Buy link: masomenosmcr.bandcamp.com/album/love-language
The four-track EP ‘Love Language’ presents a collaborative project by Manchester-based DJ and producer Joey T and singer-songwriter Lady Lady. Friday 30th September marks their first release with Manchester’s grassroots label, Mas O Menos.
Defining the EP are experimental instrumentals with a consistent fusing of elements of 80s electro, classic deep house beats, and catchy lyricism. ‘It’s Just Me’ kicks off the EP with a progressive tune that softly intensifies. Shakers and minimal organ-esque elongated chords form the basis, before a wobbly electro bassline, cold, rhythmic percussion, and vocals by Lady Lady layer in. Straightforward and unambiguous, the lyrics set off the theme for the whole project – coy lustfulness. Cooing “When you want it just come over / We’ll get high and f**k on my sofa.”
Track two, ‘Like You’ transports you back to the 80s. Serving up a funky NY-style house bassline that gradually builds with punctuations of dub and disco. Effortlessly fusing unconventional genres is perhaps Joey T’s central stylism. Absorbing in its melody, Lady Lady chimes “You show it outside / I keep it inside / Even though I hide / Somehow you know.”
On the lyrics Lady Lady shares: “Collaborating with Joey was natural from the start, his music makes me feel something so the words just flowed. My lyrics are simple to understand and relatable, but simultaneously, open to interpretation. ‘Like You’ is inspired by my experience as a queer woman but that wouldn’t immediately spring to mind. I want everyone to be able to use their own experiences to find their own personal meaning within the lyrics.”
‘Maybe’ is a maximalist up-tempo burner. Its distinctive groove borders on tribal, with a distinctive psychedelic bassline underscoring the hypnotic quality of the track. Interweaved is a distorted, futuristic rift that drives the bounciness of the tune, while the organ-esque melody maintains the synchronicity of the 80s feel of the EP. “Maybe one day you’ll give me your number / So I can work on tryna get a little closer,” Lady Lady silkily sings.
The title track, Love Language, concludes the EP with an eerie yet pulsing ensemble. Slowing down the pace and stripping it back, it takes the listener on a journey of minimal synths, punchy chop drum breaks, and soothing vocals that recite “Tell me what’s your love language baby / I wanna talk it to you / Tell me your love language.”
On the EP Joey T said: “Releasing ‘Love Language’ is an incredible achievement for both of us, as in all honesty, it started off as a joke… Lady Lady posted a comedic song during the lockdown on Instagram, but the lyrics resonated and so I wanted to create a proper instrumental for it. We then bonded over our love for a diversity of sounds and artists, as well as our shared shyness as artists, and the project just took off from there.”
“Shout out to Levi Love, Founder of Mas O Menos, who has been integral to the project. He’s championed us both and given us the confidence to produce this unique body of work that represents us both so well.”
Levi Love added: “I first listened to Maybe and Like You in my car and gave them a loud blast whilst driving around. I immediately loved them. I insisted on meeting with Joey and Lady Lady and from there the project was formed. Love Language absolutely arrested me; it holds such sentimental value to me.”
‘Love Language’ will be available on Mas O Menos’ Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, Beatport, JunoDownload, Traxsource, Amazon, Deezer, and more on the 30th of September 2022.
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masomenosmcr.bandcamp.com
Release date: September 30th, 2022.