Leyland Kirby ‎– Sadly, The Future Is No Longer What It Was

A large volume of pithy descriptions can be used here: what would happen if Steve Roach or Harold Budd read Derrida and K-punk's writing for inspiration rather than use nature and aboriginal cultures; what happened if Twin Peaks got a second life and more music needed to be made; another stand-in (I know several of those) for Blade Runner. But there's usually a point to make with making comparisons like these ... it's trying to encapsulate what the music says in the hopes of telling someone else what to expect. For those who have listen to it, I hope what I've said thus far helps. But I shall elaborate further.

It's three CDs long [there is of course the six LPs rendition, albeit with different lengths and different mixes due to phasing issues and other unique to vinyl mastering situations]. For those comfortable in the experimental or ambient realm, this is almost a drop in the bucket ... think William Basinski's The Disintegration Loops or the various collections of Steve Roach. But like the aforementioned artists, this is one where you really have to be in a mood to hear. It is definitely melancholic in its presentation and atmosphere, but it doesn't veer into the self-laceration realm. In fact, there are some bittersweet moments here and there. Think of it as a day where it's mostly overcast but every now and then the sun breaks through the clouds (not necessarily the clouds clearing).

There are some reviews commenting on the vagueries of the lamentation, i.e. "for whom should be mourning?" If you want to go by the main umbrella title and the association made between Kirby (and his various project aliases) and Derrida, it's an hauntological work lamenting a lost imaginary past and a lost potential future. If that's not sufficient nor accurate to your experience, then it's simply your personal means of mourning for whomever or whatever you choose. For an example, my favourite track here is "I've hummed this tune to all the girls I've known" and in my head plays a scene to a possible Twin Peaks episode where it's a tasteful revisit of some past love moment between James and Donna. (Hmmm, maybe *this* is the mourning we are all suppose to experience ... the premature death of Twin Peaks =] ).

If you like your music long, melancholic and open enough to allow your imagination to roam, this is the release you should get.