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Jon Hopkins - Opalescent / Ep1 (just Music)
Over the past few years, Jon Hopkins has been making a name for himself on the ambient scene. He’s collaborated with Brian ENO, produced for Zero 7 vocalist Mozes, DJed and played live at The Big Chill Bar, and last year’s album "Contact Note" was received to great critical acclaim. On top of these successes, his record company have re-released his first album Opalescent (originally recorded back in 1999) and have issued a download EP.I’ve been living underneath a big stone for a few years it would seem, as this is the first I’ve heard his work.
While it might be cold, grey and miserable outside, putting on the first track from Opalescent (and the central heating!) makes you forget all that. Elegiac's lush synths, laid back beats and acoustic guitar conjure up images of hot summers on sandy beaches with no responsibility. The album continues in a very relaxed manner.
It would be easy to mistake "Private Universe" for a William Orbit production. "Halcyon" adds piano motifs into the mix, which is pretty much the template for the rest of the album too. The mood changes towards the end, becoming bit less optimistic, but the general tone? Near horizontal.
In my opinion, the best tracks are the ones where he picks up his guitar and gives listeners something to latch on to. The danger with all ambient is that it can become a bland unforgettable background, but here the touches of lilting guitar lift the tracks they appear on.
EP1 was recorded shortly after Opalescent, but has only just been released as on online download (available through his record label Just Music and the likes of iTunes, Napster, etc.). Very much the same style of music, the mood is much more melancholy and cinematic. Eerie synths and sweeping strings usher in "Fairytale" before a haunting piano line completes the picture. The beats are back on "Song One", the most upbeat track on the EP. "The End" rumbles and clatters, apparently the slowed down sound of Jon walking up his stairs, before a beautiful simple piano tune emergerges proceeded by a low frequency that carries on almost inaudibly, bringing the EP to a quiet close.
Another quiet triumph for ambient music.
Opalescent by Jon Hopkins is out now on Just Music.
EP1 by Jon Hopkins out now (download only) from Just Music.
Just Music
King Rob
Written: 9th Jan, 06
Read: 2498 times
