Where do I start with this New Year gift from the gods? Having known Gareth S. Brown for years as a mesmerisingly confrontational DJ, occasional member of Leeds legends Hood & all round lovely guy, us lot at the towers have felt most priveliged to be exposed to his debut album proper, "Iron Henry" for the last few months. Misplaced Music supplied us with a CDr from the man formerly recording as The Unpleasants & we've been proper caning it. The last time this happened was with the Manyfingers album & by the time that came out we'd swooned, sighed, gasped & grinned at it's snaking marvelosity to the stage where gushing praise was already etched in our minds like the ten commandments in stone. This utter delight of a recording is a joy to behold. I've never read such a concise, accurate press release for an album. The mood is euphoric melancholy. Untouchable neo classical beauty that expresses itself in many forms. Playful, layered, twinkling lullabies fall into somber electronics, Philip Glass/Terry Riley inpired minimal repetition that builds...& bulds...& builds till you are taken on a journey to astral plains. Then you are suddenly dumped inside the soundtrack to Amelie whilst still dusting the magic Iron Henry fairy dust from your shoulders in bemusement. Add lashings of cheeky eastern European folk, circus waltzes, Aphex Twin's attitude to the outer realms of experimental techno (Think the D-Scape mix of "on") & god knows what else! Think along the lines of Yann Tiersen & Max Richter and you'll be somewhere near! A huge Autechre fan, Gareth has been building up an enviable, unclassifiable sound that's all his own yet guided by his obvious love for deep electronic imbued music stirred with soul & timelessness. I once read a review of Queens of the Stone Age's 'Songs for the Deaf" that stated "You could live inside this album for a month". This is completely poles apart but you can apply the same respect & logic. Please buy this incredibly moving CD. It'll make your 2007 go with a bang! Check out a few of the songs here on his myspace page here.....www.myspace.com/garethsbrown
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What their label says...
For fans of: Moondog, Phillip Glass, Terry Riley, Max Richter, Tom Waits, Yann Tiersen, u-Ziq, Aphex Twin and Colleen. Iron Henry is the debut album from Leeds-based musician Gareth S. Brown. As a member of Domino Records act Hood, Brown contributed to their last two albums and has toured the world with the likes of Mogwai, Do Make Say Think, cLOUDDEAD and Low. Iron Henry is a gorgeous work of layered instrumental beauty. Brown played all the instruments himself, taking influence from the likes of Moondog, Phillip Glass, Tom Waits, eastern european folk music, funeral marches and jewellery boxes. The CD is a limited edition run of 300 with the first 75 in handmade cloth sleeves. Gareth S Brown is touring the UK in February and March. "Philip-Glass-lost-in-toyland melodies, pretty and beguiling in the manner of Aphex Twin’s piano experiments" gigwise.com / "Melancholy through the medium of instrumental song ala the music from Amelie" copsandrobbers.net / "beautiful string orchestrations and the subtle chimes of music boxes. It is very beautiful, very epic" sandman.
