Tag Archive: Tisso Lake


Top albums of 2016

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December 31, 2016

One of the reasons whjambinaiy there have been fewer blog posts
this yeswordar is that I spend a lot of my free time writing music reviews for the online ‘zine Whisperin’ & Hollerin’.

This year I reviewed a grand total of 240 releases and although 2016 was by no means a vintage year there is still plenty of good music around. This, as always, exists on the margins away from the mainstream.

My preferences continue to veer strongly towards weird folk and post rock and the following are the ten albums that I enjoyed the most with links to my reviews:

  • JAMBINAI – A Hermitage  Jaminai are a trio from South Korea and I wrote that “The power and intensity of their music taps into the feelings of anger and isolation felt by a new generation suspicious of the conservative forces that seek to control them”.
  • YAIR YONA – Sword  Yair Yona is a gifted Israeli musician and this powerful instrumental album “covers universal themes of personal endurance and trauma”.
  • MODERN STUDIES – Swell To Great  Ornate and dreamy British folk music from a supergroup of sorts.

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TISSØ LAKE – CARNIVALS AND SOLITUDE

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March 28, 2014

Exif_JPEG_PICTUREThe 7″ single Carnival/Canter on the DIY imprint ITLAN based in Edinburgh, Scotland marks the welcome, and long overdue, return of Tissø Lake, the recording project of Ian Humberstone.

I blogged about his album Song Of The Black Dog in 2008 but since early 2010 he has gone off the radar.

Now he’s back and the good news is that the single will be closely followed (on April 14th) by a re-release of ‘The Hollow Wood And Wondrous Cold’ which was recorded in 2005. Unless you live in America and snapped up a copy of this on the now defunct Banazan Records label, the ten tracks on this mini album will also be new to you.

Both records are highly recommended for lovers of quiet, introspective folk music. I love ghostly yet intimate quality of his songs which, to borrow a line from the song I Am A Lake, leaves you with the feeling of being “breathless and alive”.

Ian very kindly agreed to answer a few questions about his song writing and the background to these releases:

How come The Hollow Wood And Wondrous Cold was only released in the U.S and why has it taken 8 years to reach Europe?

Ian Humberstone

The Hollow Wood and Wondrous Cold was recorded when I was still in my teens, making music with whichever instruments fell to my hands, borrowed microphones and a reel-to-reel recorder salvaged from a local sixth-form college (it was headed for the skip, though with some care it’s served me well since). There were few people interested in releasing the album at the time and the best offer came from a U.S. label who wanted exclusive rights to the album. Those rights only recently expired, freeing up the record for re-release. Continue reading →

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BEN REYNOLDS AND THE NEW WEIRD NORTH

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June 27, 2008

ALBUM COVER

Up until now, Ben Reynolds‘ solo albums have been a mixed bag.

Drone orientated pieces with titles like ‘O Time Thy Pyramids'(on ‘O Joy & Beyond) or ‘The Bard’s Vision Over Stinking Fires’ (on ‘Silver Songs’) left little doubt of his skills or his experimental intentions but somehow lacked a real heart, coming across too often as exercises in style rather than genuinely expressive.

They are interesting and sporadically striking works but Reynolds’ personality seemed strangely hidden.

This cannot be said of his beautiful new album – ‘Two Wings’ out now on Strange Attractors Audio House. Continue reading →

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Rob St John – An Interview With A Leafy Gent

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February 16, 2008
leaf

The delicate charm of Rob St John’s ‘Tipping In’ EP shows that inspiration of New Weird America is far from being just a stateside phenomenon.This is a magical record which I had no hesitation in giving a 10 star rating in my Whisperin’ & Hollerin’ review.

Three tracks and less than 15 minutes left me wanting to hear more and also made me curious to find out more about the man behind the sound.

Rob very kindly agreed to answer some questions.

So if you want to know why Jack Johnson sucks, how musical dots can connect Godspeed You Black Emperor with Bert Jansch or simply need a hearty veggie meal in Edinburgh, read on …….

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