Monday's Long Song

 

Last year Red Snapper, a London based instrumental band, returned after a hiatus with Barb And Feather, an album I listened often. I played it during the eastern time and returned once again to their essential compilation of EP's and reworks Reeled And Skinned from 1995. 

Formed in 1993 by drummer Richard Thair and Ali Friend on double bass. Shortly later David Ayers joined on guitar. On their early recordings their music was a mixture of a rough mix of jazz, breakbeats,  rockabilly bass, country, surf punk, and early techno. For a few songs Beth Orton joined the trio which imbues the soundscape of In Deep with a dark, chanteuse-like charm. For me it is an another overlooked gem.

Reed Snapper - In Deep

Barb And Feather

 

A few weeks ago Red Snapper released their new album Barb And Feathers. Formed in London in 1993 as a instrumental band and in the beginning, they played straight jazz with double bass, sax and guitar, sometimes infused with Beth Orton's voice and new sounds for the time.

I became aware of this record when my youngest brother copied it for me and raved to me about the then new sound mix of dub, jazz, post-punk, techno and trip-hop. 

The album has two different parts and on side one they celebrate a faster sound. Ban-Ti-Do starts the record with a Lust For Life-esque rhythm with a surf guitar and horns that reminds me to the best days of Pigpack and ends with a cover version of Bowie's Sound And Vision.

 

Side two is a collaboration with David Harrow an English music producer, DJ and multimedia artist. He might be known as the producer of Anne Clark in the mid eighties. This side is more an excursion in reduced electronic sounds. Red Snapper take the chance to combine their music with the Harrow's experiences from his collaboration with Jah Wobble and Andrew Weatherall. Mostly smoothly flowing rhythms with dub and reggae influence.

 

And as mentioned here is a song from their early EP with Beth Orton

Moon

I always liked the voice of Beth Orton and a many of their songs. As long as I know her she made her very own mixture of folk and electronica. During the last years she made collaborations with Red Snapper and Chemical Brothers and these song have an own kind of magic. Now Beth released a new record and it is much more based in club music than before. On this record for me it is like she has one finger on the acoustic string and the other on the loops. Very clearly, very much focused and emphasised the songs romp about between blustering Tribal beats, vague D'n'B clicks and Orton's inimitable voice. Another music for late at the evening.

Beth Orton - Moon