Keith Kenniff, also known as Goldmund and one half of Mint Julep, is Helios. Over the last few years, his musical outpourings have become a pretty constant part of my life. It all started with ‘Eingya‘, released back in 2006, which ended up being my local record shop’s album of the year. As I so often did, I found myself purchasing a copy of an album based on the recommendation of that particular shop. The first play didn’t dazzle me. I sat back, put my feet up and waited for my ears to be caressed in an almost obscene fashion. As it happened, the CD whirred to an end and I was left thinking that its contents were, much as I hate to admit it now, ‘quite nice’. It hadn’t really clicked with me and, while I could clearly understand that it was beautifully put together, I was quite sure why anybody would be passionate enough about it to rank it above all of the other records released that year. However, as is so often the case, it was the fifth or sixth listen that suddenly changed my entire appreciation of the record. Where once delicate soundscapes had blurred together and the album has passed me by, almost as if it were a solitary, though ‘quite nice’, track, individual melodies, layers of sound, precise instrumental touches all started to stand out and I was hooked.

There are those who would term ‘Eingya‘ as ‘post-rock’ but, as anyone who has ever endured an entire Mogwai album in one sitting will attest, that isn’t necessarily the most flattering label to be given. Others might describe it as ‘ambient’, which is certainly closer to the truth. Essentially the music is built around a core of delicate piano, gentle guitar and an assortment of electronic beats and noises, all adding up to something far more than the sum of its parts. It’s perfect music for the morning after a heavy night before, but it’s also perfect for a sunny afternoon spent doing bugger all. It’s a late night thinking album and it’s the ideal soundtrack to a cold winter drive. Once you have absorbed it, moved it beyond the hideous world of ‘background music’, its many ebbs and flows will continue to enthhrall and guide you in whichever context you choose to deploy it. As ‘Eingya’ plays right now, it is joyous, uplifting, ecstatic music but a few months ago it was the ideal tonic after dealing with brainfarting arseheads for several days on end.

But there’s more to Helios than that. ‘Ayres‘, a mini-album released a year after ‘Eingya’, added something that many listeners had no idea was even needed. Vocals. Though hardly a gung-ho showman and with almost palpable uncertainty, Kenniff himself deployed his delicate voice at various points on the album’s six tracks. Vocally he ended up somewhere between an ever more chilled out Maps and plenty of the more laid-back Americana that is so often rather beguiling. Musically, it built on the strengths of ‘Eingya‘ and, here at least, it got almost as much time in the CD player as its predecessor. Last year’s ‘Caesura’ returned to the instrumental guise of Helios but added a more electronic focus. A more grand affair than ‘Eingya’, but no less charming, ‘Caesura’ was a more immediate listen but, as will all of Kenniff’s material, repeated listens have only served to further underline its quality.

Alongside all of this has been his work as Goldmund. It must be said, if after hearing Helios you find the music to minimalist then his work under this moniker is probably not for you. Ethereal piano music that’s almost as much about the spaces between the notes as what is there in the first place (sounds wanky, I know, but wait till you’ve heard it,) both Goldmund albums are delicate pieces that command and absolutely require your full attention. A casual listen and you’ll think that it’s pretty inconsequential stuff that’s pleasant and inoffensive but put ‘Corduroy Road’, the first Goldmund album, on late at night, sit by the speakers and see how you feel about it then. If by this point you’ve become as obsessed with Keith Kenniff’s work, then proceed to ‘The Malady Of Elegance‘, his second Goldmund album and his other release from 2008. Perhaps the most ambient and sparse of all of his work, it’s certainly not the place to start.

Quite apart from the music itself being something a little different which makes rather impressive use of ever-developing technology, Helios’ position in the FUTUREMUSIC canon is further cemented by his nice line in delicately designed, often unique CD-R releases, which is where Mint Julep comes into view. Essentially a collaborative piece by Keith and his wife, Hollie,the music is a slightly more conventional ‘band’ sound, still layered with assorted ambient electronica, but with a slightly chuggy, shoegazy feel. All rather charming, but not quite in the league of his other recordings. The album, ‘Songs About Snow’, is only available as a CD-R from Keith’s own webshop, along with two wonderful additional Helios records. Firstly, ‘Live At The Triple Door’ is, as you might expect, a live album but perhaps more essential is ‘Unreleased Vol. 1′, comprising assorted hitherto unreleased Helios material that does not disappoint. All quite a lot to take in, I know, but you should fall as head over hells as I do I’d like you to be informed and for Keith to make a few more quid. Right then, get to work, test on Monday.

