Author Archives: Arcana

Unknown's avatar

About Arcana

My name is Ben Hogwood, editor of the Arcana music site (arcana.fm)

Screen Grab: The Music of ‘Vera’

Posted on by
Reply

by Ben Hogwood. Picture (c) ITV Productions

The New Year is barely a week old, yet TV viewers in the UK have already said goodbye to a much-loved detective.

After 14 seasons DCI Vera Stanhope, played by the inimitable Brenda Blethyn (above), has hung up her hat – and with it brought the hugely successful ITV series of dramatisations of books by Jane Cleeves to an end.

There are several key elements to Vera’s success – led by Blethyn herself, a powerhouse character with a keen empathy for the victims of the crimes she is investigating, and an uncanny and occasionally sympathetic understanding of the perpetrators. She rules her team with a rod of iron, though this softer side does occasionally reveal itself.

The support cast are strong, notably David Leon (DI Joe Ashworth, above), Jon Morrison (DC Kenny Lockhart) and Cush Jumbo (DC Bethany Whelan), who met a tragic end in the sixth series.

Yet there are two other stars of the show. The Northumbrian scenery is one, beautifully brought to life by directors Adrian Shergold, Louise Hooper and Paul Whittington. The haunting music of Ben Bartlett is the other, so subtle that it didn’t even warrant a mention in ITV’s documentary about the series.

When you first watch Vera the music seems incidental – but that’s the point. Delve deeper and you will find it is written with forensic attention to detail, commentating wordlessly on each scene while keeping the tension bubbling.

Bartlett uses a mixture of acoustic and electronic sounds, with some dubby effevts giving perspective, often panning out to appreciate the wide open spaces of Northumberland. There is the odd sudden ‘whoosh’ of sound when a plot twist is revealed, and on occasion sonic atmospherics are used to portray the rarefied light often present at the North Sea coast.

The theme itself is also subtle, but memorable, a four-note murmur from strings that grows in presence and stature as the credits roll. Everything – in every episode I’ve watched to date – is rooted in the key of D minor. Bartlett uses this dark key as the basis for all his ideas, which relate back to the main theme without ever duplicating it – the composer adding or taking away layers, depending on the subject in hand.

Only once have I known Vera venture beyond the original score, in a memorable scene from the penultimate episode where its climax was accompanied by Northumbrian folk musicians The Unthanks, and their haunting song Magpie:

Yet the credit goes to Bartlett, whose brooding score deserves great credit for its economical use of a small amount of music, somehow never outstaying its welcome and always enhancing the story. Vera just wouldn’t be the same without it!

Published post no.2,404 – Tuesday 7 January 2025

An Epiphany…Happy New Year!

Posted on by
Reply
The Adoration of the Magi, by Edward Burne-Jones

‘A moment of sudden and great revelation or realization’.

This is the second Oxford definition for the word ‘epiphany’…which is also a Christian feast day, ‘the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi’.

It’s the ‘sudden realization’ that has descended on Arcana towers, however, as many of us go back to work today. Christmas is done, two weeks that have flown by – and just a heartbeat later we’re thrust wide-eyed into the New Year, back into the strong current of the river that is modern life.

Help is at hand, however. Music is such a reliable ally in times like this, whether it’s the music we know and love or the music we haven’t discovered yet. Both are reasons to look forward to 2025 with anticipation! Arcana will be hoping for several ‘epiphanies’, as we split our loyalties between the old and the new, covering music from the last 500 years or more as we go.

2025 will see the tenth birthday of this resource, believe it or not – on Saturday 1st February. By then we hope to be well in the groove of providing a daily digest of shared musical loves, interviews and concerts. Along the way there will be special focus on Shostakovich, who died 50 years ago this year, and is a favourite composer in these parts. We will also look to enjoy classical music from London, Birmingham and online, electronic music from all corners of the world, and plenty in between.

