November 13, 2000
Music For The Home (Instrumental, Mechanical And Electronic Music
Heck, 'COPY' even features a typewriter as backing track. A not altogether disagreeable distraction. ..
Even without bit parts in underground films or sculpture commissions at Tate Modern, Rob Ellis already has the CV of a renaissance man. A drummer, arranger and sometime co-producer with PJ Harvey; responsible for strings on Placebo's latest album; percussionist with Laika; major domo with Spleen... One would imagine his restless spirit has had its
fill. But no. Here's an 'environmental' album, supposedly comparable to the works of Steve Reich and Steve Martland. And, in reality, you can only blame Brian Eno for those intellectual
pursuits disguised as ambient albums, like 'Music For Airports', all those years ago.
Nothing really unpleasant takes place, of course, even if the opening suite of white noise would suggest a difficult undertaking is at hand. Ellis has digitally edited and layered piano pieces, random noises, and curious instruments to form a suite of impressionist interludes that lull the listener and jar at appropriate intervals.
On 'Parade In Your Palm', he's like Rasputin let loose on a keyboard, while the excellent and evocative, penultimate, 'Arctic Crossing' features rhythm for the first time, with drum thwacks like footfalls in the snow. Heck, 'COPY' even features a typewriter as backing track. A not altogether disagreeable distraction.
Dele Fadele
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