Zehn Jahre nach der ursprünglichen Veröffentlichung bringen Discrepant das fast schon als Klassiker zu bezeichnende People Like Us-Album “Welcome Abroad” neu heraus. Vicky Bennett, die Frau hinter People Like Us, erarbeitete weite Teile des Albums während eines ungeplanten längeren Aufenthalts in den USA, Jason Willett (Half Japanese) und M.C. Schmidt (Matmos) treten als Gastmusiker auf. Wie viele Arbeiten der Musikerin enthält “Welcome Abroad” innerhalb eines dünnen elektronischen Rahmens ein üppiges Zitatenmosaik aus Aleihen populärer Musik vergangener Tage, harmonischer Duettgesang und Rezitation erzeugen eine melodramatische Stimmung, die von den oft disparaten Rhythmen und anderen Elementen immer wieder nah an die Grenze des Parodistischen gerückt wird. Das ALbum erscheint Anfang Juni in den gängigen Formaten, die CD enthält Bonusmaterial, das bei der LP über den beiliegenden DL-Code erhältlich ist.

“People Like Us is the stage name of London DJ multimedia artist Vicki Bennett. She has released a number of albums featuring collages of music and sound since 1992. In recent years, she has performed at a number of modern art galleries, festivals and universities. Continuing our ambitious People Like Us vinyl reissue program with Welcome Aboard – a strangely relevant 10-year-old album (originally released in May 2011) when People Like Us aka Vicki Bennett became stranded in the US after the Icelandic Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption closed much of northern Europe’s airspace. Volcanically marooned in Baltimore and NYC, Bennett utilized some of her “free” time to work on the album and even gained audio contributions from fellow experimental musicians Jason Willett (of Half Japanese) and M.C. Schmidt (of Matmos) via her extended stay.

Bennett derived thematic material of displacement, travel, and a longing for elsewhere from the natural disaster that caused her own predicament. Now strangely echoed by the Covid-19 outbreak and the various grounding of planes and stay at home policies worldwide. While the general mashup culture often centres on the instant gratification of seamlessly juxtaposing hooks, People Like Us tracks transform the source material into collages that are equal parts dissonance and pleasure, making artful commentaries on our culture and Bennett’s own existential amusement within such a wondrous world. No one could have predicted how relevant this album would have been 10 years later. Volcanoes or Viruses, Welcome Abroad is what happens when you’re stranded due to a freak natural occurrence trapping people all over the world and causing mass plane cancellations.” (Discrepant)