Translating approximately as 'The Other Side' (or perhaps more accurately as 'The Darker Side') in English, 'An Taobh Tuathail' is the name of a cult Irish Radio show. Presented by DJ Cian O'Ciobhain, it celebrates ten years on the air in 2010, so what way better to celebrate this milestone than with a 15-track compilation?
Enter 'An Taobh Tuathail Vol.3', a suitably downbeat and eclectic selection of underground classics nudging into the Folk, Electronica and Post-Rock genres. The fact that the contributors come from places as disparate as the UK, USA, Poland and Berlin as well as home-grown Irish talent is also impressive as it shows just how far-reaching O'Ciobhain's show is after a decade on air. Hell, one of the contributors, FACTORY KIDS, is really long-time listener Tim Chaplin from Warwickshire, who has supplied his own remix (under the moniker LUMINOUS) of his track 'Look After Everyone'.
Unfortunately, while all this DIY enthusiasm is enough to have your reviewer immediately considering long-term subscription to the show, the fact that Chaplin's track ('Look After Everyone') simply isn't very good is enough to stop him in his tracks pretty quickly. Fuzzy, analogous electronica of the type Warp or possibly Colin Newman's Swim label might have included to make up the numbers on their own label compilations, it's formless, rambling and simply fails to have any impact.
It pains me to say it, but sadly much of the competition struggles to live up to the fanfare either. I had expectations when Galway's LONER DELUXE kicked off with a floaty, ambient instumental called 'Frozen Grass' (pleasant, but inessential)but after two bouts of interchangeable ethereality from ROSHI and ESSIE JAIN, my goodwill was wearing thin and precious little that came along afterwards did much to alter this negative standpoint.
An early chink of light is supplied by Kilkenny's R.S.A.G. Their track, 'Dwelling on the Past' is introspective, glockenspiels-at-dawn stuff, yet it has a gentle presence of its' own. Likewise Dublin's B-MOVIE LIGHTNING, whose 'Triple Trouble' is by some way the best stab at (electro) pop and soul in general here. Elsewhere, London outfit MOUNT KIMBIE win through by weirding me out with their explosions-in-a-floatation tank dub montage 'Maybes' and Austin's PETER AND THE WOLF weigh in with a quiet piano-based gem called 'The Highway' which is a mournful, but sublime way to wave goodbye.
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Sadly, precious little else here crawls beyond lo-fi wibbling to these ears. ANIMAL COLLECTIVE and CIRCLESQUARE boast impressive reputations, but the tracks they submit here are easily forgettable. Circlesquare's 'Music for Satellites' tries to do a Brian Eno with its' static and morse code, but makes the mistake of trying to incorporate it into a folk drone plucked from the ether. Berliners THE CARETAKER offer up a glacial drift akin to Tangerine Dream at their early 70s best, but ultimately fall short and little of the remainder even manage to register on a level other than 'muzak' at best. The worst offenders, mind, are probably THEM USE THEM, whose highly irritating 'Able' sounds more like the dying emissions of a black box recorder than anything resembling lo-fi genius.
I've really not enjoyed writing this review. As an Irish resident, I came to 'An Taobh Tuathail Vol.3' with high hopes of celebrating underground talent from this fine, creative nation, not to mention bigging up some names from both sides of the Atlantic who will be making critical headway in times to come. Yet nearly everything here is lightweight, forgettable and a missed opportunity. A damn shame, all things considered.
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