As a footnote to this piece, should you have worked through all the Spotify links and decided that it was time to add some of this wonderful stuff to your collection, some notable lovelies from Kenniff’s assorted back catalogue are currently going rather cheap over at the splendid, and soon to mentioned in more detail as part of FUTUREMUSIC, Boomkat. (Cheap ‘Eingya‘ Cheap ‘Caesura‘ Cheap ‘The Malady Of Elegance’) Plus, for whoever reacts quickest, Norman Records currently have a second-hand copy of the Goldmund debut, ‘Corduroy Road’, for £7.99.

A quinze ans, le corps s’impatiente. Pas question de mourir sans avoir fait l’amour. Le bonheur ne peut naître que du plaisir charnel et des sentiments partagés.

A quinze ans, la révolte gronde. L’esprit entame une nage furieuse dans l’océan des idées et rêve d’originalité.

Faut il être Narcisse ou Goldmund ? Peut on donner libre cours à ses sens et laisser s’épanouir ses pensées ? Quel bonheur peut éclore d’une vie d’abstinence et de  prières ? Quel bonheur peut naître d’une vie dédiée à la chair ?

Rares sont les êtres qui réussissent l’harmonie du corps et de l’esprit. Si l’on n’y prend garde, la terrible routine quotidienne détruit l’un et l’autre. L’équilibre ne peut être qu’affaire de volonté.

Faut il être Narcisse ou Goldmund ? Les deux, sans aucun doute.

Narcisse ou Goldmund?

So, another addition to my big list. I’ve already started listening to stuff from 2009 (hello Andrew Bird), and some albums that maybe could end up in the 2008-list if i’d made it next year, but right now, we’ll just keep on going.

20. Scary Mansion – Every Joke is Half The Truth (Zum Records)

Sounds like: There can never be enough Early Cat Power-clones, if they are as good as this.

Scary Mansion is probably unknown to most of you, but that’s absolutely blasphemous of all of you (well, that’s not the right word here, but it gives my message more strength). Scary mansion is like a scary mansion, but warming and emotional at the same tmie. It’s one of those albums that you listen to a first time and think “god, this is not really special”, and then  a second time “wow, this is pretty good”, until you end up finding it better than the original. For everyone who doesn’t like Cat Power’s career change. A bit of PJ Harvey t0o sometimes.

Scary Mansion – Go To Hell

19.  These United States – A Picture Of The Three Of Us At The Gate to the Garden of Eden/Crimes (United Interests => Self-released)

Sounds like: soothing folkpop that makes people feel warm in cold days.

There is something amazingly calming in the voice of These United States’ vocal parts. I’m too lazy to look up who the singer is, but his voice seems always in doubt, and that sounds kinda cool. A bit like the Shaky Hands debut album last year, although this is even better. At least the ” A Picture Of the Three…”-album. I haven’t listen enough to Crimes, which got released later this year.  Very Nice guys, and the fact that Paleo plays along, is just another Hooray for These united States extra

These United States – At First Sight

18.  She & Him – Vol. 1 (Merge Records)

Sounds like: M. ward just adding a little magic to an already amazing album.

I know this album is mostly the effort of actress Zooey Deschanel (who looks amazingly cute in ‘A Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy’, that just as a male chauvinist pig sidenote). Anyway, She & Him is more she, and its incredibly warm songs make this album stand out from similar stuff that may got released over the years. That’s the M. Ward-production. (Is it obvious that i don’t have much to say about this album)

I’m not gonna give an mp3, cause you can fully stream the album here.

17. Mother Mother - Oh Mighty Heart ( Last Gang Records)

Sounds Like: The Easy to Get Version of THe Fiery Furnaces

Mother Mother really isn’t the sort of music i normally listen to, but i get completely hooked by this jumpy indie rock where man and woman fight each other most of the time.  IT’s something that could be very famous in Indie world if it just gets enough attention by bloggers. So let’s start the hype. Mother Mother, go listen you hip indiecrowd. Goddamnit.

Mother Mother – Body Of Years

16.  Adam Green – Sixes And Sevens (Rough Trade)

Sounds Like: The Childish Version of Frank Sinatra does it again.

