Matthew Bourne - Moogmemory

  by Keith How

published: 27 / 4 / 2016

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I know nothing about Moogs. My inner nerd dissolved into a tangle of imaginary wires, leads, memory boards and confusion as I attempted to understand what the legendary Matthew Bourne was up to on this project . I mean oscillators? Modulation processors? Or even lintronics? So, my confession is I am completely lost. So down to brass tacks. The album is called 'Moogmemory' and the sounds within are made, or possibly programmed, and recorded. But you ask what does it sound like ? My first impressions are of some hidden secret Cold War bunker. Opening composition 'Somewhere I Have Never Travelled' sets this mysterious mood. It is dark and brooding, and there is a hint of menace in the air as the machine pulsates into life. 'Alex' continues the mysterious sense, humming along gently to itself and adding one or two bleeps and pulses. 'Moogmemory' is beautiful. There is the feel of analogue warmth that encompasses the whole album. Broad sweeping landscapes embellished by delicate electronic brushstrokes create light and shade. You are transported into the world of HAL in '2001; A Space Odyssey', wandering through the body of a living breathing spacecraft, yet in equal measure you could be cast adrift on a bleak, brooding Yorkshire moorland surrounded by the warm colours of Autumn. Bourne uses the Moog Synthesizer to create wide sweeping soundscapes and yet never really breaks into a sweat, although 'Sam' bubbles and fizzles like a mouthful of sherbet fizz cleverly throbbing away in a dance all of its own. Bass frequencies shudder and shake the furniture while developing into near silence ('Horn and Vellum',) while the final track 'I Loved Her Madly' has an almost Cathedral-like ambience. It is dark yet delicate with a reference to Arvo Part’s minimal beauty and John Foxx’s 'My Lost City'. 'Moogmemory' is a far cry from Bourne’s 'Radioland', here showcasing his ability to create works of real depth. This offering is inspirational, serene and inventive. A work of genius.

Track Listing:-

1 Somewhere I Have Never Travelled (For Coral Evans)
2 Alex
3 Nils
4 On Rivock Edge
5 Sam
6 Andrew
7 Horn and Vellum
8 Daniziel
9 I Loved Her, Madly

Band Links:-

http://www.matthewbourne.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mortbutane
https://matthewbourne.bandcamp.com/
http://www.songkick.com/artists/237318-matthew-bourne

Label Links:-

http://www.theleaflabel.com/en/index.php
https://www.facebook.com/theleaflabel
https://twitter.com/theleaflabel
https://www.youtube.com/user/theleaflabel
https://plus.google.com/109098497483046618790

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