Maes Y Circles – Maes Y Circles (Cassette)

Maes Y Circles – Paul Brookes and Matthew Beckingham – bring a collection of their odes to the sawtooth waveform to GOTO Records. This self-titled release displays the intensity and euphoria of their live performances across seven tracks, this time recorded in the settings of Odda’s Chapel and St Kenelm’s Well. The two sites, both in Gloucestershire, are perfectly emblematic of the duo’s cinematic electronic music, as is the scenic journey between them and south Wales, Maes Y Circle’s current home.

Employing a slew of analogue synthesizers, the album recalls the 1970s work of Laurie Spiegel and Philip Glass, as well as standing amongst contemporaries such as Keith Fullerton-Whitman, Caterina Barbieri and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. What perhaps sets Maes Y Circles apart, however, is the dynamic approach applied to each of their pieces. Whilst the timbres of their synthesizer patches may be kept purposefully minimal, it’s the texture that many of these synths singing together creates that truly marks these works apart – a swirling chorale of tones that often feels more organic than constructed. And the melodies? Triumphant, anthemic themes, reminiscent at times of Vangelis, John Carpenter, even John Foxx – all cinematic composers themselves.

Maes Y Circle’s first full-length is a beautiful work of hypnotic electronics, bound to enrapture and spellbind the listener through its jigsaws of shimmering tones and gliding melodies

Let yourself be at one with the field of circles.

Produced by Maes Y Circles & Jeff Dale.
Mastered by Jeff Dale.
Art design by Matthew Olczak.