Feedle – ‘Leave Now For Adventure’ (SVC) Released 06/02/06

Very little is known or can be discerned about Feedle.   His press advises he is a DJ/musician from Sheffield who has ‘somehow managed to chuck up’ a whole album.  This might suggests laid-back amateurishness and while 'Leave Now for Adventure' certainly has a bedroom produced quality to it, repeated listens reveal it to be a finely crafted gem.  An album of almost wordless dance and electronica crafted from beats, samples and other generally pretty though occasionally abrasive noise, this is the kind of pared down but creative oddity that John Peel would have loved. 

First track ‘Song For Dogs’ has attracted some radio attention and typifies the lo-fi sound of the album, but is solid rather than a highlight. ‘The Cold’ and ‘Burn The Fields’ craft a simple fragile beauty from the beats and atmospheric, swirling soundspaces.  The real heart of the album is appropriately the long centre tracks.  There’s a moment in ‘Everything Slow’ when the background noises cease to allow room for an incredibly simple female ‘dah dah dah’ vocal sample and whistling around a pretty, ambient tune is constructed.  The trick is repeated to even better effect on ‘This Troubles All Dust’ which has a male ‘dah dah dah’ sample segue in to one with someone that that sounds a bit like Graham Coxon singing ‘It’s a lovely day lets go home early’.’  It makes for some more relaxing summery ambience and reminds of the tracks on Moby’s ‘Play’. 

The simple glockenspiel ditty ‘Song for Cats’ pleases further and the most commercial thing here is probably ‘Home’ which is melodic bassy trance similar to the Chemical Brothers poppier moments. While the title might refer to the excitement of getting out of the house in to the world ‘Leave Now for the Adventure’ is very much an ambient/come down album for listening to on your headphones in the comfort of home; letting the music take you elsewhere.  If there’s one criticism to be made it’s that at times Feedle seems to be making beautiful shapes in a slightly muted grey rather than the fantastic tecnhicolir of truly inspirational music.  This must be in part down to the (presumably) limited budget this was recorded on so here's hoping some label will throw a bit of money at Feedle and we can see what he can produce next.  This is a fine debut however.