I've fallen into something of trap - I buy Max Richter records without really considering if I really need to. His output is prolific and it is impossible to keep up. His albums themselves are consistently excellent and I'll keep up with them for sure. His soundtrack work is, however, probably where I need to hold back. By the nature of the work, they vary in how exciting they are and I should probably take the film/series into consideration before buying them. But there was a period in which I was trying to keep on top of what he was releasing, and this record came out in that time. It was the first step in the realisation that I should take a more considered approach to his output, solidified by a couple of soundtracks that did little for me. I think I'm now out of the trap, but time will tell.
This record is, undoubtably, a strange one. The first in series that I'm not sure has continued, Max picked a bunch of songs for a compilation. In theory, they were all from records in Rough Trade, but I've never paid enough attention to their classical section to know if it's as deep as this record suggests that it is. The majority of the songs here are what I (a layperson) would call classical, with a spattering of post-rock and electronica thrown in. Based on Max Richter's style of music, this feels like it's probably pretty representative of his record collection.
It's important to remember that I know next to nothing about classical music. Are the classical songs here that Max has picked "good" classical songs? I don't know. If I showed this to my in-laws (big classical music fans) would they find it to be an interesting mix, or look down their noses at it (is it the equivalent of them showing me a Now That's What I Call Music comp and asking my opinion)? Again, I don't know. I suspect Max has reasonable taste in classical music, but there are probably countless sub-genres that I know nothing about. Strip away the classical songs, and you've certainly got a perfectly reasonable ATP line-up, so I can only imagine the classical songs are equally highly-respected. Maybe I will ask my in-laws next time they're here.
Anyway, there were a few reasons I bought this album. One was that it had a Max Richter song that I wasn't familiar with (Mercy); secondly, it came with a bonus 7" of more unreleased Max Richter songs; thirdly, based on the songs I knew, I figured there'd be some interesting discoveries; and finally, I was just buying too many Max Richter records. On the first point, Mercy is an excellent song - powerful violins over a sombre piano. It grabs your attention the best possible way. On the second point, The Young Mariner is a really nice piano-led piece with gently swelling strings but Whale Window Hotel / Farewell Threshold Laudanum is disappointingly unremarkable. These two songs aren't included on the cd or in the download, sadly.
As for discovering music I didn't really know about, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Rachel's were both winners. I'd heard of Rachel's some years ago when one of them played at All Tomorrow's Parties, but never listened to any. Last Things Last is haunting and brilliant and I really need to spend more time with them as a band. As for the songs I know, I like that he picked a Mogwai song from their excellent Atomic soundtrack and Low are a welcome inclusion to literally anything. I love Godspeed as much as the next person, but dedicating an entire side of vinyl to Rockets Fall on Rocket Falls feels a bit lazy (or perhaps a sign of fatigue after curating five sides on vinyl). I imagine most people buying this record are like me - noobs to classical music, and knowledgable of post-rock, etc - but I do like the idea that somewhere there's a classical music fan hearing GYBE for the first time on this album and being blown away by it.
In terms of the classical music itself, I don't feel I'm any more knowledgable or into it than I was before I played this record. Starry Sky Cycle by Urmas Sisask is pretty nice, and the sleeve notes tell me that must be a fairly modern piece. Kronos Quartet provide an interesting and very maximal piece, but they're an easy one for people like me after their work on the incredible soundtrack to Requiem For a Dream with Clint Mansell. I think the biggest realisation is that what I enjoy about "neo-classical" music isn't so much the "classical" part as much as the "neo" part - it's the way it straddles post-rock and electronica that excites me, the fact it's usual classical instruments and ideas to get there is only a part of it. (As a separate side note, I feel that the genre name "neo-classical" is probably going to age as badly as "nu-metal" did). There's a strange vocal harmony piece on the first side of vinyl which really isn't my thing.
As well as three LPs and a 7", there's a download for two continuous mixes (following the tracklisting of the double cd version and featuring a much edited version of the Godspeed song) and a bonus cd of ten songs from the compilation, mostly featuring the newer songs/artists. Every now and again, I play one of these on my computer at work, but all of them feel a bit too sprawling and I never play more than one of the three hours they cover. Overall, it's a fairly lavish release for something that is ultimately the sort of cd you might get free as a sampler or on a magazine. It's nice, but I don't think it was the best way to spend the £31 I spent on it. I couldn't put a number on how much value I've gotten from it, but it's certainly less than £31; the remainder can be chalked up the cost of trying to keep up a collection of an artist who is releasing more records than I can try to remain on top of. I've learnt my lesson now though.
Format: triple 12", 7", cd, gatefold sleeve
Tracks: 45
Cost: £31 new
Bought: Rough Trade website
When: 08/06/17
Colour: Transparent green (LPs) and black (7")
Etching: none
mp3s: download code
