencing.
The music on “Breaking Capacity” seeks to rupture the civility politics of dance music that keep self-reproducing, and queer the traditional expectations around dance music. As the release title suggests, Breaking Capacity is about the practice of building relationships and care focus in order to collectivize an unstoppable opposition against state repression.
This is reflected in the narrative aspects of Breaking Capacity which arrive via abstracted self-care mantras, meditative reflection, and cascade into an anti-police anthem infused with radical love. Having grown tired of a dance music hell-bent on trying to locate relevance in the past, PowerPlay seeks to recenter the revolutionary edge of dance music in the contemporary.
Breaking Capacity was mastered by DJ SWISHA (Juke Bounce Werk, Fools Gold) and has already been supported in mixes from BEIGE, Gabe/The Astral Plane, Spinee (PC Music), Rose Kourts, and Bored Lord herself who included tracks in both her DJ Mag Fresh Kicks mix as well as a recent Pride 2021 mix for BBC Radio 6.
credits
released June 18, 2021
Written, produced, and mixed by C Powers and PlayPlay
Artwork by amad.studio
Remixes by Bored Lord & Escaflowne
Mastered by DJ SWISHA
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