#james catchpole

Black House Triangle ~ Id Ego Superego

Black House Triangle has given listeners a space in which to ’embrace discord, cacophony, accidents, hypnosis’. Because of its exploration of discord, Id Ego Superego is a naturally-dark design, and an ominous start to the shrivelling of 2019. Listen to it on a darkening afternoon. Or when the clock strikes midnight.

At an hour long, and with three movements occupying it, Id Ego Superego, with…

Mamiffer ~ The Brilliant Tabernacle

Faith Coloccia’s The Brilliant Tabernacle is a record of positivity and renewed energy. Light swirls out of its musical webbing: vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, flute, and drum.

The birth of Coloccia’s first child was fuel to The Brilliant Tabernacle‘s fire, the birth itself producing a new creation in the conception of the music, producing even more branches of life. It’s also a maternal sound,…

Various Artists ~ Now That’s What I Call Silence

Silence is one of the most important elements in music, but it’s often underused or overlooked. Without silence (or rests), everything would be no bueno, a clusterf*** with no end in sight. It would drive us all insane, and that’s not good for anyone, right? The paradox, the yin-yang, is that you cannot have sound without silence or silence without sound. And yet, sounds still exist within…

Meemo Comma ~ Sleepmoss

Sleepmoss is ‘a romantic eulogy to autumn and winter’. The sophomore from Brighton-based producer Lara Rix-Martin, aka Meemo Comma, is now awake, opening up at just the right time, and in the right season.  

At this time of year, leaves turn rusty and die, but Meemo Comma’s music is just at the point of ripening. Winter scowls and scarves come out, wrapping around throats and offering some…

Slow Meadow ~ Happy Occident

Happy Occident is a detox. When you’re here, the anxieties of life melt away, and thank God for that! These are uncertain times, so it’s even more important to show love to oneself and to others. Be kind.

In one sense, listening to Happy Occidentis the practice of self-love. If you’re feeling frazzled by pressure and temptation, please tune into it. Step in and immerse yourself, and you’ll come…

Penguin Café ~ Handfuls of Night

Penguin Café follows up 2017’s The Imperfect Sea with Handfuls of Night (Erased Tapes, October 4).

Handfuls of Night takes its inspiration from a journey to the Antarctic, where Arthur Jeffes followed in the footsteps of famous explorer Scott. He also got to meet the penguins!

In 2005, Jeffes was asked to join an expedition which re-created Scott’s last trip to the Antarctic, in 1911, for the…

They Danced Like Programmed Angels ~ Spit Light through the Canopy

They Danced Like Programmed Angels is the pseudonym of Jon Wolper, who, on Spit Light through the Canopy, plays a selection of instruments. Synthesizers, piano, and guitar are all featured, and he includes field recordings, too. Maria Grigoryeva (violin, viola) and Lyudmila Kadyrbaeva (cello) provide the string section. Spit Light through the Canopyis music of a September light. A kinder, softer…

Hakobune ~ The Last of Our Time Together

The Last of Our Time Together features thirty-two minutes of Hakobune‘s magnificent ambient music. The artwork alone speaks volumes, a sign as to the receding away of something, the night representing total finality, and the ambient marks the beginning of another end – the last of our time together.

The gathering darkness spreads along the borders, at first seeping into the backwater coves of the…