Socially Distant Spins with Sandy Power, Cornfield Chase

Today’s Socially Distant Spins’ special guest is Sandy Power, front-man of dreamy indie-rock four piece, Cornfield Chase and founder of music blog, promotions and mini label: Pictish Prism!

Have a read at what five albums are getting Sandy through the lockdown below…

Album 1: Jon Hopkins – Immunity

Favourite Track – Open Eye Signal

Why did it make the list? Immunity was the first album I heard by Jon Hopkins and between this and follow-up ‘Singularity’, I have racked up a lot of listening time. There is something incredibly organic about Hopkins’ sound despite being very processed and largely electronic. I think he uses a lot of recorded sounds that he processes beyond recognition of what the source actually is to give this effect. ‘Open Eye Signal’ like many Hopkins tracks takes you on a journey and builds over time. The video shot to accompany the track is a great visual metaphor for the music with the young guy on the skateboard cutting through various scenery.

Album 2: Boards of Canada – In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country

Favourite Track – In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country

Why did it made the list? This is an EP Boards of Canada brought out in 2000. It has that same mixture of darkness, the ethereal and the ambience of their full albums. I have yet to be disappointed by anything this two have put out but they are a studio duo, so I doubt I’ll ever see them live. The title track is one of my favourites but it could be virtually anything on this EP. I use this music to relax to and whilst going about my day.

Album 3: Moses Sumney – Græ: Part 1

Favourite Track – Polly

Why did it make the list? Part One of Sumney’s sophomore album which is a two-parter, the latter of the two yet to be released. The album is more experimental than debut album ‘Aromanticism’ and has a number of different styles on offer as well as interlude tracks. Sumney is a fantastic songwriter and has an incredible voice. ‘Polly’ is probably my favourite track as it matches Sumney’s beautiful vocals on top of some really rich-sounding fingerpicked acoustic guitar, both allowing for the emotion of the song to really hit home. The video for ‘Polly’ is interesting too, with Moses singing the lyrics into a camera and almost breaking down with tears at points.

Album 4: Kendrick Lamar – DAMN

Favourite Track – ELEMENT.

Why did it make the list? I first got into Kendrick Lamar after listening to ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ which is a work of genius but I’ve found myself increasingly listening to DAMN. I have the record on vinyl as well as digitally. His albums are full of fantastic production as well as his incredible vocal delivery. ELEMENT. is a diss track, which has a great beat behind the vocal. There’s some really haunting piano in the song which I imagine is down to James Blake as he has a writing credit on the song. There’s also a vocal sample running through the verse which reminds me of some of the blues samples on ‘Play’ by Moby. The song slows down and pitch shifts the piano and vocal down at the end which is really eerie too.

Album 5: Radiohead – In Rainbows (Disk 2)

Favourite track – Go Slowly

Why did it make the list? Got introduced to the second disc of In Rainbows when my Dad bought the special edition vinyl when the album was released. It’s a bit weirder than the main album but I don’t think it’s any less special. It has its fair share of darkness, see ‘Down is the New Up’ and ‘Up on the Ladder’ as well as beautiful moments like ‘Go Slowly’. There are even literal “bangers” like ‘Bangers and Mash’ and some really cool interludes that play about with studio techniques. ‘Go Slowly’ is one of Radiohead’s more dreamy moments and uses broken chords in the guitar with glockenspiel that remind me of earlier tracks like ‘No Surprises’ and ‘Scatterbrain’. There are some really nice acoustic guitar chords in the second half of the song and Thom Yorke’s trademark ethereal vocal.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CORNFIELD CHASE AND PICTISH PRISM BELOW ON THEIR SOCIALS…

CORNFIELD CHASE –

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/cfchasemusic/

TWITTER: @CFCHASEMUSIC

INSTA: @CFCHASEMUSIC