LISTEN: Killing Fields of Ontario - Our Place To Drown

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (9/10/13)

Leeds via Birmingham via London five-piece Killing Fields of Ontario might be a little displaced geographically, but their uplifting folk-rock remains rooted in its soil.

They’ve been simmering quietly in the background for a few years with regular slots on Tom Robinson’s BBC Introducing show, but new track ‘Our Place To Drown’ sounds like a band vying for more. Train rhythms and playful bass confidently carry billowing guitars over Tom Brewster’s pseudo-Southern drawl. It’s gentle but purposeful, the soundtrack for an endless journey.

Partner it up with the intense folk-country of lead single, ‘Cloud’ – taken from their forthcoming album, How The World Ends - and the rest of it looks rather promising.

How The World Ends is out on 28 October via KFoO Records.

FEATURE: Tessera Skies

*Originally published for The Generator's Tipping Point blog (17/10/12)

It’s a strange and somewhat lucky coincidence that Tessera Skies are playing their first gig in over four years at Oxjam Newcastle this Sunday. Their existentialist single, ‘Soliloquy of an Astronaut’, has undoubtedly been granted a place on their set-list, just a week after Felix Baumgartner leapt to earth from space. We all watched last Sunday, terribly nervous for Felix who was willing to sacrifice himself for science, no guarantee of falling to earth alive. “Green and blue look very strange from out here”, breathes Tessera Skies’ vocalist on ‘Soliloquy of an Astronaut’, “Look at me. I’m dying. I’m dying.” Thank god Felix made it.

Scientific references aside, Newcastle’s Tessera Skies have very recently sprung into action following the completion of their university studies. They’ve so far enjoyed airplay from Tom Robinson at BBC 6, the folks at Amazing Radio and Nick Roberts at BBC Newcastle, and that’s no mean feat.

It feels as if the three-piece have been waiting years for this moment, especially on ‘Soliloquy for an Astronaut’, a near-faultless piece of writing that is polished but also beautifully understated. Jazz-inspired drums trip over each other, ‘No Surprises’ electronics drip in the background and earnest strings grip at the root note. It’s wonderfully tranquil and perfectly embodies what one would imagine floating through space feels like, even if the lyrics carry a heavier metaphorical (than literal!) weight.

There are uncanny Guillemots intonations, as well as some Lanterns on the Lake musical stylings, but Tessera Skies impressively retain their own sound. A very promising, and culturally relevant, bunch.

FEATURE: Is streaming the new buying?

*Originally published for Fresh On The Net (20/4/12)


Yesterday BBC Radio 1 released figures from the BPI and Official Charts Company that show a 25% decrease in CD sales from 20.5 million in the first three months of 2011, to 15.3 million this year. Digital sales are instead increasing and account for almost a third of all albums sales.

Regardless of the rise in digital sales, Music Week has revealed that weekly album sales have plummeted to a record 21st century low: ‘Overall album sales are 27.62% down week-on-week at 1,446,218 – that is 23.19% below same week 2011 sales of 1,882,878, and lower than in any of the 640 previous weeks that have elapsed in the 21st century.’ While music is being shared and accessed more easily via streaming platforms such as Spotify, it is not being paid for as much by fans. Streaming is essentially the new buying.

Last month, my friend treated me to a month’s premium subscription to Spotify for £10. Until then, I had been using the Spotify free package to preview albums before buying them (habitually, in CD format). I have been more than satisfied with Spotify’s allocation of five listens maximum per song and the adverts haven’t bothered me too much.

What my companion couldn’t get his head round, however, is why I do not choose to spend just a tenner a month to avoid advertisements, enjoy unlimited listening, stream music on my smartphone and listen to songs in higher audio quality. Irritated by my stubbornness, he bought me a month’s subscription to see if I could be swayed.

Sure, the unlimited streaming was great and the smartphone service was pretty slick, but something that I had previously highlighted to my friend cropped up; in that month, I did not feel as inclined to buy a new album (CD format, mp3 format, whatever) because I felt like I already owned a bunch of new ones in quasi-tangible form.

