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
|