To mark Steve Mason’s return with his brand new album ‘Meet the Humans’, here are 11 tracks to get you started on his back catalogue!
The Beta Band – B+A (1997)
Taken from The Beta Band’s debut EP Champion Versions, B + A showed that there was more to this bunch of neo-psychedelic-pop brigadiers than the glorious lead track Dry the Rain.
King Biscuit Time – Niggling Discrepancy (1998)
When the world was going mental for Dry the Rain, Steve Mason released an EP under the name of King Biscuit Time. It was 11 minutes of skewed beats, wonky guitars and flawless melodies. Niggling Discrepancy showcases his ability to craft a delirious instrumental using only a few elements.
The Beta Band – Won (2000)
Won samples Harry Nilsson’s classic One and was the B-side to come back single Broke. But in classic Beta’s style it’s been put through the ringer and turned into a six-minute slice of B-side perfection. The rapper in question is Sean Reveron who was part of David Holmes’ Free Association.
The Beta Band-Gone (2001)
This is the first truly heart breaking Beta Band song. Closing lyric “If you would/I’d like to know/Will you think of me when I’m gone?” revealed that the band were already plotting their musical version of Reggie Perrin. Is it about a relationship ending, the band’s break up or a future suicide attempt? Luckily we’ll never know.
King Biscuit Time – C I AM 15 (2005)
Paranoid and in the studio Mason wrote C I AM 15, or is that CIA M15? It should have been the launchpad single to propel him into a new level, but it was sadly ignored. Which is a shame as it’s a beautifully produced and craftily constructed track. Stark acoustic guitars rub shoulders with dub ridims. Oh, and Topcat is on it.
Black Affair – Subfuge (2008)
While the rest of the world was enjoying dirty guitars and Hip-Hop, Mason recorded an album that sounded like Kraftwerk covering Girls Aloud, fronted by that bloke in the Beta Band. It was 50 minutes that showcased pop’s future, while being eclipsed by the majority of the music press and fans.
Steve Mason – The Letter
In 2010 Mason released his debut solo album, Boys Outside. It was a full of low-tempo songs about love, loss and redemption. Something weird happened, though; people listened to it and bought it. This was the fire that has fanned his recent creative outbursts.
Steve Mason & Dennis Bovell – Dub On My Heels (2011)
Mason has always been interested in and used dub references throughout his career, so it kind of made sense that a dub version of debut called Ghosts Outside with Dennis Bovell. While it never eclipses his debut, it is a great companion piece.
Steve Mason & Emiliana Torrini – I Go Out (2013)
When producer Dan Carey launched his Speedy Wunderground project he picked Mason to be the debut release. Teaming up with Emiliana Torrini he released a seven-minute slab of gorgeous psych influenced pop. Not only was it a fitting start to the Speedy Wunderground saga, but Mason’s best track in a decade!
Steve Mason – Fire! (2013)
I Go Out was a prelude of things to come. For this second solo album, Mason released Monkey Minds in the Devil’s Time. Loosely a concept album, this 60-minute, 20-track monster jumped from funk, acid house, blues, and musical concrete all with a dollop of psych holding it together. Fire!’ so the story goes, is about storming into Tony Blair’s house and, well, I’ll let Mason finish the story…
Steve Mason – Alive (2016)
Now he’s returned with a flawless album Meet the Humans, ‘Alive’ is a standout track that Mason recently said, “The song is about sleep walking through your life and never really pulling back, and joining all the dots up to see that there’s a much bigger picture.” This appears to sum up not only this new album but Mason’s work as a whole.
