From the city that brought us iconic electronic acts like The Chemical Brothers, New Order, and 808 State, emerges another incredible talent defining the modern music landscape. From the center of Manchester’s pulsing electronic music scene, Chris Massey aka The Thief of Time introduces his much-anticipated debut vinyl album Where Do I Belong?, a work that captures the essence of previous works and future musical innovation.
Born in 1980 to the aesthetic of films, music, fashion, and comics of the era, Where Do I Belong? shows the New Wave zeitgeist’s massive influence on the The Thief of Time’s sound, while earning comparisons to contemporaries like Andrew Weatherall, Cocteau Twins, Chromatics, and Clint Mansell.
There’s much to love and appreciate on Where Do I Belong? As if from a distant planet, The Thief of Time delivers a gorgeous album of deeply emotive, masterfully crafted tunes brimming with all the future feels and trippy inner-mind nostalgia — albeit all new, even unfamiliar, extra terrestrial.
The long-play vinyl features a knock on crew of Manchester’s finest artists representing strong from this historic hotbed of smart sounding electronic. Welcome aboard. Highlights include collaborations with A Certain Ratio, Psychederek, Bay Bryan and Allison Rae of Causeway from Italians Do It Better.
The album’s artwork has been designed by local artist Tom Beva who — via a self penned synopsis of each track by Massey — has created accompanying pieces of art depicting a portal into the mind of The Thief of Time.
The convergence of music and art on Where Do I Belong? culminates in an exclusive gallery event to celebrate the album’s release on December 16th at Small Press Studio in Stockport’s Underbanks district, marking an occasion that promises to be etched in Manchester’s storied scene — where not only time, vis a vis Thief’s penchant for early electronic nostalgia, but like our own, certainly more art lover’s hearts will be stolen.
Overall, an audacious act of kleptomania.
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Where Do I Belong? hasn’t gone unnoticed beyond Manchester’s borders. The album has the attention of major broadcasters like the BBC, which amplified its resonant notes to a global audience via its Manchester based cultural partner Reform Radio. This spotlight is not just a nod to The Thief of Time’s delightful artistry but also a recognition of Manchester’s continuing influence in shaping the electronic music narrative.
Manchester’s history has always been intertwined with groundbreaking music. It’s a city where legends like Joy Division transitioned to the synth-driven beats of New Order, where A Guy Called Gerald pioneered acid house sounds, and where The Chemical Brothers laid down their roots before taking on the world stage. It’s this legacy that The Thief of Time is bound to, and now with this debut album, it’s own chapter in the grand narrative.
The vinyl experience of Where Do I Belong? is officially a journey underway. From its sonic excursions that echo Manchester’s golden days to its forward-thinking arrangements, it’s a testament to a city that keeps reinventing itself while staying true to its roots.
As electronic aficionados, we can only wait with bated breath for where The Thief of Time will take us next. For now, we have this stellar debut – a beacon of the present and a promise of the future.
Transportive and transcendent, Where Do I Belong? like the greats before it, belongs everywhere and anywhere.
