"Fascinating … defies categorisation … an internal coherence which makes it compulsive listening … an art-rock mini-universe" – Joe Cushley, Mojo "Archer’s nonconformist musical approach somehow echoes the more conventional Englishness of Soft Machine and Nick Drake without recourse to imitataion, flattery or recognisable tunes. Mixing pastoral acoustic sounds with electronic flourishes, the album could be seen as an answer to Gastre del Sol’s like-minded appropriation of classic Americana, or simply enjoyed as one of the most beautiful examples of this often intimidating genre" – Stewart Lee, Sunday Times "Anyone at all familiar with Archer's previous work on his Discus label would never accuse him of making things easy for the listener. Using what amounts to a private musical language, Archer usually pre-records contributions from collaborators, and then combines them using chance techniques and various other compositional strategies, sometimes requiring musicians (including himself) to interact with pre-recorded bits which he then stitches together -- all of which creates a strange, pervasive dislocation in Archer's music, as the listener tries to sort out intention from accident (usually without much success), and gradually begins to hear the accidents as part of a larger universe of sound. In fact, Archer's use of stochastic/aleatory principles as part of the compositional process may be one of the most persuasive arguments for John Cage that I've ever heard. However, Archer has another side, which is reflected his confessed fondness for early 70's pop and jazz music -- everything from Miles Davis to Fairport Convention, Soft Machine, Faust and John Martyn. Winter Pilgrim Arriving is intended as an emotional recreation of that magical musical time, when all things (musically and otherwise) seemed possible. Of course, Archer is far too sophisticated to wear his musical influences on his sleeve, and he has come up with something more strange and complex than any music which a listener might have heard in the 70's. But the proper spirit is there, and with apologies to Archer's gallant little independent label, this recording could easily be an ECM release -- and a top ECM release at that. It has all the classic ECM ingredients -- it's superbly recorded, genre-bending, hauntingly melodic, sometimes ethereal and other-worldly, and sometimes just plain weird. Even when he's on his best sonic behavior, i.e., trying to make "regular" music, Archer is very fond of odd timbres and sound combinations, and he opens this CD playing a reedy, wistful soprano sax melody over crunchy, over-driven electric guitar which sounds a lot like an elephant stumbling through a huge pile of broken glass. Other pieces feature the excellent muted cornet of Derek Saw, (emulating the expressive mid-period Miles Davis of Filles de Kilimanjaro and In a Silent Way), and the lyrical Spanish-tinged acoustic guitar of Tim Cole. The aptly named "Death-runes, death rumours, ruins, rains of death" combines the brazen clanging of bells, more of the crunchy (and also howling) guitar, a sepulchral cathedral organ and ultimately a forlorn Medieval-sounding recorder. This piece demonstrates a total mastery of the Gothic genre, and it's clear that Archer could stake a claim as a Goth/Trance heavyweight if he had a notion (which I'm sure he doesn't). The next piece, "Chemistry lock," is intended as a homage to Soft Machine, and it switches gears with some fine and funky electronic drumming, plus trumpet, bassoon, and Archer's unique keyboard treatments, which include a Fender Rhodes emulation (except more liquid, almost like birdsong) and a neat, swoopy Moog sound. With characteristic modesty, Archer writes in his press release that he contemplated calling Mike Rattledge, the Softs' original keyboardist, but "found the idea too awesome to contemplate." Well, I'm a Rattledge and Soft Machine fan myself, but I'll put Archer's tribute, and his keyboard work on the tribute, up against anything in the Softs' catalogue. It's that cool. I could ramble on about Archer's use of unusual instruments (bassoon, bowed crwth), his juxtapositions of timbres (acoustic guitar, clarinet, recorder, electronic rumbles and roars), and the way his music on this CD (and particularly the longer pieces, such as the title track and "River followers") represents the aural equivalent of strolling through some exotic, alien country, where everything is simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar, with delightful (and sometimes slightly unnerving) surprises emerging around every bend. But I'll end simply by urging everyone who reads this review to hear from themselves. Winter Pilgrim Arriving already has my vote for one of the richest and most profound recordings of the year 2000." – Bill Tilland, Motion "I love what Martin Archer does. Year after year he manages to surprise me. This is one of his most accomplished works. Daring, demanding and highly rewarding" - Francois Couture, L'Inentendu. Virtually everything in the label's small catalogue is excellent, including the documentation of his own work such as Ghost Lily Cascade, alongside which this release clearly sits. Here, as on that disc and the equally fine Pure Water Construction, Archer works with a loose collection of musicians, whose improvisations are