Overlooked Gems:Lost worlds of Wonder

A Hand Picked 2 CD Album Special Offer: Includes Albums from Europa 51 & King of Woolworths


Full CD albums: click for more info

LCD46 King of Woolworths - Rediffusion

LCD38 Europa 51 - Abstractions

King of Woolworths - Rediffusion

The king is dead, long live the king!
In his previous incarnation of thrift shop cool, King of Woolworths released two albums of sumptuous downbeat exotica for Beggars Banquet. Now he’s back bigger, bolder and better with the album of his life and yours: Rediffusion. A fantastic jouney through the mind of a madman, a very nice madman but one obsessed with analogue synths, 60’s library music and melodies so sublime they leave you feeling all gooey inside.
Digging through crates of dusty vinyl in his native Manchester he finds the audio seeds that will inspire him to make his outlandish creations, working deep into the night he fashions beauteous melodies and funking beats from his analogue arsenal of moogs and arps.
In communion with the ghosts of Serge Gainsbourg, Roy Budd and Scott Walker, he conjures up music so warm and fertile it breathes life into grey corners. Restores juice to withered limbs, puts blood in dry veins.
Over fourteen tracks of analogue bliss, Rediffusion shows a marked departure from his previous works, and displays King of Woolworths’ constantly blossoming finesse and dexterity. This is undoubtedly the album that deserves to make the King as renowned as his kingdom.
(Oh and for anyone who remembers the cult 70’s show Budgie with Adam Faith, there’s a cover of the theme tune, The Loner.)

Europa 51 - Abstractions

Lo Recordings are happy to bring you a new project from Stereolab-ers Andy Ramsay and Simon Johns with musical compadre Steve Russell and a host of guests including the late Mary Hansen of Stereolab on vocals.

The team also includes Marcus Holdaway, John Bennett and Dominic Murcott from High Llamas. Dominic Jeffery of Stereolab who also plays in legendary songwriter Lee Hazelwood's touring band, jazz bass player Simon Thorpe who has worked with Carlene Anderson and Bobby Wellins, and classical harpist Celine Saout. Guy Fixsen from Laika mixed the final recordings.

And the result, as you would expect, is something like Sun Ra meets Stereolab at a folk convention, or Van Dyke Parks producing The Incredible String Band maybe...

Ultimately it?s as unusual as you would hope and as accomplished as you would expect.

Andy Ramsay has worked with High Llamas, Add N to (X), Turn On and Splitting the Atom as well as Stereolab. Simon also fronts his own psychedelic rock group Imitation Electric Piano. Steve Russell is a classically trained composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist.

Reviews:

LCD46 King of Woolworths - Rediffusion

LCD38 Europa 51 - Abstractions

Tracklisting: