MUSIC | Previews 84 THE LIST 1 Feb–31 Mar 2018 84 THE LIST 1 Apr–31 May 2018
P H O T O :
K A T G O L L O C K
NEO-CLASSICAL POPPY ACKROYD Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 11 May
Lauded for challenging classical music’s status quo and more formal generic conventions, neo-classicism has found some heavyweights in the form of German trio Nils Frahm, Max Richter and Hauschka, alongside the likes of Nico Muhly and Ólafur Arnalds. Their blurring of boundaries between classical styles, modern pop and electronic registers has resulted in an overlapping of worlds, with new audiences becoming accustomed to classical tropes. As a more recent addition to this skilled generation of contemporary composers and musicians, Poppy Ackroyd makes use of similar stylistic devices, but pushes further towards melodic and rhythmic synchronicity in her minimalist landscapes.
In 2017, Ackroyd signed to Bjork’s One Little Indian label, releasing mini-album Sketches shortly after. Her new self- produced, full-length collection Resolve is her most progressive and ambitious work to date, featuring guest instrumentalists for the first time, with Manu Delago (hang), Mike Lesirge (flute / clarinet) and Jo Quail (cello) augmenting Ackroyd.
‘With the other musicians, I asked them to explore the
instrument and to create as many weird and wonderful sounds as they could,’ Ackroyd says about the process. ‘I then spent hours sifting through the recordings and choosing sounds and short percussive ideas that I could rearrange and build the track from.’ Resolve is filled with interesting and unorthodox sonic
experimentations but the album as a whole is more personal in its thematic content. ‘It’s about the determination to embrace the good things in life whilst dealing with unexpected and challenging difficulties,’ she explains. ‘And finding light in the dark, facing sadness and loss head on, and developing a growing inner strength.’ Resolve is a mature and bold record, placing the composer in the same domain as some of the neo-classical, post-minimalist wunderkinds. (Arusa Qureshi)
EVENT RECORD STORE DAY 2018 Various venues nationwide, Sat 21 Apr
Vinyl lovers of Scotland, get ready for another night out in the cold and an early opening at your favourite record shop – with bacon rolls when the doors open, if they’re being really good to you – because Record Store Day is here again. And take lots of money with you, because as usual there will be a huge amount of special stock and exclusives to track down.
At time of writing, Monorail in Glasgow are winning hands-down with their roster of entertainment on the day, although they do have a gig venue and restaurant (Mono) on the same premises. They’ll have live sets from Virginia Wing, Bossy Love (pictured) and Hairband, with DJ sets from Blanck Mass, White Horses and Shoot Your Shot, while Glasgow’s Rubadub will welcome some of the best DJs in the city, including Bake, Sofay, 12th Isle, Domestic Exile and Russell Haswell, as well as a live set from Burrell Connection (and an afterparty at La Cheetah with Kowton and Parris). In Glasgow, Mixed Up and Love Music are also celebrating RSD, with the latter taking over the upstairs room at Dow’s across the street, where Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5 are confirmed so far. In Edinburgh, meanwhile, Voxbox and Underground Solush’n will both will have a lengthy roster of live and DJ guests, none of whom are confirmed as we were putting this together, while Assai Records will welcome Hamish Hawk, Brown Bear, Ian Siegal and more. Coda say they may not programme bands this year, but they will have most of the RSD stock, a raffle to win a turntable and – crucially – bacon rolls for the first 50 through the door. (David Pollock)
CHARITY COMPILATION GLASGOW NIGHTS Out now
With any kind of compilation record based around a broad theme, you’ll get moaning minnies coming out of the woodwork from left, right and centre. The thread running through Glasgow Nights is that of acts who earned their musical stripes on the city’s vibrant live scene. Still, that this is a charity record in aid of anti-poverty group Money Advice Scotland will no doubt have little bearing on folk who like to have a right old complain: where are Simple Minds, Orange Juice and Twin Atlantic, you can literally hear these types whine? Well, maybe they’re on the backburner for a future compilation. For now, there’s ample quality and distinct breadth to keep sensible people content.
While the thrust of Glasgow Nights is of contemporary acts and sounds, you certainly can’t criticise the curators of ignoring the past with theme songs from both Taggart and Gregory’s Girl receiving an airing. Among those donating tracks for the cause are Mogwai with ‘Eternal Panther’ (an atypically vocal-heavy B-side from the ‘Party in the Dark’ 7” single), the Pastels’ ‘Boats’ (a Japanese-only bonus track from 2013’s Slow Summits), and Marnie’s ‘Electric Youth’ (taken from the second solo album by Ladytron’s vocalist / keyboardist).
Also represented are further local heroes Roddy Hart & the Lonesome Fire, RM Hubbert, Sacred Paws, Spinning Coin, LYLO, Errors and Franz Ferdinand. The naysayers might say their nays, but such an assortment of Glasgow goodies should keep toes tapping and charity boxes filling. (Brian Donaldson)