The audience of the Queen Elizabeth Hall take to their comfortable, leather seats to watch the 12 musicians of Icebreaker attempt to recreate those warm, ambient tones of Brian Eno’s Apollo work, with the aid of BJ Cole on pedal steel guitar.
Author Ash Akhtar
Roots Manuva meets Wrongtom – Duppy Writer
After reworking parts of Roots Manuva’s Slime and Reason some two years ago, Wrongtom has been brought in by Big Dada to expand on that disc and dip into Rodney Smith’s full discography. Ash Akhtar reviews.
Arandel – In D
‘In D’ is an exciting, occasionally intoxicating and spirited album that owes as much to the spirit of its influences as it does to the desired mystery of its creator.
High Voltage Festival // Day 1 – Victoria Park, London 24/07/2010
Ash Akhtar reviews day 1 of the High Voltage Festival, mixing it with the black t-shirt wearing throng, gorging on roasted whole pigs… Or something…
Konono No.1 – Assume Crash Position
Assume Crash Position does not so much cement the individual nature of this theatrical band, as it sees them relinquish part of their individual make-up – perhaps with an outlook to appeal to a wider audience.
Broken Bells – Royal Festival Hall, London 21/06/2010
On the final night of this year’s Meltdown Festival, Ash Akhtar witnesses Broken Bells European live debut… Was it worth the wait?
The Alps – Le Voyage
With settings set to psychedelic, Le Voyage presents itself as drug music for people who have never taken drugs, or simply can’t take them any more.
Elephant9 – Walk The Nile
Elephant9 have delivered a superb second album — one that should find its way into many best album lists of 2010.
Eli “Paperboy” Reed – Come And Get It
If Reed wants to play around with that old time Juke feel that permeated Southern America in the early ’60s, he’s going to have to work a lot harder according to Ash Akhtar.
Rene Hell – Porcelain Opera
Porcelain Opera is a thoroughly invigorating and inspiring record. Well recorded, mixed and produced, it’s a beguiling treat for the introvert.
The Big Chill returns
Following on from last year’s sun soaked extravaganza, The Big Chill returns in 2010 with a line-up to rival any other big festival this year.
A Broken Consort – Crow Autumn
A stunning compilation of Skelton’s work: rich and verbose without a word ever needing to be heard. Ash Akhtar reviews.
[Opinion] How Simon Cowell is helping Haiti
An artistically cynical and snobbish attitude to international development helps no-one.
Ceephax Acid Crew – United Acid Emirates
Ceephax Acid Crew’s latest album is a whirlwind concoction of thumping technicolour sound layered with synthetic arpeggios that thunder through it like a Bull at Pamplona.
Imaginary Softwoods – S/T
Recorded by Emeralds’s John Elliott in 2007, originally released on cassette in 2008, and now re-released on extremely limited vinyl, Imaginary Softwoods is a concatenation of amorphous, atonal and arrhythmic pieces of ambient drone that shift from metallic dissonance through to soft analogue idling.
