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Home Assembly Music is a new independent label operating from Saltaire in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
Our next scheduled release (due on 2nd November 2009) comes from Leeds resident, Paul Elam, who records his solo works as Fieldhead. Paul is a full-time member of The Declining Winter and recently contributed a remix to the bonus CD of 'Haunt The Upper Hallways' (HAM002). His remix of 'Cull' is also featured on Northerner's CD 'The Ridings' (HAM001).
‘They Shook Hands For Hours’ is his debut release and takes the minimalist, glitchy, low end rumble of Machinefabriek, Phillip Jeck and The Caretaker but contains arrangements that are concise, structured and almost pop orientated in their brevity.
The dusty, grainy textures can be reminiscent of Khonnor’s textbook 2005 album ‘Handwriting’, but in this case the ambient cinematic drones of Stars of the Lid and Labradford replace the ghosts of lo-fi pop.
It is no wonder that the artist divulges his number one influence as tape hiss, but in no way should it be taken that this is a minimalist or avant-garde work. The melodicisms are notable from the opening ‘This Train Is A Rainbow’ with its Labradford style guitar twangs through to the echoes of Aphex Twin’s dusty loops on ‘I’m Fond Of Maps’. The warmth of ‘real’ instruments is always audible, particularly violins which swoop and soar in the wide open landscapes of ‘He’d Found The Sea’, recalling Manchester acoustic-electro favourites The Boats.
July 2009 saw the release of 'Haunt The Upper Hallways' from The Declining Winter. A 7" Single which includes a bonus full length CD.
It took us some time to work out the format for this release but after much deliberation we decided it should come as a 7" record which includes a CD containing a full album of material. We hope this will satisfy those who require a 'vinyl fix' and everyone else also receives what is effectively The Declining Winter's second full length album on CD, in its own packaging. A slightly unusual format but perfectly in keeping with Adams' idiosyncratic approach to music making.
When the brothers Adams allowed Hood an extended sabbatical it was always going to be interesting to see how far their musical paths would diverge from their unmistakable blueprint. Now temporarily freed from the pressures and expectations of the Hood environment, Richard Adams has breathed an audible sigh of relief into his new project, The Declining Winter.
Throughout the course of 'Haunt The Upper Hallways' you will encounter passages of breathtaking beauty akin to those found on Rachel's mesmerising 'Music For Egon Schiele', followed by wistful, reflective pieces that conjure up comparisons with Robert Wyatt, Deerhunter, Grizzly Bear and latter day Talk Talk. There is a freshness to Adams' approach to songwriting which is beautifully exhibited in the addition of dulcimer and violins throughout these ten mini epics.
‘Haunt The Upper Hallways’, true to Adams’ pedigree, is the work of an artist for whom contradiction, severity, experimentation and dissonance are as much grist to the mill as harmony, melody and concord. Close attention to the multi-layered vocals sometimes reveals that Adams might also be grinding axes or even settling old scores throughout the course of these songs. Or, perhaps it’s just the ramblings of a man lost and confused on the number ninety-one (Pudsey to Chapeltown) bus.
The label's first release, 'The Ridings', is also the debut release from Martin Cummings in his guise as Northerner. 'The Ridings' is a 2xCD package with the additional CD being remixes from a number of invited artists.
"If you are going to start a new label, then you better make sure your first release is something quite remarkable. Home Assembly Music’s first release is Northerner’s first full length album and the results have taken us by storm. If this is the shape of things to come from HAM, then I’m salivating already....This will definitely be one of the albums of the year and I can safely say that, even though we are in February. Ambience at its most innovative and original". Crumbs In The Butter.
"Gorgeous pastoral electronica with acoustic guitars and a general ethereal loveliness....It's a great album from start to end and I get the urge to stick it back on when it's finished which is usually a good sign (so rarely happens these days....)". Norman Records (Album Of The Week).
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