MARGATE SAMPLER REVIEW

dedbepan

Margate is a feast for any enjoyer of the arts. With the Turner gallery, multiple live music venues and plenty of independent businesses, it really is one of my favourite places in the UK. One, and if not the most prominent music venue in Margate is Where Else?, an amazing creative space that hosts live music, comedy shows, open mics and even pool tournaments. Where Else?’s venue booker Sammy Clarke has created ‘DIY imprint and occasional record label’ Awkwardness Happening, the record label behind new compilation, ‘Margate Sampler.’

Margate Sampler is a four track compilation released digitally and via limited edition cassette on Bandcamp. Four tracks created by four up-and-coming musical artists, all introduced by the rich creative landscape of Margate. Let’s explore this, track by track.

Track one, dedbepan’s The One (demo) is a stripped back, grunge pop anti-love song. With mesmerizing vocals and hypnotic beats, it has a repetitive tune that gives a delightful listening experience. With a powerful bite, the DIY quality of the demo feels equally comforting as it does strong, with the charming wit of a charting songwriter. dedbepan is a female duo based in Margate, mixing dance pop with dark grunge to create a delicious genre blend. They have signed with Silent Kid records to release new single ‘Habits’, set for release on the 28th of August. 

Track two, Big Woes’ Man In America is a softcore exploration of the absurd nature of modern life. The song is repetitive and almost unsettling in its nature, with a glittery percussion and echoing drum beat. Rich, confrontational vocals deepen the pleasantly uncomfortable air the track brings, setting the scene for Big Woes’ chaotic storytelling. “Everyone keeps saying they’re like Jim Morrison meets the Fall meets John Cleese. They’re not but everyone keeps saying it.”

Track three, and my personal favourite, Jolt’s Picture in a Junk Shop Box. Joanna Curwood’s (Yassassin) most recent solo project brings precise recreation of reality, Picture in a Junk Shop Box’s topic being that of nostalgia. Faded photos in a box and the fear we all become someone’s forgotten nostalgia. The track plays around with musical boundaries, pairing bewitching with unsettling to create an unreal listening experience. Described as “dark, brooding and pulsating fractured fragments of the sounds that reflect our black mirror lives” the track is truly a musical feat and my standout on the mixtape.

Fruit Band, the creation of James Gale closes the mixtape, with Receipt. Spanning over a charming seven minutes, Receipt is a gleaming, ultra-real creation that doesn’t touch on any specific topics, merely a feeling. Written closely behind James’ relocation to Margate, the track represents a ‘disjointed emotional timestamp’, a foreshadowing of the future changes in one's life. Fruit Band’s make nonsense in the most enjoyable ways, creating music for times where you just can’t be bothered. Creating a lazy, relaxed aura easy to jam to (or do just about anything.)

Margate Sampler truly is a spectacle, serving an incredibly strong tracklist with endless creativity. Their morals and words on streaming platforms are something Melodify stands with and it is very refreshing to see in a label. Well done to everyone involved and don’t forget to stream the mixtape, out 15th of August on Bandcamp.

“In an age of frictionless technologies amid a population coerced into mindlessly gorging on the 'all you can eat buffet' of streaming "content" and advertising apps, we are advocates for something that we like to call "scarce convenience" and a more intentional model of consumption.” - via the label’s Bandcamp page.

Order the compilation here:

https://awkwardnesshappeningrecs.bandcamp.com/album/margate-sampler

Proceeds beyond cost will be donated to Music Venue Trust