Lost Idol

‘Brave The Elements’ cd/lp

Cookshop

Released Monday 22nd February 2010

James Dean, producer & man behind the Cookshop record label, steps out from the shadows to don his Lost Idol alias & deliver his second full length lp. It has been quite a wait since 2006’s critically acclaimed ‘Utters From A Cluttered Mind’, however Lost Idol has spent this time carefully developing a sound that moves away from the psychedelic songcraft of his debut & into a predominantly instrumental oeuvre that reflects his love for electronica, ambient, krautrock, soundscapes & beyond.

For those aware of Dean’s musical background this period of development should come as no surprise. From his initial cinematic sample-based work as Lost Idol for the late, great Pork label & his electronic output as J-Spool for Marco Passarani’s Nature imprint through to his work on his own Cookshop label he has constantly strived for an idiosyncratic style that coherently blurs the lines between tags & genres.

Album opener ‘Lightwerk’ might fool you into thinking this record is another homage to the pioneering cruisers of the autobahn, with its motorik beat & whirring analogue synth lines, but when the half-step drums of ‘Jar Guidance’ kick in, replete with haunted reverbed sounds & unsettling hovering bassline, it becomes clear this is an imaginative trip through electronic-based music in all its facets & forms. ‘She Summons Demons’ introduces crackling drums underpinning an ever evolving shoegazing swirl of guitar & weathered synths, whilst ‘My Drone Stirs In  Summertime’ & ‘Peace For Joseph’ divert the listener into widescreen, soundtrack-esque moments of reflective melancholic beauty.
Elsewhere solitary vocal track ‘A Sorrowful Thing’ provides an understated lament about past regrets, with Lost Idol’s hushed voice accompanied by clipped beats & atmospherics, & album closer ‘Slow Slow Stop’ lays things to rest with its slow-burning drones & cycling piano chords.

‘Brave The Elements’ is a record that does just that; it is an emotive listen that dares to be different & looks in at the world from Lost Idol’s unique creative viewpoint. Melodic, atmospheric & beguiling, this is an immersive record that reveals its beauty through repeated listens.

Press Feedback For Lost Idol ‘Utters From A Cluttered Mind’

“Lost Idol successfully blurs the distinction between organics & synthetics” – 4/5, Mojo

“a sharp album, both in its production & musical content, as well as full of twists & turns, & with its melancholic undertones is a well-timed release for the onset of autumn” – 4/5, IDJ

“the melancholic streak that runs through his music reveals much of himself & makes this a very personal & idiosyncratic release” - Clash

“James Dean here pulls intriguing musical shapes out of a swirl of psychedelia & folk-rock, managing to sound both classic & modern at the same time” – Q

“brand-new old-school, some analog digi-scapes, some songs that don't shy away from being dope tracks” – 9.5/10, Lodown (Record Of The Issue)

“reminiscent of the atmospheric twinklings of the Cinematic Orchestra in places, & the mind-bending scuzzy sounds of Four Tet in others. Strange but beautiful” – 4/5, Notion

“a great mix of digital & acoustic styles” – 4/5, The Skinny

http://www.myspace.com/lostidol
http://www.cookshopmusic.co.uk