As Claremont 56 continues to celebrate its first decade, founder Paul Murphy remains on the look out for talented producers to add to the label’s slowly expanding family of artists. The imprint’s latest debutant, Blair French, is hardly a newcomer to music production, though, having put out his first release – under the Dial81 alias – this time 10 years ago.
French is something of a musical chameleon. Over the years, he’s been a member of numerous musical collectives – most notably Cosmic Handshakes and Formless Figures – established his own well-regarded DIY record label (Fat Finger Cosmic) and delivered material on imprints including Delsin, M1 Sessions and, most recently, Rocksteady Disco (the deep and jazzy Afro-house brilliance, Standing Still Is An Illusion ).
The Detroit based musician, producer and graphic designer is also notoriously difficult to pin down. Trawl through his releases and you’ll come across blissful ambience, experimental hip-hop, skewed techno, hazy deep house, beach-friendly Balearica, neo-classical, an award-winning film score (documentary Detropia ) and even a dash of bassbin-bothering grime.
On his first Claremont 56 10", French is in full-on, head-in-the-clouds,
feet-on-the-sand mode. The A-side boasts the soft-spun delight that is “Sandbar Caviar”, a gently undulating exercise in aural bliss built around sparse drum machine hits, pitched-down Balearic disco aesthetics – think bubbly bass and humid flashes of Afro-influenced guitars – and the kind of fluttering synthesizer melodies that would
once have been described as “new age” in tone.
The sticky, tropical-tinged humidity continues on the flip, where “Inland Island” showcases French’s love of dub disco bass, atmospheric field recordings, bongo-laden South American rhythms and the kind of hazy, tactile vocals that seemingly drift between the speakers on a cloud of pungent marijuana smoke. It’s an intoxicating and loved-up experience; you can dance if you want to, but it sounds just as good if you’re lying flat on your back.
Minor Circle –
Double gatefold LP
Leo Almunia
£21.99 GBP
Samba With You –
Gatefold double vinyl
Jpye
£21.99 GBP
Sunday In June –
Gatefold double vinyl
Hillside
£21.99 GBP
Pulsar –
Remastered Double LP
Almunia
Sold Out
Walpole Days (Joe Claussell Remixes Part 2) –
Limited 12" (400)
Hillside
Sold Out
Cosa Ti Va? –
Limited (300) 7"
Jpye & Renato
Sold Out
Walpole Days (Joe Claussell Remixes) –
12" (LTD 400) (PRE-ORDER)
Hillside
Sold Out
Walpole Days (Joe Claussell Remixes) –
12" Gold Screen Printed Sleeve LTD 100 (PRE-ORDER)
Hillside
Sold Out
Claremont Editions Vol 2 –
Claremont Editions 02 CD LTD 100 (Bandcamp Exclusive)
Various
Sold Out
Claremont Editions Vol 2 –
Limited edition double vinyl gatefold
Various
Sold Out
Claremont 56 Silver Palm Key Ring LTD 100
Sold Out
Large Claremont 56 prismatic sticker
Sold Out
Alba Sol –
Double gatefold LP
Hear & Now
Sold Out
Claremont Editions 01 CD LTD 100 + Bonus tracks (Bandcamp Exclusive)
Sold Out
Ever Changing Bubbles (Deep88 Remixes) –
Limited 12" (LTD 300)
DJ Rocca & Leo Almunia
Sold Out
Jack Cutter/Almunia remixes limited sampler –
Jack Cutter/Almunia remixes limited sampler
Various
Sold Out
Claremont Editions 01 LP (LTD 500)
Sold Out
In A Small Place –
Sillyboy's Ghost Relatives - In A Small Place (LTD 300)
Sillyboy's Ghost Relatives
Sold Out
Japan tour heavy weight tote bag (black short handles) 12oz
Sold Out
Japan tour heavy weight tote bag (white long handles) 12oz
Sold Out
Birds –
Torn Sail - Birds 12" repress (250)
Torn Sail
£8 GBP
Hidden Port –
12"
Hillside
£8 GBP
All One –
Ferdi - All One
Ferdi
£16 GBP
Blue River (Remastered) –
Hand numbered, limited edition (500) gatefold
Smith & Mudd
Sold Out
Salmon Spungcake –
(Conrad McDonnell Remixes)
Bison
£7 GBP
New Moon –
Almunia - New Moon Double LP repress
Almunia
Sold Out
In A Small Place –
Sillyboy's Ghost Relatives - In A Small Place
Sillyboy's Ghost Relatives
Sold Out
Ready To Die –
Bel - Ready To Die (Mudd Mixes)
Bel
Sold Out
Idjut Boys & Laj - Slateo
Sold Out
Claremont 56 Stickers
Sold Out
Sunset Sparks/Boma –
Alterleo 10"
Alterleo
Sold Out
Kama –
Waxwood - Kama/Kama (Fuga Ronto Remix) 12"
Waxwood
£8 GBP
Claremont 56 London, UK
Claremont 56 is an independent record label dedicated to releasing beautiful music.
