BEATS OF LOVE 

16. Hummingbird by Tali Trow

THIS LP was actually on my radar during lockdown, then I clean forgot about it. When recalling a couple of Lords of Thyme live shows that clean slipped through my grasp, I actually remembered this and was chuffed that he's still selling copies on his Bandcamp page. And still is. 

I'm mystified as to why Tali Trow and Huw are still mailing out their own records, when their music is this great, but being mystified is in itself rather satisfying. It motors the brain; I guess.

Illustrating that the music industries' stranglehold and market fixation so often overlooks time served talent. Whilst illustrating the energetic resilience of musicians, striving to be heard in their own lifetime, in the face of this injustice. It is my hope that they are, which is why I'm doing SFH. My bit.

This track is the highlight of a very solid spin of an album and I thought I had unearthed a little gem. I thought 'just wait until my little wormhole hear this.' I then did a bit of a google search and discovered that the prolific Paul Hillery had already uploaded the very same track on his brilliant Folk Funk and Trippy Troubadours series at the tail-end of last year, so, it's highly likely that my little wormhole have already heard this. 

Paul's having a celebration of sorts by compiling his mix-series highlights as it nears its centenary. An insane amount of quality music. He's also more eclectic a DJ than his series suggests, even playing Justin Vandervolgen's Talking Jungle remix on the wrong speed, at the Devil' Jukebox, which roundly deserves a hats off. Cover versions are fascinating. Quite often I love it when everything goes crazy, stupid, but just as often I love it when crazy stupid songs are made to sound more conventional. 

Tali has lived with this crazy, stupid song for years and his wonderful interpretation channels the spirit of the mighty James Taylor instead of staying faithful to the country, cosmic original (which would've been trendier). And is gloriously timeless because of it. It's truly reminiscent of the embryonic stages of the golden age of the singer-songwriter. He's at that very same well, and really lets the chorus shine as bright as the afternoon sun, in a deeply effecting way, with that hazy Hammond.

I was actually spinning it during sundown and the missus was in the garden singing along, which is far more satisfying to hear than any wormhole recognition. I can count the times that's happened on one finger. 

BEATS OF LOVE

15. Find Another Breeze (Gallo Tropical Hinterhof Remix) By J-Walk

Machu ebbs and flows a bit like me. One time I see him and he's all fired up with positive vibes and the next time unravelling a little. He's guested at the Devil's Jukebox, which was when I first met him. Because of that, I had the pleasure of hearing him jam with Leo (Almunia). Memorable is an understatement.

It was an absolute joy to see a short video clip of him DJ at Backyard Balearic's shindig last weekend and really revelling in it. He was also equally great when he did the Antoine show for me, but I was too preoccupied to soak it all in. 

He is a fine musician in the singer-songwriter tradition and Newton Le Willows' own answer to Terry Callier. I have a great tune he sent me that he felt was let down by his voice. I disagreed but was too low a voice, as others, notably label owners, had already expressed their doubts too. 

I bought records from Martin in Fat City and, like everyone, loved J-Walk's Soul Vibration. Up there with the all-time best still. Because of its success, I'm guessing my expectations became too high and only French Letter from that period also hit the spot. I was far more locked into J-Walk's later incarnation, minus Martin Desai, on the long-player Off-Beat which transported me back to lounge-listening and the amazing records he often sold me over his counter. Vespucci one such record, in fact, which he covers superbly by adding lots of atmosphere. Lounge-listening actually makes more sense now as I age and quite often need a sit down.  

Machu contributes his fretwork to a couple of tracks on its follow up Limelight, and notably rhythm guitar, here. Martin had figured out the parts for his imaginary band and possibly came up short himself on a few of these. Most obviously, female vocalist. I was a little indifferent at the time it first surfaced as I was eagerly awaiting the Torn Sail debut on Wonderfulsound but was told Huw wasn't happy with the wait time on the label's roster and decided instead to self-finance it. The fact this surfaced in its place was a little disappointing. I'm over it now though.   

