CD review - Lights Fantastic (From Western Telegraph)

CD review - Lights Fantastic

Kald The Egryn Lights (Private Pressing)

Lying on the Skone doormat with post-Sidmouth Folk Festival serendipity was the latest CD from Cardigan-based band Kald and this recording demonstrates that folk music takes many forms. Although Kald eschew the acoustic-based sounds normally associated with trad folk, and utilise the full panoply of electric instruments, including samples and such like, this is still folk music, born of the real experiences of a local community.

The title track of this seven-track CD (two of which are only playable on a PC and come complete with imaginative psychedelic graphics), The Egryn Lights, refers to the Great Methodist Revival of 1905 when farmers wife, Mary Jones, was visited by mystical dancing lights, a phenomenon which drew pilgrims from all over Wales to her chapel meetings. All this is explained in a booklet which comes free with this multi-media package, a booklet which tells Fortean tales, real and imaginary, you decide, from Kalds fabled community Cardiza - a land located somewhere between Cardigan and Ibiza.

The other six tracks on this CD find Kald in better form than on their last release, Mummies And Children First, finely honing their near unclassifiable yet tongue in cheek sound, groovy lounge core equally pleasurable to those who like to sit back and let the feelings evoked by the music wash over them, as it is to those who like to analyse the myriad of influences Kald incorporate near seamlessly into their tunes. Repeated listening brings unexpected rewards.

Once again Kald explore our apparently familiar local landscape and society to expose hidden fascinating mysteries. And they do it in an imaginative fashion that sets the standard other local musicians should aspire to - the music comes replete with colourful graphics, expansive notes, that free booklet and, best of all, a visual journey though the all-singing and all-dancing wonders of modern folk technology viz music and visuals on the PC.

If you havent a PC, this package can still be enjoyed with merely a pair of eyes and a CD player (remember them?) and is available from Kalmeister Pete Bingham at kaldpeter@aol.com or on (01239) 811064. B. B. Skone