The Village Orchestra
Et In Arcadia Ego
hpll014 | Release Date: 2005-11-11
The Village Orchestra is the solo project of Ruaridh Law, best known as one third of Glasgow electronic dunces, the Marcia Blaine School For Girls (Awkward Silence, Static Caravan, Benbecula, Dalriada).
Ruaridh describes The Village Orchestra as being 'like an allotment or garden shed', a place where he can relax and escape from the work and volume of his many other projects, which include Accrual (a collaboration with Alasdair Satchel on Static Caravan) and Rose And Sandy (with Production Unit from Marcia Blaine, focussing more on the cross-section of sound and visuals; on Stuff Records).
Having previously released material for Stuff Records, and on Highpoint Lowlife's own collection of Scottish Electronica, Some Paths Lead Back Again, ('this widely appealing and beautiful freakshow gives its music the light of day that it deserves.' Rock Sound), Et In Arcadia Ego is The Village Orchestra's debut full length, pulling together various electronic strands and delivering an album of exhilarating and uncompromising originality. From billowing textural ambience, the album builds ever more intensely, almost hypnotic in effect, layering subtle melodies, sparse manipulated vocal whispers, classical composition and exhaustingly detailed percussion and breaks.
For influences, think Philip Glass, Coil, Desormais, Speedy J, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Carl Craig, The Bug - throw these inspirations in a blender and you are somewhere to understanding where this sound emanates from.
In addition to working on a follow up, The Village Orchestra has two other releases appearing on compilations soon - Stuff05 on Stuff Records, and on Square Roots (a new Glasgow label focussing on dancehall and dub influenced electronics). Ruaridh is also presently finishing the Marcia Blaine School For Girls album, scheduled for release on Highpoint Lowlife in Spring 2006, more Accrual drone based work, and a DVD label release as Rose And Sandy, an audio/visual project based around the city of Glasgow.
Other releases by The Village Orchestra:
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