Psychogeography in Song
Two records I have been looking forward to came out last Monday: Luke Haines’s latest opus – which I shall refrain from ranting about at this time – and Herculean by The Good, The Bad & The Queen.
I had been looking forward to hearing something from Damon Albarn’s latest project since July when he announced who he was working with and that they would be appearing at the Electric Proms as well putting out a song cycle about London. With the band’s personnel and track record, it would either be premier over-hyped nonsense or something special. If nothing else the band’s name was clever, being a description of all the people who shelter under London’s amazing but tattered umbrella.
As a rule, any single taken from an album termed a ‘song cycle’ should be horrible and poncey, but Herculean is not. From the moment Albarn sings: ‘Standing on the dark canal by the gasworks’ you get it. This is psychogeography in song.
From his weak, nasal, Essex la-di-da meets South London suss voice to Paul Simonon’s inner city inspired dub bass, Tong’s suburban white boy guitar to the Nigerian Afrobeat of Tony Allen – this is London as hub and hoodoo, the capital as cultural crossroads. What comes across in this four-minutes of contemplative, hymn-like music are artists with a real feel of the spirits London.
Tony Simonon is right when he says in interview ‘London is a kingdom in itself’ and this is music that could only have ever come from there.
I had been looking forward to hearing something from Damon Albarn’s latest project since July when he announced who he was working with and that they would be appearing at the Electric Proms as well putting out a song cycle about London. With the band’s personnel and track record, it would either be premier over-hyped nonsense or something special. If nothing else the band’s name was clever, being a description of all the people who shelter under London’s amazing but tattered umbrella.
As a rule, any single taken from an album termed a ‘song cycle’ should be horrible and poncey, but Herculean is not. From the moment Albarn sings: ‘Standing on the dark canal by the gasworks’ you get it. This is psychogeography in song.
From his weak, nasal, Essex la-di-da meets South London suss voice to Paul Simonon’s inner city inspired dub bass, Tong’s suburban white boy guitar to the Nigerian Afrobeat of Tony Allen – this is London as hub and hoodoo, the capital as cultural crossroads. What comes across in this four-minutes of contemplative, hymn-like music are artists with a real feel of the spirits London.
Tony Simonon is right when he says in interview ‘London is a kingdom in itself’ and this is music that could only have ever come from there.
posted by David at
12:00 AM
2 Comments:
Paul Simonon? Wow. So i guess that's what he's been doing lately.
That 'London is a kingdom in itself' should not escape anyone. It's like Los Angeles. It calls its own shots and takes no prisoners.
We, the Elektrik Malokeiros, are very pleased to receive the visit of a Psicogeographist in the Death´s Day. Be our guest and feel free to come any time you like.
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