With their previous output receiving support on BBC 6 Music, NTS and Jazz FM here in the UK, Kerrier Collective (DJ/producer Ben Tidy and multi-instrumentalist Alfie Gidley) have a series of stunning releases ready to unleash over the next few months, as well as a live set ready to hit the road soon.
Earning his stripes on the U.S. East Coast and Montreal, Canada in the late 80's and a fine ambassador for his native Levant region across the globe ever since, DJ and producer BiG AL turns in a typically rolling and hypnotic reworking of 'Somatic Tick', showing love for the original while adding subtle flourishes all his own.
An overcast day, a beat and a chopped up sample were the starting point for 'Somatic Tick'. It began in Ben Tidy's off grid cabin in the corner of a field in Cornwall. "It forces you to work fast when you're relying on the power of the sun in the UK" says Ben. "When you don't think about it, all of your influences can come out to play; 90s New York house, Jungle, Hardcore and later disco when adding handclaps and the Rhodes. 3 hours after starting this track there was an arrangement. Flow state had done all the work and at the end of this short session it was like someone else had written the track. Just vibin'."
Alfie Gidley, returning from a tour, soon pitched in. "I felt the vocals asked for a harmonic lift in the chorus sections so I sat down with my bass guitar to try and pull out the chord change required" he explains. "Ben's original track (which became the DJ version) has a constant pedal note which isn't the root of the key, so it sort of flies above the ground, never landing. With the studio version I experimented with grounding the track so that it could lift off for the chorus. We liked the two different effects so much that two distinct versions have made it onto the final release."
"When I listened to the track I immediately had a clear idea for the vocals" Polly Meyrick adds, "and most of the vocal ideas came out there and then in one session. I enjoyed picking percussive and satisfying words for the lyrics and writing the horns with a kind of sleazy disco feel. The track talks about a feeling of overwhelm with the pace of life and internet culture. It's an expression of frustration with smartphones and how these devices have created a new culture around dating and social interactions."
Release Date: December 19th 2025
