THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RECORD BUYER : AN END OF YEAR REVIEW
ANOTHER YEAR begins as weirdly as the last one started. Luckily Perfect Lives are on hand with the perfect prescription for the January Blues. Colin Broster's Somebody Else's Heart is straight out of the right Greenwich post code and wholly out of step for its time, which makes it as memorable as the Pale Fountain's jangle classic There's Always Something On My Mind. Yes, that memorable.
Must thank Matt Timms for turning me onto the acid-fried might that is the Zauberstab Volume 1 compilation. I especially love the sleeve instruction to 'use this record to build beautiful memories.' I have, albeit nodding out on my own with a little flicker of curtain light darting across the room. By the time I arrive at the highlight, Le Ronins brooding delight Été 2017, I've convinced myself that the Spanish compilation of the decade is already spinning.
Then inexplicably I pick up La Ola Interior : Spanish Ambient & Acid Exoticism 1983-1990, a comp lovingly curated by Bongo Joe, and I have to think again. Although the deep expansive opener Transparent by Miguel A. Ruiz is never matched, the standard is high enough for a full spin session. Especially interesting are the classically trained musicians experimenting with raw technology that culminates in some intriguing and magical results.
Then inexplicably, I pick up the Soundway comp Ritmo Fantasía: Balearic Spanish Synth-Pop, Boogie And House (1982-1992) and am completely blown away by more upbeat tempo. I'm moving my hips (a first) almost in rhythm to at least seven massive winners. Ma Ritter's Flamenco Rap (In the Land of My Dreams), although unashamedly more dated, gets me the most excited. I love all three comps equally and can't recommend them highly enough, as they've collectively put me in a Spanish paradise that touches down on most musical bases. El Cielo.
The most widely loved LP has been Bremer / McCoy's Natten that smoulders breezily along in aquatic washes of musical splendour without ever letting the quality slip. Absolute aural heaven. Another solid spin was Guy Maxwell's Outside My Window LP. A year when you only have space to mention one Growing Bin record is a good year. Check Beautiful Day for dreamy Dutch pop perfection. Tip-top.
Australian labels A Colourful Storm and Efficient Space both released beautiful records. Maxine Funke's Seance LP on the former comes with the highest of recommendations. The warm chords and lush vocals that make Lucky Penny so woozy were my favourite sounds before Micky Browne posted Moody Relish. I have to admit, this stripped down affair is pure class and just about steals the show. But, what a show.
The latter delivered holy grail jazz in the form of Singing Dust's Involution LP. A righteous brew of breezy ethno-stew, folk, and Jarrett, all serve to make this long-player light touch dynamite. The title track is stunning, but once again the whole record plays ridiculously well.
It would be rude not to mention the doozy that is You'll Never Get to Heaven's Wave Your Moonlight Hat for the Snowfall Train LP on Seance Centre. Ethereal beats and vocals that sort of creep up on you in a good way give it a highly distinctive flavour. Dust evokes Julee Cruise's voice transported to a less melancholy musical dreamscape. It's brilliant. Some people are put on this earth to compose a large canon of work, but I suspect Psychederek was put on it to create Psychedereka, 2021's sole contribution to the indie-dance canon. What a great contribution it is, though.
A year when you only have space to mention long players, comps and one twelve inch single, is a mighty fine year indeed. A year when I've already had a moment with Rae & Christian's Sail Away remix is also shaping up nicely. Cheers!
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