Lights In A Fat City

Memory Ground

BY David DacksPublished Nov 1, 1999

This is a welcome new release from the late, great Lights in a Fat City, pioneers of didgeridoo soundscapes in the ’80s, and LIAFC's ideas are still compelling some ten years after this live-but-tweaked recording was made. This CD sounds better than any other LIAFC recording from back in the day, probably due to member Kenneth Newby's post-production work. This process not only expands the overall sound, it seems to wring even more nuances out of the already complex sound of the didgeridoo. Layers of subtle electronic sounds seem to sprout up from textures within the drone to become repeated patterns or waves (remember that back in the post-DX7 days of the late ’80s, one had to work really hard to be subtle). Other acoustic elements are contributed by Newby, Eddy Sayer, and Stephen Kent, whose work on "Animal Horns" produces some truly bizarre sounds. Sayer's percussion work seems to arise from rhythms implied by the electro-acoustic textures. There is a organic bigness to the sound, unlike all too many ambient records that use mega-reverb in an attempt to sound awesomely magnificent. The didg is the lead voice in each song, and as such LIAFC pay respect to its central role in Australian-aboriginal folkways. Those who are on a high diet of contemporary ambient music would be well advised to check out the past masters.
(City Of Tribes)

Latest Coverage