Leafcutter John – Yes! Come Parade With Us

Border Community

Leafcutter John‘s latest comes with a stylised map of the east coast of England, and places that we can visit from where he has taken some of the samples used in the construction of the seven tracks here. It is a great idea and somehow, along with the brief descriptions John provides of the circumstances surrounding the pieces, it feels as though we could almost be there.

There is a real joy to the tracks on Yes! Come Parade With Us, which is often rare in the electronic world. They bounce and sway with an enthusiasm that is infectious, the modular rhythms putting smiles on the faces of all who hear.

There is a kind of strident groove on ‘Doing the Beeston bump’ that, allied to the familiar crunch of pebbles underfoot, draw us coastward. Motorik drums from Sons of Kemet’s Tom Skinner, wild with splashes of cymbal are insistent and add a tangible extra burst of humanity. The joy here continues into the title track, the recording of waves so vibrant, we could dive right in. There is an 80’s Euro vibe here and is bright and shiny and positive. It feels good just to sit back and allow it to wash over you and carry you away.

John has a real knack for capturing the vibrancy and thrill of the natural world in his field recordings and then surrounding them with a sympathetic backing that is like an aural snapshot. “Elephant Bones” uses the sounds of yacht masts fluttering in a breeze. This piece is more fluid and intricate with what sounds like a tabla lending an Eastern vibe along with the Cretan lyra. “Stepper Motor” is a little more thought-provoking and awash with samples, and it is quite fun just to sit back and try to figure out what is what. Visiting an Oriental aviary springs to mind here.

The final two tracks feel like the end of a long day. The slow post-punk (if you use your imagination) of “This Way Out” is distorted and shrill, the sounds about to shatter as the sun starts its journey below the horizon, casting shadows over half-drunk pints of beer; while final track “Dunes” dispenses with all form and drawls lazily in our ear as the night arrives. and bed beckons. It would be fun to follow in the footsteps of John on this album and attempt to recreate his idiosyncratic odyssey. Imagine the wide variety if results — but for the time being, immerse yourself in his little holiday sketches and allow yourself to be charmed.

-Mr Olivetti-