Dave Phillips: III+

label info:  dp's new album picks up where 'rise' (2017) left off, politically charged, hyperreal and unremitting soundscapes containing harsh social and self-criticism clad in a sense of impending doom spiced with an energizing optimism and informed by faith in the humanimal. a poignant reminder of humanity's position on this planet, the tension on this album is expressed solely through sound and 'lyrics' (as opposed to the extensive liner-notes that accompanied 'rise'), impliying a necessary shift from a rationalised perception of life to one of a sentient, a part of a whole, as suggested in dp's 'humanimalism' concept. sound sources/instruments include voice, body sounds, field recordings, cello, violin, piano, electric bass, live performance recordings and dp's organically growing bank of “hitting” sounds culled from recordings of whips, punches, slaps, smacks, slamming doors & windows, hammered chairs and tables and objects flying about and breaking. a careful playfulness with rhythmical structures, as hinted at on 'rise', is further pursued.

Last copy from shop stocks, not sealed anymore, played only a couple of times in the store! NM    <iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=423527582/size=large/bgcol=333333/linkcol=e32c14/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="http://urbsounds.bandcamp.com/album/meizhiyong-dave-phillips-no-35">MeiZhiyong Dave Phillips | [ / ] no. 35 by Mei Zhiyong Dave Phillips</a></iframe>   Mei Zhiyong had been instrumental in arranging dp’s tour of China. When Mei Zhiyong and Dave Phillips first met in Beijing in July 2014, Mei spoke not a word of English and dp not a word of Chinese. And they we were to embark on an 18 city tour together. Verbal communication between Mei and dp was obviously difficult to say the least. It would often result in comical misunderstandings, total puzzlement or bewilderment, but it would also be a source of constant amusement with wonderful moments of instinctive trust. But then there is sound, the ultimate language… To return the favor, dp arranged a tour for Mei and himself in October 2015 through 20 European cities. Which is where the source material was recorded. dp then selected, dissected and transformed those recordings to work out something different, not just a collaboration, not just an amalgam of two styles, but something new for both. The compositions on this LP are the result.