Gwei-lo's impressive debut album, the first of Bella Union's "Series 7"releases, was set to make them peers of the major post-rock outfits.But soon afterwards, guitarist Al Brooker died during a gig at theStrawberry Fair festival in Cambridge, UK. 'Quixotic' is a posthumouscollection of some of his unreleased home recordings. With live,sampled and synthesized sounds, this mostly instrumental album has aband-like feel, echoing the graceful Gwei-lo sound in places, whilemoving into breaks and weirdness elsewhere. The strongest tracks,particularly "Slothrop", offer superb melodic post-rock moments, upthere with recent Fridge. Vocal contributions come from Steven Adams(The Broken Family Band) and Pete Gregory (Um), to round off what is,in the circumstances, a surprisingly complete album.
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Mouse Finding The Key is an act that's emerged from the Gwei-lo campsince Al Brooker's death. Dave Henson's solo debut combines warmelectronica sonics with cultured post-rock overtones. The Gwei-loaesthetic can be heard in the pretty melodic lines, tapped out overcrunchy, deep percussion. Unlike much modern IDM, the programmingdoesn't stifle the music, and rather than rationing musical ideas, manyof the tracks handle several at at time, such as the anthemic "GoodbyeBig Gwei", or the solemn "Phrases, Loops, And Electricity".
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