Memoryloop // Illuminate

As summer begins, and I gradually fill my time with drowsy indulgences in the sun, I am always reminded of how much I enjoy listening to slow-paced sleepy kind of music, when I too am feeling rather slow-paced and sleepy. The new offering from Brighton-based Memoryloop sits very comfortably with my docile summer haziness and washes over me with patience and courtesy.

The warbled steel-pan synths flood around you and give Illuminate a distinctly stretched out quality, which creates an indelible atmosphere like some ethereal dream. The heady intoxication of the chords are helped along by the panned kit sounds, that grudge along lazily as they float around the stereo image. The celestial pianos and pitch-shifted vocals that appear in Illuminate (and much of Memoryloop’s work) display a potential influence from Boards of Canada, whilst remaining considerably more welcoming and approachable than the Scottish duo’s often threatening or disquieting undertones.

With less than 100 followers, and some wonderfully innovative music, it’s fair to say that Memoryloop’s following doesn’t match his talent. I suspect that this maybe due to an introspective, humble approach to his music, as he rarely uploads tracks and doesn’t advertise himself as much as he perhaps should. Furthermore, this could be suggested by the music itself, which is also markedly introspective. Nevertheless, I hope Memoryloops isn’t put off by his small following, and continues to write the score for my half-remembered sunny afternoons.

• Published
• Jun 7, 2012

• Credits
• Words by Georgie_McVicar