Gig Monkey, AKA Ed Dyer, takes a rummage through the best music released by local artists. If you like the sound of something please check it out. All is Worth – All is Worth Any musician who approaches me with a musical CV that includes Oxonian luminaries The Winchell Riots - one of my favourite and most missed Oxford bands, must be listened to. As expected, this theory keeps up it’s 100% strike rate as Nathan Allsworth has produced a beautiful, evocative and quite mesmerising dream-pop album. The basis of these songs may be rooted in folk music, but Allsworth has sprinkled plenty of contemporary magic music powder over them, taking the bare songs and adding washes of synths and reverb drenched guitars to them, backed with delicately produced and sympathetic rhythm tracks that dart in strange and unexpected directions. Vocals are also suitably hushed and whispery, floating above the music like mist, never quite settling, always sweeping away just as you think you have grasped it. All round, an exciting and beautiful interesting introduction to an artist well worth watching. Erin Bardwell Collective – Great Western Reggae Soundclash 
Weighing in at a mighty 16 tracks, this double album from legendary Swindon Rock Steady outfit is a giant of a piece of work. Bridging the gap between Ska and Reggae and pulling in parts of each, this is a cracking and traditional Rock Steady piece of work Whilst it musically is all about exotic, sunshine sounds of the Caribbean, lyrically this is an album with much more prosaic roots, taking inspiration from the bands oft-maligned home town (the title gives it away) and pitching “Downtown” against “Old Town” in a Swindon culture soundclash. For anyone with an interest in the town and history, this is a must purchase for the captivating little tales of life in a provincial railway town the rest of the country passes by. For fans of reggae, ska, rocksteady and dancehall music this is also required listening for the chilled vibes and great sounds. RAW – Collected Releases 2017 Newly introduced to us, Swindon based producer RAW has been a busy musician, releasing a hatful of tracks and EP’s throughout 2017. It is a collection worth seeking out if you are in any way interested in creative, clever EDM and electronica music that inhabits the more trance, chilled end of the music spectrum. Fantastically creative sampling and programming keep all the tracks contemporary and motivating, with a personal favourite the double-bass led ‘Thank You, Simon’, a hypnotic piece with a great groove about it. Some of the spoken word sampling is reminiscent of Public Service Broadcasting, which is no bad thing. These tunes are as good a listen at home as they are out in the clubs. Ephebe – Says the Silence 
Every once in a while, a record comes around that leaves me slightly perplexed. Oxford based musician Constantine Blintzios has, under his Ephebe persona, produced such a record. This EP takes a base of Jose Gonzales style flamenco-folk, introduces some north African vibes, Indian percussion and tops it all off with some odd, fat, sub bass rumbles here and there. It shouldn’t work, and does indeed misfire occasionally, but on the whole, it is a pretty clever and inventive piece of work. Send your reviews to ed@secretchordrecords.com
