Council Meeting Memo #009

Nick Malkin: Nothing Blues (Mondoj, Album)

Nick Malkin isn’t exactly a name to conjure with, nor is the title of this, his third long player. The track titles suggest the anonymous spaces of the privileged first world: Personal Access Token, Moving Platform, Non Smoking Room. So far, so relatively unappealing, but in contrast to that the music is richly evocative, beautifully judged and often obliquely beautiful. Each piece creates a richly detailed, electro-acoustic atmosphere pregnant with possibility. They are miniature suspensions in time creating an emotional state (such as longing, ennui, transience) or something else less easily named. Intermingled with electronic sounds are the sounds of a saxophone, cello or bass. Nothing Blues ends with Second Thought, an all too brief intermingling of melodious saxophones that leaves this listener wishing for more. One other detail — I referred earlier to this being Malkin’s third long player, that’s a bit of a misnomer, each release hovers around the thirty minute mark.

Ciel: All We Have Is Each Other (Mister Saturday Night, EP)

The footwork thuds that run rampant over the majority of the tracks got on my tits after a while. All a bit too aggressive for my liking. But I did warm to the Reese style bassline on opener ‘A collage for Jake and Emilie’. ‘Hearing Voices’ reigns it in a little to better effect and the parting slowed up swagger of ‘Rosebud’ is warm and fuzzy in that comforting downtempo style.

Unknown Artist: KTKNT02 (KTKNT, 12")

Horribly outdated unofficial minimal house (remember that?) remixes of Radiohead (remember them?). This has so painfully missed the boat by about a decade that it beggars belief. But will probably sell like hot cakes to the millennials over the counter at Phonica Records….Fuck. Off.

Planar Traits: Portal Vision EP (Magic Carpet, EP)

Feeling this, even though I’m not the world biggest breaks fan (I find it a very lazy genre on the whole). ‘Organ Track’ is the shit: reminded me of Commodore 64 musician Rob Hubbard for some reason. But retro gaming vibes aside, I’m always a sucker for that classic organ sound. So that’s why I like this and, um, not the others as much.

Various Artists: Meridians 1 (Touch, Cassette)

Yeah. So. Optimal listening time. Between 11–12pm either on headphones or on a decent system. Lighting should be very dim in the room. Rain should be falling outside and it should be cold. Highlights are the dreamy synth glide of John Foxx and the frazzled ambience of Not I. Oh and the poppiest moment for me from Pascal Gabriel was also unexpectedly funky.