Our Heart Beats With Joy (The Curved World Outside)
Benbecula, 2004
rating: 4/5
reviewer: filmore mescalito holmes


The first time I listened to Our Heart Beats With Joy, I had just smoked a bong around one in the morning. I wanted something with subtlety to ease my slight feeling of illness as I'd been to a house party up at Sun Peaks the night before and was still feeling the effects. The combination of the soothing tones of Our Heart Beats that creates an atmosphere approaching the power of Radiohead's Kid A and my lack of sleep that morning quickly made me space out. I sat in that richly textured fog for several minutes, not exactly sleeping but not quite awake, until the smoke cleared and I found myself listening to the mastermind behind Reverbaphon, top Dundee boy Paul Smith enticing me to "just close [my] eyes… just fall asleep" over and over on the scattered soundscape prairie of "Asthetik Der Funktion." I freaked out and threw my stereo into the wall, cursing Harman and Kardon to Valhalla as I did it. I live in Canada, it's mid-November, and all the insulation has fallen out of my bedroom wall. Oh well, now the temperature fits the ambiance created by this eclectic Scottish dream from the multi-instrumentalist Smith, who was assisted only by Eva Cardario's field recordings and photography. Aside from casting paranoia-inspiring vocals, Smith also plays an accordion, banjo, biwa, saxophone, blowpipe, nylon guitar, and a melodica among others. A mish-mash of styles and genres both electronic and organic, Our Heart Beats With Joy is a truly unique experience. Just make sure your building codes are up to scratch first.

1. Kartoffein
2. Parameters Of Love
3. Asthetik Der Funktion
4. Hydrocow
5. The Hermit Returns (Again)
6. Christa's Accordian
7. Cut And Fry Song
8. Insect Interlude
9. Our Hearts Beat With Joy
10. The Curved World Outside