My favourite track was the opener Aimons Toujours, which is top-drawer. However, here, as the incandescent sun blazes, flickering through the blinds, and my feet loiter on the pouffe, in some sort of synch with the music, this remix is now sounding like sheer zoned out heaven. I'm sort of forever mystified why more people aren't locking into tuneage this good. It loosens up everything, the way so few things in life manage to, and is nothing short of a liberation in sound.    

I'm sure that one fine day both me and Machu will meet again when we're both on top of our game.   

     

 HALF TERM REPORT

BEATS OF Love exists for two reasons. Firstly, to write about what's floating my boat at a given moment and why, and secondly, to see how far it can go before I either stop and admit it's just a bit of catharsis following the sudden death of my brother-in-law. There was so much left unsaid, and words on the subject are still extremely difficult. Anyway, I won't repeat myself like I did the last time I attempted to round things up. What's written in Beats of Love suffices, although I still want to scream out 'Well done Leo!'    

One of the best labels out there is Strangelove and Psychedelic Digestion Therapy's self-titled LP is an utter mind-bomb. It's the label's first foray into new stuff and, boy, is this Brussel's collective work gripping. Opener, Sabbi a Calda sucks you in and the quality and subtle drama is relentless. 6 tracks of the highest quality that strongly determine that they're listened to on their own terms. I'm resisting further description. Thanks to Robert Harris again for determining that the sleeve-notes are in fact tongue in cheek. It helps. Got a feeling this is going to be my most played LP of the year by far. 

It's great to see Mark Barrott's I-Feel back with a killer seven. Charlie Charlie's Save Us is a soothing slice of timeless soul goodness. Prefer the less doctored A-side, which sounds more spiritual. I can't be the only one who feels the healing power of some music. Music that is good enough to climb atop its own mountain top and pour its holy minerals down from high onto our crumpled being. Music just like this then. 

I can't type the word soul and not mention the might that is the Neil Young classic Don't Let it Bring You Down as covered by The Resonaires. The stellar performance punches holes out of the original, and for now even sounds better than Victoria Williams & The Williams Brothers super version. Another seven that has blown my mind a little is The Coastlines remix of Arvin Homa Aya's Interlude. Devastating when played at the right time.

Another summer winner has been Florence Adoni's Mam Pe'elu Su'ure. With more than a dozen players, it has more than a touch of quality about it. Probably the wackiest spin on my turntable is NS Kroo's Lots of Love that just swirls its way to perfection and gets stronger with every subsequent spin. Only Begin's Super Barrio played at the wrong speed comes close. 

Cassette action has been trickling steadily. Full Circle's Back To Nowhere has further reappraised my position regarding Goa trance music. I recall in the mid-nineties folk who didn't spunk all their cash on records returned from trips to India armed with cassettes that I thought sounded dreadful. However, I'm still pretty sure I was right and that Alexis Le Tan's and Joakim's mangled excavations here sound much, much better, and are the exception to the rule. 

Australia's A Colourful Storm compiled a woozy beauty with I Stumble and Then I Fall, which also sounds great from start to finish. Lots of experimental yet intriguing music, exclusive to this cassette. It's just as well that I like the air of mystery that surrounds the music on these releases. 

On a slightly more traditional musical tip, Kevin Low and Fiona Carlin's The Gayfield Enterprise is also a work of wonder. Nothing Else Will Ever Be The Same, the standout track sounds super fresh but is actually a rediscovered 1986 demo found in Edinburgh during lockdown. The guy is now 80 and I'm so pleased his wonderful music has found a fresh audience. 

I can't sign off without mentioning the new Native Dance twelve. Bayete & Probably Sean have delivered a great edit Guapa that sounds as bright and breezy as the perfect summer. Buy on sight. 

It's funny, now that Kenneth Bager has finally delivered his masterpiece with Let's Dream Together, the cat calling has begun. Make no mistake The New Age Orchestra has made more widely available the best track of the year, closely followed by Alex Kassian's Leave Your Life. And it's not really up for discussion. Everything else, brother-in-law excepted, is.   