If you’d like to get in touch with us about any of it, suggest some things for us to listen to, or even write for us, get in touch! You can get me, Ben Hogwood, via e-mail (editor@arcana.fm), over BlueSky (Ben Hogwood or Arcana) or – if you must – on Twitter / X for a little while longer.

Before you go, do listen to this remarkable carol marking Epiphany from British composer Judith Bingham – both haunting and tremendously powerful. Happy New Year!

Published post no.2,403 – Monday 6 January 2025

Signing off – Arcana’s pick of 2024

Posted on by
Reply

As every year passes, it seems to me the importance of music and culture in our lives gets ever greater. Unfortunately this is not recognised by the vast majority of our politicians or those in education. Shouting our love of music from the rooftops is therefore more important than ever! It’s something Arcana has done for nearly 10 years…and as we close in on that special anniversary we do so with a mixture of thankfulness and regret.

I am incredibly grateful to have the new music that we have enjoyed together – and to have Richard Whitehouse giving regular despatches and typically probing insight from Birmingham and the classical recording world. This is along with John Earls whose London gig-going and home reading contributions have been incredibly welcome – along with a couple of very welcome reports from Jon Jacob.

My principal regret with Arcana is that I don’t have enough time to devote to it, with a day job that takes care of the working hours – but I do feel incredibly privileged to be able to bring to you another set of thoughts on the best of 2024 as experienced on these pages.

As you may know Arcana tends to focus on music we either like or are likely to enjoy. This means the review pages tend to celebrate more than criticize, though rest assured we won’t hesitate to if we need to! I see this sort of site as a place for communal enjoyment, to share what we love – with classical and electronic music as two main points of reference, with rock and pop orbiting close around. There are no rules to what we cover, and if it’s good it’s more likely to be written about! On which note…

Thank you to some most enjoyable interviews across 2024 – including cellist Steven Isserlis, conductor Paul Agnew, soprano Claire Booth and the double header of Aldeburgh artists in residence, composer Unsuk Chin and cellist Alban Gerhardt.

Our classical albums of the year include Philip Sawyers’ adventurous Mayflower on the Sea of Time, another instalment in an excellent series of his music from Nimbus, an outstanding recording of symphonies from John Pickard on BIS, a welcome debut for Jaakko Kuusisto’s Symphony on the same label, and an important recording of George Benjamin’s opera Picture A Day Like This

Right on the junction between classical and electronic sits Belle Chen, whose inventive Ravel in the Forest, on the excellent Platoon label, cast an enchanting spell with its tasteful reimagining of the French master’s music. Also occupying this space is Erland Cooper, whose Carve The Runes…was a culmination of a captivating story of loss and recovery – and Debbie Wiseman, whose spellbinding music for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light captured our hearts.

Not far from here musically were two excellent contributions on the LEAF label, MINING’s Chimet and Craven Faults’ Bounds, Adam Wiltzie’s Eleven Fugues for Sodium Pentothal, a sublime contribution from the one time Stars Of The Lid member, or Krononaut II, a fascinating discourse from Leo Abrahams and the much-missed Martin France.

Also incorporating improvisation were The Utopia Strong, and their outstanding BBC Sessions, the excellent trio of Dave Harrington, Max Jaffe and Patrick Shroishi – another winner from AKP Recordings, and the brilliant BEAK>>, with their final album >>>>

Moving towards the dancefloor, I really enjoyed the minimal but striking T.O.R. LP001 from Robag Wruhme, the technicolour Cascade from Floating Points and a dazzling second album from Jamie xx. The best compilations included 20 Years of Phonica, a thrill-a-minute collection of house music, and a selection of classic house on Defected’s House Masters compilation devoted to Marshall Jefferson

Our favourite pop / rock, meanwhile, included Ride’s Interplay, Jordan Rakei’s richly soulful The Loop, the dappled leftfield songwriting of Jon McKiel’s Hex and a fantastic compilation celebrating 20 years of Sonic Cathedral.

