MAPS x PYE CORNER AUDIO
LISTEN TO THE NEW REMIX OF ‘LACK OF SLEEP’
ORIGINAL TAKEN FROM THE LATEST ALBUM, COUNTER MELODIES – OUT NOW ON MUTE
“Insistently upbeat, immersive return” – Uncut 8/10
“…a euphoric, hands-in-the-air, floor-filling belter.” – Juno Daily
“Counter Melodies, with its textured electro-pop sounds and DJ mix-style format, slots right into Mute’s eclectic vibe and adds an exciting new dimension to Maps’ own discography.” – AllMusic
MAPS – aka James Chapman – has today shared a brand new remix from Pye Corner Audio of ‘Lack Of Sleep’, one of the stand out tracks from his fifth studio album, Counter Melodies, out now on limited edition white vinyl, CD and digitally.
Listen to the remix here:
Chapman explains, “Pye Corner Audio’s sound is a beautiful mixture of the nostalgic and dystopian, pushing sonic boundaries with every release. The world he creates is a warm yet brooding place to completely lose yourself in. It has always been a dream of mine to work together so it was incredible to get that opportunity!
The remix of ‘Lack Of Sleep’ is fantastic, and I couldn’t be happier with the results! Majestically, unashamedly huge in every way, it really is a monster of a remix. The build throughout is magnificent, and takes the original further towards the dance floor – while still maintaining Pye Corner Audio’s signature, inimitable style. Complete with Acid squelches, euphoric pulsing synths and the constant pushing rhythmic momentum, the remix is a work of beauty and a perfect rush of endorphins. Turn it up!”
The latest 10-track album, which follows 2019’s Colours. Reflect. Time. Loss., is an upbeat and uplifting escape from the news flow and features the fastest, most intensely euphoric pieces that Chapman has ever produced. “I’ve always used music as a way of escape,” explains Chapman, “When I sit down and put my headphones on, I am able to go somewhere else.”
The opening chiming bell of first track ‘Witchy Feel’ frames the album with a nod towards club music that was never fully evident before. “My early days of soaking up club culture obviously stayed with me,” reminisces Chapman.
Initial ideas for Counter Melodies began to form in the wake of Colours. Reflect. Time. Loss. Chapman chose not to tour the album beyond a few shows, instead he found himself DJing a lot towards the end of 2019 “I was enjoying making my own tracks and playing them in my DJ sets,” he says. “It’s like a comedian trying out new material. I really liked the idea of tracks flowing into one another, like a continuous DJ set. As soon as that idea was in my head, I just worked really hard to make it happen.”
While Counter Melodies sounds totally unique in the Maps catalogue, there is something about its presentation and tonality that makes it instantly recognisable as Maps. What Chapman has achieved with Counter Melodies is a new adventure through the familiar emotional terrain of the Maps sound, while also transporting you to more resolutely optimistic and hopeful places.
Maps’ Counter Melodies is out now on vinyl (limited edition white vinyl comes with A4 signed and numbered art print), CD and digitally: https://mute.ffm.to/maps_cm
Counter Melodies tracklisting:
Witchy Feel
Thru Lights
Psyche
Windows Open
Transmission
Lack Of Sleep
Valentine
My Love Is Like
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