Salford
Electronics – Communique No. 2 – Tesco Organisation Germany – CD/DL- Tesco 117
– 2017.
1.
Neon
Rain.
2.
Prestwich.
3.
Cease
to Function.
4.
Broken
Shadows.
5.
Ritual
No.6.
6.
This
Sickness.
7.
Lost
Transmission.
8.
Another
Place.
9.
Capitulation.
10. Getting the Fear.
I’ve
been sat on this album for a few months, When I ordered a Grey Wolves CD, I
decided to also see what Dave Padbury does now, so I got Communique No. 2 as
well as a Grey Wolves album (Exit Strategy), both oddly enough tie in well
together as that is the end and this is the now. This ties into my ‘now’
massively, through my interest on the blog in fractured, moder atmospheres of projects like Occulting Light and
Tetsuo coupled with my personal obsession with Tower Block Flats this work appeals
to me.
To
trace the timeline, I must go back to The Grey Wolves, for example their
contribution to the Death Odours compilation - Riddled with Cancer (as I only
have little bits of GW). This is a classic example of the more ambient side of
The Grey Wolves that existed, as did the more aggressive Power Electronics
side. Also if you listen to the Broken Techno of Exit Strategy, you hear a rich
atmosphere that also exists in the straight ambient material too, it was indeed
an exit strategy, but in a way bits of the old project that were always there
carried on into Salford Electronics. I needed to say that, but I also need to
get back to Salford Electronics.
When
I think of Salford Electronics, I think to the Twitter account that seems to
post images of buildings, particularly Tower Block flats, graffiti that points
towards social unrest. Most of these images are from the past, they seem to often
be based in Manchester. I often wonder, does the creator of this music come
from or live in Salford, perhaps live in a tower block making these sounds at
1.00am in the morning walking around at odd hours for inspiration?
The
music on Communique No 2, is rich and atmospheric, not just ambient, more of a
soundtrack. It’s described as Bladerunner like and futuristic, I believe the
project jars the then and now of Salford, of Manchester. It’s a walk, late at
night around the city, seeing the lights, the shops, the houses and remembering
what was once there.
When
I play this, I feel that it looks back to past events in places. I question is
it best to walk around Salford in the early hours listening to this to get the
full picture? I scrolled the Twitter as I played this and the images and sound
just jarred off each other. As daunting as some of the images are, they are
also intensely beautiful.
The
electronic soundtrack element is rich, when I play this I feel like it’s midnight
and I haven’t slept, I feel this music makes perfect sense during those times
and fits in well with the Autumn season. The deep drones seem to resonate, as
if a long urban landscape, some of the electronics resonate night activity and
rain. I feel the music resonates the beauty of the past and present as if in
awe of the coldness of different times and locations. I find myself lost in the
work when playing it, at times I am submerged in it.
In
terms of my relation to the sounds and the images, I think this is a rich album
that fuels the imagination. I feel more visuals are needed with the album, but
they are also out there to find. There are other Communiques on the Bandcamp
for me to investigate. I may have waffled about the past and wanted to get more
of it, but instead I got smacked with everything that is great about the sound
of now. Get this CD before it sells out.
Nevis Kretini 2019.
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