Homemade Recordings 2009 - 2012
The project began in early 2009 when How They Grow was self-released. Recorded in Brighton, the EP has been described as 'unbearably beautiful' and a 'post rock treat' (Stool Pigeon) - a sign of things to come later that year. What We Left Behind followed in September after a hazy summer of field recordings and bedroom productions. If How They Grow was a reflection of a stormy winter, channelled through crescendo driven shoegaze and crashing drums, What We Left Behind was the result of long sunny days, jangling acoustic guitars with a steadier theme. Subba Cultcha awarded the album 10/10 simply declaring it 'staggering'. This new found self-restraint would lead A Dancing Beggar to a more ambient, droney sound which culminated in Follow the Dark as If It Were Light. After the much acclaimed Audiobulb debut, respected artists including Kontakte and Franz Kirmann contributed to a selection of remixes which were released along with a new song, Ghosts.
It's nearly a decade since A Dancing Beggar began putting his ideas to tape, now these timeless sounds are finally available for everybody to take in.
Arwork - Mother of the artist
Tracklisting:
- Ghosts
- Returning (Sun Glitters Remix)
- Empty Boats (threethings Remix)
- Stars Bring Us Closer (Franz Kirmann Remix)
- Here Come The Wolves (Kontakte Remix)
- Prelude
- The First Day of Spring
- Sand Between Our Toes
- Branches and Nettles
- 22 Summers
- We Flew Over England’s Fields
- Daytrip to Glynde
- Our Distant Memories, Our Idle dreams
- Dawn Breaks, New Beginnings
- Skinny Trees
- Llywelyn’s Remorse
- How They Grow
- We Could Be Anywhere
- Storm at the Undercliff
- If These Walls Could Talk
- This Must Be the Start
- I’ve Washed My Hands of This
A Dancing Beggar
The South Coast composer returns with Homemade Recordings 2009 – 2012. HR 2009 - 2012 collates A Dancing Beggar's very first EP and debut album as well as remixes of original songs from his first Audiobulb release - Follow the Dark as If It Were Light.
Reviews
Beach SlothA Dancing Beggar’s “Homemade Recordings 2009 – 2012” perfectly synthesizes post-rock, dance, and shoegaze into a tender compelling whole. Reminiscent of artists like Seefeel and Ulrich Schnauss, there is something so intriguing about the way that the songs unfold. Feel of soulful melodies and soothing waves of sound, this is an album to get lost in, moving deeper into the unique universe A Dancing Beggar has crafted. Throughout the album, the way that tempos appear to drift more than drive adds to the psychedelic sheen that graces the entirety of the collection.
“Ghosts” starts things with an expansive drone whose exploration of texture feels so rich and elaborate. Beats churn about on the industrially-tinged “Returning” whose melody adds to the tragic sensibility that informs the track. One of the highlights of the album is the lovely distortion laden work of “Stars Bring Us Closer”. With clever melodic arrangements, the song feels so calming. A psychedelic folk spirit is imbued into the pastoral “Sand Between Our Toes”. Almost poppy in nature is the light and airy “Dawn Breaks, New Beginnings”. Stripped down to the absolute essentials is the intimate “How They Grow” where A Dancing Bear utilizes echo to great effect. Many layers converge on the ornate “If These Walls Could Talk” where the buildup has a cathartic quality to it. Ending things on a relaxed note is the serene “I’ve Washed My Hands of This”.
With “Homemade Recordings 2009 – 2012” A Dancing Beggar delivers something that feels timeless and infinitely tasteful.
Musique Machine
Homemade Recordings, the first release in 5 years from this outfit, is a collection of recordings that includes A Dancing Beggars first EP,album and an array of remixes of selected tracks from the same period.
Mining the post rock / drone furrow to perfection, A Dancing Beggar manage to fulfil every promise they made and lay a gauntlet down for future releases. And yet nothing was forthcoming. However, This collection is a perfect reminder of the beautiful music this group made.
Beginning with the utterly sublime “Ghosts” this 7 minute wondrous piece is a mix of playful guitar intricacies and over bearing drones that marry together to give you a heartache you won’t have felt since your teens. I’m utterly lost in this album already.
“Returning” picks up the pace with a simple beat and piano refrain over a mid-heavy distorted drone. Occasionally this tracks tempo drifts oddly. However, that doesn’t detract from the splendour of the track.
Moving further into the album with “Stars Bring Us Closer” has the repetitive guitar refrain normally found mixed in to a My Bloody Valentine EP with tiny droplets of sound slowly emerging in the mix. Before the drum machine kicks in with such a gorgeously balanced rhythm it’s perfect. There is something so very simple in this music, and yet you know from hearing it that this has been painstakingly put together. And it’s beautiful and timeless.
As the albums moves onwards the music shifts slightly. Gone are the drones and the vague sense of claustrophobia, but the actual music is just as spartan and just as wonderful. “How They Grow” is almost a country track spliced with a classical track just as the song ends.
Instrumental music is never seen as sellable in a pop format, mainly because it uses that format in an alternate way to how everyone expects. Dif Juz, for example, never really took off to the level they deserved, and yet their music, without a voice, was almost more plaintiff and had an even keener sting in it’s aim into your heart. A Dancing Beggar have that same ability and an even truer aim.
If you are a fan of Dif Juz, MBV, Seefeel or Cocteau Twins then youwill be utterly lost in this album. This might be a collection of tracks from around 10 years ago, but there is nothing in this album that doesn’t sound fresh and wonderful. There is an innocence in each track and this is possibly what helps this music feel so perfect. It’s almost as if the band themselves aren’t aware of just how good they are. I could listen to this all day. I’m lost.