sampled and then reorganised into what Archer loosely refers to as compositions. The sound-world is fantastically rich and otherworldly, like a dream of music on another planet; the acoustics are all wrong, instrumentation comes and goes, but the whole usually sounds natural. It's just like listening to musicians playing together with a mike in front of them, albeit musicians with vary numbers of limbs playing instruments made from unknown materials. One thing which gives this CD it's particular quality is a rather surprising affiliation with English folk music. That's dangerous in the wrong hands, leading to the risible kind of wimsy associated with prog-folk and the Cambridge School. Clearly this is something Archer has some fondness for, but his relocation of Bert Jansch (or whoever) into outer space is touching as well as surreal, poignant beyond any accusation of novelty. As if slightly concerned about accusations of "going soft" or (heaven forfend) "selling out", Archer tends to place these folksy passages in an ambiance of thunderous noise, as if his imaginary guitarists, recordists and Ulelian pipers (imitated by Archer's phenomenally accomplished sopranino) were stranded on some nightmarish hard shoulder in a J G Ballard short story. This is so zeitgeisty it's scary, and Archer really ought to be better known on the other side of the Atlantic, where chancers abound doing this sort of thing with little real musical commitment, often in search of witty postmodern gags or a sort of ersatz beat sensibility. This is an ultra-contemporary version of avant folk which can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Eugene Chadbourne's reimagining of hilbilly music in its lack of respect for any dogma, be it from the world of folk, improv or the electroacoustic avant garde. In its sense of unified diversity and its ever-changing atmospherics, one might also mention Zorn's film music: it really is that good, and it's also distinctively English and completely unique." - Richard Cochrane, Musings "Another fine release from a genuine music explorer" – Martin Lilleker, Sheffield Telegraph "Winter Pilgrim Arriving" expresses through wide and surprising instrumentations evocative atmospheres that possess harmony and eclecticism combining their own particularities in a spontaneous flow of synthetic and organic sounds, rhythms, textures and sensibility. - Jean-Francois Fecteau, Le Vestibule. "The best moments have a pastoral feel, with sopranino sax unwinding lazily over subtle electronics." - Dave Keenan, Wire. "It transports the adventurous listener." – Jazz Weekly "Anybody familiar with his work oughtta realise by now not to expect anything in particular, really. Having already defiled a jazz asceticism with a salubrious line in electronics, avant – raking and screwball noise, Archer’s approach to sonic architecture is fundamentally governed by a freedom suspended between gut instinct and academia….. Beginning, briefly, like a super – charged noise – riff monster before coursing foggier areas peppered with ebony sax swirls, Tim Buckley – ish strumming, recorders, percussion, the kinda samples that wouldn’t be turned away by Oval, etc….. there’s much to tug away at yr brain stem here. Never crossing the wrong side of such fitful bridge building to worlds of his own design, Archer’s invitation is etched more downright appealingly than ever." – Richo Johnson, Adverse Effect. "Some remarkable couplings of synth and Faheyesque guitar ..... successfully meshes 70s synthesizing with 90s free improv" - Chris Atton, Rubberneck
"This might be Archer's most accessible record, with moments of great simplicity, but also daring passages, resulting in something both demanding and highly rewarding" - AMG
"Parts of this album are really good, creative and explorative especially in the use of acoustic instruments against electronics" - Alan Freeman, Audion
"Another stunning record of thoroughly contemporary music. Fans of the downtown Chicago scene, particularly Gastr Del Sol, will love this delicate, free music. Archer creates an intimate feel with sparse arrangements and gentle waves of distortion. Acoustic instruments and electronics are weaved together to produce pieces that are like a long journey; all preparation and anticipation. It's only when the CD stops spinning that you realise what a trip you've had." - Joe Murray, Billy Liar
"Archer speaks of music from a certain period, the work of the Canterbury school of progressive rock, and the concomitant folk-rock sounds that were coming out of England during the same period, and how it conjured for him the feeling that music could be / do anything. These compositions give me a similar feeling, but they sound completely modern. Unlike a lot of other constructions of this type that I've heard, the patchwork and various graftings don't come across as such. This music sounds like it all happened live, made by an army of sympatico musicians with an arsenal of equipment and a communal working approach. The sounds themselves are quite disparate, but they are put together in such a way as to make them work magically. I'm impressed as hell by these little assemblages, and each time I listen the amount of detail unfolds in a new way for me." - Jeph Jerman - The Improvisor
"The year 2000 saw the release of this incredible album.
