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Elly Roberts reviews
Cookshop
- June 2007
- Rating: 8/10
Its always been a fascination how musicians come up with titles for instrumental tracks this oddly titled collection is no exception.
Krisp is a bone fide member of Patrick Wools band. This is his solo debut, whetherhell bother again is really up to Joe Public, who I dont think are gonna gorunning out to buy it. That said, there is a real charm to the electorinica onoffer.
The genre isnt my usual bag, though the various beat shifts, tunefullness andquirky bits have enough genuine uniqueness to keep me interested. Normally, Imeasily bored with this volume of (instrumental) work, so its credit to Krispsunorthodox means of creating this which have won me over immediately.
Theres a time and place for this type of music, so I picture myself cruisingdown the A55 on the north Wales coastline with waves lapping alongside andmeandering in and out a couple of the tunnels. For this specific purpose, Casio,the title track, wobbly Blaupunkt do it best.
Its not all paced beats though, because the measured tenderness (if theressuch a thing a computer can actually create) of Paris in Winter, is warmlyengaging. Birdsong, speech, and the rising beats of Skylarks cant fail to grab you.
Like so many albums, you need several attempts to fully understand and appreciatethe skill, and art, involved here.
Amazingly, the technology hasnt been abused (believe me its easily done),because Krisp has kept his ear firmly on the music, and where he does ventureinto more organic instrumentation Steer The Woods and 43 Crash itjuxtaposes beautifully with his sophisticated, and complex, techno wizardry.
I hope Krisp does bother again. TOP ALBUM.
Weblink:jonathankrisp.co.uk
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Go Not Happy Day
2. Room Full Of Spies
3. Pomfrites
4. Casio
5. No Horse, No Wife, No Moustache
6. Blaupunkt
7. All Your Favourite Super Heroes
8. Paris In Winter
9. Skylarks
10. Steer The Woods
11. 43 Crash
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.