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Friday 18 November 2016

Holmes


Friday- and thank fuck for that. It's been a long and trying week. I've got my computer back and it seems to have survived the experience despite the best efforts of the staff at the shop who were borderline incompetent, had no customer service skills whatsoever and didn't even seem to think an apology was due when I listed the multiple let downs in service they've provided me with over the last four weeks.

Today's tune to lift the spirits is a follow on of sorts from Drew posting LB Bad's New Age Of Faith last week, the starting point for Sabres Of Paradise's  1993 classic Smokebelch. David Holmes took Weatherall and co's track and added a tumbling house piano guaranteed to set the hairs on the back of the neck up straight and a majorette style drumming section. Breakdowns and build ups, and end the of the night has come too soon.

Smokebelch II (David Holmes Remix)



If you haven't yet heard Holmes' Late Night Tales compilation you really should do so as a matter of urgency, whatever your current tastes. It is much more than a mix cd or compilation. It is an expertly put together and seemless mix of songs to guide you through the small hours, taking in psyche, folk, the weirder end of rock and roll, a children's choir, ambient and found sounds, the spoken word and some songs recorded by Holmes specifically for this album. It takes in the words of Seamus Heaney, the music of strange bedfellows like BP Fallon, Jon Hopkins, David Crosby, Buddy Holly, The Children Of Sunshine and Moine Dubh's Barry Woolnough. It tracks a journey through life, complete with loss and love and redemption. It is quite magical and proves that light always finds its way through the dark.

The two covers are kind of the inverse of each other aren't they?


4 comments:

thewalker said...

Holmers Late Night Tales has some gems I just know i'm going to love for years. The man is a genius.

But Oh man - that Sabres mix gives me goosebumps.
I can vividly recall the first time I heard it. Richard - a very good friend, the new music shared listening kinda guy, had scored the 12 in that weeks record drop & told me it was going to blow my mind.
That friday, in the AM, Dropped a Gettafix or Purple Om,,,dark corner of The Box - Feelin a bit liquid,,, suddenly Richard is on my shoulder "Come on, this is it, you are goind to love how the riff turns in on itself". And it did. And I did.

Random fact: Cover art by Mr Richard Sen.

Swiss Adam said...

Yes, I think I knew that about Richard Sen. Great comment too thewalker.

Anonymous said...

wonderfully written post

Swiss Adam said...

Thank you Ctel.