Plutonic Rainbows

Nummer - Second Sight

April 12, 2017

Bleep Records:

Out via Brian Not Brian’s Going Good label (Moon B, Aquarian Foundation), Nummer’s debut full-length is the artist’s second release on the imprint following 2014’s Reach EP. Opener ‘Liege Trinite’ neatly details what is to come, moving between classic after-hours house, Balearic lead lines and Bladerunner synth soundscapes, and the title track is a masterfully curated spool of grooves that lasts a full ten minutes. Neatly juggling both deep house and techno with more ambient interests as well as occasional nods to breakbeat and other leftfield club musics, Nummer’s eleven pieces here are the sort of edge-of-the-dancefloor fare to make clubgoers swoon as well as sounding great at the afterparty.

I haven't heard this yet (except for the previews on Bleep but it certainly sounds interesting.

Richard Barbieri - Planets + Persona

April 11, 2017

Released last month, this new album from the ex-Japan keyboard player is his third solo album. This has the usual soft-jazz leanings and elegant drum patterns one has come to expect. They are augmented by some very exquisite samples but I can't help thinking that inspiration this time is a little short in supply.

Night Of The Hunter and Unholy prove to be the exception with the latter proving that Barbieri can still conjure some magic.

The album is available on Audio CD and Vinyl and should please fans, even if it doesn't ever reach the perfection that was evident on Things Buried, his 2005 debut album.

Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie

April 11, 2017

Self-titled album from the Fleetwood Mac duo is expected to be released on Atlantic Records on June 9th. This is the first time they have collaborated together and the album was recorded at The Village Studios in Los Angeles. The album features ten tracks.

Lyndsey Buckingham:

We were exploring a creative process, and the identity of the project took on a life organically. The body of work felt like it was meant to be a duet album. We acknowledged that to each other on many occasions, and said to ourselves, ‘what took us so long?'

UK pre-order vinyl is quite reasonable.

Palamino Blackwing 602 Pencils

April 10, 2017

Recently I've been spending quite a lot of time with these lovely writing tools. I originally found them while on study leave in Japan and went on-line to have a look at them in more detail.

The Blackwing 602 features a very smooth and firm graphite inner. It comes in a gunmetal grey finish and also features the iconic square black eraser on the end. These erasers are replaceable. The pencils themselves last quite a long time.

These (slightly) expensive pencils come in packs of twelve and are highly recommended.

Keith Seatman - All Hold Hands And Off We Go

April 10, 2017

New album from purveyor of 1970s hauntology. All Hold Hands And Off We Go takes you down the (now well worn) paths traversed by The Advisory Circle and Belbury Poly. Lots of vintage electronics, ghostly children's voices and early 70s BBC radiophonic workshop vibes. This album doesn't push the genre forward in any way but maybe it's not meant to. Seatman weaves a pleasant, if disturbing spell that fans of Ghost Box will love. While it's a well-executed album, the genre is flooded with people doing this now and an uncharitable view would be that it's all starting to sound the same.