All that is left, then, is to declare the Arcana album of the year…to The Pixies’ Kim Deal, and her first solo album Nobody Loves You More. What a treat it is!

Now you might be following Kim’s advice on one of her singles to head for The Coast…but whether you are or not, we at Arcana thank you for reading our articles this year and for your general encouragement. We’re taking a break for a couple of weeks, but look forward to returning in 2025 for another year of music, new and old. If you want to contribute, do get in touch…but for now, Merry Christmas and / or Happy Holidays, and here’s to another year of sharing music we love.

Ben Hogwood editor, Arcana.fm

Published post no.2,403 – Tuesday 24 December 2024

Let’s Dance – Various Artists: Fabric presents Laurent Garnier (Fabric)

Posted on by
Reply

What’s the story?

Let legendary French DJ Laurent Garnier take up the story:

“Clubs have been my second home since the start of my career. Once you’ve witnessed that unique connection you can create in a club with a crowd, once you’ve experienced it from behind the decks, you just know you are where you’re meant to be. This special journey with fabric is of course a tribute to the legendary London club – a place that’s been a home to so many clubbers, DJs and music-lovers for so many years – but most of all, a tribute to all the dancefloors and all the clubs around the world.”

Garnier presents four mixes that express his love of Fabric – The House Odyssey, Rhythmic Resonance, Into The Low-End and The Way Home.

What’s the music like?

As you might expect, Garnier delivers a mixing tour de force.

The House Odyssey hits the floor dancing after a short introduction, running through some bassy moments with Aberton and Caiiro via Mike Dunn. There is some really nice spatial play on Terry Hunter’s mix of Deon Cole feat. Terisa Griffin & Terry Hunter‘s Where The Freaks At, which Garnier segues into Demarkus Lewis & DJ Lady D’s A Deep-Felt Love. By Skatman’s What you Gonna Do and Harry Romero’s Liquid Samba things are really pumping, Junior Sanchez’ Strong Enough powering through to the end and the slightly Balearic feel of Basile du Suresnes’ So Good.

Rhythmic Resonance is brilliantly executed, a propulsive mix that finds an early high point with John Tejada’s Different Mirrors, building up strong momentum through the likes of Carlo Reutz, Lewy, Electric Rescue and Marco Bailey, by which time the beats are bouncing off the walls.

Into The Low-End is of course best heard on the right equipment, as Garnier heads for the bottom of the bass bin. It hits a percussive groove with Martin Badder & Maria’s No Two Ways About It, and by the time we hit Dismantle’s Hammer Time, things are really starting to motor. Garnier covers a lot of ground in this mix, with clipped beats, vocal doozies and some frantic rhythms that hit many peaks like Zero Zero’s drum & bass quickie Anything Can Happen.

The Way Home enjoys some much slower jams, with highlights including Adriano Koch’s I’ll Keep You Waiting and Dialog’s Book Of Life, featuring Benji. There are some really good smouldering late night grooves here, especially later in the mix from Richie Culver, Lorne and Melody Gardot.

Does it all work?

It does – and you will surely be introduced to a whole glut of excellent new music if you take on Garnier’s intricately picked set.

There is also an extra EP of Garnier exclusives to enjoy. Odyssée Maison, with Dan Diamond, is a housey winner, while the percussive Resonances From The D goes deep on the techno side. Playing With The Low-End goes bassy but arguably best of all is On The Way Home, an ambient beauty.

Is it recommended?

It certainly is. This is the closest thing to an old school DJ compilation mix you’ll encounter all year – and you are strongly advised to get on board while stocks last!

