Barry Sevens - New release from Add N To X member stirs up forgotton TV soundscapes - it's a 'toxic rainbow' says, Priya.
03/09/01

Barry Sevens - Connectors (Various Artists) Taking a leaf out of Kruder and Dorfmeister's well thumbed book, Barry 7 hits the shelves with a very fine mix collection.Two things surprise when listening to "Connectors".

Firstly, the album flows seemlessly for a collection of songs by a disparate group of artists. It's able to flit from proto-post rock (and no that isn't just "rock") to funk - to oriental dreamnoise in one flick of the CD changer. Each song playing like a toxic rainbow of oil flowing into a musical river.

Secondly, this plentiful well of musicality is not from a hyper cool Nu Dj collective but rather a collection of 70's library music. Listening to the songs on "Connectors" one is hit by an eerie sense of Deja vu.The truth is, many of these tunes are frighteningly reminiscent of the theme tunes of long forgotten children's programmes.TV statements from a time when the drugs kicked in and got busy with a felt tip pen.

"Connectors" sounds like the aural equivalent to that show, you know, the one with a pink animal resembling a monkey, most probably called "Kit", who every week would time travel to save the world from killer rats called "Scavercees". Our evidence? Song titles such as "Coconut Coast" and "Maladjusted Moogie". Incidentally, I swear I hear the Clangers doing backing vocals on track 17. Re-imagined nostaliga, ain't is great?.

But don't be put off, this music is the genesis of much that is great and good in today music. David Holmes, Weatherall, Aphex Twin and Bjork are all self confessed disciples of it. Par for the course it is easy to trace the line from these soundscapes to their. Even an embryonic Add N to (X)- Barry 7's prequel and sequel band - can be heard on "Forgotten World" by Anthony King.

All in all, a top collection of songs you've never heard before…but think you have (cue eerie outro music and credits)

Review by Priya Elangasinghe

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