A constant source of surprise and quality, Buried Treasure’s output is always a satisfying one, and this modest masterpiece from Modified Toy Orchestra’s Brian Duffy is no exception.
Dedicated to the memory of Brian’s dear friend Trish Keenan of Broadcast, this project began as a coping strategy for the overwhelming feelings of loss her tragic death caused. Never intended to be heard by anyone and too emotionally painful to re-listen to, these tracks were put aside for years until Brian returned to the project afresh and finally completed this touching memorial.
Produced entirely on the System 100 semi-modular synth produced by Roland in 1975, it’s an elegantly crafted affair that’s full of sweeping soundscapes and melodic hooks. Subtly bathed in the retro glow of tape echo, spring reverb and vintage distortion, the music is diaristic, a sense of grief slanting towards the euphoric and joyous, its tunes evocatively taper, float round your hemispheres with a beguiling ease.
The oddly medievalised waver and clank of “Art And Fear” and its tiptoe notation. The waltzing apparitions of “Dreamy Recorders”, its ambering lilt slowly detonating in re-focused warmth. A heartfelt memory of a friendship’s chemistry, slipping into the celebratory colours of “Echo” and “Everything You Gave Me Was Good”. Both insanely good, fantastically realised tracks that skip in the same alt-pop shadow of Robert Rental and Thomas Leer’s The Bridge as so many of the other tracks here also delight in doing so.
There’s no denying that retro taste is a strong one, fountains a late seventies / early eighties saturation of electronica that even now still informs our musical futures; peppers this album’s rhythmic fascination, that needling sense of intrigue each track kernels. Instead Of Faint Spirit is such a rewarding listen. The electro-clad title track is frankly amazing, a rush of energetic shapes maggoting your brain. Brave, brazen and totally alive; the same can be said about “Remember That Glorious Day”’s triumphant trappings.If you love a classic synth sound, you’re going to fall head over heels for the tunes here, as the twisted EDM fervour of “Recorder And Claps” gets under your skin in all the right ways. Grief is evident, dark touches hug these contours and there’s plenty of otherworldliness and apparition arc to savour; but this remains surprisingly upbeat, giddy on the good time geometrics of a strong kinship.
-Michael Rodham-Heaps-
Buy the album direct from Buried Treasure here.
