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d_rradio have been the cause of many palpitations in our gaff since their early sightings for both Awkward Silence / Static Caravan and latterly via Newcastle’s re-invigorated Distraction imprint. To date both the shy eyed ‘u_nderscore’ and ‘self titled’ (download only compilation) full lengths have delicately arrested our turntable while their triptych of 7” releases all housed in specially commissioned sleeves for Distraction saw the collective harnessing and honing their cosmic orchestrations to near pristine perfection.
After a prolonged sabbatical they return to the fray with this frankly exquisite 10 track darling simply entitled ’the album’ and a lathe release appearance via those dudes at Static Caravan (see below). In short ‘the album‘ is awash with lilting drift like daydream landscapes - the chattering beats, the lush lunatic swirls and the tenderly soft and divinely hypnotic grace like folds that have marked their compositions out as being remarkable and in a class of their own in the past are still in evidence. However added to that matrix ’the album’ brings a sense of assured ambition to the table, a measured elegance is apparent - a sensitive air applied to the arrangements both in space, texture and presentation. Each of the tracks sumptuously falls into the caressing embrace of the next creating a smooth luxuriant symmetry, gone is the fragile and frail almost hesitant nature of previous outings such as ‘ice on the path’ and ‘dust and guitars’ in their place a more polished and exacting romanticised approach is ushered in that overall can be best described as seductive symphonic satellites sweetly lonesome and remote yet silkily radiating with rapturous glee.
From the teasing arpeggios that shimmer and tingle throughout the closing credits of the porcelain ‘way out’ with its rustically hued stretching and snoozing daybreak like beauty playfully daubing the listening space in hazes of pastel watercolours it soon becomes apparent that d_rradio have crafted a delicately spellbinding low level lights dimmed nocturnal mood inspired binary funk beauty (check the utterly adorable ‘wish for more wishes’ for further evidence) along the way the usually cold and sparse idm signatures sensually endowed with a soulful persona that’s found dusted and tweaked by a gorgeously celebratory floorshow of intertwining brontean cascades and pastoral dimples - to sully this with the generic term folktronica is to stricken it with a lazily off hand unappreciative casualness ’lifted’ to use as an example applies the same primary baroque styled template as utilised by fortdax on his gloriously abandoned ’at bracken’ mini full length and shifts the amorous free spirited magisterial effects to the next level to encompass a tempting untamed folly of wide screen tumble like cascades richly swept with bountiful images of vivid rural landscapes. Those much in admiration of d_radio’s trademark lunatic baubles won’t be left wanting on hearing the appropriately titled ’bag of lovely’ while the shyly toned caressing peek a boo ‘blow out’ with its breezy folk florets and melancholically stained noire laced string sheens should ensure hat by its close there’s not a dry eye in the house.
The heaven sent ‘paper soul’ braided with alluring shanty styled vistas and deliciously tousled with pining pirouettes of waltz like willowness is a shimmering three way meeting point between the Cocteaus, ‘loveless’ era my bloody valentine and early career Toshack Highway whereas elsewhere with its interloping key shimmies and hiccupping beats comes across sounding not unlike a frosted ‘movement’ era New Order with a touch of the Autechre(s). ‘long way home’ wraps up the set in true farewell style, reminiscent in some ways to those early career outings by the Earlies, this honey toned gem parts with a reclining carousel of orbiting rustic rambles, feather light ebbing and flowing drone swathes and tingling ethereal choral charms to bade adieu and shepherds you off to dreamland - an enchanting and exquisite experience for all.
www.distractionrecords.com
Key tracks -
Paper soul
Way out
Lifted
Wish for more wishes
Go to http://www.last.fm/music/d_rradio/d_rradio for a chance to hear the full album streamed for gratis.
Further sightings and listening experiences -
‘so long’ appears on ‘volume 7’ of the free to download compilation from Silent Ballet - http://www.myspace.com/chaosresolved - other featured artists cheju, millimetrik, gloworm, parachutes, artic hospital and much more.
Also Static Caravan are taking orders for an ultra limited lathe release - 100 copies only due shortly.
MARK BARTON
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