Fighting Boredom give you a new review page, with the beautiful electronics of MATTERS, the dark synth beats of Attrition, the pioneering electronica of B.E.F. and the frankly bonkers Jazz of Edredon Sensible, read what we thought below.
MATTERS
Echolocations
This is bright and shines. The sounds are built into perfectly balanced landscapes. They make their way slowly and subtly towards a sound or a groove and then hold it up for as long as they choose. It is luscious and beautiful like the sunshine sparkling off dappled water. There are beats you can dance to but it’s just as easy to sit and listen, you get immersed either way.
The music is wonderful, it’s like standing in a flower filled field and watching the sun rise, like a space walk outside in the void as the stars sparkle outwards forever. It’s atmospheric and emotional in the best way. I really like it.
Attrition
The Switch E.P.
The original track here was included in our singles review this week and is, to paraphrase the photographer, a perfect Attrition track. It’s got a funky hard beat, a neat sample and Julia singing over the top to give it an edge. Martin’s voice is a low growl, adding a touch of class over the bleeps and synths. It’s a long cool groove.
The other mixes are all interesting and have their own groove. A lower, circling rhythm with a beat verging on trip hop. A Blade runner futuristic tripping beat, seductive and sensual. A low menacing rumbling and techno attack with shards of static and a low dirty bassline. A track built on EDM beats, hard and industrial. Then to finish, ‘Witch’ which has a quietly disturbing piano and varied strangeness.
It’s a highly recommended release, album following soon.
B.E.F.
Music For Stowaways
Cold Spring
In a moment of coincidence I found a copy of Travelogue by the Human League for a fiver in the local record shop this weekend and as I had been listening to this I bought it. It is excellent as you probably already know but this album comes after. After the acrimonious split, two members left the Human League and formed B.E.F and Heaven 17, both ran simultaneously. Although far more people will have heard Heaven 17 than B.E.F.
This is very much music to listen to on the move, released on cassette to be played on a Walkman, it’s soundtrack feel is no accident. It is a kind of experiment in forming moods by listening to music and by matching the music to your surroundings to make the music different too. You get upbeat contrasting to frightening and hollow. There are sad sounding pieces and quirky happy tunes, in fact this record goes through every type of emotion and you can choose which to experience and where. An excellent collection of electronic music pushing the limits at the start of the eighties.
Edredon Sensible
Montagne Explosion
This is Jazz from France. It is quite bonkers and wonderful. I am pretty much lost for words to describe it, all the titles of the songs and any singing, shouting and general rowdiness are all sung in French. I have no idea what any of it means.
It feels like driving to your friends house, being surprised by all the people there and then everything disintegrating into a huge party, falling asleep and trying to get home with a massive hangover the next day… or the day after that.
The music is based around percussion and saxophone but then there are all the other musicians in the mix too. They build up a groove and beat then carry it on until they decide to stop. It’s bloody marvellous.
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MATTERS website is mattersband.co.uk. They are on Facebook, Instagram and have a Bandcamp page, and Tweet as @Mattersband. There is a limited edition release of the album being sold on the Supersonic Festival webpage.
Attrition’s website is attrition.co.uk, they are on Facebook and Bandcamp and Tweet as @attritionuk
B.E.F. are on Facebook and you can get the album from Cloud Spring’s Bandcamp page.
Edredon Sensible are on Facebook, Instagram and have a Bandcamp page.
All words by Adrian Bloxham.
