Album: The Island Come True
Record Label: Melodic
Aidan Moffat takes us on an endlessly tantalizing and emotional journey on his latest Lucky Pierre project
As artists like Brian Eno and Oneohtrix Point Never have proven
upon countless releases that there is a huge case of faith required when
conducting ambient music. Not only does the innovator have to have a huge
amount of faith that the listener will be strung along, but the listener has to
exert the same sort of faith in believing that there is emotional value and
depth in what they’re listening to. Ultimately, its music that is either going
to inspire you or leave you by the wayside entirely.
Aidan John Moffat is a figure of cultish legend. He’s
arguably more renowned for his word play and lyrics than musical ability, but
since the demise of his group Arab Strap he’s proven via solo projects (three
previously under the guise of Lucky Pierre) and various collaborations that he
is musically sensitive and knowledgeable to a remarkable extent. The entirely
instrumental “The Island Come True” is particularly special, because the unacquainted
ear will find examples of that musical sensitivity in abundance here.
“The Island Come True” is a chopped and screwed record
comprising entirely of samples, loops and field recordings compiled by Moffat. “Well,
anyone can lunge together a few old records and say it’s art”, you might be
thinking. But it takes a well- seasoned ear and hand to put something together
as chimerical as this. Moffat says of the album that he “hopes it takes the
listener on a wee bit of a journey.” There we strike upon another aspect as to
why this album is so special; it’s entirely up to the listener to interpret it
as they will.
Featuring samples of old 1920s jazz vinyls, even older
classical pieces and strangely hypnotic cuts from films, “The Island Come True”’s
roots grow much deeper than can be anticipated upon first listen. Every sound,
every melody is so full and engulfing that the emotion present in these tracks
is almost impossible to contain. The crackle and hiss of the vinyl deck hums
all over the album, giving them an exceeding sense of history and that homemade
feeling.
The
overall tone of the album, to this listener’s ears at least, is melancholy.
Opener “Kab 1340” hits with an ominous wall of synth and cacophonous clanging of
bells and guitars before pilfering out via a rich string section. It’s a
coastal night time storm and the following serenity of the morning before
anyone notices that anything’s damaged. “Harmonic Avenger”, with its doom-
laden piano melodies and woeful accordion and violin excursions is sitting
alone in a dark room with no furniture, drowning your sorrows in a bottle of
whisky. “The Grief that Does not Speak” (a line appropriately lifted from a
speech in Macbeth) is a moment of terrible realisation, irreversible tragedy. “Dr.
Alucard” is a sleazy late night party in 13th century Jerusalem.
“The Island Come True” is a narrative, prompted by Moffat
but created by the listener. One late evening this week, after everybody else
has gone to bed, grab a bottle of wine, close your eyes and let it engulf you.
Alone is the context in which it makes most sense, and which it’ll be most
appreciated.
Key Tracks: Harmonic Avenger, Exits, Kab 1340
For fans of: Pre- 1960s media, Brian Eno, Nils Frahm
8/10
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