Fact Live: Paranoid London

A cathartic live performance from the acid house supergroup.

The third in our new series of live sessions filmed behind closed doors by Fact at 180 The Strand is a set of raw acid house and techno from Paranoid London, the hardware-heavy project of Quinn Whalley and Gerardo Delgado.

When Paranoid London first emerged in 2007, their music provided a gritty counterpoint to the European minimal sounds and disco edits that proliferated at the time, and their vinyl-only releases gained them underground success at a time when the format was in decline.

In the 13 years since, the project has been host to a rotating cast of guest vocalists, including A Certain Ratio’s Simon Topping, Arthur Baker, Josh Caffe and the late trans activist and DJ, Bubbles Bubblesynski. On this performance they’re joined by regular collaborator Mutado Pintado with visuals by Bob Jaroc.

Classic drum machines and synths such as the Roland TR-808, TR-909 and SH-101 lie at the heart of their setup, with acid lines provided by the Cyclone Analogic TT-303 Bass Bot. Effects come from a host of cheap Korg Monotron Delay units, which slather vocals and synths in a grimy echo.

Paranoid London’s latest album, 2019’s PL, is available now. You can find the rest of their catalogue, including their ongoing series of edits, at Bandcamp.