Sometimes when beginning to listen to a new artist, it’s better to cut the bullshit and just listen.
Regardless, context, or at the very least a story of some kind, goes a long way. With Ra Cailum I believe I struck the perfect balance. My only frame of reference was two pieces of writing from the man himself. The first was taken from Cailum’s bandcamp:
“I recorded this album from January – June 2011. The album is dedicated to Delia. This was her album before it was a Ra Cailum album. Every track on this album was recorded with her, with her instruments, in her house, etc., except for Reminders of You, which I recorded in my home. The album is comprised of Nine memories, a reaction, and a response.
I miss you.”
The second from his Facebook page as his album dropped, “eh fuck it! Here is the album! I don’t want to wait until tomorrow or Wednesday. I hope you like it!”
It’s times like this when I get truly excited by the online, digital space in which we now share and enjoy music. The ability to receive an undiluted message from the artist is a rather poignant thing, especially when it comes to an album as emotionally turbulent as this one. At times it dresses itself like an early Bibio record, lush acoustic guitars fragment and loop over open spaces and rich ambience. In others it pushes the envelope of what a dark beat driven album can achieve. But free from genres and waves, Bite Marks is what it fucking is; it’s raw, uncompromised and audacious. Perhaps like Delia herself.