M//R - Among the Methods (2018)

Fresh off the release of Chaperone’s ‘Snapback Balaclava’ 12" just a couple of months ago, Great Circles is honored to present ‘Among The Methods’ – the first full-length LP from M//R.

One of our humble imprint’s closest allies and a longstanding pillar of Philadelphia’s electronic music community, Billy Werner has been a constant presence in the booth at parties throughout the Northeast Corridor since 1998. We debuted his M//R alias in 2014 with the ‘Gathering Response Data’ 12". Since – he’s been busy bringing the grit to points beyond the City of Brotherly Love, putting in work for the likes of Details Sound, L.I.E.S. and Jack Dept. Most recently, he turned out a remix of Karen Gwyer’s “Why Does Your Father Look So Nervous” for the 'Rembo' remixes on Don’t Be Afraid.

Written, recorded, and mixed over a period of 15 months, 'Among The Methods' is in no small part a reflection of the affinities and sensibilities Billy has developed as both selector and producer. Referencing a variety of influences from jazz to dub to electro, the album’s allure stems from his deft ability to recontextualize those genres’ disparate aspects into a familiar, yet fiercely idiosyncratic musical context.

The end result is at once wildly fractured and precision-focused as 'Among the Methods’ finds its own seductive rhythm within a matrix of dub echoes and modulated low-end. It’s heady ground, to be sure; as well as the most declarative aesthetic statement from M//R to date.