Mas O Menos Vinyl, CD & Tape 4 Items

The four track EP 'Love Language' presents a collaborative project by Manchester based DJ and producer Joey T and singer-songwriter Lady Lady. Friday 30th September will mark their first release with Manchester's grassroots label, Mas O Menos.Defining the EP are experimental instrumentals with a consistent fusing of elements of 80s electro, classic deep house beats, and catchy lyricism.

Mongo's Dance, so-called after the Cuban Mongo Santamaria is driven forward by a chopped-up pachanga rhythm taken from one of the pioneering percussionist's tracks. He then adorns it with wavy synths and flutes, each intertwining over the top as though engaged in ritual with one another. It's a euphoric, slightly delirious end to an EP that puts Jos Ma firmly in Mas O Menos' "neither here nor there" camp – a producer who simply follows his instincts and revels in the enthrallingly wandering music it throws up.

Jos Ma is the highest-selling DJ on Mas O Menos. His EP Mongo's Dance has been incredibly popular, driving sales through Bandcamp. The 4th track 'Like Honey' was picked up by Gilles Peterson and played on BBC 6 Music in September 2021.

International DJ/producer Levi Love (Manchester/South Africa) has just launched Mas O Menos. The label is designed to intertwine all that is good about Manchester and South Africa, with an open-minded attitude to genre.

The first record is a a global-unifying, upfront dance track that joins the dots between kwaito, house and Manchester's forward thinking techno prowess. A collaboration between Manchester artists Mako MCR and Metrodome (Red Laser, Wet Play, Levelz) under the alias >one. Made record of the week at Piccadilly Records and the Vinyl Factory, the physical release is already shifting copies in the UK, Europe and South Africa.

The four track EP ‘Love Language’ presents a collaborative project by Manchester based DJ and producer Joey T and singer-songwriter Lady Lady, marking their first release with Manchester’s grassroots label, Mas O Menos.

Defining The EP are experimental instrumentals with a consistent fusing of elements of 80s electro with classic deep house beats, and catchy lyricism. ‘It’s Just Me’ kicks off the EP with a progressive tune that softly intensifies. Shakers and minimal organ-esque elongated chords form the basis, before a wobbly electro bassline, cold, rhythmic percussion, and vocals by Lady Lady layer in. Straightforward and unambiguous, the lyrics set off the theme for the whole project – coy lustfulness. Cooing “When you want it just come over / We’ll get high and f**k on my sofa.”

Track two, ‘Like You’ transports you back to the 80s. Serving up a funky NY style house bassline that gradually builds with punctuations of dub and disco. Effortlessly fusing unconventional genres is perhaps Joey T’s central stylism. Absorbing in its melody, Lady Lady chimes “You show it outside / I keep it inside / Even though I hide / Somehow you know.”

On the lyrics Lady Lady shares: “Collaborating with Joey was natural from the start, his music makes me feel something so the words just flowed. My lyrics are simple to understand and relatable, but simultaneously, open to interpretation. ‘Like You’ is actually inspired by my experience as a queer woman but that wouldn’t immediately spring to mind. I want everyone to be able to use their own experiences to find their own personal meaning within the lyrics.”

‘Maybe’ is a maximalist up-tempo burner. Its distinctive groove borders on tribal, with a distinctive psychedelic bassline underscoring the hypnotic quality of the track. Interweaved is a distorted, futuristic rift that drives the bounciness of the tune, while the organ-esque melody maintains the synchronicity of the 80s feel of the EP. “Maybe one day you’ll give me your number / So I can work on tryna get a little closer,” Lady Lady silkily sings.

The title track, Love Language, concludes the EP with an eerie yet pulsing ensemble. Slowing down the pace and stripping it back, it takes the listener on a journey of minimal synths, punchy chop drum breaks and soothing vocals that recite “Tell me what's your love language baby / I wanna talk it to you / Tell me your love language.”

On the EP Joey T said: “Releasing ‘Love Language’ is an incredible achievement for both of us, as in all honesty it started off as a joke... Lady Lady posted a comedic song during lockdown on Instagram, but the lyrics resonated and so I wanted to create a proper instrumental for it. We then bonded over our love for a diversity of sounds and artists, as well as our shared shyness as artists, and the project just took off from there.

“Shout out to Levi Love, Founder of Mas O Menos, who has been integral to the project. He’s championed us both and given us the confidence to produce this unique body of work that represents us both so well.”

Levi Love added: “I first listened to Maybe and Like You in my car and gave them a loud blast whilst driving around and immediately loved them. I then arranged a meeting with Joey and Lady Lady and from there the project was formed. Love Language absolutely arrested me and is a song that holds such sentimental value to me.”