a release whose titles read like chapters from a young person’s book of maritime lore… ‘Mysterious Island’, ‘The Ghost Whale’ and ‘Galleon & Gunpowder’ contain words fit to stir the heart of any ten year-old who dreams of the Boyhood Of Raleigh and reads a picture book about going down to the sea in ships under the bedclothes with a torch. PAUL MARGREE, TARQUIN ZINE Issue 10, 2018. NEIL MASON, ELECTRONIC SOUND Magazine, Issue 39, 2018. Tracks like the drifting mist of 'Kraken', the unsettling ebb and flow of 'Ancient Mariners Seasick and Scurvy' and the cries of 'The Ghost Whale' make for an unsettingly powerful listen". Expanding on gentle electronics and field recordings, Clarkson ropes in 808 State's Graham Massey (sax/assorted percussion) and cellist Ruth Davies, to great effect. "The Manchester-based recondite electronicist follows last year's 'A Red Guide to the Coastal Quicksands of the British Isles' with this equally intriguing, aquatically-themed outing. The music benefits more from this refined balance, I think. I enjoyed the more balanced output of this one as opposed to the somewhat frequency heavier previous one. Clarkson’s music is all about delicate and refined moods and while I though the previous album was his best effort so far, I think this one is even better. A touch of sustaining guitar sounds, the lovely saxophone in ‘The Ghost Whale’ or the peaceful violin sounds of ‘On Reflection’. Sounds washing ashore, taken from real sea waves as well as synthesized versions thereof, and much of what Clarkson does is not very abstract, but more melodic spacious but always with a melody hidden or in plain sight. Clarkson delivers again a very fine and delicate album of great atmospheric music. That is also the most complex piece of the six pieces (total length, sadly, only thirty-two minutes). Massey contributes on one piece bamboo flute, bell tree, congas, glockenspiel, melodica, skulls, vibraphone and on another baritone saxophone and bass clarinet and Ruth Davies plays cello on the first track with the extended Massey instruments. He plays to that end synthesizers, keyboards, drum kit, drum machine, harmonica, and field recordings as well as scratched 78s. This new album continues Clarkson’s interest in doing music ‘on mysterious coastline and aquatic subject matter’. He has more Factory Records connections, working with Vini Reilly (The Durutti Column) and with Alan Hempsall of Crispy Ambulance a duo called Scissorgun (which is also the name of an album by the Ambulance). Here he appears on a release by Dave Clarkson, who first works as Illuminati (see Vital Weekly 428) and since a few years under his own name (VitalWeekly 1077 and 965). "The name Graham Massey doesn’t pop very often in these pages for one could say he’s solid star of dance music in 808 State in the late 80s and before that active with Biting Tongues, who released on Factory Records. Graham Massey: Bamboo flute, bell tree, congas, glockenspiel, melodica, skulls, vibraphone (Track 4).īaritone saxophone and bass clarinet (Track 6).Īll tracks written and produced by Dave Clarkson except, tracks 4 & 6 written and produced by Dave Clarkson & Graham Massey. The resultant music is a triumphant combination of unsettling but absorbing sounds with a new interest in acoustic instrumentation, and even a Krautrock feel at moments."Shore Ghosts and Sea Mystery" sees Clarkson exploring expansive (forgive me) new waters.ĭave Clarkson - Synths and keyboards, guitars, drum kit, drum machine, harmonica, field recordings, scratched 78s. Expanding the palette from the field recordings and subdued electronics of the previous releases ("Music for Lighthouses" and "Coastal Quicksands of the British Isles") to include drum kits, guitars, scratched '78s and harmonica as well as guest musicians Graham Massey (of 808 State and Biting Tongues) on saxophones and assorted percussion, and Ruth Davies on Cello. More information, availability and CD purchase and download: /album/a-blue-guide-to-shore-ghosts-and-sea-mysteryĪ new themed collection of music based on supernatural and mysterious aquatic subject matter. Each CD is enclosed in a plastic flexible case with a liner insert. Released on the Linear Obsessional Recordings label on as a download and a limited numbered edition of 100 CDs.
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