NORWICH BODY ART FESTIVAL 2017
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CORNELIUS MELLOW WAVES
Drew
Hooray! 10 years after his last album Sensuous, Japanese producer and multi instrumentalist Keigo Oyamada is back with some more dreamy pop perfection. Tis is a chill zone and if you don’t like it, well you can do whatever you want because I’m in a blissful trance and probably won’t even notice. Tere’s always been a hypnotic quality to Oyamada’s songs, but by focusing on the mellow and leaving out the more garage rock side of his sound, this album manages to soothe and relax you whilst retaining those classic Cornelius trademarks - gorgeous melodies, dreamlike vocals and precision production. Tat’s not to say it’s not fun. From the computer vocals and driving rhythm of Helix/Spiral to the bonkers guitar solo in Sometime/ Someplace there are moments of craziness. Standout tracks If You Were Here and Te Rain Song share similarities with their slow, rhythmic drums and hypnotic, tumbling guitar picking. Te only slight misstep on the album is the closer Crépuscule, whose instrumental guitar twiddling soothed me to the point of nodding off, but maybe that was a conscious decision on Cornelius’ part - it doesn’t get more mellow than being asleep. If you’re looking for a happy, chilled out summer then this should definitely make it into your rotation.
UNKLE THE ROAD: PART 1
Alex D
Te always intriguing UNKLE have returned with Te Road: Part 1 - an album that takes inspiration far beyond the usual realms of the artist. Elements of folk and soul are littered throughout the songs, and collaborations with hugely respected artists such as Justin Stanley of Beck, and up and comers such as Mïnk add multiple layers of originality to the music. Te fusion of trip hop, electronic and alt rock is as clear as always, however the rock element is more heavily focused on this LP. Many of the tracks, such as Te Road, are lengthy and fast rock songs, providing an intense and bouncy instrumentation coupled with the phenomenal vocals of ESKA. However, it is in the electronic tracks that this album really breaks through. Arm’s Length is certainly the high point of the record, with an ambient beat that increases in urgency throughout, with tingling hi-hats and haunting vocals scattered throughout its five minute journey. Slow, drawn out piano sections and rather dull spoken word interludes complete the album’s package, which is an extremely varied but enjoyable listen – I am looking forward to part 2!
GHOSTPOET DARK DAYS + CANAPÉS
Louis
Te fourth album by two-time Mercury nominated grime and spoken word artist Ghostpoet (Obaro Ejimiwe) is darker and murkier than his previous work, maintaining his trademark low-fi rawness, but shot through with political urgency and a splash of funk. Dark Days + Canapés sees Ejimiwe build upon the instrumental influences of his last album Shedding Skin and push for an even more atmospheric and immersive experience. Te guitar riffs in the songs Immigrant Boogie and Woe is Meee offer an interesting counter-balance to Ghostpoet’s lyric-heavy songs, allowing for a blend of poetry and ambient rock that at times allows his words to drift through like smoke, sometimes crystallising, at others sinking back beneath the surface to allow a guitar, piano or sound-effect to dominate. Each song has a different tonal texture, a different quality: unpredictable and untameable, it is pure musical innovation. Te album demands that you listen closely: beneath the beautiful garbled lyrics of songs like Karoshi, (We’re) Dominoes and End Times, is an underlying unease for the social tragedies of our times, from suicide to class inequality. Tere is something pure and wild to the album and it feels like Ejimiwe has winched every song up from the bottom of his soul.
NORWICHBODYARTFESTIVAL.CO.UK
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