I must admit: I’m kind of fond of the puberal wit of Adam Green. I used to when he was still in The Moldy Peaches, and I still do now that he’s this crooner with dirty songs. I know many people hate this guy, but he’s still the guy who gave the most entertaining show i’ve ever seen. (Gotta love his dance moves). Anyway, his previous album wasn’t that good, but on Sixes And Sevens he tries some other directions in some songs, and they all turn out great. The Panflute in “You Get So Lucky” is fucking awesome. (Never knew i would say that about a pan flute)

Adam Green – You Get So Lucky

15. Goldmund – The Malady of Elegance (Type Records)

Sounds like: The piano sounds to a trip in a never ending forest

Goldmund is the pianoproject of the guy from Helios, and he beats other neo-classical piano hero Max Richter this year with his album ‘The Malady of Elegance’. Piano music is something you shouldn’t be talking about if you don’t know anything about it, but just listen and enjoy. From the Great Type Records.

Goldmund – in A Notebook

14. Miss Autopsy – The Hill  (Lens Records)

Sounds like: people should really start taking my advice about this eerie nihilist singer-songwriter.

I’ve written about Miss Autopsy before on my blog, i’ve written a review about him in Gonzo Circus, i’ve told people to buy them on daMusic, and i’ll put them on the number 14-spot in my 2008 list. No, The Guy hasn’t given me any money to promote his music, but this is just a very underappreciated album. Maybe i should start to spread it on blogs and hope all those people listening to it will eventually buy it. Anyway, miss autopsy, you better go and listen now.  (also a great experiment to see how i can start a hype).

Miss Autopsy – The Doctor

Miss Autopsy – The Telephone Song

13. Chauchat – Upon Thousands (Yer Bird Records)

Sounds like: Your nineties indie gloom, good for the holidays and to beat hte financial crisis

Chauchat is the dark version of nineties bands like Built To Spill and Pedro The Lion. The guitars are sad (and loud at times),  and is really really underappreciated. They have released some albums for free on last.fm (downloadable too) and with what seems to be their first proper release on a label, they should be getting praise from all of you. But no, you just shut up and listen to all those daft bands. (yes, i’m in a very judging mood). So, beg for forgiveness and listen to the amazing songs from these indie-retro band. Sadcore.

Chauchat –  Fight Obscurity

12. David Karsten Daniels - Fear of Flying (Fat Cat Records)

Sounds like: Your average bible Belt-singersongwriter

Whether David Karsten DAniels believes in God or not, is not sure, but he at least struggles with faith. That was obvious in his previous album, and is so in this album too. He does that with a similar grandeur of Sufjan Stevens, although his songs are less all over the place (more like seven swans). He was in my list last year too, so this seems to be someone who’ll stay put in my musical favourites.

DAvid Karsten DAniels – Oh, Heaven Isn’t Real

11. Ghost Bees - Tasseomancy  (Youth Club)

Sounds like: Alela Diane & Mariee Sioux & Other neofolk female singers , Joanna Newsom

The Songs on ‘Tasseomancy’ have the grandeur of the songs on Joanna Newsom’s Ys. They Really have. It’s a bit musical-storylike telling. And because all of you voted that album to the number one spot in 2006, you should all be finding this amazing. folk, 2 girls, a lot of instrumentation. Wonderful.

Ghost Bees – Erl King

So, still ten to go.

Exciting!

Perfume: Goldmund
House: Dorissima
Source: Luckyscent
Size: 1mL

Luckyscent Notes: tonka beans, vanilla, iris root, rose, powdery carnation, benzoin, sandalwood, soft musk, balsam notes, Peru balsam, allspice

Date: 12/6/08 Weather: 30 degrees, snow flurries, evening

Comments: Strange chemical fruity, almost pineapple top. Yikes! Goes powdery after 10 minutes on the skin with a high dose of woods and resin. Very sharp. 15 minutes – start picking up a hint of vanilla, but it’s still sharp. 20 minutes, beginning to organize itself into a fluffy woody powder. Reads almost mossy. Hums with a healthy dose of woody powder for the next 2 hours. At the 3 hour mark, turns into a creamy, woody, almost amberish scent. As it continues to dry down – the amber burns off and you are left with a vanilla and almond-heavy musk with a slight hint of spices. Almost smelled like the Rahat Loukhoum I was wearing earlier today. Actually….could have been the Rahat Loukhoum I was wearing, even though I had showered and scrubbed before applying this. Was going strong at hour 6. Gone the next morning.

Date: 3/23/09 Weather: 43 degrees, windy

Comments: Strange chemical, almost industrial top. Takes an hour – smells tea-like as it dries down. Healthy dose of plasticine vanilla. 3 hours in – still smells a bit “off” – vanilla, musk, plasticine roses and a chemical with some . Very uncomfortable wearing this and kept hoping it would smell better. At the end of the day (8 hours later) – very musky, hint of vanilla, some woods. Lasts awhile, but not so sure I’d race to wear this again.

