Distance [Digipak] - Marconi Union

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Not applicable
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Not applicable
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Fantastically Spookily Eary Stuff
Disadvantages:	None at all Really

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Marconi Union are a publicity shy reclusive Mancunian duo, who produce beautuful experemental ambient music. This album is their second release and has been put out on none other than ambient supremo Brian Eno's All Saints Records. It is billed amoungst other things as a soundtrack to a film that has not been made, or "as a single unified piece of work exploring images of travel and city living, with certain reocurring themes that appear in various forms throughout the duration of the album. The music evokes the feeling of being silently driven around an unknown city at night, observing the activity and life of the urban sprawl from the sealed safety and isolation of a car." [1]

The album consists of seven peices (or movements) which seem to ebb and flow as a seamless work, with echoey synths and ultra minimal guitar work. This is a welcome respite from the norm for guitarists to fill spaces with as many notes as possible, leave the gaps alone dudes is what I say. As the album progresses there is the occational peak and trough as instruments join and leave the journey, greating a highly evocative and hypnotic effect.

The overall impression the music gives is one of isolation and lonleyness with the odd tingle down the spine for good measure. Driving home from my work in the pub listening to this is fantasticly spookily eary stuff so we can safley say that they have created the desired effect, which is a fantastically spookily eary soundscape which accompanies the city of its birth quite nicley.

[1] - http://www.dotca.co.uk/marconiunion_distance.html