Review: Timeless Roots is a brilliant collaboration between reggae legend Horace Andy and renowned bassist Jah Wobble. Known for his ethereal vocals, Andy breathes new life into classics like Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' and The Beatles' 'Come Together', while also revisiting his own iconic tracks like 'Skylarking' and 'Natty Dread A Weh She Want.' Wobble, former PiL bassist, Orb collaborator as well as a solo artist of some renown, blends reggae, modern dub and world music to create a rich sonic landscape that perfectly complements Andy's distinctive voice. The album stands out not only for its reinterpretation of well-known songs but also for its innovative production, which maintains the essence of roots reggae while introducing contemporary elements.
Wobble's deep bass grooves provide a solid foundation, allowing Andy's vocals to soar, particularly on new takes of his classics. This collaboration is a seamless fusion of two musical worlds, making Timeless Roots one of the standout reggae albums of the yearia true match made in musical heaven.
Review: Back in the 1990s, the combination of Mixmaster Morris, Jonah Sharp (he of Spacetime Continuum fame) and Haruomi Hosono was the closest thing you got to an ambient supergroup (the Orb's collaboration with Robert Fripp and Thomas Fehlmann as FFWD not withstanding). The trio only recorded one album together, the sublime Quiet Logic, but it's an absolute doozy - as this timely reissue proves. For one reason or another, it was only ever released in Japan at the time, meaning this is the first time it has been available worldwide. As you'd expect with such masters of the art form at the helm, it is genuinely superb - a slowly evolving opus that moves between unfurling, dub-fired ambient techno ('Waraitake') to ambient jazz eccentricity ('Dr Gauss/Yakan Hiko (Night Flight)'), via deep ambient d&b ('Uchu Yuei (Night Swimming)') and deep space ambient.
Review: Now considered a genuine legend of delta blues, Skip James spent much of his career in obscurity. He was finally tracked down and 'rediscovered' in the early 1960s, some 30 years after his only recordings were made, and promptly sent back into the studio. Today, officially his third studio album, was made and released in 1964 and shows the iconic bluesman at his very best. The 12 acoustic recordings on show brilliantly showcase his superbly soulful falsetto voice and incredible finger-picking guitar skills, with James providing awe-inspiring renditions of traditional blues numbers and his own compositions - many of which became staples in folk and blues clubs worldwide in the years that followed the album's release. An essential reissue of a genuinely important and iconic album.
Review: Gerd Jansen's first collection of autobahn-inspired "ambient-not-ambient" cuts, released back in 2012, was something of an overlooked triumph. If anything, this second volume in the series - once again packed with exclusive, never-before-heard material - is even better. There are glistening, far-sighted excursions from Leon Vynehall, Shan and Orson Wells, a brilliant chunk of shuffling dancefloor hypnotism from Joy Orbison, and some vintage, low-slung ambient fare from Dutch veteran Orlando Voorn. Meanwhile, Disco Nihilist's "Melancholy" is formidable emotive - unsurprising, given the Detroit and deep synth-pop influences - while Lauer's "Autofahrn" is a thrillingly authentic Kraftwerk tribute.
David Sylvian & Hildur Gunadttir - "I Measure Every Grief I Meet"
Philip Jeck & Claire M Singer - "Sketch Two"
Jah Wobble & Deep Space - "Jeck Drums 2 Basses"
Drums Off Chaos - "Keep In Touch"
Gavin Bryars & Philip Jeck - "8 Piste"
Chandra Shukla - "The Ark Has Closed"
Jana Winderen & Philip Jeck - "Pilots"
Review: The late ambient turntablist Philip Jeck's life is triumphantly celebrated on this latest compilation from UK A/V label Touch. Rpm cycles through 16 unheard snapshots laid down over the course of Jeck's career, connecting the dots of his life through the works of both kindred spirits and Jeck originals. Whether it be a storied live performance with Faith Coloccia or the in memoriam live night recorded at Iklectik by fellow avant-gardist Chris Watson, this compilation refuses to think confinedly about whose work should be included; Jeck's touch left a lasting impression not just on his own music, but of those of his contemporaries and friends. Much of the new material on this record was made by Jeck while he was in a hospital bed, laptop used as the final means to edit and sequence these friend-sourced gems.
A Model Of The Universe (The Theory Of Everything - Suite)
Domestic Pressures
The Orgins Of Time
Forces Of Attraction
Cambridge, 1963
Target (Sicario - Suite)
Desert Music
Melancholia
Review: Before he passed in 2018, the late, great Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson made a series of field recordings at Iceland's Ellidaar power plant which were inspired by the writings of Henry Adams. Those pieces inspired this new suite of music from Daniel Bjarnason and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra which also includes some of Johannsson's scores to Sicario and The Theory of Everything. It is a sublime work that joins the dots between all of Johannsson's work with soft drones, brass tones and chiming harpsichord all coming and going to make for emotional and dramatic tension. A fine reminder of one of the greats who sadly left us too soon.
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