The Anomalies @ Manchester & London

• 13th Mar 2009

The Anomalies
4th april @ Dry Bar, Manchester
14th april @ Barfly, London

Indie, D&B, swing, funk, big band, hip hop; just some of the influences that musical magpies The Anomalies have chopped, blended and mixed to create debut album ‘Free Soup Social’.

Taking in musical elements from across the board, both in electronic sample based form and live instrumentals, The Anomalies, aka Sam Meehan and Mouthmaster Murf, have created a fluid and modern album that across twelve tracks delivers a slice of sonic alchemy to appease everyone’s ear lobes, whilst retaining an authentic and alternative twist on the music they love. From the cinematic opening of ‘Population’ through to the quick-step, sing-a-long of ‘Margarita’, ‘Free Soup Social’ is a fusion of styles and influences.

The pair have already won over fans including Jo Whiley, Edith Bowman and Huw Stephens with previous single releases, and even been invited to the BBC’s Maida Vale studios to record a session. The jumped up funk of ‘Employee Of The Month’, the riff-led stomp of ‘Bamboo Beats’ and ‘Kid Riot’s stark, but effective message (complete with D&B breakdown mid–way through) showcase their laidback and experimental approach to music making and the effortless eclecticism that defines their sound. Forthcoming single ‘Oldskool’ further cements this, throwing an electro-rock chorus against distortion, guitars and pared down percussion and surprising yet again.

But who are The Anomalies? Writers, producers and vocalists Sam and Murf (AKA Mouthmaster Murf), two Hereford music obsessives, met through a natural boredom of the surrounding area and a constant exposure to relatively new and untouched musical past-times…mainly going out to clubs and learning how to experience and enjoy music. “We got into music by accident really,” explains Murf. “We used to go to a local club and put nights on there doing drum and bass and breaks. There wasn’t much going on elsewhere, so we thought we better do something. It was a small place and we met everyone else in the city that was a music fan. Because there aren’t many places to go, that tight knit community and the many tastes had an effect on us. It’s easier to form a band and develop in a place like that.”

And form a band is exactly what the pair did in order to create The Anomalies live show. Joined on stage by live turntablist DJ Mayhem, bassist Pete Cooper and drummer Joey Holmes, Sam takes care of guitar while him and Murf wax lyrical in a frenetic performance that has already earned them support slots for the likes of Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Lethal Bizzle, DJ Yoda, Goldie and Grandmaster Flash.