I came to this album a few months after its release date (via a tip-off from music maker Winter Son) and frankly I'm pretty cross with myself that I didn't notice it when it came out. The house music DJ and producer, who only turned to music full-time when he lost his job due to the current financial climate, has crafted a warmly organic electronic album on which he's swapped digital methods for an almost entirely analogue construction. 'Construction' is a good way to describe it as the album feels very carefully pieced together, layered up and looped up to create a sense of depth and perspective. It also fits with the album's title, which works both as a description of Mark E. himself (he grew up in the UK's industrial heartland in the West Midlands), and also how careers and lives have changed since the shift away from that manufacturing focus. There are parallels with the cities that made the music that influenced him too - Chicago and Detroit have also seen a dramatic and often disastrous decline in their manufacturing industries.
Overall I reckon the album is a bit reminiscent of Matthew Dear, although tracks like 'Being Hiding' definitely also have a hint of the classic house sound of Chicago about them. You can listen to the whole album below and see what you think, but I'm sure you'll love it.
