The lineup is something of a supergroup of rising soloists - the violinist Francesca Dego, violist Timothy Ridout, cellist Laura van der Heijden and pianist Federico Colli. Together they are as balanced a team as one could ask for, Ridout’s viola singing out as warmly and almost as brightly as Dego’s violin so that their exchanges are ideally weighted. The playing is imaginative and detailed; repeated sections are never done the same way twice, and the four play off each other in adding the odd ornament or decoration. There’s no real star: this is real chamber music.
Jangly and defiantly indie from San Francisco that sounds a little like the Magnetic Fields meets The Smiths. They’ve become favourites at Bhoyo Manor in the past couple of years. I also love the photography on their album covers.
Now onto the new box set. Fabulous sound shame about the dreadful paper sleeves (they’ve been replaced). That aside some wonderful music and very happy with it. This is the first album from it
A three-CD box set collating together the production work members of New Order did in the 1980s and beyond. Be Music was NO’s publishing company when they were on Factory, and was a pseudonym Bernard (often working with ACR’s Donald Johnson, AKA DoJo), Hooky and Steve and Gillian (S&G together) used when working outside the group. Ian Curtis even sat in the producer’s chair once, with JD/NO manager Rob.
This is a great compilation. There are a couple of bangers missing, such as the DoJo-produced “Art on 45” by Royal Family & The Poor" and Quando Quango’s “Tingle” and “Go Exciting”, the BS/DoJo disco monster “Express” by 52nd Street, with its huge synth farts generated by Bernard’s new Emulator, and the BS-helmed “Gangsters Of Love” by Shark Vegas. But the two best Be Music productions, Marcel King’s wonderful “Reach For Love” and 52nd Street’s club monster “Cool As Ice” is there.
Compiler James Nice even included all 22 minutes of “Video 586” by New Order, an austere piece of avant-garde electronica created by Steve and Bernard in early 1982 on an Apple II computer. It’s a direction I wish NO had explored much more.
Yes found and ordered - it’s surprising even though you try and keep tabs on certain artists that little things slip through - so again thanks really appreciate that.
Joy Division are one of my favourite bands and although they only managed 2 proper albums I still feel like it’s the first time I’ve heard certain tracks - apart from LWTUA. NEW ORDER took on the mantle but have gone too far into pop for me anyway! Love seeing Hooky but wish he try doing some new stuff of his own
It took me a long time to appreciate The Cure. ‘A Forest’ made me completely rethink them and in later years ‘Friday I’m in Love’ became a track that helped me through some sad and awkward times.
I’ve not listened to this live album before. I absolutely love it.
