Where bought? Sound Records in Stroud. I feel sad that I discovered Stroud so late in my journey through Middle England, as it has two very good record shops and a lot of nice things about the town to recommend it. If I could have my time again I'd probably have moved there! Anyway, yeah, definitely from Sound in Stroud.
On a forum I have posted on for 22 years now, which was ostensibly once about music but has become a social spot with high premium on obscure in-jokes, there is a 'Now Listening' thread where about once a week someone will drop something in. Most of the time I'll know it or not like it, but that's cool because we've all grown into certain avenues and tastes.
This record originally popped up in that thread, recommended by the user Ed_Wu (or whatever obscure tennis player he was having as his username, possibly Dennis Istomin) who didn't really make too many more posts after this because he was one of the "sensible" Labour members who hated Jeremy Corbyn while everyone else there had found some semblence of optimism in a changing of the guard. Thus defeated, Ed (his real name) slunk off and hasn't been seen since. Which is a shame, because he was very funny, but also very serious at times.
It was instant love for Dawn of Midi and myself; a jazz-schooled trio who play a music somewhere in the environs of modern classical (minimalism) and techno. The pianist dampens the keys with one hand inside the body of the instrument, dulling the sound and maximalising its percussive nature. The drummer has no rock-isms, exerting a machinic control and playing without exhuberence or excess. Only the bass belies any obvious human-like quality, gluing things together, but generally getting into the whole spirit of repetition these guys have mastered.
I played this for my ex-gf in my old flat and she couldn't believe it was humans playing live music. I found that easier to believe - in a certain spirit it reminds me of The Bad Plus covering Aphex Twin (although less obvious and more versed in the realities of club music) - and can see how this little record has landed them support slots with Radiohead and Nils Frahm and other doyennes of accessible left-field music.
Dysnomia plays through like one elongated series of segues and variations on the same theme. Vinyl, in a way, is not the best way to experience this (especially as it is 2 x 12") as the flow is broken when creating a great head-nodding mood is what Dawn of Midi are experts at. Surprised they've not made another record since, but they're music school guys and professionals and probably making lots of less-heralded music that gives them just as much joy. So fair enough.
Have a listen!
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