the caretaker

Theoretically Pure Anterograde Amnesia (2009 Edition)

Where to start. This EPIC 6 cd package covers 72 tracks and over four hours of some of the most immense, haunting, brain-wrecking ambient drone you'll ever have the pleasure of hearing, and after a good few years in the wilderness It's finally available again in this much needed new edition. There's been loads of press and interest in James Kirby's Caretaker project recently; an in-depth feature for the Wire magazine, a brilliant mix for FACT and all-round critical acclaim for his insanely good last album "Persistent Repetition Of Phrases" - all acting as a prelude of sorts to the much touted creation of a new recording project 'Leyland Kirby' due to make an appearance in the coming months. What started out as an obscure exercise in sample manipulation and adaptation of old ballroom music with the release of "Selected Memories From The Haunted Ballroom" over 10 years ago soon developed into an aural study of faded memories and ghostly traces of sound, translating into densely layered pieces that contain within them elements of long forgotten songs and childhood echoes. What's so striking about this box set is just how consistently incredible the pieces here really are, sustaining an almost hyperreal narcosis from beginning to end with a sound that can best be described by imaging what would have happened if Thomas Koner, William Basinski, Philip Jeck and Fennesz were forced into collaborating with only a box of 1920s records as source material between them. An immense journey into the darkest edge of the psyche and one of the most ambitious releases of its kind, we strongly urge you to pick one of these up while you can - it's probably going to be the last chance you'll get. Essential Purchase.