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CD
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FIRE 116CD
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This is Fire Records' 2008 release of a unique collaboration between Various Production and South London wordsmith Gerry Mitchell. Various Production are the mysterious duo carving out new genres with every release. Astoundingly productive, they've produced remixes for Ian Brown, Thom Yorke, Cat Power and Dirty Three amongst others. The Invisible Lodger is a shockingly new experiment of spoken word electronica, somewhat like a less-rigid Massive Attack fronted by a Mark E Smith gifted at imagery and not just wordplay. Dreamy/nightmare machine-waltzes paint sonic scenes for a narrator deconstructing the city walls around him, with collective delusions disturbing his consciousness. Scattered drones, electronic-dub, found samples and waltz-folk music envelope and elaborate the internal dialogue, a modern Notes From Underground, of a Scottish Dostoevsky. With elements of 1984 paranoia, the collaborators weave a massive range of sounds, with Gerry's urban isolation and unflinching view of himself and his surroundings; an industrial, hypnotic, spoken-word electronica. His images are unique and from a heightened sensitivity to his powerlessness; he is invisible, out of the scheme, standing still watching the consumer legions, urban fashionistas and faux-mo sapiens of the capital chase the neon colors and recycled "creations" projected on cold metal and concrete. The album's bleakness is also a pure clean wind, equally soothing and unnerving. Gerry's persona isn't a cheery one, and not for the faint-hearted. The Invisible Lodger is an original and uncompromising modern soundtrack to Mr Mitchell's talented verse and strong imagery.
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