If there are those of you out there who 'have a problem' trying to get your head around 'Improv Music', then this album could be the one which might make things easier!
Archer has developed a great technique where he records various people in different locations, sometimes together, sometimes solo.
Some snippets are written and some are totally improvised.
He then deftly weaves together all the raw materials to produce finished tracks which can start as delicate acoustic passages whilst being accompanied by ominous blasts of electricity.
It can veer from frightening intensity to lush ambience all in a matter of minutes, seconds even.
A rich and strong tapestry, which is at times astonishing.
I wouldn't say it's an album to put on 'in the background'
or to pop into your CD player when a few friends come around to visit,
but one which, if you've got time to spare, just listen to whilst slunked
into your chair, clamp your headphones on and get taken away for a while!
Archer was fascinated at all the different musics that were coming into view in the early 1970s, from the directions of Miles Davis to the various dark electronic escapades of certain collectives in deepest germany, he would also be captivated by the sound of witch-season acoustic guitars in the various twilight folk circles.
So many different ingredients, you could make anything happen.
All these influences served as the inspiration for many of his Discus releases,
but in particular, it's this album that realises it most.
"Angel Words"- starts with Ben Bartholomew's visceral guitar poundings while Archer's Soprano Sax sends out a shining clarion call.
A very short opening track at just over two minutes, but kicks the gates open to all possibilities.
"The Eclipse Farm Heresies"- develops into Acoustic Piano and Double Bass being surrounded by irritable sheets of Synth until Derek Saw's Cornet comes in to try and sort out the fuss.
"Beautiful City On The Hill"- This starts with a cavernous breath of
electronics, but just when you think you are entering an industrial
wasteland, Bartholomew and Cole's Acoustic rich pickings show that it's
just a summer storm on your favourite spot in the country.
"A Dream Of Broken and Floating Doors"- has some sparse yet playful muted Cornet, Flute and clattering Percussion, further offset by quick and minute scrapes and tweaks which sometimes has you wondering
which instrument is on show.
"Horn" is Archer's adaption of the Nick Drake composition with nicely paced
ah-Guitar and frail Sax and somehow captures perfectly, the author's lost
soul.
"Death-Runes, Death-Rumours, Ruins, Rains Of Death"
Sinister tubular Synths, malfunctioned Guitars and god-knows-what Samples
all glue together with further electronic hums which give out to the sound of
a Recorder (!) which comes in like a shaft of sunlight in a darkened well.
But this isn't a 'difficult' music, just very fascinating!
"Chemistry Lock (Mike, Elton, Hugh, Robert)"
Well, as any canterbury cad will tell you, by the title alone, this tip's a hat to Soft Machine (circa "4" and "5").
The Drum programming is fantastic, although it doesn't sound as if it could be pulled off- believe me it does, this is the spirit of the Softs through a crisp millenium filter. Mick Beck's Bassoon playing starts to give this track real impetus, with Archer coming in later doing a perfect homage to Mike Ratlege.
Obviously, this track was more formulated than the others on this recording and to say it captures the feel of that era of Soft Machine is an understatement, but it also shows another side to the collective players.
It must be said also, that the production skills of Charlie Collins (who some people may remember as the jewel in the original Clock DVA crown), are one fine example of this man's many talents.
I think the track could have gone on further than it's seven or so minutes
though!
The Title Track features the medieval welsh instrument, the Crwth, a sort of bowed Lyre cum Viola which ushers in a very foreboding atmosphere and sounds great set against Saw's Cornet.
Blotches of solo melodic Synth then take the track to a different arena,
especially when the Acoustic Guitars come in, until Archer's Sax and frosted
electronics, ripple under all the disjointed pulses and flourishing sounds.
"River Followers (for Nick Drake)"
Lush melodies, half and fully formed, dark washes of Synths and crazy ripped static Samples, eventually merge to some fading folk rumbles.
As with every track on this album and other Discus releases, all the elements so different, yet all succumb to a strange and unbelievable whole.
"Harbour Town Online" closes the album and is a short and very becalmed end to a
very rich journey.
The Hidden Sound of Sheffield.
It could open a whole new world for some people." - Jim Tones
He's managed to toe that line bretween musicality and the abstract, which is where the real interesting work lays. It's in this process of dismantling and re-fusing that sometimes the magic occurs. There can be a resonance of human spirit that lays within sound. Archer's found it. - Progress Report
