Review of Seldom Sampler One by Modern-Dance Magazine

28th Jul 2003

Brand new label from London that's kicked off with a pretty impressive cv here. Whilst it would have been perhaps a bit more beneficial having it last some forty minutes as opposed to 25, but hey, let's call it a mini album! Charles Light is the founder, and he's picked some impressive acts to kickstart the label.

Idiot Bear starts the album with Future Song, a soft and thoughtfully melodic song that with a few playings becomes a really catchy song. Mainly acoustic with a hint of cello (?), it really is a beautiful song.

Babylon By Bus appear on track two with Away. Again, it's a pretty gentle song and benefits from cracking melodic undercurrents - this isn't the in your face stuff - nice simple lead work and the singer, at times, reminds me of the guy from Beautiful South.

As you were beginning to think that the label preferred the softer side of things, we get The Endorphines with Moon Man, this is a kind of drum and bass ambient rock, hell, whatever, it's bloody catchy. Sfx aplenty and a really magnetic groove, with a middle passage that's straight out of the Twilight Zone.

Redneck Renegade's In The Middle is kind of retro in feel, reminding me of all kinds of (decent) 90s bands from James to Jellyfish. The more I listen to this song the more I really like it.

UpC DownC ABC+Start conclude the album with Z-More. This, again, is quite a reflective piece, darker than anything else on the album, I guess it's the synth washing in and out of the hypnotic guitar chords? What makes this band especially interesting is the fact that they are mainly a guitar instrumental band. If this particular track is anything to go by, then they are something to watch for.

What can I say? Short and sweet, Seldom have released a pretty interesting set of songs here and if this doesn't get them noticed then we've lost all ability to think beyond fashion and banality. (Dw)