A Dancing Beggar - What We Left Behind (2009) (AWESOME !!!)

Genre : Ambient, Electrocoustic, Electronica, Experimental, Post-rock, Shoegaze, UK
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Tracklist :

1 Prelude
2 The First Day of Spring
3 Sand Between Our Toes
4 Branches and Nettles
5 22 Summers
6 We Flew Over England's Fields
7 Daytrip to Glynde
8 Our Distant Memories, Our Idle Dreams
9 Dawn Breaks, New Beginnings
10 Skinny Trees
11 Llywelyn's Remorse

A Dancing Beggar is the musical project of 21-year-old musician, James Simmons. Having played a mixture of drums and guitar in previous bands, a solo project seemed the next step in achieving other creative goals. Using just a laptop, a couple of guitars and a cheap microphone, everything is written, recorded, mixed and produced in his bedroom.

Influenced by seminal post-rock artists like Maps, Sigur Ros, Amusement Parks On Fire, and Epic45, A Dancing Beggar began in summer 2007. After the purchase of some recording equipment a number of songs were written, recorded and distributed across MySpace. It wasn’t until early 2008 that a collection of songs seemed to link together for a possible release. These were recorded and subsequently turned into the 5 track EP ‘How They Grow’ which has been described by The Stool Pigeon as a ‘post rock treat’. In late 2008 the entire EP was re-mixed, and on the 23rd February 2009 Grand Independent released ‘How They Grow’, as a 6 track EP on iTunes. ‘How They Grow’ takes elements of post-rock and shoegaze and has been compared to the sounds of Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, Ulrich Schnauss and July Skies.

As of March 2009, work had begun on new songs for A Dancing Beggar’s eagerly anticipated full-length album, ‘What We Left Behind’. These songs are more acoustic based, less distorted and euphoric with emphasis on a more organic sound. Composed and mixed by James, all eleven tracks were recorded in James’ bedroom again using an acoustic and electric guitar, microphone and laptop, between November 2008 and June 2009. This time incorporating field recordings by artists Peter Caeldries, Adam Danz and Cynthia Lawson, samples of which can be heard on ‘Our Distant Memories’, ‘Skinny Trees’ and ‘Branches and Nettles’. Notably an extract of ‘Day 16 - Recall Your Favorite Childhood Memory’ by Cynthia Lawson, a story about how she nearly jumped into a swimming pool with no water in it when she was very young. Such samples only compliment the ethereal sounds of ‘What We Left Behind’, marking a turning point in the maturity of A Dancing Beggar’s music which in most parts navigates around the concept of nostalgia.