John Fryer, the legendary producer and engineer, has many balls in the air at the same time. We recently highlighted Silver Ghost Shimmer, a collaboration with Pinky Turzo that hit all of the right spots with throwback references to The Shangri-Las. This week sees Muricidae, a duo arrangement with LA-based Louise Fraser, springing “Away,” a track that gets back to Fryer’s roots.
The lineage connecting “Away” to This Mortal Coil and The Hope Blister is evident from the treated piano sounds that echo and stretch to envelop Fraser’s voice, which slips through their grasp like seawater through the holes of a net. Muricidae are commonly known as rock snails, and their shells can be complex things of incredible beauty. Like its namesake, this new project is an aesthetic wonder, but spun from air rather than minerals. An EP, Songs from a Silent Ocean, is expected in the spring.
John Fryer performs an exclusive 4AD/Mute DJ set at A Secret Wish in London on 19 April 2015.