Cargo Records

Nitwood

Simon Charterton - drums, percussion, vocals
Richard Duguid - keyboards
Colin Young - bass guitar

Nitwood's guests

William Denton - harmonica
Terry Edwards - guitar/sax/melodica
Paul Lee - guitar
Jem Moore - vocals
John Pope - bass guitar
Ian R Watson - treated trumpet

A Can inspired band for the 21st century - Nitwood recorded several hours of material for this, their debut album, then edited the groovy jams so that only the cream remained before inviting several guest artists & musicians to add their own improvised parts to the chilled out funk. The only rule was that there be no second takes. As a result the album really gives you the best of two worlds - sponteneity over prepared beats. This 12 track album contains 6 'straight' mixes interspersed by Sartorial remix wizard Funkhead's alternate takes - Tim 'Love' Lee has already licensed Sparkplug (thrash-mix) for the next Tummy Touch compilation album. Ahead of the game or what? Opener Nachtraglichkeit hints at krautrock and the Radio 4 shipping forecast, then the snakey charms of William (Zook) Denton's harmonica lead the laid back lilt of idunno. On Carburettor funky piano takes the treated trumpet of Ian R Watson (Lob, Treecreepers) and some slinky sax on a merry tango of alienation before the ambient space dust of Kick-in. Nitwood, the eponymous centrepiece follows. The unique lyrical dexterity of Jem Moore (Serious Drinking, Scapegoats) is played out on an epic cosmische battlefield of forboding drones, psych-trumpet and beatific strings. Wardsness revisits and re-imagines the territory of the opening track. Spaghetti westerns inspire Notarpanaro, with John Barry attempting to wrest the baton from Ennio Morricone. The blissed-out drum & bass of Caught Between Formats precedes the verbal magic of Stress Management, soothed by the hypnotic guitar of Paul Lee. Arpanaro turns melancholy wine into waterfalls of sparkling light, before the loping gait of Boxes opens up to reveal more words of twisted wisdom. Sparkplug (Thrash mix) brings a dynamic end to the proceedings in a frantic Funkhead fury.

Track Listing

Nachträglichkeit
Idunno
Sparkplug
Stress Management (Kick-in mix)
Nitwood
Wardsness
Notarpanaro
Caught Between Formats
Stress Management
Arpanaro
Boxes
Sparkplug (Thrash mix)