Monday 1 October 2012

Various Artists: Audioscope - Music For A Good Home 2

Album review by KevW


If you've not heard about their work before, the idea is simple. Audioscope have spent over a decade raising funds for the national homelessness charity, Shelter, by putting on benefit gigs and releasing music by left-field artists. You can read more about their work on their website, and although this great cause is worthy of donating a few quid to anyway, from today you can indulge yourself in a veritable banquet of alternative music from the great and the good for just a fiver (or more if you have it to spare). Following the impressive line-up assembled for its 2009 predecessor, 'Music For A Good Home 2' has summoned a stellar cast of artists offering new, exclusive and rare recordings, some 40 in total. By anyone's reckoning that's gotta be a hell of a bargain.

If your thing is ambient sounds and folktronica then you'll find a specially recorded track from Four Tet, along with The Telescopes and Portishead remixing Ride amongst the treasures here. Geoff Barrow's experimental group Beak> also contribute, as do fellow sonic exploration legends Spectrum with a sublime remastered version of 'Feels Like I'm Slipping Away'. Prefer music with a bit more bite? Post-punk heroes Wire chip in with a snappy live recording as do Ice Sea Dead People, and Action Beat supply more noisy guitars. Shoegaze/drone-rock is given a good outing too, with tunes by Sennen and Mugstar also in the mix. Sprinkled throughout this cast of established underground heroes are less well known artists who'll make sure you'll uncover some new favourites too.

Pretty much everyone is catered for; if experimentation isn't for you then head for the brilliant songcraft of Richard Walters or Flights Of Helios and the indie sounds of The Workhouse. At the other end of the spectrum are the warped beats of Coloureds and the just plain bonkers buggered-up folk of Laura Moody. There's simply too much to mention here and if you're familiar with each of the acts involved we'll be very surprised, also if you listen to this whole set and find nothing of interest we'll be equally amazed. Not only is 'Music For A Good Home Two' a wonderful showcase for the diversity of our alternative music scene, it also means your money is being put to great use. Aside from the whole charity aspect, you're essentially getting four albums worth of weird and wonderful sounds to explore for the price of a pint or two. It's a win-win situation and a great effort from Audioscope to piece together such an eclectic and interesting compilation.


Buy the album

www.musicforagoodhome.com 





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