Brendon Moeller - Echo Ltd 012 (Echo Ltd)

The Slow Music Movement
Aug 14
2 min read

*** This blog post first appeared in TSMM's August 10th Newsletter, where you can get all the tips (and more) first ***

This is the cover for Brendon Moeller's, Echo Ltd 012 EP. It shows the middle of a blue vinyl record with a black center label featuring the text "ECHO LTD" and "012" alongside a wavy line design resembling a cable.

Brendon Moeller has been popping up regularly in TSMM bulletins and playlists of late, not just because of his dub tendencies, but also his liquid, borderline gaseous D&B, low gravity downtempo and ethereal house and techno. He seems to be mellowing with age, and as I am too I’m happy to accompany him on this stage of his artistic evolution.

Originlly from Johannesburg, he learned piano and drums as a teen, developed a healthy eclectic taste in music ranging from Fela to My Bloody Valentine via Kraftwerk, and in 1993 found himself in New York where he started to lay down the foundations for his melodic machine futurism.

Brendon Moeller in glasses working in a sound studio, adjusting equipment. Background shows cables and panels. Moody black and white setting.

The EP for the ever listenable Echo Ltd, who’ve been churning out a steady stream of mainly dub techno EPs for a while now is a deadly, low frequency loaded four track transmission blending some classic dub touches with some refreshingly leftfield dub deviance. Oddly it’s not on the label’s Bandcamp page yet, but it’s available everywhere else so get in there quick before they realise.

The EP kicks off with “Rescue Me“ which is a smokers rather than a shaker’s delight. The truck cuts straight to the chase with a back to the future synth stab, vinyl crackle, easy on the hips riddim, sounds echoing for eternity and some Nyabinghi style drum cuts all perfectly fused to soundtrack the after the after party comedown session, it’s a deep cut. Next up “Yass Queen” starts with an upbeat classic organ motif, a slightly hesitant riddim that reminds the dancers to take it easy and half step so you don’t look manic, a computer speaker shattering bassline (it serves you right for listening to music on computer speakers), some pleasingly leftfield sonic snippets peppering the mid-range and all the right dub atmospherics. Hold tight for “Scorching”. The tempo is low but the drums ritualistic, the bass hypnotic and the intensity high, this is one for the dark room, eyes down, in the zone raver. “How Love Is Your Deep” is another one for the 9am been up all night smokers and the couple with drooping eye lids on the sofa, with its languid, lolloping, stop start riddim, THC saturated and sleep deprived vibe. Moeller’s done it again, the dub continuum is in safe hands.