Beaking the mold
I've been in a bit of a self-imposed rut lately. With all my DJ gigs and parties, I have really only been interested in dance music, new and old, stuff that I can play at a party. This is generally where my tastes lie anyway, but playing out on the regular means I am even more focused than usual. As a result, I barely give my promo CDs a chance before popping them out of the drive and saying "nope". For this, I sort of feel the need to apologize to the folks that send me things hoping I'll post them. But I am just being overly selective.
Anyway, when something that isn't "dance music" comes across my radar that I end up really giving a close, focused listen to, it really must be something special. The Gloaming is just that, something special. I've had this CD, Home Demos & Studio Scraps, sitting here on my desk for a couple of months. When I first put it into my computer, I listened to all the way through - turns out it is twenty tracks of skittering, spooky, yet pretty, extremely interesting and listenable instrumental music - I then ripped it, then listened to it again twice through, and immediately emailed the contact-info on the CD.
The Gloaming, it turns out, is Bristol-based musician Benjamin Schillabeer, who I actually know because of his work with Sink and Stove Records label, and their releases for You Say Party! We Say Die! and The Playwrights (who I posted about in 2005). Anyway, Benjamin is working on more songs, a bunch of which are available from the two Gloaming myspace pages (1, 2). He tells me he is working on releasing an EP early next year that will pick some of the best of his 'studio scraps' which should be really great for him, as this stuff is really excellent and deserves to be heard.
And yes, I know he is wearing a Music For Robots t-shirt. Because he is clearly awesome.