Trembling Blue Stars

Dusted Features

Every Friday, Dusted Magazine publishes a series of music-related lists compiled by our favorite artists. This week: Trembling Blue Stars

   
Trembling Blue Stars

Bobby Wratten has been making beautiful indiepop for about 20 years now. The romantic lad from London first made a name for himself in the Sarah Records band The Field Mice, who unfortunately became much more popular after they broke up in 1991, once people started idolizing the Sarah sound (and Wratten's absolutely heartwrenching lyrics). Wratten did a brief stint with Northern Picture Library before forming Trembling Blue Stars in 1995.

Twelve years in, Wratten has just released the Stars' sixth album, The Last Holy Writer, on Spanish imprint Elefant Records. Fans of that late-'80s indie style will eat it up. He was nice enough to take part in this week's Listed.

1. Wilco - "Poor Places/ Spiders(Kidsmoke)" (From Kicking Television)
Two of my favourite songs from my favourite contemporary group. I love the transition from one to the other; the way the motorik Neu-beat of Spiders emerges from the noise. The Wilco family tree is such a treasure chest. If you think about Loose Fur, The Autumn Defense, 'Mobile', 'Chelsea Walls', 'Adult Head', 'Sunken Treasure' - the creativity involved is so inspiring.

2. Brian Eno - "The Lost Day" (From Ambient 4/On Land)
I could listen to Brian Eno being interviewed forever.I'm happy to hear his opinion on anything.Whether it's to do with music or not. This record, as the title implies, is very much about music as a landscape. I love records that transport you; that create a sense of place, an environment you can enter. Maybe it's somewhere you've never been.Maybe somewhere that doesn't even exist. 'The Lost Day' is my favorite track from this album. There's this wonderful mournful synth that's incredibly moving and evocative. It affects me the same way now as it did when I first heard it as a 15 year old. I'm always happy to visit the world that this album creates.

3. Mark Hollis - "A Life (1895-1915)" (From Mark Hollis)
The journey from 'The Party's Over' (Talk Talk's first album) to this is amazing. This is not 'career music' but someone following their own vision. If the journey has ended in silence then that seems apposite as Mark Hollis believed you had to have a very good reason to disturb silence. Spirit Of Eden and Laughing Stock the last two Talk Talk albums are two of my all time favourite records but I chose this from the only Mark Hollis solo record to date as I love the whispered mysterious backing vocals that come in half way through.I'd love to hear another record by him but he's given me more than enough should he never record again.

4. Mikey Dread - African Anthem:The Mikey Dread Show
Almost half of what I buy or listen to these days is reggae based be it dancehall, dub, roots reggae, rocksteady or whatever. I love this album because it's a snapshot of Mikey Dread's JBC radio show which began in 1976 and broadcast from midnight to 4:30 am.Because he was an engineer rather than a radio personality he wasn't allowed to talk so the records were all linked by specially designed jingles, some of which feature on this album. Also, what he was playing was revolutionary as it was then the only place on radio to hear authentic raw roots reggae and dub. I can only imagine how exciting it would have been to hear music like this coming over the airwaves into the Jamaican night.

5. Popol Vuh - Nosferatu (Original Soundtrack)
I had two points of entry to the world of Popol Vuh. One was my interest in the " Great Kosmische Musik - 1968 Onwards" and the other was the films of Werner Herzog. Watching Nosferatu I was struck by how beautiful the music was which lead me to this soundtrack. Once you discover the music made in Germany from the late sixties onwards it's an endless seam to mine.

6. Rhythm & Sound - Rhythm & Sound
This album is like a combination of the above two choices in that it's German and heavily influenced by reggae.This CD from 2001 contains some of the most minimal and beautiful music I've heard.I love the whole Rhythm & Sound set up; no interviews, no credits, no photos just the music - everything shrouded in mystery. Basic Channel from whom Rhythm & Sound emerged also made incredibly evocative and minimal records and Rhythm & Sound have gone on to work wonderfully with vocalists like Cornell Campbell, Jah Cotton, Willi Williams.

7. Talking Heads - Remain In Light
Eno again. I think 1979-1981 was a real high watermark in terms of innovation and creativity within music with artists continually striving to move forward into unexplored areas.There is so much going on within the grooves of this record....so much information,ideas upon ideas, overlapping vocals, fantastic rhythms, incredible textures. The three songs that make up the original side one are as good as music gets. I'm also grateful to this record for introducing me to it's influences.People like Fela Kuti and Hamilton Bohannon.I'm always interested in who the people I listen to listen to.

8. Judee Sill - "The Kiss" (From Heart Food)
This song is so far beyond the everyday that it's hard to imagine it was created by someone who lived and breathed and walked the earth. The words, the melody, the chords all combine to produce something other worldly. This song completely transports me, it seems to shine and give off this golden glow. It's like Judee Sill tapped into some eternal spirit that she channelled into her songs.

9. Keren Ann - "In Your Back" (From Keren Ann)
Another favorite contemporary artist. At the moment this is my favourite track from her new album.Like Judee Sill she has a very understated voice and doesn't feel the need to show off. I like it when people have the confidence to be quiet and refuse to shout. In such circumstances you have to go to the artist.They don't feel the need to draw attention to themselves.

10. Roy Harper - "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" (From HQ)
The great British DJ John Peel used to say that his producer John Walters always said he'd play this song in the event of John Peel's death.Unfortunately John Walters was no longer alive when John Peel passed away but Andy Kershaw(another great BBC DJ) did play this song in John Peel's memory. All of this makes what is already an almost unbearably moving song even more poignant.When The Grimethorpe Colliery Band strike up it's almost too much to bear. I don't normally think anything of being English but this song seems to bottle a certain kind of England.It's back to that idea of music conjuring up a sense of place.

Trembling Blue Stars [Dusted Magazine]
picture: Archivo Elefant

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