MICROCORPS
ALEXANDER TUCKER SHARES VIDEO FOR NEW TRACK
‘ZONA’ FEAT. REGIS
NEW ALBUM, CLEAR VORTEX CHAMBER
OUT 19 SEP 2025 (DOWNWARDS RECORDS)
LIVE DATES
2 SEP - BRUSSELS LA BOTANIQUE W/ MERZBOW, IGGOR CAVALERA AND ERALDO BERNOCCHI
22 NOV - BRIGHTON ACCA W/ CABARET VOLTAIRE
[MICROCORPS, credit Agnes Haus]
Alexander Tucker’s electronic guise MICROCORPS shares the video for a new trackk, ‘Zona’ ft. Regis, the latest to be taken from forthcoming album, CLEAR VORTEX CHAMBER, set for release on Downwards Records on 19 September 2025.
Watch the video for ‘Zona’ ft. Regis - directed by Agnes Haus - offering insight into the world of MICROCORPS HERE
Talking about the track, Tucker explains, “Karl [O’Connor, aka Regis] was really instrumental in the development of this album. Early on he gave me advice about production, structure and general encouragement. I love his vocals with Eros and British Murder Boys and wanted him to bring his voice into the world of Clear Vortex Chamber.”
O’Connor goes on to say, “The balance between urgency and intimacy is what I love most about his work, and it is especially apparent on this new LP.”
Director Agnes Haus, talking about the video, "I have an affinity for creating art through mistakes. In opposition to AI, I wanted to keep this in the tangible, real and mostly-analogue world - hence filming on Hi-8, Mini DV, and digital camera via cathode rays. All of the manipulation was done in magnetic or primitive ways, like filming a television set or datamoshing. I had every intention of creating a narrative of Microcorps’ Lurker character, but as things mutated in the creative process, I discovered that the ‘Lurker’ just likes to watch you, make you nervous, and play with fire."
Featuring collaborations with Regis (Sandwell District, British Murder Boys, Eros), Justin K Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu, J K Flesh), Phew, Elvin Brandhi, Karl D’Silva and JJOWDY, the album follows up 2021’s debut, Xmit (Alter Records) and 2024’s Macrocorpse tape (The Tapeworm). On the new album Tucker continues to develop work around modular systems, cello, bass guitar and voice, creating tracks of heavy electronics, that meld machine rhythms with acoustic samples. CLEAR VORTEX CHAMBER combines techno, contemporary composition, drone and vocal manipulations to create a dense and often psychedelic world.
CLEAR VORTEX CHAMBER charts a new period of exploration and discovery for Tucker both as musician and producer. After discarding a year’s worth of material, Tucker sought the advice of Downwards Records label boss Karl O’Connor aka Regis who advised him on production techniques and approach. Along with further support form Freddy Lomas of Kinn and Emptyset’s James Ginzburg, Tucker got to work on a new set of material with a heightened sense of clarity and density. Tucker explains “Making this album really tested me, it was the outcome of a long period of hard lessons and harsh realities, but I had some good friends to guide me along the way and pull me out of the mire.”
At the core of MICROCORPS is Tucker’s complex modular systems, knitted into the tracks are triggered samples of his own cello and bass guitar playing, which meld into the electronic fabric of each track. Tucker expands “I wanted the album to sit somewhere between machine technology with something primitive, where synthetic and acoustic sources become intertwined. I like the idea of different dimensions phasing in and out of one another, creating new areas where I can explore sound, structures and imaginary spaces”
These imaginary spaces play a key role in the construction of CLEAR VORTEX CHAMBER. Tucker’s background in fine art and his current work with experimental comics bleeds into the unspoken landscapes of his music. “I want to trigger parts of the brain that can dream up imagery whilst at the same time focus of the sonic structure of the music itself, I guess I’m still obsessed with trying to create some sort of psychoactive environment” The architecture of each track presents itself in the form of massive kicks, sonar clicks and kinetic percussive rhythms, supported by pulsing bass drones. Cello and bass guitar samples initially bowed, plucked and hit by mallets are triggered creating dense wooden timbres that punctuate the electronic field. Voices and vocals both treated and untreated weave throughout the album in the form of cryptic dialogues and unspooling wordless singing, adding to the cross pollination of something human, machine and a space in-between.
Collaboration is a key element to MICROCORPS. Justin K Broadrick’s heavy spidery guitar lines and processed screaming rip wormholes in ‘FEDBCK’, Regis lends his distinct vocal work to ‘ZONA’, Japanese artist Phew injects organ drones, vocals and fried electronics throughout ‘SANSU’. On penultimate track ‘FEBCK 2’, Karl D’Silva’s droning saxophone joins Broadrick’s feed backing guitar noise and improvising lyricist, producer and sound artist Elvin Brandhi spits out cut up diatribes across final track ‘MALLETS’. Throughout the album Tucker’s own processed voice sits alongside singer JJOWDY’s eerily gentle laments.
CLEAR VORTEX CHAMBER tracklisting
1. UDUG
3. FOLDED
4. VAV
6. SANSU ft. PHEW
7. FEDBCK 2 ft. JUSTIN K BROADRICK & KARL D’SILVA
8. MALLETS ft. ELVIN BRANDHI
MICROCORPS LIVE
2 Sep – Brussels, La Botanique, w/ Merzbow, Iggor Cavalera and Eraldo Bernocchi
22 Nov – Brighton, ACCA, w/ Cabaret Voltaire (SOLD OUT)
Pre-order the album HERE
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