Current Berlin resident, experimental electronic artist, and sound collaging mastermind James Leyland Kirby may be better known by his artistic handle, The Caretaker--a fitting title given his role as overseer of
the V/Vm project (and half a dozen additional stage names). Kirby's 2011 release,
An Empty Bliss Beyond This World, is an ambient masterpiece of barely remembered 1920's ballroom dances. It's as if the album consists of some half-remembered, underwater dream, all recorded for posterity on scratched but well-loved vinyl. The skips, pops, and crackles combine with delicate flourishes of antique ballroom jazz that, according to Kirby, were inspired by the ballroom scene is Kubrick's
The Shining. There is something simultaneously eery and comforting about the album, something Kirby dubs perfectly as an "Empty Bliss." This was by far one of my favorite albums of 2011, so I was happy when Kirby released another album this year to showcase his abilities as an experimental artist. You can stream both albums in their entirety below. Enjoy.
"An Empty Bliss Beyond This World," 2011:
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