Labradford - Fixed::Context album flac

Alec L. Critten Labradford's final album finds them in a rather unique musical divide, straddling the lines between post-rock (or even "rock" at all) and pure ambient textures. By greatly limiting their sonic palette, these musicians are able to conjure a striking sound. This record may pass you by upon first listen, but it will draw you in, again and again.

In the spirit of Meddle, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, and Millions Now Living Will Never Die, Labradford's sixth record features a side-length composition and a flip of shorter works. With Fixed::Context, they've built on the spatial qualities of E Luxo So, while making their most personal and intimate recording, despite it being completely vocal-less. Simple, subtle, and quite beautiful, the 37-minute album rewards during deep concentration and as use for background. It's just as scenic as Scenic and just as pleasantly dust-blown as Ry Cooder's score to Paris, Texas

Though the group has not officially disbanded, they have not released another album since 2001's critically acclaimed Fixed::Context, and the band members have apparently moved away from their former base of Richmond, Virginia. Robert Donne has joined the slow-core group Spokane, and is currently joining Gregor Samsa for their European tour.

Fixed::Context ‎(CD, Album). PIAS Benelux, PIAS Germany, Playground Music Scandinavia. Fixed::Context ‎(LP, Album).

My first pass through fixed::context left me completely bored. As with E Luxo So, there just didn't seem enough to the music to hold my interest. But each time I played it, fixed::context burrowed just a little deeper in my brain and I now hum the simple themes constantly, even when the record is nowhere in sight. I may have been a bit slow on the uptake initially because fixed::context is an absurdly minimal proposition. The whole record is only 37 minutes long; there are only four tracks, and each has a handful of different sounds hitting only five or six different notes

With Fixed::Context, they've built on the spatial qualities of E Luxo So, while making their most personal and intimate recording, despite it being completely vocal-less. It's just as scenic as Scenic and just as pleasantly dust-blown as Ry Cooder's score to Paris, Texas. Barely-there electronic rustling and an organ drone lead off the 18-minute-long "Twenty.