Narc. Magazine Online
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Lee Fisher discovers a remarkable and vivid piece of work from the Foals percussionist
Concrète Tapes
Released: 15.01.21
Listening to this gorgeous album, it’s hard to believe it was all produced using iPhone softsynths while flying between shows on a Foals world tour (Kit Monteith is their live percussionist).
Artfully blending in field recordings from life on the road, this 53-minute continuous piece (also broken into discrete parts for the download version) paints a vivid picture of both the ecstatic and darker sides of touring (notably on the jittery, tense Hopeless, Hungover and Homesick), and has me reaching for overused but apt adjectives like immersive, atmospheric, pulsating and shimmering.
There are strictly ambient pieces here, all synth washes and tender pianos, and occasional tilts toward the beat-driven, while titles like I Love & Miss You All tell their own story. A remarkable release.
