Duval Timothy - Wishful Thinking (Carrying Colour)
- The Slow Music Movement
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
*** This blog post first appeared in TSMM's May 18th Newsletter, where you can get all the tips (and more) first ***
I’ve seen Duval Timothy floating around my internet reality tunnel for the last few years, and perhaps because I didn’t really connect with his well received early releases I’ve been consistently overlooking him. Well the penny has finally dropped, his new LP has my full attention, and I’ll be heading into his back catalogue when I have time.
Born in the UK of African parents, Timothy is a pianist, composer, producer, clothing/lifestyle brand/record label owner and also apparently sells homemade ginger beer on the streets around the UK. As well as his own idiosyncratic productions he’s also supplied instrumentals for Kendrick Lamar and Solange, and if that wasn’t enough he grew up in my old manor Lewisham, where I spent a few happy years before becoming a climatic refugee in the south of Europe.
So what about the music? First off it should be noted that, with the exception of teaming up with vegyn on “big flex”, he’s a lone studio wolf, playing and creating everything himself. Secondly, expect the unexpected.
Urban field recordings, whether from London or Sierra Leone where he spends time sourcing hand weaved material for his clothes line, get the ball rolling and give an early indication that we’re off on a bit of a trip. They’re soon joined by some innocent sounding piano that weaves between the honking horns, but on occasions gets run over by an effects pedal. His hip hop credentials become apparent with some deconstructed funk and guitar hookiness that’s just waiting to be sampled. The peace is soon shattered by a monstrous electroid bass, tempered by some astral synths. It may sound like a lot but his minimal approach keeps things in check. “big flex” is next as he develops the ideas from the LP intro and runs them through manipulated tape loops and disorienting pitch manipulation, all whilst maintaining the funk and coherence. There is method to his madness.
I’m not going to give you a full album breakdown but next up is the contemplative piano playing of “long life” which could even appeal to piano lovers if he stripped out the random sound effects and throbbing beats that sporadically pierce the calm. In “stock” quasi baroque strings battle wild west saloon piano, “cement” goes all cosmic nu-jazz, “bloom” celebrates improvised piano, “grass” is straight up key driven contemplation and in “awwwww” it sounds like he’s dragged his piano onto the A2 at rush hour.
So leave your piano expectations at the door, strap in and get with the Duval Timothy space program.
Playlist Companion
You can also catch him in suitably singular company over at the Slow Oddities Playlist.