You can listen to clips from the mix at the Juno website – and get a full tracklisting from the dedicated Bandcamp page:

Published post no.2,402 – Monday 23 December 2024

On record: Various Artists – Celebrate Yourself! The Sonic Cathedral Story 2004-2024 (Sonic Cathedral)

Posted on by
1

Reviewed by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Sonic Cathedral – the label that celebrates itself – marks two decades in existence with this handsomely packaged box set of classics and rarities. It’s no exaggeration to say that Nathaniel Cramp’s lovingly directed label has played a big part in the continued regeneration of shoegaze, a form of music whose versatility and staying power has continued to confound anyone miserly enough to criticise it.

By drawing on the best shoegaze from the late 1980s – and utilising some of the pioneers – Sonic Cathedral has looked for new talent and become a forward looking enterprise. Certain qualities have been retained and built upon, such as a penchant for winning remixes – marked in a disc entitled ‘Recalibrate Yourself’ – and a generous number of Yuletide covers and originals, marked in the brilliant ‘Celebrate Your Elf’. The label’s original best-ofs are found on the very fine ‘Celebrate Yourself’, while Reverberate Yourself! A Congregation Of Sonic Cathedral Live Recordings is a collection of exclusives from right down the front of the gig.

What’s the music like?

This is a brilliant collection, capturing each aspect of the Sonic Cathedral label and what has made it special. Celebrate Yourself is the true ‘best of’, rounding up 20 of the best tracks since the label began as a club night. These include the shimmering, hazy beauty of Pye Corner Audio, whose Warmth Of The Sun features Andy Bell, and the warm-hearted Early Years beauty Fluxus. Lorelle Meets The Obsolete, one of the label’s best aditions, shine on Balance, while there is a dreamy Dot Allison contribution in the shape of Unchanged. The easy tread of Neil Halstead’s Spin The Bottle is appealing. Mildred Maude bring their distinctive guitar sound to CPA II, while a new addition from Emma Anderson, Queen Moth, is beguiling. It’s great to see the label’s newer names on such good form.

If you want an extra groove laden underneath, the Recalibrate Yourself collection delivers in spades. Perhaps inevitably Andrew Weatherall takes the limelight with the laconic beat applied to Early Years’ Hall Of Mirrors, but there is plenty else to enjoy. James Holden gives a dazzling remix of XAM Duo’s Cold Stones, a flurry of exhilarating synths, while Maps’ take on Not Me But Us’ When We See is suitably epic. Meanwhile the Pye Corner Audio remake of Lorelle Meets The Obsolete’s Unificado is a wall of noise, a real thrill.

Complementing the studio recordings, Reverberate Yourself is a brilliant live collection, right from the label’s roots. It is led off by a powerhouse performance from Lorelle Meets The Obsolete, whose account of What’s Holding You? is a thrilling tour de force. ‘Epic’ is definitely the word here, applicable to The Early Years and their account of The Simple Solution, Slowdive’s Golden Hair from Los Angeles, and bdrmm’s Mono from Leeds, but there are more intimate moments too, such as Mark Peters at The Band Room in Yorkshire and Dean Wareham’s When Will You Come Home.

The icing on the cake is Celebrate Your Elf, led off by a wonderfully starry The Box Of Delights from Mark Peters, who also delivers a winsome Silent Night. Fairewell makes two excellent contributions in Christmas Eve and In The Bleak Midwinter, while A Place To Bury Strangers enjoy a bruising encounter with Kool & The Gang’s Celebration. Wrapping things up is Maps – a technicolour remix of The Box Of Delights and a stellar cover of East 17’s Stay Another Day.

Does it all work?

Emphatically. It’s easy to imagine that Sonic Cathedral could have doubled the choices on this compilation and still not lost the quality. There are winning musical moments at every turn.

Is it recommended?

Heartily. This is a lovingly compiled anniversary treat, capturing every aspect of a record label whose status has only grown over that time. We’re lucky to have them!

For a full tracklisting and purchase options, head to the Sonic Cathedral Bandcamp page – or alternatively Manchester’s Piccadilly Records

Published post no.2,401 – Sunday 22 December 2024