Album: World of Echo
Artist: Arthur Russell
World of Echo is a collection of Russell's songs from 1980 to 1986, all of which add up to an ethereal soundscape that is completely immersive. Though he gained little public recognition in his lifetime, Russell did catch the attention of his avant-garde peers and collaborated with the likes of Philip Glass, David Byrne and Allen Ginsberg. World of Echo includes several covers of disco standard like Wax The Van and Let's Go Swimming but without the disco beats; the latter was Russell's only single release and was a precursor to the tech house genre that emerged in the late 80s. Let’s Go Swimming sounds, like many of the songs on the LP, like a whispered confession, more a mumbled poem set against cello feedback. Where the lyrics are discernible, on Tone Bone Kone for example ("I'm so happy that I met you / and came to find, this evening / you gave me good advice"), they have the sort of metaphysical quality of Nick Drake, though perhaps not as coherent. I love the weird rhythms of Tree House and the serene, spacious Soon To Be Innocent Fun / Let's See. There are also sublime moments on the record, like Being It and See-Through, that create a very modern form of mind-bending psychedelia. That mournful quality to his tenor singing voice also has a narcotic effect on my mind. My only hope is that the US vinyl reissue released this year makes it over to these shores.
Artist: Arthur Russell
Born: Oskaloosa, Iowa
Released: September 1986
Genre: Avant-garde Disco
Influenced: Jens Lekman, Tracey Thorn, St Vincent, Grizzly Bear, LCD Soundsystem
Though 1986 was a barren year for pop music, there were several musicians in the mid-80s, from Sonic Youth to The Jesus & Mary Chain and Arthur Russell, who were experimenting with noise and reverb to create entirely original takes on existing genres. The one least likely to catch on with the music press and public was Russell's attempt to wed disco beats and avant-garde cello music to create a mutant form of dance music. Released on Rough Trade Records in the UK, World of Echo is unlike any music created before or since. Unsurprisingly, the record sank almost without a trace. When Russell died from AIDS in 1992, there was a slight revival of interest in his music but it wasn't until the last decade, when several compilation albums like Calling Out of Context (2004) and Love Is Overtaking Me (2008) were released, that his reputation started to grow. As an eMusic member at the time of the latter's release, I took a punt and was hugely impressed -- Oh Fernanda Why, I Couldn't Say It To Your Face and the title track are wonderfully emotive folk songs, showing the wide range of Russell's talents. As the co-founder of Sleeping Bag Records, he'd also released several cutting-edge disco singles like Kiss Me Again (1978) and Is It All Over My Face (1980), but some of his most experimental work is to be found on World of Echo, with its rhythmic pulses and melodies that drift through various layers of echo and reverb.
Though 1986 was a barren year for pop music, there were several musicians in the mid-80s, from Sonic Youth to The Jesus & Mary Chain and Arthur Russell, who were experimenting with noise and reverb to create entirely original takes on existing genres. The one least likely to catch on with the music press and public was Russell's attempt to wed disco beats and avant-garde cello music to create a mutant form of dance music. Released on Rough Trade Records in the UK, World of Echo is unlike any music created before or since. Unsurprisingly, the record sank almost without a trace. When Russell died from AIDS in 1992, there was a slight revival of interest in his music but it wasn't until the last decade, when several compilation albums like Calling Out of Context (2004) and Love Is Overtaking Me (2008) were released, that his reputation started to grow. As an eMusic member at the time of the latter's release, I took a punt and was hugely impressed -- Oh Fernanda Why, I Couldn't Say It To Your Face and the title track are wonderfully emotive folk songs, showing the wide range of Russell's talents. As the co-founder of Sleeping Bag Records, he'd also released several cutting-edge disco singles like Kiss Me Again (1978) and Is It All Over My Face (1980), but some of his most experimental work is to be found on World of Echo, with its rhythmic pulses and melodies that drift through various layers of echo and reverb.
World of Echo is a collection of Russell's songs from 1980 to 1986, all of which add up to an ethereal soundscape that is completely immersive. Though he gained little public recognition in his lifetime, Russell did catch the attention of his avant-garde peers and collaborated with the likes of Philip Glass, David Byrne and Allen Ginsberg. World of Echo includes several covers of disco standard like Wax The Van and Let's Go Swimming but without the disco beats; the latter was Russell's only single release and was a precursor to the tech house genre that emerged in the late 80s. Let’s Go Swimming sounds, like many of the songs on the LP, like a whispered confession, more a mumbled poem set against cello feedback. Where the lyrics are discernible, on Tone Bone Kone for example ("I'm so happy that I met you / and came to find, this evening / you gave me good advice"), they have the sort of metaphysical quality of Nick Drake, though perhaps not as coherent. I love the weird rhythms of Tree House and the serene, spacious Soon To Be Innocent Fun / Let's See. There are also sublime moments on the record, like Being It and See-Through, that create a very modern form of mind-bending psychedelia. That mournful quality to his tenor singing voice also has a narcotic effect on my mind. My only hope is that the US vinyl reissue released this year makes it over to these shores.
Comments