The journey that has taken Chris Leary from his first
incursion into electronic music while he was still at
school, to releasing his first album, has been a long
one, yet his constant effort toward making his music
available is now paying off with the release of his
first album as Ochre, following last year’s Sound
System Bangers Vol. 1 on Repeat Music.
Chris Leary first came in contact with electronic music
while still at school, but it is not until he gave up
his Aeronautical Systems Engineering course to study
music at Newcastle University that he focused on Ochre.
Originally the name used for his college work, Ochre
eventually developed into a fully-fledged project. With
a good understanding of the Internet and a flair for
marketing his music, Chris started offering his music
to download from a variety of websites, eventually compiling
his work on a CD-R, AudioMicroDevice.
He took part in remix competition held on the Global
Goon website, and eventually won it, and his work
has been featured on numerous compilations from labels
such as Rednetic, Boltfish and Unschooled.
Now twenty-five, with his Masters degree and a first
EP under his belt, Chris Leary is finally introducing
his long-awaited first album, released on the excellent
London-based Toytronic. Collecting thirteen tracks recorded
over the years, A Midsummer Nice Dream is a
treat for lush melodic electronic music enthusiasts.
Very much in line with previous Toytronic releases,
especially that of Gimmik,
this album combines strong electronic arrangements and
sumptuous atmospherics into perfectly crafted sonic
vignettes. Alternating between ambitious constructions
(Yugen, Drink Malk) and simpler moments
(Revolver, Sticklebrick Symphony,
Summer Lusk), Leary finely balances this album,
capturing the attention of the listener from the opening
bars of Yugen to the dying moments of this
album with stunning warm analogue soundscapes, crisp
beat patterns and light glitches. At time reminiscent
of Boards Of Canada, Leary
offers a slightly less complex sonic palette, almost
entirely relying on electronic structures. No vocal
gimmicks are used here to highlight the melancholic
nature of these tracks. Instead, Leary uses sounds with
great care, keeping his constructions to the essential,
leaving his melodies exposed, as on the stunning Low
Grav Freefall.
Although this album collects tracks recorded over a
long period of time, Leary manages to remain very consistent
all the way through, avoiding sharp atmospheric changes,
to create a comfortable place for the listener to fully
appreciate his subtle tonal nuances and beautiful melodies.
The result of years of meticulous work, A Midsummer
Nice Dream is a very strong debut and shows Ochre
as one of the most promising new talents of the British
electronic scene.
4.7/ 5 |
