Customer Reviews

E Luxo So

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Catholic monk Thomas Merton in his book No Man Is An Island wrote of the paramount importance of silence in all things - without silence, he held, there could be no real beauty. It remains to be seen whether Mark Nelson has been studying Merton's writings, but it's not difficult to appreciate the vast stillness that lies at the centre of Labradford's fifth record, E Luxo So.

This is a record of slow, measured pieces of music that are simply constructed around uncomplicated guitar and bass lines, spare touches of keyboard and murmuring electronics. It's fitting that in the pieces are merely numbered 1 to 6 - such music ultimately needs no titles, for what purpose would they serve?

Those looking for a reference point for such music might well begin with the compositions of Arvo Pärt, who weaves simple yet eloquent pieces from largely static themes. It could also be said that E Luxo So is both the logical extension of Labradford's earlier music and the herald of Mark Nelson's later work as Pan American. I feel, however, that in the end such references are useless. Labradford, having progressed from the murky, uneasy rumble of such records as their third, self-titled, album, have moved beyond the stage where their work demands comparison.

The music barely moves and yet is strongly moving - it is a journey inward at whose "end" (the sixth piece, whose frugal guitar melody suggests unspeakable loss) I realise that to have heard this record is in fact a new beginning. If what I have written seems pretentious, it is merely because I am striving to express in words what E Luxo So merely hints at through music and it is inevitable that I should fail - silence by its very nature defies explanation. END

Perhaps the two most important components of creating memorable mood music are the use of restraint and a respect for silence. In other words, it is everything a composer leaves out of a piece and the sufficient spaces created between the remaining instruments and notes that lead to the most compelling soundtracks. Consistent with the above "rules" of composition, Labradford's ambient instrumental music has become more and more effective as it has grown increasingly sparse and minimalist, just like the blurry black and white image that graces the cover of the band's third release, E luxo so. I don't have any idea if Carter Brown and Mark Nelson are still the creative force behind the group; neither their names nor their pictures appear on Mi Media Naranja or the current release. But I don't think it matters if I know; the sparse packaging, abridged liner notes and untitled songs seem intentionally austere in order to direct the listener's attention specifically to the music while nevertheless maintaining an air of mystery regarding its production.

Each of the six songs on E luxo so feature a different instrument to evoke divergent and sometimes conflicting moods, but there is something meaningful here for every lost soul patient enough to notice the unique way that sound can alter the significance of images - either on a movie screen or in one's head. E luxo so contains hammered dulcimer, droning, delay-pedaled Morricone-esque guitar, vibraphones and key changes that pay reverent homage to Angelo Badalamenti circa Twin Peaks, simple, spacious piano chords that fall somewhere between the hopeful spirit of Mark Hollis and the bleak emptiness elicited by Gordon Sharp - particularly on the latter half of Cindytalk's In This World - and strings to complement the proceedings. The result is beautiful but ambivalent and tension filled - the ideal sonic catalyst for remembering, or forgetting, all of your mistakes.

This is Labradford's 5th album and quite possible their best yet. They've clearly progressed from the dense and murky waters of 'Prazision' and 'A Stable Reference', swapping cluttered and hazy music that was often hit and miss for crystal clear beauty. The six tracks on E Luxo So are incredible in both their simplicity and their emotion. Seemingly effortless in their composition and playing their is nothing here to detract from the feeling and mood at all, indeed silence might as well be listed as an instrument for this lp as the Richmond trio (of Carter Brown (Keyboards etc), Mark Nelson (Guitar etc) (who also records with Pan American) and Robert Donne (bass etc) use the 'sound of silence' as carefully and with as much skill and precision as any they do with each note from the piano, each shimmer of cello.

Labradford have been pruning back on their sound since the beginning, song titles such as "Accelerating on a smoother road" are now replaced with a single digit number. The hused and whispered vocals are completely absent and rarely can more than two or three instruments be heard together, but as Labradford head off towards the vanishing point they're leaving behind the music that memories are made of. Nostalgia and even emotion just aren't the same after this record. Truly breathtaking.

Labradford has steered away somewhat from the darker, dirgier moments of prior efforts such as "A Stable Reference" with this one. The third track is actually a beautiful, sweet piano piece, with a sensitivity not found on previous releases. The final piece closes out the album in true form with a melancholy guitar line and dulcimer melody. None of the pieces have vocals, which is something I think improves the music over previous releases. Sad, simple and soft.

I bought this album as a result of previous reviews I had read. I am new to the "post-rock" genre and from first listen I am impressed. I had recently only delved into Godspeed... and was looking for something a bit like it yet distinguishable on its own.

This album can be very sparse at times and at others very dense. Their use of effects at the correct times enhances moods and enables the listener to step outside the usual "aural" boundary.

At times, this is reminiscent of Steve Reich and at others similar to Brian Eno. Both of their influences can be heard here. Don't get me wrong, this is no easy listen. Someone who is looking for radio-friendly, melodic-based music will not find what they are looking for. These are soundscapes and should be regarded as such. Then again, you probably would not have wound up here looking for any typical radio-friendly material.

