Electric Fields
Barbara Hannigan, Kati and Marielle Labèque, David Chalmin

Finally a modern classical album hits the top spot, must be a sign of my maturity. While inspired by the very ancient and beautiful music of Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) this is an album with plenty of electronics and sophisticated mixing techniques. These elements lend the album a true sonic variety, with each track holding a unique identity, while never losing the unique and slightly spooky spectral quality. So much so that the bastion of classical music, Gramophone, appears to regard it as some sort of insult saying it is “unresolved thematically and formally crude”. I beg to differ, it is constantly engaging and surprising, and while the electronics can be disorientating, they genuinely refresh the glorious singing and piano playing, this is modern music. We are finally seeing the classical, jazz and contemporary worlds colliding to produce innovative work.

A word on these seasoned performers. This album is inspired and held together by the soprano vocals of Barbara Hannigan. She is a Canadian singer and conductor, specialising in contemporary classical. Her debut album Crazy Girl Crazy (2017) is a hoot, featuring Berio, Berg and Gershwin. She has made 2 albums covering jazz guru John Zorn, as well as being guest conductor for many famous classical orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra. The pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque are French sisters who should need no introduction, having sold millions of records since 1969, covering both classical and contemporary repertoire. Of particular note here is their 2024 album Sonic Wires, which could nearly be a version of Electric Fields without the singing. It also features the electronics and compositions of David Chalmin, who is married to Katia Labèque.

Back in the world of popular music there appears to be nothing happening, it is all remakes, remasters and re-issues. However it has been heartening to see the success of the pseudo classical Lux by Rosalía, which strangely bears similarities to Electric Fields – she sings in fourteen languages so it is equally incomprehensible and was also inspired by Hildegard of Bingen. Perhaps my only other album of note was the fierce and gothic Iconoclasts by Anna Von Hausswolff from Sweden.

Happy Listening!

In 1985 I was a staff photographer for Sounds, a weekly music paper competing with Melody Maker and New Musical Express, promoting progressive rock. As a so called member of staff, though not on the payroll, I was invited to participate in their All Time Top 100 Albums poll. Since we each chose just our top 10, I knew that if I placed an album in the top 3, it would probably be included in the Top 100, due to the number of staff.

My choices were relatively normal, except I decided to put Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! by Frank Sinatra in at No.3. At the time I knew this was a bad idea, yet I thought it was the most revolutionary thing to do, in the spirit of the table turning punks we were all supposed to be. In addition I really loved this album, and still do. Let’s not forget it was the first ever album to top the new UK album chart back in 1956 and is in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Frank’s singing on this album is uniquely relaxed and expressive, yet the arrangements by Nelson Riddle are full of punch and dynamic flourishes. The selection of classic songs, many from the 30s, flow like a true lovers album, and you can sing along at will. The tone of Frank’s voice is impeccable, conversational yet full of bounce, it slurs, slides and elongates, always on the verge of some exotic excitement. It all goes down so sweet and easy…

Of course at the time it was regarded as “parent music”, so outdated it belonged to another generation and certainly not part of the “Rock Revolution” instituted by Elvis in that same year, 1956. Hence it was not an appropriate choice for a music paper trying to be at the forefront of fashion. In the final Top 100 list the oldest album was in fact from 1965, Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan, in at No.20.

Thus I was escorted into the Editors office, the esteemed Tony Stewart, and told in no uncertain terms that my choices were not acceptable. I had broken with orthodoxy, after all this was not the Melody Maker Top 100! No direct reference was to made to Mr. Frank Sinatra, but we all knew what the problem was. I was thoroughly chastened, declared the error of my ways, and amended my list. The apple cart was not there to be upset, this was a sackable offence!

To give you some idea of what I should have chosen, here is the Top 10 of the 1985 Sounds All Time Top 100 Albums List:

1. The Clash : The Clash
2. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols : Sex Pistols
3. The Velvet Underground & Nico : The Velvet Underground & Nico
4. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars : David Bowie
5. Horses : Patti Smith
6. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band : The Beatles
7. Unknown Pleasures : Joy Division
8. Marquee Moon : Television
9. The Doors : The Doors
10. Electric Warrior : T. Rex

I can no longer remember exactly which albums I did choose, no doubt some of the above, but I am pretty certain it would also have included:

12. Are You Experienced : The Jimi Hendrix Experience
45. Blonde On Blonde : Bob Dylan

It is also likely that I included Who’s Afraid of the Art of Noise? by Art of Noise in order to appear as cool as possible.