KING OF WOOLWORTHS – REDIFFUSION (LO RECORDINGS)
December 6th, 2004 by susanna
King Of Woolworths is Mancunian Jon Brook. His third and latest album recently appeared on London’s eclectic Lo Recordings label. Significantly, Lo Recordings, as well as being home to some of the more left-field and unexpected electronic offerings released over the last few years, has previously released four intriguing compilations of 60′s and 70′s French and Italian library music. Entitled ‘Nuggets’ and ‘Connectors’ these were selected by, respectively, Luke Vibert and Barry 7 (of avant electro popsters Add N to X). For the uninitiated library music is off-the-shelf music produced in the hope it will subsequently be used in TV, radio or film productions.
The Rediffusion of this album’s title was the company responsible for weekday Independent TV for London throughout the 50s and 60s. Perhaps less well known was the company’s music arm which, up until the early 90s, was a purveyor of piped muzak for supermarkets and cafes.
Much like its predecessor ‘L’Illustration Musicale’, ‘Rediffusion’ is drenched in the cheap but alluring perfume of daytime television of yore. Indeed music from King Of Woolworths’ earlier productions is to be heard in current TV programmes and adverts (for Orange). Personally I don’t have a lot of time for daytime TV but I do have a lot of time for this album. Whilst sonically ‘Rediffusion’ looks back over its shoulder to the library music of the late 60s, it has enough intelligence and style to be rooted very much in today. There are definite hints of bands perhaps more familiar to Big Chillers; think Air, Boards of Canada, Zero7 or perhaps Lemon Jelly, Blue States or even the Art of Noise.
The album opens with ‘Coccolo’ which initially seems an unlikely marriage of psych-tinged exotica and daytime TV style brass, but then the beats drop and it all makes sense. The next track ‘Big Sur’ is pure Boards Of Canada circa ‘Music Has The Right To Children’ – right down to the 60s’ American educational docu’ movie sample at the beginning. Beautiful, melancholic but (unlike BOC) dirt free.
Then it’s on into the pure French movie retro of ’7 Tranches’; visions of spring blossom, rain drops, white raincoats, lovers smiles and perhaps a single tear brought on by the knowledge that nothing lasts for ever. And indeed it doesn’t as we are plunged into the Hammer Horroresque bad sci-fi trip of ‘Yellow World’ riding on a rolling sea of beats and fat synthetic waves.
Up to this point the album hasn’t put a foot wrong. But the next track ‘Barillas’ misses slightly with it’s tense Latinate lounge percussion and weird noises. In common with all the weaker tracks on the album it is more in the incidental music vein, it doesn’t really seem to go anywhere. Despite a beautiful fusion of bimbling synths, harps and Bontempi home organ style percussion the next track ‘Ameublement’ could be accused of the same failing.
The album snaps back into focus when a French vocal sample introduces the oddly named ‘Music For Schools’. Its melody is massive and its beats uplifting. The piano part which appears in the last third of the track gets to the hairs on the back of my neck every time.
The centre-piece of the album is ‘Windrush’ which, with its electric bass, synth chords and strings, is firmly in Air or Zero7 territory. The appearance of prog rock style lead synth and splashing cymbals three minutes in is pure high-quality cheese. Indeed like much real prog rock, at nearly eight minutes long, this track appears convinced of its own genius. And who are we to argue?
Next up is ‘Loner’, allegedly the theme from 70s TV series Budgie, I don’t recognise it but it’s pleasant enough. Then ‘Slimcea Bossa’s’ head nodding circular flute riffs take us straight back to incidental music territory. It redeems itself with a lovely Gorgio Moroderesque synth in its second half. Penultimate track ‘Divertissements’ features mesmeric slow vibrato synthetic vocal chords laid over keyboards, all underpinned by a twanging Twin Peak bassline.
The album ends on a high point with ‘Stimulus Progression’. This is Francophile 60s American skyscraper foyer music. Going up, not stopping until the top floor. When we reach the skyscraper’s viewing platform I imagine we will catch a glimpse of the woman from the movie suggested by the earlier ’7 Tranches’ with her new Amercian boyfriend. And with that the movie is over and the house lights come up.
If I have a criticism of ‘Rediffusion’ it is mainly a structural one. For such cinematic (or at least televisual) music, if this was a film we might find the emotional gears crunching too much. Also, unlike its predecessor, this album features no guest vocalists to provide occasional character actors. But while I could probably live without a couple of the less engaging tracks on here, we are, to be fair, given (exactly) an hour of mostly exceptional music.
Simon Manilla
Rediffusion is out now on Lo Recordings
(You can hear an excerpt of the track ’7 Tranches’ over at the Lo Recordings site.)
