Jon Hopkins has crafted a collection of after-hours lullabies that goes beyond the typical compilation.
Various Artists/ Jon Hopkins: Late Night Tales
Let’s admit it, compilation albums are hardly a thing of novelty. The best-known example, Now That’s What I Call Music!, has been in existence for more than three decades and will probably continue to exist for a long time to come. And while there are more compilations than you can shake a stick at these days, the lesser known Late Night Tales has remained one of the very few that still manage to thrill us with each release since its inception in the early 2000s.
Lovingly curated by boundary-pushing artists from the worlds of indie and dance (think anyone from MGMT and Belle and Sebastian to Bonobo and Groove Armada), this mix series is not your run-of-the-mill attempt to repackage one-hit wonders and Top 40 fodder into yet another forgotten compilation album. With veteran British musician-producer Jon Hopkins at its helm, the latest Late Night Tales instalment seamlessly weaves together 21 hand-picked tunes from his music collections that are “free from the constraints of a club setting or from trying to stick to one genre”.
The result is a lush and immersive record that bears a striking resemblance to Hopkins’ Asleep Versions EP. That said, the opener is fittingly called Sleepers Beat Theme, a near-five-minute study in shimmering piano chord progressions by German composer Ben Lukas Boysen. Darkstar’s Hold Me Down picks up the pace with stunning fluidity before blending into the haunting atmospherics of Holy Other’s Yr Love. And just when you think you’re headed towards the dark abyss, Teebs’ Verbena Tea With Rebekah Raff instantly lightens up the mood with its flurries of heavenly harp melodies.
Nils Frahm’s More skips and drifts into the vast acoustic airiness of Songs of Green Pheasant’s I Am Daylights and Jónsi & Alex’s ghostly Daniell in the Sea. The compilation’s highlights, though, would have to be A Winged Victory For The Sullen’s utterly gorgeous Requiem For The Static King Part I and Hopkins’ delicate piano cover of Yeasayer’s I Remember. The collection then concludes with a spoken word “story track” contributed by British poet Rick Holland. His soothing voice and hypnotic delivery works alongside Hopkins’ ethereal beats to great effect.
This edition of Late Night Tales is a cohesive collection of tracks that fits brilliantly with Jon Hopkins’ sonic narrative. Built upon dreamy textures, minor-key compositions and flawless transitions, all 21 tracks work collectively like a beautiful and expansive film score (another art form he’s well-versed at creating).
If you ever find yourself lying awake at two in the morning, not only will this provide a perfect soundtrack to all your nocturnal ponderings, it will also lull you off to a deep, peaceful sleep. n
THE PLAYLIST
Shining Star/ Nam Pla
Founded in 2003, soul-pop quintet Shining Star had their start in the music business as a back-up band for several artists on the Loveis label. Led by Thai-French vocalist Christophe Descamps, they have been releasing their own music since 2012 before putting out a debut self-titled album late last year. Their latest offering, Nam Pla (Fish Sauce), is based on Christophe’s experience attempting to pen a Thai song for his crush and mistaking the words “nam pla” for “I love you”. Overall it’s an endearing little tune that will put a smile on your face.
Braids/ Miniskirt
Miniskirt is the first single lifted from the Montreal-based avant-pop trio’s forthcoming third album, Deep In the Iris. The nearly five-minute track starts with gentle piano chords before frontwoman Raphaelle Standell lays it all down, singing about the strife of being a woman: “It’s not like I’m feeling much different than a woman my age years ago/Liberated is what you wanna call it, how about unfairly choked?” It then implodes into a flurry of shuffling electro beats. Both sprawling and revelatory, the song demands undivided attention from the listeners, which is fine because the emotional pay-off is more than rewarding.
Chromatics/ Just Like You
The Portland-based quartet Chromatics have shared the first single from their upcoming fifth album, Dear Tommy, a follow-up to 2012’s Kill for Love. As with their earlier material, Just Like You offers up a slice of nocturnal electro built around undulating keys and sensual synths. Ruth Radelet’s vocals possess that glacial, majestic quality that works so well with this kind of production. Fun fact: Just Like You is produced by Johnny Jewel, who was behind the soundtrack to Ryan Gosling’s critically acclaimed directorial debut, Lost River.
Courtney Barnett/ Depreston
Often praised for her witty lyricism, Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett has dropped another jam from her forthcoming debut LP, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit. Depreston sees Barnett relating her experience of house hunting in the suburbs of her home town. “It’s got a lovely garden, a garage for two cars to park in/Or a lot of room for storage if you’ve just got one,” she sings as a real estate agent at one point over the cruisy folk guitar, and then adds: “If you’ve got a spare half a million, you should knock it down and start rebuilding.” n
