Labradford - Prazision 2xLP

Label: Kranky

Our Review:

Originally released in 1993, Labradford's Prazision marked the inaugural release for Kranky, setting the table for so many drone-rock and indie-ambient composers. Yes, it remains gorgeous blend of shimmering ambience, fractured folk, minimal pop, sculpted noise and experimental soundscapes that seems to be constantly in flux.

The opening track is the perfect send off, as we depart on our journey of dark billowy drones, keening distant high end streaks, a strange almost mechanical non-rhythm hovering in the foreground. Beneath it all, Labradford ripples deep dark sonic swells with a muted mysterious melody, drifting weightless in a hazy expanse of underwater sunlight. The second track introduces an actual song with simple strummed guitar and crushing melancholy Jandekian / sadly vocals, over a haunting multilayered drone. The next track furthers the abstract song structure, even more druggy and unhinged, vocals buried in a murky muddy swirl of effected guitars and sprawling minor key melodies, reminding us of the late period Spacemen 3 or a way druggier Galaxie 500. In fact the whole record has that vibe, sort of wasted, bleary eyed, druggy, dreamy, drifting, on the verge of simply fading away, or floating into the sun to be consumed and turned to ash. The rest of the record is balanced pretty evenly between Velvets style lo-fi downer pop and thick mesmerizing slabs of slow shifting glacial whir. Absolutely gorgeous and so forward thinking, as a dark and doleful experimental abstract ambient pop masterpiece.

For the 2013 reissue, one of the tracks from Labradford's first 7" is included and with updated artwork. Totally recommended.