Fall Rise Phil Kieran; Douglas McCarthy

In 2004 I was asked to remix Nitzer Ebb’s “Murderous”. I always had an interest in the music labeled as “EBM” including bands like Front 242 and it even had a strong influence on the band that was then started by myself called “Alloy Mental”. It’s always been a simple connection between punk and techno.

I had long wanted to work with Douglas (J McCarthy) again but we had never actually met each other or spoken before, so it wasn’t until last summer I saw a news story saying that Nitzer Ebb were touring again and it just sparked the thought that I really should try contacting him again. I sent a message and then forgot about it. A few months later I got a message back from him and within a couple of days flights were booked to Belfast and he was coming to spend a few days here writing music with me. We got on extremely well and had an amazing few days talking, drinking and occasionally making music.

The results are here in this EP. I wanted to capture a take on something punk that is just drums bass and a vocal, while slightly reminiscent of 80’s bands like DAF or Cabaret Voltaire, using a power beat from the famous Linn drum machine so it feels like a kind of stiff disco beat and just stripping everything else away to leave it bare and raw for the dance floor.