Manchester musicians Marconi Union return with their new album, Signals, set for release on 5th November. It is the latest addition to their highly acclaimed discography. Despite having released twelve albums in the last eighteen years they continue to experiment and push boundaries.
Strata is the first single from the album and it sees Marconi Union diving headfirst into a new expansion of their sound.
“Strata is a rare example, for us, of a track that we tried out live a few times before committing to the album version” Duncan Meadows explains. “It’s one of the most up-tempo pieces we’ve ever written, it has an energy and emotion which for us borders on elation”
Jamie Crossley adds that “Once we changed the rhythm pattern to this track, it took on a totally different feel, giving it more tension and suspense, I could imagine it being like a modern day version of the sort of music used in those 60/70’s crime/thriller soundtracks like “Bullitt”.
And Richard Talbot adds a final piece of colour about the new track, saying “Strata has a sense of unworldliness for me, bringing together elements from different styles of music to create a combination of urgency and melancholy.”
The Sails is a sonic journey that takes the listener from the familiar to the alien and keeps your foot tapping the whole way. Rhythm is driven by layers of bass, synths and samples often without a drum track.
Give Still a listen, a glorious riot to take your ears on an adventure. Also, who else is writing 9 minutes long tracks any more?
@mohlers pick for best of 22 Album Club
Some of Loscil's best work. Here he uses expansive orchestral samples to great effect, but it still has that inscrutable attention to detail that he's deservedly known for.
Loscil's music humbly hides the complexity of its composition, within its subtle detail, beckoning the listener to lean into the speaker and become immersed. Despite that, it is not disruptive in the background. JackG
From NYC come these 10 songs shrouded in spectral synths and mysterious textures that alternately soothe & unsettle Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 10, 2023
From the always-excellent label Past Inside the Present comes this stunning work of sustained tone and timbre. Gorgeous. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 1, 2022
Fantastic collection of music from loscil. Love how Never opens in such a contemplative mood and then goes somewhere else when the rhythmic sounds kick in. Check out Scott talking about the piece Never and the two Sails albums in this one-hour special on CKCU-FM.
https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/107/58793.html
Hit Listen Now to hear the audio. Joe Reilly