★LEAF
Character
Opportunities for introspection have come few and far between for Canadian-born, New York City-based cellist Julia Kent. After coming to prominence as a member of the cello-driven group Rasputina in the ‘90s, she went on to arrange and play on numerous recordings and tour extensively as a member of Antony and the Johnsons, among other projects.The opportunity to explore her own emotional and creative world came with her solo LPs, Delay (2007) and Green and Grey (2011), and it is something she ap…
In Dust
In recent years, there has been a surge of electronic artists, for the most part new comers, who have rejected the digital approach which had dominated since the nineties in favour of the more organic analogue textures pioneered during the late sixties and well into the seventies by German experimental musicians, from the most exploratory, with the likes of Emeralds or Oneohtrix Point Never, to the bulk of the Scandinavian disco scene, spearheaded by Lindstrøm, Prins Thomas and DiskJokke.…
Peepers
Elsewhere, ‘The Love Didn't Go Anywhere’ sees Leafcutter John play guitar on a beautifully loping piece that has the subtle afterglow of classic Roxy Music, with Bryan Ferry’s vocal replaced by the rapier glide of the two reeds, while Tom Herbert’s hefty double bass pounds out concise but penetrating lines. Interestingly, prior to the sessions, Rochford listened to a lot of ‘60s soul (“Aretha and Marvin Gaye”), an influence that he has channelled with more guile than is immediately discernible. …
Tummaa
Marks a significant shift in emphasis in this acclaimed musician's work, reflecting a renewed interest in jazz & acoustic performance - this is far more organic than anything he's done before.
The Versailles Sessions
Murcof, aka Barcelona-based Mexican composer Fernando Corona, is probably best known for his blending of classical and electronic music in multimedia pieces such as Oceano; but until that is reduced to CD size, this album of music commissioned to accompany a festival makes for a pleasing stopgap. As with much of Murcof's music, a rapprochement between past, present and future is obtained by the processing of acoustic source material, here including harpsichord and viola da gamba. "Welcome to Ver…