  

BEATS OF LOVE

14. At the River's Edge by Celestial

BOOMKAT'S BLURB, whilst dense and prolific, can quite often be a little misleading. This is a case in point. I mean, what the fuck is a 'smudged take on Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Albatross?' I'm not aware of any positive connotations with the word smudge. 

Similarly, the LP doesn't, to my ears, sound like the organic harmonious reverie of Vincent Gallo or the Durruti Column. The synths are too prominent and jarring a feature and detract from what could otherwise be construed to be an organic listening experience. I'm instead reminded of the KLF's Chill Out masterpiece, which first introduced the paradoxical phrase ambient house into our consciousness.

Celestial appears to share a similar urge to disrupt their own Arcadian tranquility. This disruption adds psychedelic layers of subversive sound that also force us to engage with something paradoxical. The KLF created in 2 days, armed with field recordings, samples, and punk in joking, a record, that has intrigued us for over 3 decades. Celestial haven't quite created that.   

And their sleeve is fucking horrible. Like a saccharine, mythical Eden, painted by someone OD'ing on Librium. The only other artwork that is as bad as the album is good is Animal Collective's Sung Tongs. However, this LP isn't that great, and on some tracks the psychedelia can also become a touch too saccharine. But here, they hit the spot, and some. The Boomkat blurb gets it right too as the twangy guitar is just as mournful as Ry Cooder's Paris, Texas score. A score that was always an after party winner, and probably still is.

There's also enough ambience to let the jarring stab lines work their magic, too. It could go on forever, and I'm guessing Blind Willie Johnson would approve. Will I still be intrigued by it in 30 years' time? Who fucking cares.         

https://boomkat.com/products/i-had-too-much-to-dream-last-night-04a90ade-c3af-47e8-9eb2-af7f57b723f8

BEATS OF LOVE

13. Enthusiasms : An Efficient Space Publication Issue 2

CHRIS KONTOS edits the great art-book Kennedy that has some semblance of fanzine culture at its heart and thankfully he is not alone. Efficient Space's Enthusiasms is an absolute joy. An honorary mention to the revived Faith and Dance Policy fanzines too for keeping the printed word alive. My mind goes back to I-D and The Face, who were the first to introduce cultural surprises into my life, and without whose help I would've struggled to decode much of what was being said in after parties.

Since the demise of Dazed and Confused, which stirred a hitherto dormant passion for art, forums and blogs have been my portal into a more offbeat universe. Whereas Kennedy has moved away from musical heroes towards magnificent surprises (Tokyo's jazz kissas), Enthusiasms uncovers wonderful records and realisations from seldom heard people that I'm already interested in reading about. The very best fanzine money can buy. An homage without the usual arse-kissing. 

Noise in my Head diverted my SFH mission to popularize the music that was sticking to my ears like glue in 2013, by being deeper. Like any deep discovery, the excavation process itself is often in itself more rewarding than the aftermath. I quickly realized that finding fresh audiences for these rewarding diversions was very difficult, and finding others as blown away as me, harder still.

Enthusiasms exists coz of a dissatisfaction with the way the media curate Efficient Space's deep excavations. The ultimate DIY ethic in motion. It looks and feels special and indeed it is. Flip it open to any page and you're looking at something fascinating. Testament to Michael Kucyk's editorial flair and Steele Bonus's graphic design expertise. 

I'm personally enthralled with the CS + Kreme interview on account of their Snoopy LP, which is amazing. I've bought their mixtapes but missed them at the White Hotel and until now held them in an aura of mystique. Now YL Hooi is held in a similar aura of mystique by virtue of an intriguing playlist that features the Style Council yet manages to evoke the essence of their ethereal, and woozy long-player.

The Blazer Sound System's candid, transparent interview is intimate and warm, which is in itself a justification for the publication. Other media outlets with different motivations often fail to convey info with warmth and intimacy and often fail to recognize nascent scenes.

Basically, the mantra has never really changed. If you want something doing, do it yourself.

BUY FROM OZ -https://efficientspace.bandcamp.com/merch/enthusiasms-issue-2

BUY FROM UK- https://www.phonicarecords.com/product/efficient-space-enthusiasms-magazine-issue-02-efficient-space/174760