Adrian Dutt (Spectres): My Own Private Hiding Space Mixtape

Adrian Dutt – of Spectres, Howling Owl Records and Rough Trade Bristol – escaped into his hiding place and returned with a mixtape of beauty in chaos

Adrian Dutt takes Concrete Islands listeners on an unexpected journey from The Shining to The Beach Boys in this, the tenth installment of our mixtape series.

Liner notes by Adrian Dutt:

We all crave escape, that serene bliss of being alone and existing only in the moment, tricking ourselves into forgetting the world for 5 minutes. I put this mix together whilst feeling completely detached from any sense of belonging, my headspace completely flooded by the worry of ailing parents, the stress of two house moves, the excitement of recording a new album and the constant malevolent itch of creeping sadness. It was a tonic to realise the best way of composing this playlist was to just stitch together the music that had kept me safe for the past few weeks, the escape from life through sound and vision I had chosen to immerse myself in. Spectres is built on sonic bombast and uncompromising experimentation but this mix is a reflection of what is underneath, if you peel back our skin you’ll find beauty hidden in the chaos.

In the next 60 minutes you’ll hear experimental piano, decayed field recordings, sassy guitar, pop perfection, jarring symphonies and there will be references to the films that keep me tethered to this world, all of it equating to my own private hiding space. Hopefully you’ll be able to find your own sanctum somewhere in it all.

Bio (by Adrian):

Having left Barnstaple for Bristol just under a decade ago, Adrian Dutt has propagated a polymathic existence in the studio, on stage, behind the scenes, beside shop counters and in his home hideaways.

As a six-string-slinging quarter of shapeshifting legionnaires Spectres – who have released a slew of recorded wares since 2011 via Howling Owl Records, Sonic Cathedral, Too Pure and Cranes Records – Dutt has co-led ventures into ear-bleeding yet intelligent noise-rock, sculpted soundscapes, Brutalist remixes and Situationist antics. Together with Spectres singer-guitarist Joe Hatt, Dutt has also co-run the aforementioned Howling Owl Records; a kaleidoscopic omnivorous DIY outlet for the likes of Oliver Wilde, The Naturals, Velcro Hooks, Taos Humm, Gal Pals and others.

On top of all that, Dutt is also an acclaimed illustrator, animator and sleeve-designer as well as a friendly knowledgeable mainstay at Rough Trade’s Bristol branch. Most recently, Dutt has also co-founded the Post Mortem imprint (to initially find a home for the rowdily-melodic Bristol-based Wych Elm) and been hard at work on a new Spectres album (provisionally set for release in early-2020). Moreover, he is occasionally known to find time to sleep…

Tracklist:

A warning to the curious: the My Own Private Hiding Space tracklist follows, but it may be advisable to leave and return after you’ve listened to the mixtape. Look away now!

Excerpt from The Shining; Requiem for 114 Radios – Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard; They Being Dead Yet Speaketh Pt.2 – Jóhann Jóhannsson; The Six Day Moment – Lubomyr Melnyk; Excerpt from True Romance; True Romance – Hans Zimmer; Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered – Ella Fitzgerald; Excerpt from Heathers; Ultraviolence – Lana Del Rey; Layers of Sentiments – Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch; My Foolish Heart – Bill Evans; Excerpt from Poltergeist 2; Sahara – The Necessaries; Excerpt from A Nightmare On Elm Street; Monster – Kanye West; WTC 9/11 for String Quartet pt.1 – Steve Reich & The Kronos Quartet; Night Faces – Jessica Pratt; Little Trip To Heaven – Tom Waits; Sea of Love – Cat Power; Excerpt from Flight Of The Navigator; I Get Around – The Beach Boys.

wearespectres.bandcamp.com