"Mood
Music to Perfection"
In every great musical breakthrough there's always the guys who rise to the
top and the one guy who was there but never got the respect he deserved.
When the UK synth music movement began in earnest way back in the early eighties,
it was pioneered by four people - Mark Shreeve, Ian Boddy, Paul Nagle &
Carl Matthews, all possessors of the first cassette steps into the new musical
arena. We lost track of Carl M somewhere down the line, until a recent communication
went thus:
'Hi Andy, I don't suppose you remember or even heard my name Carl Matthews
before, but I used do electronic Musicway back in the heady days...Paul Nagle
gave me your email address, as we, that is Cumbria Electro Music, have released
our 1st CD called "Latitude", on our CEM label.
Not remember you? How could I forget you........so I asked for a CD to review
- and it's absolutely superb.
It begins with the five Congavata tracks and here we are in a mysterious eerie
yet melodic and rhythmic musical universe thats a kind of languid ambient
style of music with shuffling, busy electro-percussive rhythms, synth choirs
in the distance, well placed samples, slowly swirling synth layers, and so
well arranged as to be positively breathtaking, all the nuances and subtleties
there for you to discover, sounding just superb. For the third track, 'Conflict',
the rhythm is altogether chunkier and more solid, with a deep bass presence
as soaring space synths roam over the horizon, the percussive presence is
phased lightly, synths shimmer and shine, and it's all like a sort of darker
ambient dub, almost classic Orb style in many respects, even reminding me
a bit of the Ether Flyer CDEP I reviewed recently. 'Royal Guest' continues
this feel with more melody and a string-like core, with more overt rhythmic
layers than the main solid heart of the last track, but again, absolutely
fantastic,the lead notes and chords so warm and almost hanging in mid-air.'Fly'
is altogether a lot busier, with clattering electro-percussive rhythms as
the motor that spurs on the rest of the electronic machine.
The thirteen minutes of Ku's two tracks is altogether beefier and faster paced,
with more of that chugging techno quality to it, yet still retaining a heart
of ambient electronics that winds in and out of the rhythmic framework as
rhythms are built upon rhythms and the pace intensifies leaving 'Men From
Atlantis' as a storming slice of techno-ambience that you'll want to play
again and again. 'Time Travel' continues the theme but decelerates things
and adds more effects and synth layers, in the process becoming even heavier
thanks to its core beats.
The Takla Makan tracks from one twelve minute piece that is a mix of the ambient
dub, pure ambient and swirling space synths, taking you on a journey that
is truly exquisite, eventually opening out to an horizon of beefy sequenced
beats, electro-percussive rhythms, cascading synths and swirling leads, a
rich female vocal sample coming out of nowhere as the icing on the cake on
a track that just takes you over from start to finish, and simply stunning
in its approach, sound, arrangement and execution.
Finally a track from Vent (another Jonathan Sharp alter-ego) and this is awesome
with its gradually accelerating percussive rhythms over an initially quite
stark, almost eastern sounding chord sequence from the distant synths,as the
rhythms clatter around the musical spectrum, eventually giving rise to a wondrous
sequencer line, wordless female choral harmonies, space synth raids and swoops,
and a piece that for all the world sounds like wonderfully mutated "Berlin
School" as it then fades to reveal a new element in the form of a gloriously
cool jazzy ambience, that is both languid yet stark and eerie at the same
time, going through variations of the two styles as it travels to its near
fourteen minute conclusion.
Altogether then, a triumph for the collective and an album that truly is a
cohesive whole, one that you will want to play many times as it conforms to
the roles of serious listening and mood music to perfection.
Andy G of Dead Earnest
CEM
Compilation Album
Congavata:
1 Sun & Sea (mp3
snippet)
2 Stonehaven
3 Conflict
4 Royal Quest (mp3
snippet)
5 Fly
Ku:
6 Men from Atlantis
7 Time Travel (mp3
snippet)
Taklan Makan:
8 The Sto Helit Trilogy
Vent:
9 O'Hare
CONGAVATA
Carl Matthews' Congavata project is simple in essence but provides a strong
opening. Sun and Sea in particular is a deft first track choice. Chilled electronica
with a slight jazz tinge, Matthews has a knack of finding sublime, minimalist
short loops, repeating them for six minutes and yet keeping you engaged throughout.
His pieces conjure up images of unnatural landscapes awaiting cultivation
from a civilisation of unknown origin. Boards of Canada seems to be a touchstone
at times.
KU
Men From Atlantis is a pumping, bass-driven instrumental piece of tribal electronica
that briefly reminds one of Juno Reactor's Shango album. The track title gives
little away about the music. Occasionally, there's a muted, almost underwater
tone to the mix, but other than that, there's nothing to link the two. Which
is fine - cause what we've got is simply a great track. Time Travel neatly
follows on - a natural successor - but lacks the a distinctive edge of its
predecessor.
TAKLA MAKAN
Takla Makan is Tony Allgood with sister Rachel providing moody female vocals.
