4 ...according to our Business Lady on 08 April 2009.
Broccoli is probably my favorite vegetable. Discounting the simple yet versatile potato, broccoli is definitely the vegetable that brings me the most joy. The broccoli that has been photographed on the cover of Benjamin Finger's new long player, 'Woods of Broccoli' looks particularly appealing right now..... It must be nearing the luncheon hour. Benjamin Finger a.k.a. Frank Benjamin Finger hails from Oslo and with the help of a few random pals has recorded a beautiful record of blissed out ambient folk and electronica designed to take the listener on an escapist journey. 'Little Sparkling Mist' starts the record off proper with inspired mum-esque vocals and romantic, swaying piano ditties. Electronic sounds and loops begin to make an appearance later in the record yet they merely serve as a canvas for the strange and melodic sounds created by the piano, guitar and vocals which tend to take centre stage. Comparative to Four Tet or Mice Parade for it's mish mash of electronic and organic elements, Benjamin has done a beautiful job of creating a record for you to simply drift off to.
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What their label says...
Creating music is something you usually head into alone. Bands and collaborations are what happen in between the loneliness. You start out alone in your bedroom with pure intentions of creativity and curiosity. Almost like a child building freehand with Lego, you take different pieces and put them together to a complete creation. A fire truck, a dinosaur or an apple. Anything you can imagine. In Beneva vs. Clark Nova, Benjamin’s role is setting the pulse and building grand almost epic compositions. On his own, however, he is more minimalistic. Almost all the songs on Woods of broccoli are based around the acoustic guitar or the piano; lush, electroacoustic textures that take your mind into the archives of Kranky and Fatcat records; a more toned-down and melancholic Panda Bear, a less «gazy» Atlas Sound or mùm as a one man project. Some people have compared his songs to Vincent Gallo (When) and the composer Arvo Part. Reverb spins off hidden walls and creates subtle harmonies. Songs start out tender and fragile, then build up like a patchwork of the organic and the electric, weaving a soft and warm blanket of sound. This is a record that brings back childhood memories and feelings, like your first bike ride or the smell of your Darth Vader action figure. Benjamin has invited some guests to his green and comfy universe. The amazingly talented Therese Aune lends her beautiful vocal for tracks 2 (Little Sparkling Mist) and 10 (Howl [at the Buffalo Girls]), Inga Lill from Children and Corpse Playing in the Streets lends her voice as an instrument to track 8 (Cat Yowled Weak Jaws) and Anastasia aka Crisis De Jour lends her guitar playing to track 9 (Watermelon Deserts). All these contributions bring another layer and texture to Benjamin’s amazing songs without detaching them from the rest of the album.
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