By coincidence, I’ve been getting into the seminal 1967 album by Terry Riley, A Rainbow In Curved Air and this is definitely part of the heritage of Mark Barrott (aka Future Loop Foundation).

I first came across the Future Loop Foundation when they turned up with a track on the rather excellent compilation, the Beginner’s Guide To Afro Lounge and if your thing is atmospheric electronic chill, tape loops with big strings and swirling synths you’re going to love this.

This is the fifth album and it has been set to some old family recordings found up in the loft. Now how many of us have those old reel-to-reel tapes tucked away with broken machines? Well Mark decided to do something with these tapes and hit on the idea of a time warp of 1970s voices with his present day electronic orchestration. A CD project he thought might turn up in a “junk shop that Bagpuss would inhabit.”

Now, I know some folks can’t stand those two kids on the Car advert but these voice samples are not all like that or on every track. ‘In-between Somewhere Beautiful’ and is dominated by soothing guitar sounds. That said, there’s no particular stand-out track, like many of these type of albums, it’s the whole thing that gets to you emotionally; increasingly like I’m finding with the new Cinematic Orchestra album Ma Fleur. ‘This is Where We Live’ has a very Cinematic Orchestra feel to it.

Talking of cinematic orchestras, also up in his loft was some old Super 8 film that has been edited into a 50-minute film by Annie Watson (director of the BAFTA nominated short film Knitting A Love Song). Watch out for videos shortly to appear on the FLF web site (see links below).

The set builds to the climax of ‘Sunshine Philosophy’ and ‘The Sea And The Sky’ by which time you are likely to have been reduced to nostalgia filled tears (even if you can’t remember the 70s).

Now when you’ve got a big tune like ‘The Sea And The Sky’ and you’re thinking of an expert on the remix, if the Rolling Stones, Dr. Rubberfunk, Amadou & Mariam amongst others are anything to go by, you’d be thinking of X-Press2 and The London Heavy Disco Revue’s Ashley Beedle; so did Mark. Can’t wait for that one and we’re told he’s also working on some other reinterpretations with various other producers out of the experimental and chill scenes.

Older readers will recall that 1976 was a scorcher of a summer and ‘(1976)’ closes the piece with gentle piano as the waves lap up on the beach. I’m told that summer, I was digging in the sand at Bournemouth. I wonder if there are any photos up in the loft. Whoops, I’m welling up with memories. Now who’s that little lad on the cover with the headphones on eh lad?

Reviewed: Future Loop Foundation — Memories From A Fading Room (Louisiana Recordings) Cat. No. Release date: 25th June 2007
Tracklisting
1. Stereo ‘72 (1:31)
2. One The Village Radar (3:31)
3. Vision On (3:16)
4. Garden Communities (1:22)
5. Everything As It Should Be (3:24)
6. Homegrown Dynamic (4:33)
7. In-between Somewhere Beautiful (2:04)
8. Experimentation Begins At Home (2:04)
9. This is Where We Live (3:09)
10. Sunshine Philosophy (7:00)
11. Eagle Eyed (2:26)
12. The Sea And The Sky (8:59)
13. (1976) (7:17)

Links:
www.futureloopfoundation.com
“Future Loop Foundation find Novation”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Barrott
Super 8 mm www.kodak.com
Annie Watson, a graduate of Nottingham Trent University
terryriley.com
What do the kids in the Vauxhall Zafira advert say?