Petrels - Killing Of The Divine King (Denovali) [Electronic Music]
It appears that Somerset, UK-based illustrator, designer and musician Oliver Barrett aka Petrels has, without me noticing, built up something of an underground reputation over the years with his singular genre-fluid/ambiguous/disregarding (delete as applicable, or choose all three) approach to musical creation, toured with a whole host of bona fide leftfield pioneers and legends, cemented a reputation with an equally notable roster of alternative artists for his mixing and mastering ability, not to mention set up a selective and singular record label. I can't believe it's taken me this long to stumble across him.
His music is often to be found on his own Floating Limb label, but he's also struck up a fifteen-year relationship with the ever-intriguing Denovali label out of Germany, with whom his next album is scheduled for October 16th release, and the initial prognosis is great to saintly.
"The Hungry God" fired the starting gun for the long-form release back in August, with its big-system primed blend of cascading, classic synths, weekend witching hour-suited breakbeats, and deliriously entranced vocals with something of a seventies rock opera vibe. Well, the equally singular sophomore single, and track of two halves "Killing of the Divine King" has just dropped, and cemented my assertion that the album will probably end up being an electronic music critics' end-of-year pick without even vaguely troubling the wider public consciousness.
An ambient intro initially takes you by the hand before another hypnotic arpeggio arrives, soon to be joined by a naggingly eighties, possibly Miami Vice-inspired, synth refrain that lurks just out of full consciousness to give the track an early nineties chill-out room or Balearic feel, a vibe accentuated by the similarly decade-stamped downtempo beats. But just as you're getting comfortable on your pouf or sun lounger, the track erupts in somewhat cinematic, euphoric fashion to put you back on your feet, arms aloft, and attempting to make eye contact with the DJ out of appreciation.
Bring on the album, and I just hope I find time to make some vague sense of Barrett's back catalogue; if not, I'll definitely be keeping an ear open for all future transmissions.
Playlist Companion
Find Petrels in the Slow Oddities Playlist.
