Support and/or radio play from Tom Ravenscroft, Richard Sen, Bill Brewster, Will Bankshead, Steve Barker (On the Wire), Om Unit, Jay Glass Dubs, Breaka, Ame, Shawn Reynaldo, Andrew Ryce (RA), Nick Luscombe, Gold Panda, Tim Sweeney, The Wire Magazine, Irma Ruiseñor, Inverted Audio and more…
Never Any Gain is the fifth and possibly the most accomplished album from Tokyo-based artist, creative director, and Diskotopia co-founder Matt Lyne under his A Taut Line moniker, following on from last year's critically-acclaimed full-length Loss. Shoko Sasano returns as a guest vocalist, Author Thomas Kendall has once again contributed his writing talents, penning the spoken-word lyrics of the title track.
The album marks ten years since A Taut Line's debut album, Nitriding Portrait. Stylistically there is a strong sense of renewal & reinvention of his trademark disorientated fourth-world sound, but at the same time, a revisit of the musical heritage of his birth town Bristol integrated with the sonic influence of life in Japan — his home for the last 18 years.
Mutant and contorted elements of dub techno, deep house, electro, trip-hop, post-punk, lounge, and garage can be found in unique juxtapositions across the ten tracks, while opener Colour Science fuses Japanese environmental-music ambient, 90s British electronica, and 80s 4AD output all at once.