Jimmy Behan - The Echo Garden [Album]
 

Ever listened to an album that takes your mind off into another place? If you haven't then your best bet is to get a copy of this ten track psychological power-piece. In all honesty I haven't heard anything quite like it. Most people listen to a diverse range of genres on today's musical circuit but a whole chunk of the music scene is just ignored (intentionally or not) and unexplored. It's kind of like dipping your head under the water in the middle of the ocean and delving deep down into the depths, you don't know what you will find and you're not sure how to react to it.

"The Echo Garden" has been played in my record player(s) for probably the duration of a full weeks worth of hours (terrible at maths so will leave the calculation up to you). It was just begging for more time, more listens and more concentration. The only way to describe the genre is Musique concrète. The composition is just truly baffling, with no rhythm sections or any kind of structure. It is just a case of whacking it on, closing your eyes and letting the sound waves take you away. Behan himself describes his music as "an exploration of textures" to which you can definitely agree. Another point of view could be that "The Echo Garden" is just a bunch of noises plunged together with some media masking tape and a bit of reverb.

Each track has a new way of waking your ears up to something new and exciting. The samples, the recordings, the layers all leave you in complete awe as to how complicated and/or simple the delivery is. At moments you could say Sigur Ros has had an input, minus the vocals and song structure of course. Jimmy Behan ensures that this is intelligent electronic music that cant be recreated on any new level. Even more scary is that this is one guy. There is like I said a whole world out there of this style of electronic composition.

Whatever you make of the output of Jimmy Behan's work, there is indisputable evidence that the intricacies he uses in his layers of sound are stunning. At moments you could picture "The Echo Garden" being the soundtrack to the Oscar winning film 'American Beauty.' It's so emotional, intriguing and tantalizing.

Re: Jimmy Behan - The Echo Garden [Album]
 

Your best review Jack - really good stuff.

I am gonna check this guy out now.

Re: Jimmy Behan - The Echo Garden [Album]
 

Thanks man appreciate it. Probably my hardest one to write to date, although i have another one in the pile from audiobulb label.

Re: Jimmy Behan - The Echo Garden [Album]
 

That's funny 'cos the one I found hardest was the one Chris thought was my best.

Re: Jimmy Behan - The Echo Garden [Album]
 

Weird that isn't it lads?! Maybe a good review comes from a challenge.

Re: Jimmy Behan - The Echo Garden [Album]
 

Yeah it's possible you raise your game, but then it's all subjective really. I didn't think it was my best, although it turned out better than I expected.

Re: Jimmy Behan - The Echo Garden [Album]
 

Same here man, although my autechre one was hard and i dont think that was anygood.

Re: Jimmy Behan - The Echo Garden [Album]
 

Back to the music:
The thing about Jimmy Behan (and other music of the same ilk) is it's not the most active of music. It's 'music to lie down to'.
I tend to listen to music, either while working, or while walking and listening to Jimmy Behan in each instance will cause me to lie down.
It's also music that sounds like you'll get a whole lot more from it if you're on drugs (don't do drugs).

Re: Jimmy Behan - The Echo Garden [Album]
 

Not ecstasy, presumably?