The journey that has taken Jon Brooks from posting his
bedroom delights on forums across the Net to his latest
escapade into classic sound archives is nothing short
of impressive. Three years ago almost to the day, the
first King Of Woolworths album, Ming
Star, landed on record shop shelves, with full
endorsement from Radio 1’s Mary Ann Hobbs and
Jo Whiley. With his second album, Brooks turned to library
music, sixties and seventies TV soundtracks and the
work of the seminal BBC Radiophonic Workshop as a source
of inspiration for his work, dedicating a track to the
legendary Dr Who theme tune composer Delia
Derbyshire in the process, creating a superb post-modern
hybrid of a record. After a year and a half of near
total radio silence and a move to Lo Recordings, Brooks
finally returns with his third and most accomplished
record to date.
Unlike L’Illustration
Musicale, Rediffusion is not a real
departure from its predecessor. Here again, Brooks explores
the possibilities offered by library music and classic
TV soundtracks, but the process is evidently more refined,
selective and focused. Where his work previously could
sometimes lacked of confidence, Rediffusion
is bold, daring and robust. Brooks doesn’t appear
to be as self-conscious as before, and he has clearly
matured perhaps even more so in his approach than on
a technical level. What remains untouched is the man’s
impeccable sense for beautiful melodies and emotionally
charged ambiences, his knack for crafting singular pop
moments nested in the heart of experimental creations
and his stunningly accurate appreciation of each element
as part of the bigger picture. If he is sometimes found
forcing his way in between the clean-cut Boards
Of Canada and the less conscious Lemon
Jelly (Big Sur, Divertissements),
this is no deliberate attempt at cashing up but more
prosaically an expression of his sonic environment amongst
others. As he unearths new components and recycles old
ones, assembling them into groovy vignettes or poignant
dramas, Brooks dives deeper into warm and inviting sonic
terrains and consolidates the atmospheric essence of
his work. Although Coccolo Pt. 1 and 2
already specify the character of this record, the King
Of Woolworths gets a firmer grip on his playground as
he progresses through the fourteen tracks on offer here,
gently affirming his position on the playful 7 Tranches
or uneasy Yellow World, before tightening up
his hold on Music For Schools or the delicate
Windrush.
Even more so than its predecessor, Rediffusion
is the result of relentless sound researches, passionate
assemblage and a sharp observation of existing combinations.
Here, Brooks not only creates a blissful soundtrack
for imaginary documentaries, but, through his excavation
work, also reaffirms the validity of his work through
a convincing collection of atmospheres and sounds which
would otherwise grow totally forgotten.
4.5/5 |
