King Creosote And Jon Hopkins

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release
Soundclips

3...according to our Clinton on Fri 25 Mar, 2011.

Having tuned in out of guilt to the Radcliffe and Maconie show the other night following its Radio 2 cancellation (preposterous), I was reminded of King Creosote's 'You've No Clue Do You' which is a fine slice of pop, I'd forgotten how near the mainstream he'd reached at one point. So I was interested to hear this collaboration with hardest working man in music Jon Hopkins. The result is a very laid back slow burner of a record. Hopkins provides all the music which comprises gentle electronica, Eno inspired sound collages and acoustic guitar plucks. King Creosote's vocals are typical of his genre, odd lyrical twists and turns in his lilting Scottish brogue. Its not that dissimilar to his earlier solo work, I guess, maybe with a more synthetic 'produced' appeal. Songs like 'Running on Fumes' have nice twisting melodies and build slowly but surely, using field recordings to create further atmosphere. The songs are pretty but my main concern whilst writing this review is that I keep forgetting the record is playing. Hopefully given further spins it might reveal more.

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• ‘Diamond Mine’ is a unique and heartrending collaboration between Scottish Fence Collective boss and singer King Creosote and electronic talent and sound sculptor Jon Hopkins.

• Described by King Creosote as a “soundtrack to a romanticised version of a life lived in a Scottish coastal village”, the record weaves in field recordings of Fife life, bike wheels, spring tides, tea cups and café chatter to produce a beautiful, unique and timeless album.

• The album is already being talked about as King Creosote’s masterpiece, a modern equivalent of Talk Talk’s ‘Spirit of Eden’.