I watch a lot of YouTube videos. No, really - it's kind of a problem. Anyway, one of the many people I watch on a regular basis is comedian and music producer Christopher Bingham (who you can check out here and here), so when he reached out and asked if I wanted to listen to his new album 'MMCCXV', I obviously said yes.
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. I certainly didn't think it would be so personal and haunting, at times more like an autobiography than an album. It's part electronica, part spoken word, and part 1980's-Sci-Fi. You've heard the 'Blade Runner' soundtrack, right? Well, it's kind of like that, but with a story about a failed relationship in the mix. If you're a fan of artists like Unkle and Massive Attack, you'll really enjoy this.
I imagine that the fast-paced dance track 'Boat People' will end up being very popular. My personal favourite on the album is 'The Sea Hates a Coward', a dreamy yet dramatic song that builds gradually as it goes along. 'Artemis' is one of the darker, angrier tracks featuring rapper TVMPST. Then there's 'Wisla', a soft, soothing lullaby that you can loose yourself in. Somehow the album drifts back and fourth through these various styles and between rap and vocals with ease, while still retaining an overall self-loathing tone with a synth-heavy backing.
'MMCCXV' is an album that deserves your full attention, that way you can appreciate all the effort that went into each track, listen for the overlapping stories and let your mind drift off to a faraway galaxy. I'm seriously considering splashing out and buying a license so that I can use this music in future videos, which is the biggest compliment I can give any musician.
'MMCCXV' is out now on iTunes, Google Music, Amazon and Hit With Wrench.