It really frustrated me that the £10 subscription had not actually resulted in me owning any new music. Yes, I had access to thousands of songs streaming on my computer and phone, but I couldn’t burn song files onto a CD for my car, nor transfer the files for the purposes of my radio show. Buying music from Spotify at an additional price would have of course enable me to do this, but with the tenner already gone on the subscription, I was strapped of the money that I would have bought a new album with that month. So, I returned to Spotify free.

What I prefer about the free version is that it limits your listening to five plays. I think it’s a fair deal considering that you are using it on a free basis. If you have listened to an album 5 times then that’s a) probably because you like it and b) if so, it’s about time you actually owned the album. Spotify free encourages me to keep doing what I have always done; pay for the privilege of owning music and enables me to do something that I couldn’t do a few years ago; preview and explore more music. The listening cap on Spotify free means that I truly realise what’s worth buying and what’s not. While the free version, paradoxically, does not save me money, at least I am the owner of something real at the end of the month.

Whether you buy CDs, buy music off iTunes/Spotify, or stick to vinyl (the latter of which has seen a 20% increase in sales according to Nielsen SoundScan – good news for Record Store Day) what is undeniably true is that people are not putting as much money towards music. The £10-a-month subscription to Spotify is some payment, but it is merely a small token in exchange for unlimited listening.

I think streaming on a premium basis is deterring a lot of people from buying music at its true value and the aforementioned decrease in album sales are likely attributed to this. Sadly, I’m sure it won’t be long before BPI and the Official Charts Company reveal another record low in album sales.

FEATURE: Blog post for BBC 6 Music Introducing with Tom Robinson

*Originally published for BBC 6 Music (13/11/11)

After Bethan Elfyn’s superb takeover of the show for the last two weeks, Tom returned from his break this morning with more of the best new streaming tunes around. As ever, he brought an eclectic mix of music to the show; from the chillwave soundscapes of Newcastle producer Waskerley Way to the folky vibes of Will Varley and the gothic electronic nuances of NY artist Bonnie Baxter, aka Shad[]wb[]x.

Joining us in the studio this week was the fantastic London-based artist Jono McCleery (with Tom, above). Since his initial airplay on 6 Music in 2006, Jono has been swiftly snapped up by Ninja Tune Records - and his second album There Is is out now. As well as talking to us about the positive reception of his new album in France and the US and his love for jazz/ improvisational styles, he admitted to a secret fetish for mastering the double-bass. This was unbeknown to us and it certainly adds to McCleery’s musical aresenal ! We played Tie Me In - one of his favourites from the new album - and  we loved its jazz-snap rhythms, brooding vocals and yearning strings. Jono plays a headline show at London's legendary 100 Club on November and we wish him a storming succes.

Our Sunday morning tip from Huw Stephens at Radio One featured, he told us, the "musical hip-hop genius" of 26 year old London rapper, Mikill Pane. The heavy marching rhythms and booming chorus of his track I Can Feel It make it near-impossible to not dance to. DJ Target recommended To And Fro by the Ipswich duo De’ Vide, while Bobby Friction brought us a brash but catchy hip-hop chant called I Don’t Really Care by the London artist Menis, aka The Brown Boi. We were interested to note that Menis had been part of an Asian cultural delegation to Downing Street recently, where he met PM David Cameron. Also in attendance was Swami Baracus - featured on this Monday’s Mixtape edition of the show.

In place of session tracks this week we had two live recordings by The Slow Show - who were recommended to support Elbow at Manchester Cathedral last month by the city's local BBC Introducing show - and were recorded there by BBC Radio 2. Working in a similar vein to to the contemplative, alt-rock stylings of bands such as The National. it's amazing to think how far this unsigned band have come since their formation just a few months ago.

Tom gave repeat plays to several of his favourite tracks - including Ghosting by Secret Rivals, and All At Sea by The Peryls - while tonight's spin of the Introducing Roulette wheel turned up the Ulster quartet Seven Summits, with I Want Somebody. It came to us courtesy of Steven Rainey from Rory McConnell’s BBC Introducing In Northern Ireland programme - and our thanks go out as usual to the listeners, artists and colleagues who recommended yet another great week of diverse under-the-radar music from cyberspace.

Charlotte Krol and Tom Robinson