barrie

The Original Lo-Fi - Babybird

This is a six CD boxed set of Stephen Jones home recordings and 'You're Gorgeous' isnt on it. They're all kind of mood pieces, some very sombre, some rapturous and ecstatic, some steeped in fear, others in loathing. There are some hilarious moments and some beautiful ones where you're left wondering how some bloke with a home recording studio could coax and concoct so much beauty and wonder.

I got into him through the fifth album - Dying Happy, which is a gorgeous ambient record, almost conceptual in that it is so fluent and simple and what I label as organic, ie, real instruments and synthesisers as opposed to strictly machines if you get my meaning.

Who should buy this record. Music lovers. All kinds of music lovers. Its so vast. Home recording artists. It will show you what you can achieve with so little. Musicians, writers, artists. This is art

Baz @ justramit.co.uk

Music Has The Right To Children - Boards of Canada

Music has the right to children is still Boards of Canada’s best effort. Geogaddi, while by no means disappointing, didn’t have the same impact, which is no mean criticism either. It was and still is an incredible record, easily up there for me with DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing or Amon Tobin’s Bricolage as stunning debut recording.

The lazy hip-hop electronic beats are way ahead of their time as with any great record of its ilk and they are no less well met by spacey keyboards and cinematic and robotic sound effects. A perfect chillout, Sunday afternoon, Monday morning record to soothe what ails you, its ideal for late night listening or those dreary stoned moments which just have to be soundtracked.

The length of the record is another reason to own it. At least an hour long you can pop it on and not have to worry what you’re going to put on after it or you can pop in and out of it without too quickly becoming familiar. I have it years and its still full of surprises and tricks that slipped my mind since the last listen.

In that sense, that is to say the sheer depth and number of sounds throughout, it is reminiscent of Orbital’s early records although Boards of Canada is more like Orbital’s sleepy younger brother.

The thing is, you've probably heard lots of this record on movie soundtracks and TV programs where you've spent ages wondering where they get the music from.

A baz @ justramit.co.uk essential then unequivocally recommended.

Outlaws by Doucet, Luke (SIX015)

Upbeat, Cajun, country rock from Canada gives you a two in your step while Doucet tells you tales of love and loss and life and the living of it. He has a lovely Jeff Buckley-esque twang in his plaintiff vocals and the guitars are rough and ready and full of soul. Lovely stuff. Nothingspecial just lovely stuff. He will probably go on to prove me wrong though.