M.J. Harris*, Martyn Bates – Murder Ballads (The Complete Collection)
Label:
Invisible – inv127
Format:
Country:
Released:
Genre:
Style:
Tracklist
Drift | ||
1-1 | The Death Of Polly | 14:09 |
1-2 | The Fowler | 18:32 |
1-3 | Lucy Wan | 14:39 |
1-4 | Long Lankin | 16:05 |
Passages | ||
2-1 | The Bramble Briar | 13:27 |
2-2 | The Cruel Mother | 11:24 |
2-3 | The Banks Of Fordie | 13:07 |
2-4 | The Murder Of Maria Marten | 17:33 |
Incest Songs | ||
3-1 | The Bonny Hind | 12:11 |
3-2 | Sheaf And Knife | 12:07 |
3-3 | The Two Brothers | 17:09 |
3-4 | Edward | 17:41 |
Companies, etc.
- Licensed From – Musica Maxima Magnetica
- Published By – Copyright Control
Credits
- Artwork, Design – Martyn Bates
- Composed By, Producer – Martyn Bates, M.J. Harris*
- Illustration [Illustrations] – Laurence Houseman*
- Layout [Domestic Layout] – David Babbitt
- Recorded By, Mixed By – M.J. Harris*
Notes
Murder Ballads is a three-CD set reissuing the trilogy of Drift (1994), Passages (1997) and Incest Songs (1998) previously put out by Mick Harris (Scorn) and Martyn Bates (Eyeless in Gaza) on Musica Maxima Magnetica.
The main catalog number on the spine of the CD case is "inv127". The individual numbers on each CD face are "INV127A", "INV127B" and "INV127C". The engravings on the CDs list the catalog numbers as "INV00127D1", "INV00127D2" and "INV00127D3".
The main catalog number on the spine of the CD case is "inv127". The individual numbers on each CD face are "INV127A", "INV127B" and "INV127C". The engravings on the CDs list the catalog numbers as "INV00127D1", "INV00127D2" and "INV00127D3".
djabstract
September 14, 2006One of Mick’s first post-Napalm Death project was Scorn. This project's first album, Vae Solis, was released in 1992 and featured fellow ND alumnae, Justin Broadrick, frontman and co-founder of the colossal musical juggernaut, Godflesh. While Vae Solis played very much in the grindcore vein, fleeting glimpses of Harris’ future musical vision appeared in tunes like "On Ice" and "Heavy Blood". Both these songs would be later featured on the excellent Lick Forever Dog EP, the remixes featured on this 4-track disc tipping their hat even more in the beat-ambient-isolationist direction.
1993’s Journey Through Underworlds marked the first release by another of Mick’s projects, Lull. Focusing on darker, more isolationist ambience, Lull abandoned percussion almost completely, preferring rumbling, distant bass and slowly evolving, floating textures. Future releases, such as 1996’s Continue (featuring a single, 62-minute track), would push this idea even further. Mick continued to champion this style of production when he teamed with Martyn Bates, formerly of the 80s pop duo Eyeless in Gaza, to create Murder Ballads.
Originally released between 1994 and 1998 as 3 separate albums (Drift, Passages, and Incest Songs), this three-disc set is an almost definitive example of dark ambience. Each of these chilling, beatless texture pieces centers around Bates’ almost feminine vocals. As the title of the compilation suggests, the songs are inspired by (and seemingly modeled after) traditional English folk murder ballads. There are tales of the soon-to-be-married woman murdered by her fiancé ("The Death Of Polly"), the mother killing her two babies with a penknife ("The Cruel Mother"), the woman accusing her lover of the murder of her brother ("Edward"), and more gory tales in this vein. The subject matter is somewhat of a return to form for Bates, who grew up in England during the folk boom of the 1960s.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this collection is how Bates’ vocals interact with and compliment Harris’ sinister drones and clatters. While it’s easy to concentrate on the lyrics and Bates’ calculated delivery, there are many hypnotic instrumental breaks that allow Harris to display his talents for soundcraft. The placement of the vocals in the overall mix is key. They stand at the front and are, with the exception of occasional reverb, almost completely untreated, immediately grabbing the listener’s attention while moody synths and rumbles swirl about, yet remaining firmly anchored to, the vocal.
In all, this is a stellar example of dark music. The unsettling topics, presented in Bates’ almost crooning style, coupled with Harris bleak, nightmarish sonics, make for a starkly beautiful listen. Fall asleep to this and bad dreams will ensue.