REVIEW: Spooky, Found Sound (A&M U.K. - Import)
- Jamie Roberts
This CD is a (U.S. import) gem! Making music, to Duncan Forbes and Charlie May, is more like putting together a car's engine than anything the creative process has been compared to before. The artistry in the melange of clanging objects, and moody ambience is pure genius on this second album by the re-mixer duo. Their combined credits include MC900 Ft. Jesus, Lush, Cud, and Headswim, but this gives no clue to what is in store when this disc begins to revolve.
They aptly call their work Cubist, and one might add abstract - to the thousandth power. Their music is something best imagined soundtracking the show Stomp. Do not be mistaken, it is also melodic and smooth. The sounds are not disturbing or loud. Rather they are soothing, like the sound of working lite-machinery (ie. the noise of a fan lulling you to sleep) and draw the listener into a trance.
There is some serene piano work in "Lowest Common Denominator", and an odd majesty in the melody of "Hypo Allergenic". These are the "fuzzy" tracks, as compared to the cold, clanging "Central Heating" and "Aphonia". The disparity makes for a CD that slowly paints a complex picture that you are not at all familiar with until the last possible second.
This, my friends, is interactive listening! The Spooky boys let you feel what is behind each noise, and pick out how exactly you want to hear each song... each time in a unique way. The only requirement is to let it take you on the whole trip, so you get the well-rounded world-of-music-and-feeling tour.
