The Gentle People – Soundtracks for Living [USED 2LP]

gonzo space-age exotica from the gentle people, 'soundtracks for living', plucked from the oddball depths of richard d. james & grant wilson-claridge's eternal rephlex imprint. cosmic pop for those perpetual head tripping.

the rephlex catalogue has a lot of strange shit lurking in its unfathomable depths -- crappy trance, dilettante german computer rave, deeply idiosyncratic soul, noize headmelts all floating among the braindancing -- but perhaps none were as audacious/ridiculous as the gentle people. an american four piece plying their self-christened 'e-z core' approach, their sound is of a piece with space age bachelor pad muzaks & urban zen electronics, although fleshed with enough detail & ample quirks to push them out on their own. the group had genuine pop ambitions, which is kind of hilarious, because while 'soundtracks for living' is very much easy listening, it's not necessarily *smooth*, a lovely cuddle that unfurls into myriad directions, sprawled & dense with synthetic detail. for those with a kitsch ick back the hell away for this is truly one of the kitschiest things out, hushed intonations about space & astral journeying flecked with japanese café muzak whispering all to deeply psychedelic effect, gently surreal & very very funny.

retrofuturism without the self-seriousness, lounge music with a serious brain-led edge, lush electronics & jazzed shapes applied to sweet astral lullabies. so, so good.

Rephlex, 1997