For the final part of Schleißen 5 - 8, Emotional Response welcomes two Scottish based artists to close out the series. In Jon Keliehor you have a world and music traveler with history from psychedelic rock to fourth world exposure, alongside one of the best electronic producers of the last decade, Lord Of The Isles.
As the drummer of West Coast folk rock / psychedelic band The Daily Flash, Keleihor spent much of the mid-60 based in and out of Seattle and Los Angeles, playing alongside the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Cream and The Doors, before an increasing interest in meditation and philosophies outside of the ‘rock’ realm led him to England in the early 70s where he become involved in dance theatre. Teaching Advanced Rhythmic Music Studies at the London Contemporary Dance School, his music composition style became influenced by his studies of world music.
Finally settling in Glasgow for over 20 years, while running the Luminous Music label and Gamelan Naga Mas, his earlier recordings for labels like Indipop, Touch and Bruton have seen a recent revival, with music appearing recently on contemporaries Optimo Music and Invisible Inc.
The wonderful recordings included here span over 3 decades, from sessions at the Luminous Studio at The Diorama Theatre, London in the early 80s, through to recent field-work based recordings in the Cairngorms. Reconfigured and updated, a common thread appears through the pieces – a sense of longing and appreciation – as Jon’s knowledge of outer-national instrumentation alongside equally extensive travels around the globe gives the recordings a seamless blend of organic craft.
The tonal consonances within unlikely combinations of instruments, with tuned glasses (tarang), tabla, jaw harps, clay flutes and ocarinas, Chinese instruments that include Xiao-Bo and Xiao-Ping, large Noah bells, small and larges gongs all employed, the recordings have been reconstructed, edited and updated via sampling and digital processing. Featuring the playing of John “Jhalib” Millar – the extraordinarily gifted musician and tabla player – who has appeared with an EP on sister label, Emotional Rescue (ERC029), sadly recently deceased, the contribution acts as a tribute and more.
To close, the music of Lord Of The Isles is an excellent companion to Jon’s work. Neil McDonald’s list of club-based releases on labels CockTail D’Amor, Ene, Firecracker, Permanent Vacation, ESP Institute and Phonica is comprehensive and exemplary, however within his productions has often been an other-worldly element, a space between the beats and occasional fully ambient pieces.
Approached originally for series one of Schleißen, the 7 pieces included were worth the wait, a journey in themselves and the perfect completion. Spanning almost 5 years, the majority were written during an extended exile in the Cairngorms. The lifting, ethereal, but melodic nature of the music fits that aesthetic. Blue skies, snow, long walks, space to think, but with a longing and appreciation of family and friends.
The solitary nature found in Schleißen 8 and the geographical incidence of both artist’s recordings including sessions in the Scottish Highlands fits the series ideals and is a nice closure. Enjoy and listen.
I love how a Lord Of The Isles EP has enough breadth to it that it feels like listening to a complete album. You'll come for Sunrise 89 but stay for the journey. Simon Whight
Less a solo act than a one-man megalith, Khôra builds impressive experimental soundscapes from modular synths, flutes, harps, and more. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 19, 2020
I've not had the mind lately to enjoy a lot of neo-classical as I have in the past. Much of it has felt too pretty, too sculpted, or too formulaic for my taste. Enter Steven Legget's Bathhouse to help me regain some feelings for the genre. Much like Sebastian Mullaert's 'Natthall' (2020), Bathhouse sidewinds through lush textural backdrops, melodies that hang suspended before your eyes, and unexpected moments of rhythm that feel very much a part of the landscape. Lost Tribe Sound