Jon Hopkins is a name you may not recognise, but you'll know his music.
This album's transcendent 'Light Through The Veins', was adapted to open Coldplay's Viva la Vida album and creates is the foundation of their 'Life in Technicolour' single. He's also co-produced Coldplay's last two albums with Eno. But before you say "so what, Coldplay are shit" just imagine how awful they'd be without the production. Hopkins has proven twice the old adage is incorrect. It is possible to polish a poo.
Hopkins has also written the scores for The Lovey Bones, the sci-fi film Monsters and most recently collaborated with Scottish folky King Creosote for the Mercury Prize nominated album, Diamond Mine.
Diamond Mine was a stunning album of Creosote's modern day folk songs set to Hopkins' ambient backdrops. A lovely concept album reflecting life in the coastal fishing communities on the edge of Scotland. Do check out 'John Taylors First Month Away' if you've not heard it.
So what does INSIDES sound like? Imagine Ludivico Einaudi being molested by The Aphex Twin and Skrillex. A mixture of piano-led minimalist classical and soft ambient sounds that are sporadically battered by thumbing-hard beats.
The album starts slowly with the pretty folk strings of 'The Wider Sun'. It's followed by the atmospheric 'Vessel' that begins with a simple piano motif (Hopkins being a classically trained pianist) before the beats kick in. Hard and fast. Things get even heavier with 'Insides' where Hopkins goes full-on Dubstep.
'Colour Eye' is perhaps the archetypal track on the album. It begins midpaced before pairing right down to a sparse classical ambience. It lulls you into a false sense of security. Then BLAM at 2:40 it goes absolutely beserk with an onslaught of Aphex Twin type disjointed breaks and beats. It's like Megatron just landed in Downton Abbey and started blowing the crap out of everything. Yes it's that awesome.
After the aforementioned 'Light Through The Veins' the pace slows down with much more emphasis on electronic and ambient that recall some of Orbital's more melodic moments. There's also another couple of short haunting classical songs. It's the calm after the storm.
INSIDES great but largely ignored dance album which ought to appeal to those who like complex, well constructed electronic music. If you like Orbital or Aphex Twin, you should like this.
'LIGHT THROUGH VEINS'
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