Static Caravan records look set to see out the year with a plethora of releases from the previously mentioned Victories at Sea and MTO along with further turntable tastiness from TVAM, the Duke St. Workshop and David O’Dowda the latter of whom mentioned comes sporting upon an ultra limited 100 only hand-made CD. The name mightn’t be too familiar for the less clued up brethren among you but Mr O’Dowda once headed up Table, an ensemble whose output occasionally graced the Static Catalogue to much acclaim. These days he can be found penning music to picture – cinema and TV and other such like, ‘the world retreats’ therefore is a rare outing that finds him freed of his creative solitude crafting something – er – well – ghosted in solitude. Frail, fragile and above all crystal cut in sublimely hushed elegance, ‘the world retreats’ is so tenderly reflective, almost an apparition, that you fear it might shyly disappear at the approach of anything accidentally disturbing its finitely balanced state, in truth one of the finest, most bruised and beguiled releases to have graced the Static Caravan roster since the days of Shady Bard whilst admirers of low anthem may just tearfully swoon at its murmured majesty
the sunday experience 