┌┬┬┐┌─┬─┬─┬┬┬┬─┬─┬┬┐
│ ┤└┤*│││┌┤ │ ┤┌┘ ┤
·--─┘ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────-·
artist · blue states
release · the walkabout
year · 1999
genre · lo-fi
label · memphis industries
catalogue · mi007t
website · www.memphis-industries.com
date · 30-may-2004
quality · 206kbps/44,1khz
source · vinyl
·--────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────-·
a1 walkabout 4:54
a2 stereo 99 4:36
b1 loose cannon 6:57
b2 lost and found 3:06
playtime · 00h 19m 33s
·--────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────-·
memphis' first and most successful signing to date, blue states
accidentally established themselves at the forefront of the
burgeoning wave of downtempo acts way back in 1998. using his
multi-instrumental talents, andy dragazis blended guitars, bass,
drums, fender rhodes, bouzuki, the hammond organ and anything that
sounded good when it was hit. and the 12"s kept coming, including
the classics 'your girl', and 'walkabout', all becoming rare and
sought after collectors items.
but none of the blue states eps quite prepared you for the grand
melancholia of the debut album 'nothing changes under the sun',
released on memphis industries in september 2000. taking in
influences as disparate as vangelis and the shadows, "nothing
changes." drew favourable comparisons with anybody from air to
tortoise to, bizarrely, the cure, stunning critics and punters
alike with its glorious retro-futurism.
'nothing changes...' also attracted the attention of stateside
loungecore legends the thievery corporation, who decided they
liked it so much they'd sign it up to their own imprint,
eighteenth street lounge for release in the usa. also a highly
sought after for remixes, blue states have worked on tracks
including badly drawn boy's 'disillusion', layo and bushwacka!'s
'love story' and future sound of london's 'papua new guinea'.
and now it gets interesting. never one to try and replicate his
past endeavours, andy d enlists chris carr (vocals/guitar) and jon
chandler from the live band to become fully paid up members of the
blue states clan. with andy moving up to london from the rural
idyll where the first two albums were recorded work began on their
third album in autumn 2003.
with chris taking on lyrical and vocal duties the soundings sees
blue states once again morph into something new. the layers of
strings and brass are stripped back to reveal something darker and
more personal. this ain't no soundtrack to an imaginary film. oh
no. it's got tales of last nights and lost fights, visions of
wingless angels illuminated by the glow of a fruit machine in an
old man-pub and alien abductions across scandinavia. it's the
sound of an inveterate optimistic being kicked in the teeth.
again. sonically, it hints at talk talk and pretty much anything
on factory records. except the railway children of course.
·--────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────-·
visit ln~#klangwerk