Barnaby Carter – While It Still Blooms

I’ve had this one by Barnaby Carter on pre-order for a few months now and have been really looking forward to it, based on my several listens to a Soundcloud preview of the record. ‘While It Still Blooms‘ was officially released by Project Mooncircle on Friday and I’ve had it on repeat all weekend; it doesn’t disappoint. The label is just another example of why one of the first things you associate with Berlin is good quality experimental music – particularly of the electronic variety.

‘While It Still Blooms’ is available on vinyl and as a digital album and is a generous 13 downtempo, dubby tracks. There’s plenty of acoustic tones here with guitar, violin, voice and percussion all being joined by Ambient soundscaping and subtle drum patterns. The whole record is executed with effortless skill, with track placement being considered carefully to the extent where you’ll be unlikely to skip. It plays from start to finish as one; a tapestry of Ambient and acoustic tones presented as the sort of electronica you’d expect to be used in quality drama films. As the album progresses, the tempo does increase slightly as hints of Bass and House creep in although these do not dominate or detract from this effortless sound. Highly recommended.