By Craig Russell Horne
Fido by Welsh Techno artist “SHREDDIES” is a soaring track born out of the genre of ambient but with a free and playful nature.
Fido is the brand new single from Welsh techno newcomer “SHREDDIES” out 20th January on Cardiff label Rose Parade Recording Co . The single is the first to be released from his debut EP, Fidofridafaunaflora (out 5th March) following his COVID-3001 EP that was released last March as a Bandcamp exclusive.
SHREDDIES is the electronic project of Cardiff musician Josh Dickins (bassist of Rosehip Teahouse). Beginning as “something of a joke” in mid-2019 after playing around with free drum machine plugins on his laptop, Dickins eventually went on to record his first EP COVID-3001 armed with just his laptop, bass guitar and samples.
Signing to Cardiff label Rose Parade Recording Co, In October, to release his new offering Fidofridafaunaflora, a much more cohesive and thematic work than his first EP.
Describing the EP, Dickins says, “I made the record during the first lockdown of the year, and Cardiff had a sort of melancholic peaceful stillness about it; with no-one really daring to go outside at that point… It wasn’t too much of a conscious idea, but I think Fidofridafaunaflora is a response to that feeling. Before I’d even written to the end of the record, I had the title/song titles in mind. Through that I had a loose idea of what I wanted each track to portray: Fido and Frida are intended to be character portraits of sorts – with Fido being a more innocent personality, and Frida being a much darker character.”
In its essence, there is very little not to like about this record. It attests to a time that has seen creativity and experimentation from an array of artists all over the planet that has made music more dynamic and, overall, interesting. Reclaiming the roots of music as an art form.
“Fido” is a track leaning more towards the ambient “side of the scale” rather than techno but, still hangs on to some key features. A thumping kick drum surrounded by glitchy tops of percussion on a some-what dated sounding drum machine that feels rather more charming than out of place. Providing a subtle tip of the cap to the genre “SHREDDIES” sees themselves more representing.
Yet, it is the ambience that is the real big player in this track. Beautiful expansive reverb accompanying a Lo-Fi style guitar shimmering hand in hand. Glistening bells, panned left weaving among the main body.
Unsurprisingly, once the bass enters it is thick and smooth. The pushes in the song interrupt the gliding feeling the track has been so comfortable in but, in a way that gives the song more life as the notes travel bass-wards. As the pads take over the front of stage, it returns back to that gliding sensation. The song is very playful and free but, sometimes to its own detriment.
The harsh synths and vibraphone crush the main structure of the track and sound abrasive both stylistically and tonally. Everything in the track has felt blissful in a beautifully reserved way yet, the vibraphone and synths have had the stable door flung open and allowed to bolt.
With that being said, it depends what you believe this track wants to do. If it wants to be a track accompanying an intense listening session while relaxing then, you may grumble at the same things I have. Yet, if “Fido” is your audio partner to staring out the window watching the trees dance in the wind, you might have found a new best friend.
Find SHREDDIES online at:
Twitter: @shredded_beats
Instagram: @shreddies.exe
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shreddedbeats2
The Music Files 