The Forest and The Sea . Leafcutter John
staubgold 68
2006. cd . dl . lp
The Forest and The Sea features a dynamic hybrid of electronic and acoustic songs. Telling a true story, the compositions are bound together by a meticulous narrative enriched by haunting vocals and traditional instrumentation. Both story and field recordings were constructed and gathered in various locations including Greece, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
This journey reveals John's musical kaleidoscope and his consolidated approach to songwriting, field recordings and electronics. A significant development from John’s earlier works, he manages to produce seamless transitions between electronics and songwriting. The end result is the creation of a new, all-encompassing genre. The list of guests includes drummer Seb Rochford and bassist Tom Herbert from Mercury Music Prize nominees Polar Bear — of which John is a fulltime member. Additional vocals are provided by Leo Chadburn aka Simon Bookish, and Alice Grant.
Leafcutter John
"One of the bourgeoning stars of post-electronica." — Tony Herrington, The Wire
Leafcutter John is London-based John Burton. Since his debut on Planet Mu records in 2000, Burton has developed a strong musical identity using processed instrumental and environmental recordings. Burton is an accomplished remixer, having worked on projects for Nettle (DJ Rupture), µ-ZIQ/Speedy J, Electric Company, Badly Drawn Boy and Capitol K, amongst others.
The Housebound Spirit (Planet Mu, 2003) won an Honorary Mention at the 2004 Ars Electronica prestigious awards and was featured on The Wire's top 50 records of 2003.
"Burton's approach to sound structure has developed considerably. Increasingly confronting electro-acoustic with his folk roots, leaving behind all conventional forms of electronica." — TheMilkFactory.co.uk