J.P Shilo (Smells Like Records)

It is always nice when you get an e-mail from a musician from one of your favourite bands. So I was delighted to hear from, J.P Shilo, formerly of the magnificent Hungry Ghosts. His message was brief, just to let me know his brand new solo album is now out on the Sonic Youth-owned Smells Like Records. "As Happy As Sad I Blue" sees Shilo departing from Hungry Ghosts haunting soundscapes, and instead creates a sound that does not fit into any clear genres. According to his bio, it's "fragile in its minimalist beauty, yet able to suddenly burst open with stabbing intensity". Shilo is a multi-instrumentalist and recorded some of this release by candlelight, in a Tibetan Buddhist mediation centre in Melbourne.

Here is what AMG thinks of "As Happy As Sad Is Blue".....

"...virtually unclassifiable, it centers on noir-ish circus type music, ambient instrumental pieces that are darker and edgier than the genre might suggest, beautiful pastoral passages, tango-like interludes and other elemental musics that can not be quantified in written language..."

I will be aiming to find out what drives and influences this enigmatic performer, hopefully in the near future. For now, you can order the album for $10 here, and stream some tracks here. For the curious, the wonderful world of Hungry Ghosts can be heard here, while you can read a post I wrote a couple of months ago here.