Mark Templeton Ballads

Mark Templeton is an artist I’ve enjoyed since first hearing his work on his 2007 release “Standing on a Hummingbird”. His sound is beguiling – glitchscape pop simultaneously jarring and catchy…

There has always been something human amongst the machinery on Templeton’s releases and here, on this tour CD, this humanity is evident in a downplayed sense of humour: Templeton uses Lionel Richie as source material for the four tracks on “Ballads”. Yes, you read that right. Lionel Richie.

The source material is only clearly evident on the first tune “February 23rd” as a mid-track jittering breakdown reveals an unmistakable snatch of “Hello” before  Richie’s voice and the tell tale chord progressions get subsumed again in digital hiss and play out in the echoing distance. Throughout the rest of the E.P. the source material is treated to Templeton’s obliterative ambient dissections – stretched, brought sharply into focus and washed out into vistas of decay leaving only the merest hints of the tunes original provenance.

Fans of Templeton’s work need not be worried that this disc represents a descent into parody – it doesn’t. The artist claims the source material, makes it his own and, in the process, delivers some of his most accessible and immediately enjoyable music so far. Although only a short offering, “Ballads” allows Templeton’s sound to breathe and shows a softening of some of the more abrasive textures that can be found on his previous releases. Whether this is the gentle influence of Lionel at work or just Templeton showing his slightly calmer side, the results are eminently and undeniably pleasing.

“Ballads” is an edition of 100 and will be available on Mark Templeton’s July European tour and (if any copies are left) on his website www.fieldsawake.com thereafter. – Review by John McCaffrey for Fluid Radio

Written and produced by MarkTempleton
Recorded February to June 2010
Mastered by Giuseppe Lelasi
Sleeve design by Rutger Zuydervelt

Track List:

01 february 23rd
02 broken and remade
03 horizon
04 drowning in memories

Tour Dates:

2010:

07/24 – arnolfini, bristol, uk w/ jasper tx
07/22 – hole in t’wall, hebden bridge, uk w/ jasper tx
07/21 – the portland arms, cambridge, uk
07/19 – cafe oto, london, uk w/ jasper tx
07/13 – vintola 18, bolzano, it
07/11 – altes finanzamt, berlin, de
07/07 – tba, milan, it
07/04 – half die festival, rome, it
06/25 – local library (central united church – 131 7th ave sw), calgary

www.fieldsawake.com