Golden Age of Steam - Welcome To Bat Country
SKU
21-BASO402.2
A trio of James Allsopp (Reeds, Klaxons, Voice), Kit Downes (Hammond Organ, Keyboards), Tim Giles (Drums) with guests on reeds, strings, bass.
"They sculpt progressive aural explorations of space that range in character from avant-garde classical to deconstructed blues"-Metro
"Somewhere, in the middle of nowhere, a dilapidated big top stands. Trudging through the rain towards it, a small orchestra is besieged by birds of paradise. Inside the tent an ill-fated clown juggles a selection of salamis (clubs pawned, loan sharks placated) accompanied by a knackered barrel organ and the purring of a cat with a megaphone. Backstage, a monstrously overweight stunt motorcyclist nervously contemplates gravity, whilst outside the bats are circling ever closer…
Welcome to the atmospheric second album from “The Golden Age of Steam”. The regular trio is augmented by string quartet, brass section, electric bass and a baffling array of samples, found sounds and electronic wizardry to create an aural journey of strange and psychedelic proportions. As a result of some intuitive, empathetic musicianship, all this activity still leaves plenty of space for contemplation and interaction."
"I'm pretty sure James Allsopp would strenuously deny any conscious influence, but parts of this second album by his trio and compositional vehicle, The Golden Age Of Steam, sound uncannily like the National Health part of the of the Canterbury spectrum. That's partly due to Kit Downes' Hammond organ....but it's largely due to Allsopp's writing. Fusing weird time signatures and hiccuping riffs, his compositions manage to feel clever anbd irreverent while sitting just the right side of smart-arsery."-Jazzwise, UK [Basho]
- LabelBasho
- UPC0832929004025