Zygadlo, Rudi / Great Western Laymen

Planet Mu

Prepare your ears and adjust your brain for Rudi Zygadlo's debut Great Western Laymen--some of the most inventive modern pop you'll hear all year. The Scottish-born Zygadlo makes music like no one else. Taking the fundamentals of dubstep in unique, unexpected directions, he rewires pop songwriting with a contemporary electronic influence which is drawn from Frank Zappa, John Carpenter, Eastern European classical music and US indie. A disciplined artist, Zygadlo squeezes the most out of what he's got, working with a restricted palette of sounds, using no plug-ins and layering live instruments to give the music added depth. From the double-tracked harmonies of opener "Manuscripts Don't Burn" to the laid-back "Perfect Lust" with its lightly treated vocals and swooping bleeps, Great Western Laymen is packed full of intriguing and lovely music. Check the weird but comfortable mix of choir-like vocals and John Carpenter synths on "Filthy Logic," or the manipulated guitar solos, twilight synths and lush piano runs of "Stop/Reject." This is an unusually brave and modern album where dubstep's modes and effects sit comfortably together with intelligent, artful pop. The title pays homage to Zygadlo's Glasgow residence which sits between two churches on Great Western Road. A strong ecclesiastical theme runs throughout the lyrics, giving the album yet another layer of intrigue. Great Western Laymen is a future classic in the making.

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