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Album Review

Various Artists
An Taobh Tuathail Volume 3 Psychonavigation Records

Article written by Ged M - Jan 3, 2010

Various artists: An Toabh Tuathill

An Taobh Tuathail is a cult radio show in Ireland, presented week nights by Cian Ó Cíobháin, who compiled this volume to celebrate 10 years on air. The album has a late night/ dreampop/ ambient feel and late night is when it works best. There are a couple of names you might know – Animal Collective for sure, and possibly Circlesquare and B-Movie Lightning (the new outfit of Cane 141’s Mike Smalle) – but the record has a consistency of mood that carries across to the names unknown to me; mood takes priority over the performers. You’ll want to be tucked up when you hear the sounds of wind howling and bells tinkling in ‘Frozen Grass’ by Loner Deluxe while Animal Collective will have you thinking you’re asleep in a rainforest on ‘Loch Raven’ with their field sounds and choral effects.

Interestingly, English lyrics were banned by the Gaelic station until 2005. While not in favour of banning music, that at least made space for songs not written in the universal pop argot. But actually most of the tracks use vocals for sound rather than meaning, and the only intelligible lyric here is the alt-folk of Austin’s Peter and the Wolf, so it doesn’t seem to matter. What does matter is that this is intelligent music programming, providing something really alternative. There’s no direct equivalent here – maybe Radio 3’s Late Night Junction if it were presented by Rob Da Bank - which is why this is worth checking out if you like the woozier strains of pop.

Links:
http://www.rte.ie/rnag/antaobhtuathail.html
http://www.psychonavigation.com/antaobhtuathail.html
http://www.myspace.com/antaobhtuathail