It's good to know that musicians can still experiment and make enough to eat. Bravo to Labradford. I look forward to their purchasing their other releases in the near future.

Not an introductory piece for people new to Labradford but nevertheless a grand album of beauty that comes from almost simplicity itself. Piano lines and guitar motiffs float around on the album without ever becoming grounded and the listener should benefit greatly from listening to this album with headphones on in a comfy chair. So soothing and calming, even more-so than other Labradford releases. Electronics permeate through the piano and penetrate the mind with clicks and subtle static sounds.

I cannot review each track as the album is a whole package than individual pieces. But for those looking for relaxation then I would recommend this, for those interested in Labradford I would recommend Mi Media Naranja or Fixed::Content first then this one and the others.

Well, Keir Strickland below has said it better than I ever could. If you enjoyed "Mi Media Naranja" then have no fear with this one. If anything, it's sparser than the previous album but no less engaging.

There is a lot of this type of music around at the moment - I feel like I've been waiting for it to come - and it may be that some of it is churned out just a little too easily. Labradford's material sounds deceptively easy but a lot of work has gone into these compositions.

This is a CD that I play often and do not tire of.

but the rest of the lp [is great]. I saw it one day in my local record store, and was intregued by the jacket. I didn't buy it though, cause I don't have $20 to toss on a record I've never heard before. So I listened to the clips on amazon and bought the cd. The cover is pretty much what they sound like. Modern, urban, sophisticated. Uncluttered, but with lots of implications. Far away, hazy, enigmatic, somehow melancholy, calm with some sort of sense of unrest. Very good for rainy days, which today is. You'll have to skip over the third track, because it's kind of like this boring piano thing that pulls apart the cohesiveness five other tracks have worked so hard to provide. (and I like piano>>>Rachel's, erik satie etc.) Still, don't let track 3 deter you from buying an otherwise good cd.

Listening to your favorite songs of Labradford is like being surrounded by the most beautiful part of a song you love and simply staying with that part and floating in its beauty. It is quite a purifying experience during which the peace inside of you strengthens and solidifies and the space between you and all unnecessary distractions takes over. It is helpful not to be planning your next moves when you listen to this music. Labradford provides a perfect background to...here, now. When you listen to P or S (yes, these are titles of their songs and both these are from Mi Media Naraja) all you feel like doing is to press repeat 1 and delay your next engagement. At least I do. After I got really hooked on this music back in 2003 I had spent around 6 months listening to nothing else but Labradford and often to P or S on repeat 1 for hours on end. The gates of your mind become wide open, believe me. Their last 3 albums are my favorite, Mi Media Naraja (1997); E Luxo So (1999); Fixed: Context (2001), with my most favorite songs being on Mi Media Naraja, but I still prefer the overall feel of E Luxo So (aside from song titles). Although I do like music of Pan American (Mark's following act), some of the spirit is just not there for me any more. Labradford's 3 final albums (as of 2009, and I do hope they will have me revise my sentence) are a mixture of ambient minimalist music, fragments of beautiful melodies here and there, some background noise and a mastery of delays, loops and echoes.

Many people listening to great music might have a problem with getting into Labradford. This music will annoy you extremely, bore you to death, or reveal its beauty and power to you. I really don't want you to be resentful towards me. Here are a few reasons why not to listen to Labradford. You are waiting for music which never comes. You are tired of constantly skipping to the next song. You get a feeling that your speakers are failing or your equipment is falling apart. You may feel like you just want to strangle these guys, which is bad for your self esteem. Because it is much better to tune into your favorite reality show than to deal with this crap. Obviously, personally I don't feel this way but I like to starve myself at times just to experience the process...and the taste of bread afterwards.... For me less often means more... Please, download a single song of Labradford, like P or S or E Luxo So 1 or 6 and make sure you can call it music...Here are my favorite songs of Labradford and Pan American: P, E Luxo So part 1, S, E Luxo So part 6, Settled, Twenty, Code, WR, E Luxo So part 3, G, Starts Friday.

being that this is such a short album by today's standards, clocking in at just over thirty-nine minutes, i will keep my review relatively short as well: minimal ambient heaven pressed onto aluminum.

this noteworthy virginia-based trio craft their pieces using pianos, organs, strings, guitars, found sounds, and occasionally employ minimal tick-tocking electronic sequences, but the origins of the sounds are lost to the listener as s/he ascends with the music into a timeless aether. fragile, perhaps slightly melancholy, the mood here isn't dark as much as it is meditative and peaceful.

the slow pace of the songs, along with the sparse arrangements, illuminate one of the most precious aspects of minimal and ambient music: the spaces between the notes share equal importance with the sounds themselves. these pieces often hint at a melodic songiness that lingers with you long after you've finished listening. track #6, in particular, is a gorgeous way to finish this album.

if you only buy a handful of ambient albums in your life (and you should), this ought to be one of them.