release date: Aug. 20, 2021
format: digital (11 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Sunny Levine
label: SWRX Recordings - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Mumbo Jumbo" - 2. "Close the Dam" - 3. "Popstar's Daughters" - 4. "Monster" - 5. "Honey Put the Kettle On" - 6. "Crazy Bitches" - 7. "Straighten Me Up" - 11. "Clubbing Rabbits"
2nd solo album from Shaun Ryder follows a full eighteen years [18!!] after the solo debut Amateur Night in the Big Top (2003) and has been released on Ryder's own label SWRX Recordings. In a certain way, this could probably count as his actual debut, but that's not how music rights work [see comments for the 2003 album]. It is no state secret that Shaun Ryder's life as a musician and as a private person has involved various types of stimulants [!], and the media image of Ryder is first and foremost that of a skilled songwriter - and an addict. First he fronted the Madchester band Happy Mondays, which saw its heydays in the years from 1988 to '93. He then became lead vocalist of Black Grape from 1993 to '98. And in the period after that, he has managed to restart and disband Happy Mondays and Black Grape in almost countless new formations - possibly mostly because he wanted to be able to tour or play individual concerts, and thereby keep the income alive, but this hasn't led to much new music. Most recently, he released Pop Voodoo (2017) under the name of Black Grape, which probably could have just as well been under the name of Happy Mondays, which on the other hand most recently released its Uncle Dysfunktional in 2007. However, he has explained that when he made new music on his own, it would be released as Happy Mondays, whereas with Black Grape, it would always be co-composed with Kermit (aka Paul Leveridge). And although Ryder hasn't been involved in releasing much new music in this Millennium, he has never really been away from the media spotlight in his home country. He has published books, participated in reality shows ('Gogglebox' and 'I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!'), and he has been guest musician on a large number of other artists' releases. With Visits From Future Technology, Ryder has managed to collect a number of older and more or less unfinished tracks he had lying around, and with the help of producer Levine, it has become a new album under his own name. Under the name SWR [Shaun William Ryder], "Close the Dam" was already released in 2015 as a single, but is on here anyway. It's not surprisingly music that bears the stamp of the Madchester style that he himself helped establish. It's a danceable mix of alt. dance, indie rock, and electronic music with a good portion of sampling effectively thrown in here and there. The album comes with eleven tracks and a total playing time of just over 40 minutes.
Visits From Future Technology has come out to mostly positive reviews, and it's actually quite a performance he delivers here. It's basically surprisingly good craftsmanship. There are clear reminders of both Happy Mondays and Black Grape, but who really cares as long as it swings?! And it surely does exactly just that! Ryder occasionally mumbles, but charmingly as an old boxer, and without sounding like Shane MacGowan of The Pogues, and then he delivers some of his funniest lyrics - he's sharp and direct and bloody charming. And then he sounds like he's over years with self-abuse, which mostly secures better end results. The album is largely without fillers and represents a quite original combo that manages to raise the level from Pop Voodoo considerably and Ryder has made one of his best albums, ever!
A mighty fine and recommended album!
