Sunday 16 January 2011

Broadcast ' The Noise Made By People' lp illustration

I was really saddened to hear about Trish Keenan passing away on Friday. Broadcast have consistently made wondrous experimental pop music combining the space-age lounge sounds of Stereolab with the experimental soundscapes of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop drawing on a wide range of sonic influences like for example The United States of America's debut album, White Noise's 'An Electric Storm', Ennio Morricone's darker soundtrack compositions (the near-Satanic 'Dies Irae Psichedlico' from Escalation springs to mind), the Czech film soundtrack to 'Valerie and Her Week of Wonders' (which was reissued by Finders Keepers and includes notes from Trish) and all manner of odd Library lps without ever sounding derivative or worse 'kitsch'. There really aren't enough bands making records these days that sound so original and forward-thinking (without being too wilfully obscure and obtuse) so it's an absolute tragedy to lose someone so gifted with so much to offer at such a young age.

A mix that Trish made for a friend just prior to touring Australia has been made available that is well worth downloading - here's the link. It's a wonderful mixture of early electronic music, psychedelia and haunting soundtracks including the suitably nuts proto hip hop of 'The Vampires of Dartmoore'.

Her friend says; "Before she went to Australia Trish sent me a mix CD of bonkers pop music she compiled, I never thanked her. It's called Mind-Bending Motorway Mix and I want to share it with you, please pass the link on, share it far and wide, it's a little tribute to a (as a friend referred to her today) exhilarating woman, we're all thinking about you, James.

"Sorry I don't have a tracklist and to be honest I like it that way. I think it's less about who you're listening to on... that compilation and more about the fact you are listening to something that Trish took time to select and compile for me and in turn yourselves. Sorry but please just enjoy the music."

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