In the wake of a post-LCD Soundsystem DFA Records, a lot of folks (myself included) were wondering, “What comes next?” The metaphorical Fat Lady sung and the sun was seemed to perhaps be setting on DFA. But, with a great series of LPs from Crystal Ark, Sinkane, and now Larry Gus…DFA is having a renaissance.
A little over a week after giving away a pretty great mixtape for the Construct Mix Series on Soundcloud, Grecian beat junkie Larry Gus is now giving away his first release for DFA Records.
Not a single, mind you, but a full album.
The album, “Silent Congas” is a woozy, beat heavy 9-track, 30 minute trip to a psychedelic circus where the Mediterranean meets the Motor City. 50% obscure soul and strange world music samples and 50% original instrumentation performed by Larry Gus (whose real name is Panagiotis Melidis,) the album has strains of Dilla and Caribou with a hint of the sun-baked kaleidoscopic weirdness of Koushik.
In conversation with DFA, I got the impression that Larry Gus is super sharp, talented, and terrifically bookish. Since he’s from rural Greece, his knowledge of music and the world is primarily filtered through the computer…and his music is kind of an expression of that method of input/output. Everything all at once. It’s pretty spectacular.
However, since he’s not a “city slicker,” he cheekily sees himself as a kind of Borat figure. He’s seemingly doing fine however, as he’s now a student in Milan, has released his first record for DFA and has another record in the works for early next year.
Like that movie comedy moustache guy would say, “Very nice!”
Above, you’ll find the link to the record. Below, a stream for my personal favorite off Silent Congas, “23 June 1975.”