I gave 10 star reviews to each of the previous Year In The Country (YITC) releases but, perhaps because musical renditions of drifting in space are more familiar than terrestrial-based material, this latest collection doesn't strike me as quite so original or essential. The textures remain in the field of ambient lo-fi electonica but I miss the ghostly folk elements.
What I do appreciate, though, is that the content is still resolutely analogue in concept. These thirteen interstellar voyagers are more likely to be found floating in tin cans than exploring the universe in hi-tech space rockets.
The theme of this latest compilation is "space exploration projects that have been abandoned and/or never fully realised". It is therefore concerned with "technological remnants" rather than celebrations of human progress.
This accounts for the fact that the overriding atmosphere is one of a cosmic drift. Unit One's Voyages Of The Moon, for example, has none of the momentum or thrill of discovery you might expect from the title.
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The insistent pulse of YITC's own contribution (The March Of Progress/Frontier Dreams) sounds more on topic while Keith Seatman opts for a cross between Dr.Who and Glam Rock for O93A-Prospero.
Otherwise, much of the spooky noodling lacks the focus of the YITC earthbound sets although there's still plenty to enjoy and as usual, the product is handsomely packaged in a hand-finished box set.
A Year In The Country’s website
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