‘If it takes three years to get it right, then
so be it!’ ‘Leafcutter’ John Burton’s
second album has been, in his own word, long coming
and the result of a painful creative process. Following
on from the classic Microcontact,
The Housebound Spirit is a more intriguing
and challenging piece of work than its predecessor,
yet, it also appears more consistent and accessible.
Steering slightly away from the ambiences of his previous
album, Burton presents here an impressive collection
of broken songs. The fruit of three years of work, The
Housebound Spirit owes its title to a severe case
of agoraphobia Burton developed after being attacked
near his home. Suffering from regular panic attacks
whilst outside, he found himself a prisoner in his own
home, with music as only mean to escape. Reflected on
the cover of this album, this semi-confinment explains
in part the dark atmospheres encountered along the fifteen
tracks of this second album. Build around sounds recorded
in the various homes he lived in during these three
years, The Housebound Spirit appears more claustrophobic
and self-contained than Microcontact
indeed. Yet, Burton’s approach to sound structure
has developed considerably. Increasingly confronting
take on electro-acoustic with his folk roots, leaving
behind all conventional forms of electronica, he refines
and sharpens his compositions to present a more radical
piece of work. As he toys with references ranging from
Palace Brothers to Pierre Henry, he clearly avoids any
obvious point of contact with any of his contemporaries.
The contradiction between extremely abstract pieces
and more straightforward compositions could appear rather
unsettling, but it actually works towards balancing
this record quite well. Introducing some elements of
acoustic guitar on If You Have An Enemy and
Walk On My Back, Burton’s most straightforward
moment here is to be found on the beautiful House
Or A Soul. A delicate and slightly introvert pop
song on which his ominous vocal tone hovers, it provides
the listener with some breathing space in between more
challenging compositions.
The Housebound Spirit is not as much a solitary
piece of work as it may seems. If most of the tracks
were performed and produced by Burton, this album benefits
of contributions from a variety of artists, with label
mates Nautilis, Hellfish and Venetian
Snares man Aaron Funk joining forces with Mercedes,
Si-Cut.db or Bit Middler
to supply Burton with screams on Electric Love,
while cello, recorder and clarinet sound sources were
provided by passing friends. If greatly processed and
integrated into the soundscape, Kazumi’s vocals
on Khom?s give this piece an interesting element
of sensuality, especially when left untouched. Elsewhere,
Burton devises ever more organic and textural compositions,
where sounds bounce off each other, creating ever-changing
structures. The aesthetic element has always been an
integrant part of his work, and The Housebound Spirit
is no exception. Despite the impression of chaos, it
is clear that Burton actually takes great care at positioning
his sounds very precisely into his compositions, relentlessly
working on structures and ambiences. Whether he lacerates
spitting noises or works on background textures, Burton
retains the attention of his audience all the way through
by constantly keeping the intended emotional scope in
focus.
If, like Microcontact,
The Housebound Spirit is a difficult album
to apprehend, it also proves extremely rewarding. With
an instinct for original soundscapes and altered structures,
John Burton dissects and reshapes his sound sources
to form superb organic constructions. Far from being
cold and mechanical, The Housebound Spirit
is fact extremely human.
4.8/5 |
