MU | Out Of Breach (Manchester's Revenge)

To walk the thin line between provocation and irony on one side and irritation, frustration and boredom on the other requires a huge amount of talent, determination and bravery. Not that many artists dare to even look at said line let alone walk it with succesful arrogance. Of course, you have the Bono's and Chris Martin's of this world who walk around with an overdose of selfrighteousness in their veins pretending to make a difference while not even aware of the irony that surrounds their acts. Personally I could do without them and at times when i get sick of titles like How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb I crave for the amusent MU stands for. But, in all fairness, the thing that sets MU apart from the average Skihut compilation is a vast resource of musical knowledge and creativity, located in the brain of America-born producer Maurice Fulton.

Lovestory: Fulton meets his future wife Japan-born Mutsumi Kanamori in a Manchester club, hooks up with her and eventually slides a ring down her finger. At a day, now presumably described by Fulton as: "the most beautiful day in my life".


The inevitable question which now arises after hearing Out Of Breach, is, how the hell can you marry a woman that shrieks like her womb is being pulled out by a dozen hungry chickens? I would consider skipping that part if it weren't for the fact that it's too present in MU's music to not talk about. Yes, Mutsumi's vocals are the opposite of Mariah's and no that's not praising Mariah for her beautiful voice, it's acknowledging that the quality of the vocal doesn't always have to be degrading when used with the purpose that MU has in mind. Mind, MU does not try to provocate in the political sense. MU doesn't care about discussion.

It's all about discouraging the lazy type of listener. Think of New York at the time Eno mixed his compilation No New York (1978), a definite body of work that paved the way for numerous noise groups like Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers and Big Black to blossom and be influential themselves. A revolution no one dared to televise. Pure anarchy seeping out of filthy NYC cellars. It was provocation in it's purest form catalyzed by Teenage Jesus & The Jerks, D.N.A. and James Chance. Born out of an apparent necessity, an inevitable dissapointment in the punk movement that couldn't have been less 'punk' in the way it exploited itself. Punk in the late 70's was as mainstream as it gets. Getting structural national airplay (especially in Britain) punk was never the underdog it wanted to be. Eno recognized the revolution bubbling underneath the surface and put most available no wave acts together on a document that means more to innovating music than a zillion punkcompilations ever did.

The luxury we now have is to capture that spirit and play with it. With time the opportunity to put things in perspective arises. The raw energy and the experimental take on dance music that MU displays bears similarities to the exciting no wave methods. The main difference being that the no wave don's were audio-rebelling against the hypocritical punkestablishment. MU rebels against pretty much anything that comes to mind. 'Stop Bothering Michael Jackson' explains its content by itself, 'Tigerbastard' is directed at MU's previous recordlabel Tigersushi and 'Paris Hilton' is obviously about, indeed.

In essence, the effect that MU's sound has, is closer to, say, Lydia Lunch's Teenage Jesus & The Jerks than to any contempary dance act. The difference and the advantage that Fulton has over that period of time is that his means are more developed and refined. In feeling the beatinjected no wave has the same effect on disbelievers, pure no wave had in the late 70's.

Things start off screechy with 'Haters' with Mutsumi bragging "Welcome to the Mu world, beetch!" while treating to "kungfu" all haters. Fulton lays down an eerie highpitched sample that resembles a 70's horror flick soundtrack. 'Out Of Breach' pulsates around a dirty basseffect and vocals that seem to come directly out of Lucifer's gut. Fulton's multilayered acidpunk effects reach instenser levels every ten seconds. Adding funky cymbalperussion and tomtom's. The schizo percussion that starts off 'Stop Bothering Michael Jackson' evolves into a massive technoanthem underneath Mutsumi's bizarre vocals.

Mu doesn't stay away from personal squabbles and use every opportunity to strike back. "He has no respect / of what I do / talk down to me / he's mean / he's a player / very very evil man" she belches out in 'Tigerbastard'. Highlight in the sonic avanger that Out Of Breach is, is 'We Love Guys Named Luke', a track dedicated to The Rapture singer Luke Jenner. A maelstrom of sped up percussion invaded by a massive acidwhirlwind that gradually calms down with the sound resembling the programming of the Starship Enterprise to move into enemy territory. Than it speeds up again which causes Mutsumi to eventually throw up in the next track while Fulton massages the drumpads to throw out a prickly little beat. Absurdism on top of an off kilter beat in 'So Weak People'. Fulton creates a web of effects that get stuck behind and tangled in eachother.

Single 'Paris Hilton' starts off unusually clean. Mutsumi's chicken imitation resorts here and I'm telling you, dancefloors all over the world are waiting to hear this, the track bubbles with ironic takes on all types of dancemusic, metallic handclaps being the most recognizable. Any little kid will be tricked into following MU "like a little beetch" with the circuslike effects that make up most of 'Like A Little Bitch' . This record can't be a huge succes in commercial terms due to its abbrasive nature but when you seriously consider putting experimental and fun in the same sentence, MU is the way to go. Unlike Afro Finger And Gel, which had it's moments of sheer brilliance, Out Of Breach is the sound of MU stabilizing into a fierce act challenging some serious musical values.