I love 4-hero.
Not only do they make incredible music but the sheer scope of what they produce is evidence of a deep love of the rich, broad spectrum of black music. Anyone hearing ‘Mr Kirk’s nightmare’,back in ‘91 could be forgiven for thinking that 4hero were in the business of making novelty records but 15 years (!!) of making killer music has put pay to that particular theory, their latest release being no exception.

Whereas ‘Two Pages’ and to a lesser degree ‘Creating Patterns’ sometimes fell victim to the overbearing ambition of it’s creators, ‘Playing with the Changes‘, somehow manages to find enough room to squeeze in all these influences, without sacrificing their own distinctive voice. A good example this is the track, ‘Morning Child’, which, whilst positively haunted by the ghost Charles Stepney still manages to retain that unique (ex-)dollis hill, future soul vibe.

People go crazy about the production skills of the late, great jdilla. But for all his undeniable talent he was working within the relatively conservitive fields of hiphop and rnb. These guys hit up jazz, broken beat, detroit techno, soul, funk ,house and a load of styles that don’t really have names yet and somehow manage to represent in all of them.

Sometimes it’s easier to rain down love on artists based in detroit or nyc than the ones who are just around the corner.

Here’s to London’s finest.
4hero-Morning Child

not wanting to fall short of my mantle as purveyor of melancholy, internet-derived, acoustic ear balm not to mention the fact that two thirds of the hl will be hopping in the merc and heading to the seaside to catch some of j tillman’s meanderings next week, i figured it was time i got around to at least a cursory attempt at the review i promised way back in october, of the j tillman album, minor works.
now the thing is i don’t write for pitchfug or none of those worthy-opinionators and i can’t quite seem to seperate the man from the music and the music from the myth. and i’m so utterly enamoured of this release (his first real record on the admirable keep recordings) that i really can’t be objective.
josh tillman has a quiet, stoney voice which must barely register on an mixing desk eq, his fingers squeak on the fretboard and you hear him breathe. maybe its because he’s pouring his heart out with such concentration and earnest that forcing volume as well as emotion might deflate him too much.
when he first posted a couple of tracks from minor works on his myspace page i wasn’t so impressed. there was some slide guitar and even a (whisper it) drum, so used was i to his voice and guitar four-track bedroom demo ‘long may you run, j. tillman’ that this occasional loudness was an affront. but when i listened closer and found the melody and his subtle, measured gothic way with words still wove its way around the more trad alt-countryisms it just gave me even more reason to listen to minor works on repeat.
i think he’s so talented that words almost fail me (yeah, i did say almost) so just listen…

j tillman - restlessness

So I have quit cigarettes (again).

Feels good.
Well, it will do in a few days.
Right now I’m in constant growl.

In an effot to ease the pain I have been trying to compensate by indulging in other ways.

Chocolate, booze and music seem to be doing the trick.

Here is something that has been going round my head (insanely) for the last couple of days. It’s by AManCalledHorse and it’s about grace (which is what I need right now, more than anything).

Check it out.