parsley sound - parsley sounds
mo'wax a label in hibernation yet somehow still pushing the boundaries. just more subtly than previously.
no longer the instrumental hiphop label of previous years with no sign, so far, of a dj shadow to propel the label into media hype overload. will this lot reverse that current trend ?
instead, james lavelle and his little gang have decided to release anything that appeals irrespective of genre, from last years minimal chicago house loops from jordan fields 'moments in dub', to this pastoral/acoustic mellowness... has james just discovered the lo-fi world now that everyone else has moved on ?
comprising of tracks released on different labels (warp) under different names (slum) and several new additions this provides a small glimpse into the world of parsley sound.
opening with a 3rd generation taped track which reveals lots of sonic dropout, yet despite this the track is truly gorgeous and melts. harmonies from a lost 60's pop classic making a wonderful start, though a nice full proper studio version would be very welcome.
next comes 'twilight mushrooms' continuing the innocent and sweetness, again this is a basically recorded demo type of track that would normally be hidden away on a cd single. oh it was .. thankfully though they have realised that this is excellent and have left it unwashed.
and so the lp continues with several other wonderful surprising elements like the addictive 'springs near', which lifts a familiar bass line from 'perfect smile' by the the. hurray. but also adding an old school analogue syth from 1974 and a flute part turning this into a strange muzak type of track, somehow it works. just.
other tracks are so minimal both in recorded level, and instrumentation and vocal parts that they do tend to blend together becoming a cohesive whole, but when this is done with such warmth the listener is a willing participant. there are some twists though, like the sci-fi theremin type sounds to bubbling bleeps, and the beta band vocal treatments that appear in a few places.
personal fave has to be the excellently named 'templechurchmansions' with its strange clicks and beats, the far off trumpet snippets are wonderful and hold the track together in the loosest sense. kind of like skylab used to do before they disintegrated under a heavy cloud of dope. truly wonderful .. expect this to soundtrack deep meaningful adverts for some hi-art design program.
and so the lp is almost complete, other than an unlisted strange noisy electro track at the end jarring you out of your sonically induced slumber - cheeky monkeys. lure us into their otherworldly pop music and then pull the duvet away just as all feels well with the world.
all in all an interesting start.
now, will someone please give them a proper multitrack tape recorder .. and let the folks really show us what they are capable of as this definitely feels like it is a just a sneaky peak into the band capabilities.