Although referred to as one of Talk Talk from 1983-1991, Tim Friese-Greene' he was never officially a member of that influential band.
Despite working alongside Mark Hollis as co-producer, co-writer and keyboard player, he steadfastly maintained his status as a free agent. Consequently, he only ever played one live gig with the group (at Montreux Jazz Festival in 1986) and never appeared in official photos or videos.
He brings this independent, some would say contrary, spirit to his solo project, Heligoland, preferring to go his own way rather than following well trodden paths. Needless to say, there is no signature sound that you can ascribe to this EP.
Two takes of a high energy title track are in marked contrast to three gloomy, introspective tunes. Lo-fi arrangements prominently feature the Hammond organ rather than electric guitar.
Friese-Green says "dancing is a very specific use for music", a fact he illustrates with the track One Girl Among Many, a freedom song set to Latin-influenced rhythms.
This opens with brief samples from famous speeches advocating the philosophy of non-violence by Martin Luther King and Malala Yousafzai. The latter is the Pakistani schoolgirl who survived after being shot by the Taliban to demand the right of education for all at the U.N.: "So here I stand, one girl among many, I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard".
After such eloquence, lines about dancing for freedom delivered in a deadpan voice over squelchy beats are, to say the least, incongruous. Still it's lively enough to endorse the principle that music designed to get your body moving doesn't have to be brainless.
|
There is quite a contrast in mood on Song With No Refrain. Instead of addressing the world this is "for an audience of me". Dry humour and the self deprecating words cannot mask the overall tone of weary resignation.
The other two tracks are not any more cheery. The enigmatically titled A Bust Flush From A-Z catalogues things he can't explain, ranging from the profundity of love to how birds manage to fly without a manual. The title of the final track, Such Is My Dismay, speaks for itself.
Perhaps the broadly downbeat mood which colours these closing tracks is due to the fact that severe tinnitus halted plans for these songs to be part of a full-length album.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that this may the last record Friese-Green will make and if this proves to be the case, he ends a little sadly with a whimper not a bang.
Heligoland's website
|
