hundredcement by hundredcement

When I first began planning what would eventually become Skew Note, one of the names I considered was Fairly Regal — a tongue-in-cheek combination of the historic Regal Recordings label and the infamous porn site Barely Legal. While exploring the idea, I stumbled across a track titled Fairly Regal by a band called Slightly Dishevelled. That track was fucking awesome. There was a raw, almost chaotic inventiveness to it that immediately pulled me in. I found myself listening repeatedly and soon discovered their album Dirty Dishes and The West Wing. Every song was alive with energy, wit, and a distinctive sense of character; the record felt both playful and precise, reckless yet intentional. I was struck by how effortlessly the band balanced unpredictability with musical intelligence. If you haven’t heard Fairly Regal — or the album Dirty Dishes and The West Wing for that matter — I can’t recommend them highly enough. They’re available on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and other platforms.

I initially messaged them on Instagram, which led to an email exchange and eventually a telephone conversation with Fiachra Carey, ultimately shaping the direction of the release. Through our dialogue, I learned that Slightly Dishevelled were on an indefinite hiatus. While that was initially disappointing, Fiachra explained that several of the original musicians had come together again to form a new band under the name hundredcement. He sent me a selection of tracks, and once again I was struck — this time by music that was broader and even more unconstrained. The music was expansive and experimental, pushing into uncharted structures and textures while still retaining the spark and immediacy that I fucking loved in Slightly Dishevelled. Some moments were delicate, others intense, yet each track remained coherent and compelling.

The idea of a 7” release began to crystallise quickly, emerging from casual conversations into a shared vision. Narrowing the selection down for the 7” was a real challenge, but the process ultimately shaped a focused and dynamic release. What began as a playful curiosity about a potential label name unexpectedly became a very rewarding experience in Skew Note’s short history. This record is not just Skew Note’s first release with hundredcement — it is a testament to the strange, unpredictable ways music brings people together, often when you least expect it.

—Adam, Skew Note

A testament to the unpredictable ways music brings people together. Dedicated to the curious, reckless, and imprecise. Emerging from chaos and inventiveness. Listen closely: each note captures the delicate tension between spontaneity and purpose.

hundredcement appears courtesy of Fairly Regal, Inc.
Instruments: keyboard, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, zither, clarinet, harmonica, percussion (bodhrán, bottles, traffic cone, xylophone, toy drum kit played with chopsticks)
Recorded at Rialto Rooftop Apartment
Mixed by Fiachra Carey
Mastered at Superposition
Design and layout by Adam Barringer at Play Regular

An independent label publishing exploratory music by visionary artists.

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