The Caretaker

2019 Limited repress. CD Edition. The second album from James Leyland Kirby's alias The Caretaker, originally released in 2011 following 2008's Persistent Repetition Of Phrases (HAFTW 003CD). By now regarded an absolute classic of haunted ambient music, An Empty Bliss Beyond The World returns the doddering protagonist to the deserted ballroom, wandering its waxed floor and dilapidated grandeur in an attempt to capture an era which has long since disappeared but still haunts the atmosphere. James Leyland Kirby conjures a quieter, more introspective spirit, lost in his own mind amidst a low-lit labyrinth of ever-decaying and antediluvian shellac phrases. Sourced from his mysterious collection of 78s, these vague snippets of archaic sonics reflect the ability of Alzheimers patients to recall the songs of their past, and with them recollections of places, people, moods and sensations. The effect is subtly amplified by the chronic mastering at D&M, allowing each memory to segue seamlessly and unpredictably into the next for an otherworldly and disorienting experience. An Empty Bliss Beyond The World is a highly potent transmission from one of the most singular characters operating in music today. James Leyland Kirby, is also known as Leyland Kirby, The Stranger and V/VM. Mastered and cut by Lupo. Artwork features another specially commissioned painting by Ivan Seal.