British DJ Marcus Marr, known for the much lauded 2013 single “The Music,” is set to release his debut this year on DFA Records.
In the meantime, he recently unleashed unto the world the “Brown Sauce” 12-inch backed with “Peacemakers.” Fittingly, this brilliant pair of cuts is available in a limited-edition brown.
The release’s two songs are a rather fascinating pairing. Both are boiling over with a certain proletarian quality that is both admirable and important. I want to throw back several pints of Boddington’s and make a stop at Wigan Pier on my way south to London when I listen to these tracks.
(Full disclosure: I’ve only been in the North of England once, and while I did pass by Wigan on my way from Lancaster to London, I did not stop. Perhaps I would have, had I been listening to the Brown Sauce 12er.)
And unlike the famous British condiment, I could stomach both the title cut and “Peacemakers” for dozens of consecutive servings.
The title cut is a working person’s acid track, replete with that bubbling bass, a dark undercurrent of synthesizers and a dirty drum track. In particular, the snare, toward the conclusion of “Sauce” gets all fat and compressed and scuzzy in the sexiest of ways.
On “Peacemakers,” Marr takes the commoners to a disco constituency, tapping into steady and excitable bass line and equally kinetic drum track that will make me spill my beer all over my decidedly utilitarian garb (which I probably shouldn’t be dancing in anyway). The guitars are like fluid, with their sliding, chucking and wah-ing across the mix like a water-based glue keeping the already tight rhythm section impenetrable.
But don’t take my word for it. Marr sounded off on the two cuts in a bio from DFA:
Brown Sauce: “Depending on the vibe of the night, if you come and see me DJ it’s likely you’re going to hear some futuristic music, as well as some disco, house and so on. I want people to be warned about that so I made ‘Brown Sauce.’ I’ve been playing it all over the place for a good while now and it never lets me down.”
Peacemakers: “This one has features me on my bass guitar. It’s a Fender Jazz and its usually there somewhere on most of my tunes. I bought it off a clueless Brummie punk years ago. He wanted only £90 for it – i was sure there was a catch but no, it was the genuine article.”
