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Album Review
by SashaS
24-3-2003
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| KingOfWoolworths' musical illustrations |
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King Of Woolworths: 'L’illustration Musicale'
(Mantra Recordings)
King Of Woolworths’ round-da-clock expansion
Another Sunday, another blank screen and some ultra-pleasant music to compliment the morning’s sunshine over the freshly delivered papers. The disc helps us to overcome disappointment/dismay/ fury over 27 pages being dedicated to ‘the war’ – damn it, we don’t read propaganda! – and it is by King of Woolworths, a collection of sounds that certainly is learned, informing as well as entertaining. This is a follow-up to the 2001’s ‘Ming Star’ by Jon Brooks, whose trading-name is a smile-inducing King Of Woolworths. This Woollies neither sell inferior goods at rock-bottom prices nor is losing market-share.
The “heavily sample-based’ debut is now augmented by ‘L’Illustration Musicale’; it is “another of his obsessions – library music,” explains the press release, “influenced by and directly named after a lesser-known French library music label, of whom Jon is a big fan.” It then helpfully adds that, “He doesn’t stop there, his cap is also doffed at the likes of KPM, De Wolfe, Eddie Warner and the late Delia Derbyshire (BBC Radiophonic Workshop and mercurial figure in the electronic music world.) Track No.7 is named after her.
These compositions, it is difficult to call these pieces – songs because there actually is a trio only on the album, establish his library recordings by building different soundscapes, be it funky opener ‘G-Plan’ or more pensive ‘Montparnasse’, beaty cosmo-noisenik ‘Hub 100’. Dot Alison graces dreamily wistful ‘Sell Me Back My Soul’, Japanese chanteuse Cima Cima voices ‘Evelsong’ and the delightful Delgados’ front woman Emma Pollack lends her talent to a mutated Sixties-soul number ‘Nuada’. (It is a pagan God of the Sun, if you happen to be into crossword puzzles.)
Before it we get jolly ‘123 (Brillo’s Beat)’ that is xylophone driven ode to a feline (yeah, real cat of that name) and followed by piano-only minimal-but-glorious ‘A12’ and the spacious, walk-in-the-park gorgeous, ‘This Is Radio Theydon’. Understated, subtle and entirely elegant disc. There is something noble, something above-gravity with instrumental pieces that soar like doves of (mythical) freedom… The inner, obviously; the outer is continually being shattered by the guns of gluttony (i.e. neo-colonialism).
‘L’Illustration Musicale’ opposes the crassness and aggro living the XXI century is turning out to be; it doesn’t challenge it though, it simply let’s you withdraw from it for its sonic phase. Yep, this album hasn’t only made my Sunday but many other days of the week because it is such a great de-stresser.
8/10
SashaS
24-3-2003
King of Woolworths’ album ‘L’illustration Musicale’ is released 24 March 2003 on Mantra Recordings
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