R Duncan 'Village of H' C47 (2011, SM#)
Village Of H is the most recent offering to be laid at the sacred altar of Spanish Magic. Steeped in secrecy, R.Duncan maintains close connection with hibernating Sydney group, Castings. According to what little information is listed on the one-third of a cover this thing comes cloaked in, the sources for R.Duncan’s sound are TAPE, FEEDBACK and SYNTH. While I don’t doubt the use of the first two, it is the use and variety of synths used throughout Village that is most noticeable. At times R.Duncan uses his electronic doo-dads for nefarious harshness, at others sparse minimalism. But its on the opening track and two concluding tracks where Duncan's sound is at its best. On these slices, Duncan breathes electronic life into the corpse of Raymond Scott and trots him around to make memorable experimental ditties that wouldn’t be out of place between classics in the R. Scott lexicon like “Twilight In Turkey” and “Night And Day”. If there is anything that synth-based music needs in 2011, it is people making excellent and original sounds like this. Although bearing the Spanish Magic name, Village Of H is dangerously close to being a private press obscurity with its lack of track listing, members or much discernible information at all. Lucky for slobbering synth nerds, this one is out there waiting to be heard. - tape piss
