The opening track on Light Conductor‘s Sequence One nods to the experiments that Spiritualized undertook on their second album and blasts them into space. It involves the simplest of ingredients, but the effect is quite astounding; a six-note repetitive pattern, three lazy notes on bass and other analogue squelches give the overriding impression of a space station slowly revolving.
As the track progresses so light from a distant star begins to filter between planets until the whole of the viewing window is flooded with luminosity. The view may change, but the gradual rotation is a constant that will never cease. It is simple, stately and very immersive and although it only lasts for eleven minutes, it could go on forever. The six-note pattern continues into the next track, but here things become a little wilder. The drones change and the background noise becomes louder and busier. It feels like preparation for movement and engine noises eventually fill the entire vista, a slow roar blocking out all other sounds.
The drones are distant and luminous on “Far From The Warming Sun”, an echoing footstep rhythm and the injection of random hydraulic sounds are the only things that stop the track from drifting away. It is long and hesitant but hypnotic and otherworldly, like amorphous communications from some other planet. Things become more dynamic as the album draws to a close. There is a beat of sorts on “When The Robot Hits The Water” and a hectic circular motif that sits at odds with the slow tempo of the song, but when the volume blasts out for last track “Light Conductor”, it feels like being blasted back to the nineties. It is a piano and bass-led Spacemen 3-type escapade and I never tire of people attempting to update this formula. It is such a simple thing, but can always be pushed that little bit further. It is so raucous compared to the rest of the album that it does shock you a little. Here, the addition of some epic vocals mean the basic variation on a theme is a success that works even better because of the slow tempo and stargazing feeling of the previous tracks. It is the kind of earthly comedown that would mean flipping the record over to start again as the perfect response.Whether this is a one-off or they intend working together regularly, I don’t know but in some respects, I kind of hope that Light Conductor don’t push this any further. It is a perfect distillation of their ideas and an album that I would have no pause in recommending.
-Mr Olivetti-
