Treader Recordings Vinyl & CDs

Review: John Coxon appearing on his own Treader label with a solo album that's very different from his experimental junglist work as one half of Spring Heel Jack, but perhaps closer to his role as Spiritualized guitarist. It's experimental, textured and impressionistic but the guitar is at its heart, whether that's the crackles and buzzes of plugging in a lead to the subtle feedback loops and pure tones. Way out, certainly, on the leftfield, but with a very tactile, human nature never far from its surface.

Review: John Coxon is the boss of the Treader label but is best known as part of Spring Heel Jack with Ashley Wales, an outfit with roots dating back to the electronica scene of the mid-90s. They took drum & bass down a downtempo path and soundtracked many an after party as a result and their Masses album in 2001 showed them to also have a love of jazz, particularly its structure - or lack thereof. This album found them record a number of ambient pieces and then have labelmates improvise over the top. The results are intense, experimental sounding - even now - and as fascinating as ever.