As
I mentioned last time, I have only really listened to Lou Reed and
The Velvet Underground in the last fortnight, but a couple of other
things arrived in my inbox recently which have provided a distraction
from focusing exclusively on Reed's passing.
 |
| Colo 'Holidays' |
The
first is an upcoming single from Colo, which is due out in December
on Ki Records. 'Holidays' is a simple, understated track somewhere
between dreamy instrumental synth-pop and ambient dub, complete with
a soulful vocal texture that sticks with you long after the song's
finished. It's got a lovely, gauzy, Café Del Mar-at-sunset vibe and
it's far too warm for this time of year. Colo's album is due out in
March.
Avatism's
'Adamant' hit my inbox a few weeks ago. Avatism is the alias of
Italian producer Thomas Feriero and contains thirteen tracks of
slick, inventive electronica infused with crisp techno and house
beats, clipped and stirring guitar loops (think Morricone in a techno
setting), dreamy synths and a warm ambient atmosphere. For those of
us who grew up with Nineties dance music it's a dream come true in
the context of micro genres we old guys don't understand; one might even
describe it as mind-expanding in the right circumstances. A remix EP
of tracks from the album has also been released but for the optimal
trip pick up the album and eschew that annoying habit of course
picking favourite tracks (although, if my life depended on it, I'd
say get the monstrous 'Mastodon').
 |
| Color Film 'Until You Turn Blue' |
Color
Film released 'Until You Turn Blue' recently ahead of an LP slated to
arrive in March next year. Without knowing it had just been released
you'd have sworn that 'Until You Turn Blue' had been released in
about 1983, being constructed of jerky guitars, plinky synths and
orchestral stabs, fantastic slap bass and the sort of anguished but
soulful vocal that seemed to die out in the Eighties (it reminds me a
lot of Tears For Fears' 'Broken' from Songs From The Big Chair).
'Until You Turn Blue' was mixed by Gareth Jones, someone who brings
excellence to everything he's ever done.
So
if all of this was intended to serve as a distraction from listening
to Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, two nice little tracks served
to pull me back in that direction. The first was 'Lou Reed Lou Reed'
by The Auteurs' Luke Haines, a reverential bit of glam-infused synth-pop complete with Reed-style guitar riffery and lyrics that trawl
Reed's life and image. The second was a haunting version of 'Pale
Blue Eyes' by French duo Hologram (Carla Luciani and Maxime
Sokolinski). Hologram released their debut EP earlier this year and
it was one of the things I listened to most during the warmer months,
so hearing their fragile voices, subtle drum machines, gentle guitars
and shimmering synths tackling one of my favourite Reed ballads was a
lovely moment of serendipity.
Listen
to 'Pale Blue Eyes' here or below.
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