Make a Mental Note
Victoria’s Own
Makeup Alley
Now Smell This
C’est Chic
The Non-Blonde

Some people are natural born musicians, seemingly unable to feel content doing anything uninvolved in the music scene. Keith Kenniff (aka Helios aka Goldmund) is one of those people.

Both he and his brother were taught to play guitar, bass and drums when they were very young by their father (another musician) and before too long Keith had decided that he wished to pursue drumming that little bit further. He played in a variety of touring bands, from rock to jazz to classical and took influence from each situation, learning from the successes and inevitable failures. Throughout this time Keith was deducing exactly what he did and didn’t like about music, and was inevitably drawn to studying percussion at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music. Aside from this he took a keen interest in film, taking time out from the music and study whenever he could to widen his knowledge of independent and world cinema and film music.

Through these two key interests Keith developed a deep sense and understanding of space and restraint, which play key roles in his musical projects. His main solo musical venture is under the alias ‘Helios’. This project takes in many of his skills; his keen sense of percussion, his delicate touch on the guitar, his measured and spacious songwriting and also his electronic production methods which he has taught himself.

Over the past five years, Keith’s style has evolved constantly, with his drifting piano compositions taking the Goldmund label and the Helios sound moving out from undreneath the clipped beat-heavy electronics of ‘Unomia’ and into a more unique place, even incorporating vocals on the ‘Ayres’ mini album. ‘Caesura’ however is his ‘proper’ follow-up to the acclaimed ‘Eingya’, and sees Keith return to the instrumental sound he knows so well. In fact in many ways ‘Caesura’ is a more electronic work than its predecessors, blending layer upon layer of synthesizer and adding his assured drumming to come up with the perfect meeting of indie-pop and ambient music. The haunting cinematic element is still present of course, but these songs are more rounded and confident than any in Keith’s career.

From the delicate bliss of ‘Hope Valley Hill’ which opens up the album with gauzy nostalgia and, as the title promised, hope, through the chunky pop of ‘Come With Nothings’ it is clear that Keith’s music is as arresting as it ever was. Taking cues from the lilting indie-electronics of Ulrich Schnauss and the unfussy ambience of Brian Eno, Keith manages to inject this with his knowledge as a composer. The epic harmonies of ‘Backlight’ for instance reveal a lightness of touch rarely heard in the genre with sweeping synthesized chords buzzing alongside Keith’s signature guitar.

Accompanied by more gorgeous artwork from Matthew Woodson, ‘Caesura’ is a glowing record for the winter months, and a glimmer of hope to keep the seasons at bay.

Incidentally, he’s doing a show in New York next month, together with his label mate Peter Broderick (who also plays with Danish band Efterklang) and Balmorhea (US)…those of you that can go, most definately should. For further information see his myspace profile.

Helios – ‘Dragonfly Across An Ancient Sky’

The Malady of Elegance par Goldmund. Du piano, rien d’autre. Sur Type Records.

www.typerecords.com

“The Malady of Elegance van de Amerikaan Keith Kenniff alias Goldmund is zo minimaal dat het haast onmogelijk is om er iets over te zeggen. Er is een piano te horen die trage, melancholische stukken speelt waarin geen noot te veel klinkt, en die ook na een toevoeging van heel veel noten nog het predikaat ‘minimalistisch’ hadden verdiend.

Het laatste woord dat je erover kunt zeggen zou ‘mooi’ moeten zijn. Mooi zoals een zonsondergang dat is; een schoonheid waar weinig mensen over zullen twisten, ongeacht of ze er ook echt iets mee hebben. Luister naar de heldere, melodieloze waterval van noten die opener ‘Image-Autumn-Womb’ over je heen sprankelt en je zult vanzelf je bezigheden laten vallen en enkele minuten in een volkomen serene gemoedstoestand verkeren. Mooi.
(…)”

Lees hier het hele artikel

I’m a little stressed over school and other issues at the moment. Headaches and long naps have messed with my to do list for the first part of this week. Thankfully I found a record over at Blood Is Truth to ease the tension.

I’m referring to the second full length release by Boston based composer Keith Kenniff, who goes by the name of Goldmund. The album is called The Malady of Elegance and is an instrumental ride to serenity. It was released earlier this summer through Type Records, where you can find a lot of interesting experimental music. Under the Goldmund moniker Kenniff creates hauntingly beautiful soundscapes that make you think of misty Twin Peaks days. The Malady of Elegance is a very simplistic affair, with only a melancholy piano to take you away to another place.