The twelve minute Sto Helit Trilogy is broken into three sections: Part One:
Grandfather, Part Two: The Dark House, Part Three: Susan. Don't worry, this
isn't pretentious as the title might suggest. In fact, this is quite firmly
rooted in the earth. Takla Makan slide in nicely alongside Enigma, and the
Rhys Fulber projects Conjure One and Delirium. And there's a real sense of
carefully crafted structure to these twelve minutes too. Part One is most
overtly Enigma with the shadowy ambient middle section perfectly reflecting
the Dark House title. Finally, Susan is a refrain of Grandfather that develops
into a sequel, with bell chimes, mellow beats and Rachel Allgood's neatly
pitched voice.
VENT
Sharp's Vent project is an unexpected but entirely successful melange of chilled
jazz drum and dub influences somehow blending with Magnetic Fields era Jarreisms
and SF anime soundtracks. This ambitious shift occurs gradually over time
(the track runs for over thirteen minutes in total) and never seems audacious.
There's something decidedly effortless and logical to what Jonathan Sharp
has done here yet the result is pure inspiration. O'Hare is the Cumbrian at
his very finest. Clever, subtle, essential.
I've not heard anything else from CEMusic since this release. It would be a crime if this were the only entry into their discography. Music this good makes you glad to be alive. 8/10
Rob Dyer (12-04-04) DSO
A
NEW CD proves that Cumbria is at the cutting edge of electronic music,
which may come as a surprise to those who thought electricity hadn't reached
us yet.
When
it comes to electro-pop, bands like Air have hogged the headlines in recent
years. Their image is almost as persuasive as their sound. But it's time to
raise the Union Jack and play an ambient version of God Save The Queen - four
Cumbrian gadgies have created an album as cool as anything from the sunnier
side of Europe.
One of these locals, Carl Matthews, was a pioneer of the UK synth-music movement
in the early Eighties. He is now one-quarter of Cumbria Electro Music (CEM),
a collective who have just released their first CD. Carl, who lives in a quiet
Solway village, is joined by West Cumbrians Nick Smith, Jonathan Sharp and
Tony Allgood, who lives in the Eden Valley.
The fab four met via the Internet three years ago. They create their music
individually but meet two or three times a year to share ideas. Their CD,
Latitude, features compositions by all four. One reviewer described it as
"a mysterious eerie yet melodic and rhythmic musical universe...a triumph
for the collective and an album that truly is a cohesive whole."
Carl describes his music as "progressive-ambient". Nick's is "techno-trance",
Tony's "pure electronica" and Jonathan's "ambient". For
those who don't know their ambient from their electronica, Latitude is a collection
of mainly laid-back and chilled-out tunes.
For Carl, it's the latest in a long line of projects. As a teenager in Carlisle
in the Seventies, he was one of the UK's first electronic artists. "I
was always into German electronic music, when none of my friends were,"
he says. "I always wanted to do my own stuff." He started with a
reel-to-reel tape recorder, moved to four-track and had several releases on
the Mirage label to critical acclaim. These days, Carl creates his music on
computer. "We're all trying to portray our feelings through music,"
he says.
The collective's next project is a CD called Stone Circle, inspired by Cumbria's
ancient structures. This is due to be released in early spring.
CEM's founders want to expand the group. "Any artist who lives in Cumbria
and has an interest in electronic music is more than welcome to join us,"
says Carl.
For more information visit: www.cemusic.co.uk
Latitude costs 10 and is available from Omega Music in Brampton, Cosmic and
Crystal Commissions in Maryport and Silica Discs in Workington. It can also
be ordered from: www.cemusic.co.uk
Roger Lytollis
"Incredible
evolutionary electronic compilation. 9/10"
Well, now this is an unexpected treat from the wildwoods of Cumbria, England.
Jonathan Sharp (New Mind et al) and some friends of his have created a label
for their rather eclectic electronic work. Four artists are featured on this
disc (the first of a series, I am informed) and they run the gamut of what
can only be called "electronic" music in the broaded, barest sense
of the word.
Congavata take us out of the dock with five tracks of mangled beats, unearthly
atmospheres and bizarre samples. I quite like the track "Stonehaven"
because it is so leftfield in comparison to what I've heard in the so-called
"intelligent" genre. Next comes KU, tracking in with two compositions
of which both are great examples of ambience done tastefully and not aimlessly.
I look forward to hearing more of what Nick Smith and Neil Riley do in the
future. Takla Makan give us The Stone Helit Trilogy and I think parts two
and three of this work "The Dark House" and "Susan" are
excellent.
Closing out this comp is Jonathan Sharp's new side-project simply entitled
Vent. Now, to understand this one epic track, you have to take each of the
three movements. The first is perhaps his take on salsa or latin styled electronic
music, I don't know but it's goddamned freakish, in a good way. The second
movement is dark and droney and sort of reminds me of some of the work on
Andrew Lagowski's "Ashita" album, but without the subconscious sub
base. And the third final part of "O'Hare" bleeds off in strange,
shifting uneasiness. That is the best way I can put it. This project harkens
back to some of the Freezone work he did waaaay back in the early 90:s but
with much more authority and risk-taking. Very brave and very original. Recommended.
If you can find this compilation, it will serve notice that there is a lot
going on in England outside of the bland banality that is Warp Records. Hats
off, gentlemen and thank you for such inspired, sonic experimental brilliance!
Peter
Marks