Albums
September: 18 albums you need to hear this month
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Marconi Union 'Ghost Stations' (Just Music)
Having mastered the art of dubby, ethereal ambience so successfully that their track ‘Weightless has been described as the ‘most relaxing song ever’, Marconi Union could have kept pushing the same buttons. But the title of ‘Ghost Stations’ gives a clue to its ambitions: an empty space, a vacuum where new ideas can germinate. You can hear it on the opening ‘Sleeper’, where spectral clarinet and ghostly trumpet intertwine with quasi-techno beats. It really kicks in during the second half of ‘Remnants/Shadow Scheme’, which segues from icy, classical piano into slo-mo house. All of the trademark Marconi-isms are here, but they’re now emboldened by broader musical strokes.
8/10
