Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Penguin Café Orchestra, ‘Broadcasting From Home’, 1984. T’Kaff are known to most people for the music from that phone advert with a pulsing old-fashioned dial tone and ring. Anyway, Simon Jeffes was the man behind the counter. A classical composer who liked folk and pop and Minimalism a la Phillip Glass and Ambient a la Brian Eno. Indeed, this album came out on EG, which was Eno’s label. Instrumentals that are gentle, graceful, playful, languid, calming, cheerful, atmospheric. ‘Music for a Found Harmonium’ starts with a low harmonium drone, evolving into a repetitive pulsing pretty melody. It’s been used in TV and film so you might recognize it. ‘Prelude & Yodel’ starts with gentle piano plonk then merges with strings and off on into a lilting cloud. ‘More Milk’ soft percussion with tapped bottles and spaced apart bass notes. ‘Sheep Dip’ pastoral violins and melancholy. ‘White Mischief’ slow solo piano chords with repetitive violin rhythm swooning in. ‘In The Back of a Taxi’ gentle guitar picking with trumpets joining in from some far away land. ‘Music By Numbers’ Afro-Beat with synths and strings and bubble bass. ‘Another One From The Colonies’ lilting Caribbean flavour with ukele. ‘Air’ slow and meditative with long notes and harp, violins, strummed guitar and general floaty air. ‘Heartwind’ cheerful Bontempi-esque keyboard, bright and jolly. ‘Isle of View’ (Music for Helicopters)’ does what it says on the tin. ‘Now Nothing’ slow piano and strings and a hint of a vocal. A snuggly, warm blanket of an album. Perfect for lockdown or a rainy day or Sunday morning or just to slow things down a bit…
Apparently the cover painting's by Emily Young, who was the influence for Pink Floyd's 'See Emily Play'.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Penguin Café Orchestra, ‘Broadcasting From Home’, 1984. T’Kaff are known to most people for the music from that phone advert with a pulsing old-fashioned dial tone and ring. Anyway, Simon Jeffes was the man behind the counter. A classical composer who liked folk and pop and Minimalism a la Phillip Glass and Ambient a la Brian Eno. Indeed, this album came out on EG, which was Eno’s label. Instrumentals that are gentle, graceful, playful, languid, calming, cheerful, atmospheric. ‘Music for a Found Harmonium’ starts with a low harmonium drone, evolving into a repetitive pulsing pretty melody. It’s been used in TV and film so you might recognize it. ‘Prelude & Yodel’ starts with gentle piano plonk then merges with strings and off on into a lilting cloud. ‘More Milk’ soft percussion with tapped bottles and spaced apart bass notes. ‘Sheep Dip’ pastoral violins and melancholy. ‘White Mischief’ slow solo piano chords with repetitive violin rhythm swooning in. ‘In The Back of a Taxi’ gentle guitar picking with trumpets joining in from some far away land. ‘Music By Numbers’ Afro-Beat with synths and strings and bubble bass. ‘Another One From The Colonies’ lilting Caribbean flavour with ukele. ‘Air’ slow and meditative with long notes and harp, violins, strummed guitar and general floaty air. ‘Heartwind’ cheerful Bontempi-esque keyboard, bright and jolly. ‘Isle of View’ (Music for Helicopters)’ does what it says on the tin. ‘Now Nothing’ slow piano and strings and a hint of a vocal. A snuggly, warm blanket of an album. Perfect for lockdown or a rainy day or Sunday morning or just to slow things down a bit…
Apparently the cover painting's by Emily Young, who was the influence for Pink Floyd's 'See Emily Play'.