Tag Archives: Courier Sound

Switched On – Wil Bolton – 23 (Courier Sound)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Wil Bolton’s interpretation of Courier Sound’s ’23 musical ideas in 23 minutes’ takes its inspiration from a series of walks he made during the year 2023 in East London.

Bolton takes up the story in the press release for the album. “For these walks, I would follow the London Overground railway arches around Leyton, Walthamstow and Forest Gate, fascinated by the mixture and contrast of old and new businesses located beneath the train lines, from mechanics and scrap merchants to micro breweries and artisanal bakeries.

During these walks I also took a set of 23 photographs of these arches and made occasional field recordings on my iPhone. Back in my studio, I combined these lo-fi field recordings of forklift trucks, drilling, welding, pigeons, freight trains, traffic, muffled conversation and birdsong with modular synthesizer sequences and drones, looped Mellotron melodies and effects pedals.”

What’s the music like?

A thoroughly enjoyable listen. Bolton’s musical postcards are varied, colourful and very descriptive of the area in which he walks, and on headphones the listener can get a real sense of perspective – not just from the music but from a few ‘scene setters’ – the opening Freight, the sound of a reversing vehicle on Hazards, the outdoors of the city brought to life.

Elsewhere Bolton uses melodic nuggets or brightly voiced chords to portray his subjects, sometimes in dreamy interludes (Arches) or in fuzzy profiles (Bakers Arms, or the gorgeously voiced Overgrown) These are countered by cautionary asides, or busy electronic activity (Padlocks). There are brief interludes (Hazards, Unauthorised) or slightly extended thoughts such as Boarded Up, where distinctive mottos are introduced.

Does it all work?

It does. The only regret is that some of these pictures and moods are not extended further, as Bolton has a most appealing style, easy on the ear and always creating.

Is it recommended?

Yes. 23 is a colourful, meaningful portrait of an urban borough, but with the relief of natural beauty – all accurately painted in sound.

For fans of… Bibio, Boards of Canada, Future Sound of London, Biosphere

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Published post no.2,273 – Saturday 17 August 2024

Switched On – Eumig: 23 (Courier Sound)

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reviewed by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

A fascinating challenge lies behind this album. Recently Courier Sound released an album of 23 tracks in 23 minutes by their artist Alien (aka Alastair Johnson), and it was so successful that label head Stuart Bowditch decided to set the same challenge for Eumig, aka Nick Dawson.

Given Dawson’s preference for working with drawn out structures, this needed a change of approach – akin to asking Schoenberg to write wearing Webern’s hat. He has responded with a set of musical postcards that meet the brief and create a very concentrated piece of work.

What’s the music like?

Fascinating and extremely varied. Dawson has in effect created a single work by taking the small cells and knitting them together. The music moves between the ideas logically, and flits between intimate asides and much bigger textures, the camera panning out to take in enormous vistas.

Each minute has its own important part to play, but highlights include the distinctive sighing motif of Law Of Diminishing Returns, then the glitchy pair of Electronic Communication and Audio Lingual Acquisition, introducing a sharper edge to proceedings. Worship Of Heavely Bodies is appropriately stellar, while the friendly signals of Primary Colours are nicely placed. Pteroylmonoglutamic Acid (easy for you to say!) has a big presence, like a large assembly of machinery grinding into action.

Does it all work?

Yes. There are some extremely concentrated ideas here, many of which could easily run for much longer and carry the same intensity. The tapestry is woven in a compelling fashion however, Eumig’s thoughts logical to follow but also taking a few unexpected turns.

Is it recommended?

Yes. 23 is a great idea for a challenge to throw down to a composer, and for someone used to composing in much longer forms Nick Dawson handles the shorter form with aplomb. It will be interesting to see what effect this form of working has on his output in the future.

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Playlist – Courier Sounds

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It gives us great pleasure to welcome Courier Sounds to Arcana’s steadily growing playlist section.

Courier Sounds, whose Silhouette Cameo 3 LP was released in October, also did a mix to celebrate their ninth year as a label. It’s compiled by Stuart Bowditch who has previously contributed to the Essex Sound and Video Archive (which can be found here, The British Library, Cities and Memory and The Field Recording Archive.

Begins with the space-style intercom of Eumig’s The Cassegrain but soon broadens out into the sonorous, held notes of Lunar’s Oscillate that waver very slightly – and very pleasantly – in pitch. Lachrylic’s Ellipse is more noise based, with sharp tones that have a sinister undertone, but Bowditch flips the switch, changing the outlook dramatically with ambient but penetrating midrange tones.

I won’t tell you what happens from there on, but safe to say this is a mix that evolves like one continuous note, changing its sonorities in really interesting ways throughout. An intense form of ambience, which really focuses the mind.

The tracklisting is:

Eumig – The Cassegrain
Hybernation – Ptolemy Cluster
Lunar – Oscillate
Lachrylic – Ellipse
Bowditch & Kipps – Proscenium
Silences – (Everyone) Turns To The Wall
Viridian – Cathedral Speech
Belly Full Of Stars – skipandwow
Bowditch – Being
Isnaj Dui – Sunspot Loop 4
Furrows – The Disappearance Of The Things We Loved
Gagarin – Holmbury Hillfort
Wil Bolton – Anguk
((((((PALINDROMES)))))) – Shy
Eumig – F = 2.0 x
Sonicslice – HR2491
Eumig – Eugon A
Diacritical Mark – Lozenge
Graham Dunning – Bulkhead
Rainbow Valley – First Light
Alien – Perimeter (Live 28/11/2017)
Bowditch – Saturday