Field Music – Music For Drifters

Don't know about anyone else but the sealed copy I just bought from the band's Bandcamp site is full of non-fill and other noises. Bit of a shame.

Field Music’s “Music for Drifters” is a recording of a newly-composed, cinematic score for John Grierson’s landmark 1929 film “Drifters” on the UK’s herring fishing industry, widely regarded as the first British narrative documentary. It comes on silver vinyl and gatefold metallic silver board and was released exclusively on Record Store Day 2015.

Background:
In 2013, Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival commissioned one of the most critically acclaimed bands to emerge from the North East of England, the Mercury Prize nominated Field Music, to compose a new cinematic score to accompany a seminal silent documentary, ‘Drifters’, by John Grierson.
The commission was performed live as a one-off event at the Festival by Field Music, Sunderland brothers Peter and David Brewis and their band, to huge acclaim.
Now, having spent autumn of last year revisiting the score in their Wearside studio, Field Music will release “Music for Drifters” as part of this year’s Record Store Day. Pressed on silver colour LP, “Music for Drifters” is the first completely instrumental recording made by Field Music and will be available exclusively via local record stores on 18th April.
With this composition, Field Music have created something truly unique and beautifully befitting of this critically acclaimed documentary.
‘Drifter’s was created by John Grierson – a pioneering Scottish filmmaker known for coining the term ‘documentary.’ The film follows the working day of a herring fishing fleet as they set sail from the Shetland Islands to battle the elements of the North Sea fishing grounds.

Yet another hypnotic piece of prog-pop by the Brewis brothers. I recommend 'Batten Down' in particular as a soporific highlight. Closer to their third album to the fourth ('Plumb') in style- see 'First Comes The Wish' and 'The Wheels Are In Place'. A welcome return to the keys for Andrew Moore and fingers crossed he'll stay put for whatever the Brewises do next. Stands on its own from the film brilliantly.