Marconi Union – ‘Different Colours’

MARCONI UNION
Different Colours

Just Music, 2012

• FAVORITES:

  “Alone Together,” “Time Lapse”

• FLAVORS:

  Chamomile tea, Trazodone, vanilla pudding

RATING:

TRACK LIST:

1. First Light
2. Alone Together
3. Flying (In Crimson Skies)
4. Always Numb
5. Time Lapse
6. On Reflection
7. Broken Colours

PROS

—In 2011, Marconi Union released what, according to “scientists” (i.e. a science-collusive publicity stunt for Radox), was the “most relaxing song of all time.” That song was “Weightless.” Even the title seems relaxing, doesn’t it? It wouldn’t be nearly so relaxing if it were called “Quick! What’s The Square Root Of 72, You Dick?!”
—That song was designed to mirror the human heartbeat in deep relaxation, and generally give you the sense of a Radox Relaxing Foam Bath™ without having to shuck out for some overpriced sodium laureth sulphate derivative.
—You sense that Marconi Union have brought some of what they learn working with psychologists on that track to bear on this, their 6th record. Not that they were exactly Motorhead before, but there’s a transcendent hum to all of this which feels like it’s working on the 80% of your brain whose purpose science doesn’t yet understand.
—Marconi Union rarely does interviews. They prefer to “let the music speak for itself.”
—But that’s probably OK because they are rarely asked for interviews.
—Are they Manchester’s long-delayed and somewhat mumbled answer to Boards Of Canada?

CONS

—In stark contravention of warnings not to listen to anything this relaxing while operating heavy machinery, we decided to listen to Marconi Union while operating an industrial threshing machine.
—We lost two fingers, an ear, and a cat.
—It’s so languid and transcendent that you often forget you’re listening to it at all…to the extent that you try and put something else on via the internet and then wonder why it sounds weird.
—The line between this and more standard Café Del Marsterbation is fine. Very fine. In fact, y’know what? Where is that line?

VERDICT

Perfectly-realized not-very-much, Different Colours is a Fabergé Egg of a thing: bejeweled and hollow. You can happily listen to it all day, but it’s probably better for resetting your biorhythm than working your aesthetic glands.