On 28 October, we’re releasing Phase4our’s album 'War Industry’, recorded by Wrath and Info_Cifon in 2002-2003 and originally released via the Access Tonal Communications imprint.

Operating in South Wales in the 2000s, behind a veil of anonymity, the ATC collective won a loyal following and airplay on the likes of Huw Stephens, Rob Da Bank, and Mary Anne Hobbs on BBC Radio 1. They recorded live sessions for Rob Da Bank and for Beth & Huw’s BBC Radio 1 in Wales show, as well as receiving airplay on Adam Walton’s Mystery Tour on BBC Wales. In the same period they also performed live with Cylob, Ceephax Acid Crew, Shitmat, Mark Broom, Oliver Ho, Kreepa vs Black Galaxy, and many others.

With a shared commitment to building the Welsh electronic scene, we joined forces at our Terminal nights at Clwb Ifor Bach to showcase ATC members' amazing live performances. We also released the absolute classic ‘Deconstruction Theory’ EP in 2005 (by Wrath and Info-Cifon) and the albums ‘The Struggle Against Ourselves’ (by Sek01, Wrath, Unseen, Mr E, and Meson) and ‘Electrocratic’ (by The Hidden Persuader) in the 2006 and 2007 respectively. Access Tonal Communications operatives, in their many guises, fused techno, IDM, and electro-inspired frequencies with sci-fi themes and a sense of political urgency.

War Industry, inspired by the post 9/11 invasion of Iraq, Afghanistan, never got more than a very limited release and after reconnecting recently with Wrath and Info_Cifon we thought it was time to put that right. As well as being a great album, with a lot to say, it captures a key chapter in Cardiff’s underground electronic music history. With new artwork by Dan Haines Cohen (aka Stereo Minus One) and a fresh remaster by Kevin Sorsby (aka Cape Canaveral/Starlings), we’re giving War Industry a Limited Edition CD.

We caught up with Phase4our operative Wrath.

Machine: How did you got started making music?

Wrath: I found music early, however from a compositional perspective, my initial forays into production, sound design and engineering were at around the age of 14 when I was using my father's guitar and bass guitar FX and (not really being able to play either instrument well) would create sustained feedback, manipulating the FX parameters to create developing drones and soundscapes.

Following on from this, I got involved in bands, playing drums and learning how to play guitar and bass well enough to be able to write songs or more accurately, genre clashes of Punk, Sludge, Metal and what is now commonly known as Post Rock or Shoegaze - the sonic equivalent of the Pixies and Melvins mashed up with My Bloody Valentine, Obituary, Will Haven, Slayer and Morbid Angel. Add a healthy dose of Pink Floyd for accessibility and progressive elements and we might get close to what was being conjured in my young mind at the time and my musical ambitions too.

Machine: How did you first move from bands to electronic production? What was a breakthrough electronic track for you that got you down this path?

Wrath: That must have been around 1990-91, coming towards the tail end of the free party scene/illegal raves 'Summer of Love' that changed everything in 1987-88. Especially the Techno scene in Britain following the Neil Rushton curated game changing compilation, Techno - The New Dance Sound of Detroit released in 1988 on Ten Records, which from my perspective crystallised it all.

Around this time, my brother returned home from a rave mid-afternoon and, being half cut, required acclimatisation somewhat so came straight into my room brandishing four newly purchased 12" records. At the time of his abrupt entry to my domain, I remember I had been playing Pixies - Surfer Rosa and Doolittle back-to-back followed by an early (and it must be said) incredible EP by The Boo Radleys called ‘Every Heaven’. He went to record deck and without asking said, “You're gonna need to hear these!", removing my current focus and irritating me considerably. The four 12”s consisted of: Shades of Rhythm EP; Bizarre Inc - Playing With Knives; Joey Beltram - Energy Flash; and N Joi - Adrenalin EP.

I have an appreciation for each one of these EPs now. Certainly, N-Joi was not particularly enjoyed at the time, but I have it in my collection now, since many of these records were just Techno tracks, misunderstood due to the radical nature of the sound at the time. Listening back and you can hear how much that New Dance Sound of Detroit LP influenced the entire rave scene over here and if you trace the historical development of it chronologically, DJs such Fabio and Grooverider, Sasha, loads of them, were all inspired by it.

The British Techno that followed it by so many artists ended up morphing into Jungle, Breakbeat and ultimately Drum and Bass, because many of these were Techno records with breakbeats. You can hear a direct influencing track on Underground Resistance EP4 - Waveform, which has a big sped up break and was I think, one of Jeff Mills's contributions musically to what has been a huge influence on me personally.

Anyway, I digress! The EP and especially the track which hit my so damn hard and changed my whole musical landscape was 'Energy Flash' by Joey Beltram. After this my focus was to absorb this sound and learn how to produce it.

Machine: There’s a strong political current to War Industry.

Wrath: This album was a reaction to events following on from 9/11, and the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. But since 2003 we've had the Syrian conflict and the whole ISIS mess caused by decades of foreign policy disasters which, deliberate or not (depending on how one sees it), continue to change the way we all live our lives.

The Western-backed and sponsored Saudi destruction of the Yemen (via developed weaponry and artillery donations), countless insurgent factions, coups d'état and dictatorships in African nations most people don't even know exist. So the landscape changed immeasurably, but it has only made War Industry all the more poignant.