After previously hosting parties across London which have included The XX, Crocodiles, Factory Floor, Micachu and Connan Mockasin, Dirty Bingo Records have scooped up experimental 5-piece CLOUT! to release their self-titled debut EP. The EP serves as a document following the band’s mutual decision to withdraw from gigging to develop their sound. ‘Maxwell’s O’ represents CLOUT!’s live sound, whilst ‘It’s Too Late’ and ‘Dodo Riddim’ showcase their take on studio production. 

‘Maxwell’s O’ is reworked by the widely dynamic and multi-skilled musician Kwes, who has gained critical acclaim for his work with the likes of Micachu and Hot Chip as well as his releases on Young Turks. The Horrors’ Tom Cowan adopts his Tom Furse guise to morph the song into an energetic affair while Mote makes a double remix appearance - the first fusing tribal, jazz and 2-step styles and the latter a sped up version added as a product of a happy accident which occurred during the mastering process.

CLOUT! started to record music about four years ago, forming organically in and around Southend. Their music draws from an array of influences familiar to the 60s-70s psychedelic as much as 80s dancehall, all held together by sampling and beat patterns inspired by the 90s ‘Golden-era’ of hip-hop. However CLOUT! are by no means affixed to any certain genre or movement or roles as musicians they aim to use a variety of different instruments and roles to create diversely arranged songs.

CLOUT! have been focussing primarily on their production since September 2010 while performing at Offset Festival, The Cave Club as well as hosting their own hip-hop, soul and dancehall night at Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen aptly titled SPEAK YA CLOUT!.