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Lead track, ‘Operator’, is a punchy, spacious stomper laced with golden-era grime horns and strings. Delayed, disembodied clicks, claps and pulses echo throughout along with a call-to-arms vocal pulled straight from the soundclash. On the flip, ‘The Poet’ builds an enormous groove out of broken percussion, spoken word and an intermittent woodwind sample in a manner that recalls early DMZ white labels. This will be Alan Johnson’s first standalone release since 2013’s standout ‘Goron Sound’ on Blank Mind. The duo channel golden-era UK soundsystem music of the mid-to-late noughties into a tight techno template, blending serious bass pressure with a dynamic rhythmic approach that pulls in influences from across the spectrum. As much touched by the bounce of UK funky as the driving tempo of techno or the abstract synths of instrumental grime, Alan Johnson’s music is emblematic of a generation that has lived through one of the most fruitful and creative periods of UK electronic dance music to date. Founded by producer/DJs Caski and Near – who have previously released as individuals on labels including Tectonic, Keysound, Ghost, EMF, Trapped Audio & Pretty Weird – Raincloud Records builds on Bristol’s famed heritage as one of the UK’s most exciting musical hubs. Sitting somewhere between early Hemlock and Hotflush, and the more industrial leanings of Livity Sound, Swamp 81 and Houndstooth, Raincloud aims to provide a home for artists reveling in a no-boundaries approach to making music for the dancefloor.