“Daniel Figgis was making post-classical/post-rock music years before either of those terms gained currency.”
For those who spent their years listening to great radio, that quote alone should tell you the value of the music of Daniel Figgis. With a storied body of work behind him and a slew of activity slated for 2022, we had an interesting project to let settle in your headphones. This is a compilation of four artists taking apart and reworking, into their own image, Daniel’s music.
You can hear Daniel’s compositions shine through in each track, which is a credit to the singularity of his music, but what can be done with it when given the opportunity to mold is is quite astounding. The standout track for me is the track titled Second City Bicycle Bounce (a re-composition by Cathal Coughlan), whose name should also be familiar to those who remember The Fatima Mansions. The track pulses and bounces along in a way that references minimalism, but in a way that would appeal to those who like post-rock music. Deep Burial take the source material and form it into Avant Guard Your Grille, something that reminded me of trip-hop done very well, something I haven’t heard since the 1990s. Muddy Mae Suggins, a new name for me, creates a weirdly musique concrète-esque soundscape worthy of the INA-GRM stamp of approval out of the track all alone on lonely long. Finally, Pat Daly splices and dices up 2 Lights in such a way that it maintains an elegance despite the jarring cuts.
There will, indeed, be more from Daniel Figgis in 2022. This release, truly a Christmas Easter egg, as it were, is our present to you, our friends, the listeners. May the day be enjoyable, and may you get great use out of your headphones with this EP.