i discovered this record via blogs myself. i kept seeing it at some really great blogs (Dayvan Zombear among others) that I frequent and eventually took a chance on it. The Caretaker is one James Leyland Kirby who has been around for a while under the moniker V/VM doing all sorts of electronic mash-up and sound collage work throughout the late 90's and early 2000's. Kirby created his alter ego The Caretaker throughout this entire time with his first album in 1999. he's been well know in the UK and Europe for some time now but is just kinda getting attention here in the US. supposedly The Caretaker project was inspired by the haunted ballroom scene in Kubrick's "The Shining." this is especially apt once you listen to his music.
honestly listening to this record can make you feel like you're in the middle of a 50's black and white movie. kirby takes old recordings of random classical/orchestral/big band music that always seems oddly familiar but completely new and piles on effects...and not noisy, bombastic effects....simple, lush, unobtrusive effects. a little delay here, a little static to make it hazier here. the record is at once completely beautiful but in that sorta archaic, romantic vision of a lost love or lost time. and even sonically sometimes it sounds like it's coming from an old victrola, the actual sound has this dusty and forgotten feel to it.
regardless of my attempts to sound erudite and explain all this. the LP is incredible. so hautingly beautiful. when this LP is playing it's hard to ignore it and that is a great compliment. very highly recommended! get it here.
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