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Caretaker's Haunting 78s Echo Memory's Fades
22 Aug
Summary
- Artist uses sampled old 78s, rearranging them for haunting effect.
- Album inspired by Alzheimer's patients' music memory recall.
- Music mimics fragmented, inconclusive nature of human memory.
James Leyland Kirby, known as The Caretaker, has released "An Empty Bliss Beyond This World," an album crafted from edited prewar 78 rpm records. The music is built upon layers of sampled vinyl, with elements rearranged and brought in and out of focus, retaining the original surface noise.
This collection was inspired by research suggesting music aids memory recall in Alzheimer's patients. Kirby's approach involves looping anodyne phrases and emphasizing conclusive or comforting moments, mirroring how fragmented memories surface. The resulting soundscape is not dissonant but evokes a sense of beautiful melancholy.
Kirby's past work as V/Vm explored more grotesque sound editing. As The Caretaker, his music has become more subdued, focusing on ambient soundscapes derived from existing recordings. This artistic direction, including his choice of moniker referencing "The Shining," explores the psychedelic properties of memory.
