Floating on a space holiday
Saturday, March 7th, 2009 by Flint
I like to browse charity shops. It’s not about the fuzzy feeling of ‘donating’ money to charity but moreso about the fact that I’m such a music geek that I absolutely adore the music shelves in them. Sure most of the selection is always utter, utter cack but there’s something interesting in wading through countless 90’s one hit wonder (and no hit wonder) CDs in hopes of finding a cheap, hidden treasure. Most of the time you’ll find nothing of any significance. But occasionally you’ll find something that picks your intrigue enough to get it, like the promo copy of Her Space Holiday’s album Manic Expressive for one pound because someone in the store thought it was a single. Random purchase ahoy.
I knew literally next to nothing about HSH before getting Manic Expressive. I knew it was a one-man electronic music project (the one man being called Mark Bianchi), but musically no better idea. My only touch to the actual sound was with the few remixes he contributed to R.E.M.’s scattershot R.E.M.ix promo remix album, the remixes incidentally being the best of the crop. But life calls forth risks and it was time to take one for the cost of one pound.
What I discovered was surprisingly pleasant. I bought two albums that day, Manic Expressive and Beck’s Midnite Vultures. Despite Beck being a familiar artist with loads of great moments, Midnite Vultures got forgotten after one listen. Manic Expressive on the other hand played throughout the night.
I like to browse charity shops. It’s not about the fuzzy feeling of ‘donating’ money to charity but moreso about the fact that I’m such a music geek that I absolutely adore the music shelves in them. Sure most of the selection is always utter, utter cack but there’s something interesting in wading through countless 90’s one hit wonder (and no hit wonder) CDs in hopes of finding a cheap, hidden treasure. Most of the time you’ll find nothing of any significance. But occasionally you’ll find something that picks your intrigue enough to get it, like the promo copy of Her Space Holiday’s album Manic Expressive for one pound because someone in the store thought it was a single. Random purchase ahoy.
I knew literally next to nothing about HSH before getting Manic Expressive. I knew it was a one-man electronic music project (the one man being called Mark Bianchi), but musically no better idea. My only touch to the actual sound was with the few remixes he contributed to R.E.M.’s scattershot R.E.M.ix promo remix album, the remixes incidentally being the best of the crop. But life calls forth risks and it was time to take one for the cost of one pound.
What I discovered was surprisingly pleasant. I bought two albums that day, Manic Expressive and Beck’s Midnite Vultures. Despite Beck being a familiar artist with loads of great moments, Midnite Vultures got forgotten after one listen. Manic Expressive on the other hand played throughout the night.