From the almost nondescript and in human sounds created by Actress in his second full length album Splazsh, to Flying Lotus’ inter-stellar menagerie of free jazz, hip hop and electronics in Cosmogramma, 2010 has already proven to be a stellar year for exciting, original and intrinsically experimental electronic music.
Luke Abbott’s recently released album Holkham Drones fits well within this mould. Clearly many hours have been spent hammering all kinds of electronic machines and analogue synths to create a warm, lo-fi and sonically majestic album.
What sets Luke Abbott apart from many of this years prominent experimental music producers, is his stunning ability to create awe-inspiring melody and strong song structure. The album features many slow moving tracks, like opening two tracks 2nd 5th Heavy and Swansong and the contemplative More Room, which build muffled percussion around beautifully arranged and delicate lo-fi synths to reach a series of similarly euphoric climaxes. In tracks Whitebox and Hello Tazelaar techno influences can be heard, however they retain that same fuzzy, softness which makes so many of this albums tracks so unusual and appealing in this often abrasive genre.
This addition to James Holden‘s label Border Community, is the perfect album for any music technology nerds, but perhaps more importantly, with Holkham Drones, Luke Abbott has produced something a fresh sounding, unique, experimental album, that has melody to hold almost anyones attention. Such a feat not achieved within British electronic music in such a striking and complete way since Aphex Twin‘s Richard D James Album or Music Has the Right To Children by Boards of Canada. This is special album, from a ridiculously inventive and talented producer. Not to be ignored.
9/10