#matthew durrant

[lovejustforaday]

Shoegaze Classics - Somnium

Somnium - Sianspheric (1995)

Main Genres - Shoegaze, Space Rock, Dream Pop, Neo-Psychedelia

A decent sampling of: Post-Rock, Ambient Pop

Shoegaze made its first small but noteworthy splash in the U.S. indie/alternative scene some time in the mid 90s.

Bands like Drop Nineteens, Starflyer 59, Lovesliescrushing, and The Swirlies were coming onto the scene, embracing the subgenre's formula with their own unique twists while following the example of bands from the British Isles like MBV and Ride.

Other American bands like Smashing Pumpkins took broader inspiration from the original shoegazers, playing around with guitar textures and dipping their toes into more washed out reverb sounds.

Canadian bands, meanwhile, barely even touched shoegaze until the turn of the century. That is, with one notable exception. Today we're going to be looking at Canada's own original shoegaze band - the elusive and wispy Sianspheric.

The Band

Sianspheric were the only even somewhat prominent first wave shoegaze band to come from the land of the canucks.

And by saying that, I certainly don't mean that these guys were MBV level big, nor even to the degree of bands like Lush or Swervedriver. These guys were small timers, filling the void for hip 90s Canadians needing a homegrown fix for their addictions to heavily reverberated guitar.

Hailing from Hamilton, ON, Sianspheric was formed in 1994 by Sean Ramsay on guitar, Matthew Durrant on drums, Steve Peruzzi on vocals on bass, and Paul Sinclair on guitar. Peruzzi's vocals are perhaps the platonic ideal of a shoegazer - perpetually relaxed, half awake even, but rich and highly resonant in tone despite a generally soft delivery.

The band were part of a broader scene of indie rock happening in the 90s Greater Toronto Area that Ramsay himself has dubbed the "Pseudo-Burlington scene". Sianspheric were also part of a wave of artists writing shoegaze music that heavily overlapped with a new generation of space rock.

The band quickly signed with the Canadian indie label Sonic Unyon and promptly dropped their first record in 1995. No early EPs this time fellas.

The Record

Somnium is a faintly glowing, leisurely 'spacegaze' tour-de-force, ever subtly subduing its listener into dreamy visions of seemingly bending laws of the universe to its will, just like any other powerful substance. It is an auditory experience meant to accompany a form of relaxing interstellar space travel that unfortunately doesn't exist at the time that I'm writing this review.

From a strictly timbral frame of reference, I would say this record contains many of the most pleasing textures that 90s shoegaze bands would manage to produce.

Big fans of Slowdive in particular (such as myself) are also sure to enjoy this record, as it shares a similar ethos with the band's heavy use of dynamics, building intensity, and more involved, atmospheric production to augment its hazy guitars.

The album opens with "Turbulent + Hydrodynamic", an aimless journey on a riff through vast infinite stargazing before the abrupt pull of a celestial body drags the listener down into a whirlpool of distorted guitar rock.

"This Window" takes psychedelic dream pop to a whole new level of tranquility, with a tiny, dotted guitar refrain that twinkles in and out of the realm of audible sounds, like a distant flicker from far out.

Immediately following is the crushing waves of "Watch Me Fall", a plunge into more sonic whirlpools with a sense of inquisitive glee, going in head first just to see what is on the other side.

"I Like The Ride" is a mind-melting, orgasmic rush of sensory pleasure in the form of juicy, crunching guitars that flood the ear canals with fizzy sonic fluids til it reaches the brain. It is a full out-of-body experience that leaves me feeling completely suspended in time while simultaneously blasting through the universe with all the propulsion of pulsar rays. Peruzzi's nasally half-chanted vocals peek through the synchronized mess of it all, with defiant declarations of self-determination, yet somehow maintaining an aloof coolness in his inflection, as if he isn't even a part of reality. I don't use this comparison often, but this song really is like having some of the most gratifying sex ever.

The record closes with an ambient post-rock piece. Towering at over twenty one minutes long, "Where The Planets Revolve, I Wish I Was There" is certainly a daring choice of how to end your album, but I do think it overstays its welcome considering the very minor variation it offers over those twenty one minutes. Furthermore, the riff this track its based around is not one that I think lends itself well to being repeated dozens of times; no real sense of closure or finality in its melody. For something in a similar vein done frankly (IMO) better, I'd recommend "Midnight Souls Still Remain" at the end of M83's 2008 LP Saturdays = Youth.

Still, this is not nearly enough to sour my experience of this record. It's a bit front-loaded, sure, but there are stunning celestial textures throughout all of these tracks, and the highlights are more than enough to keep me invested for the entire duration. Somnium is a very solid record.

What Came After That?

Sianspheric are still going as a band, and never really stopped going, even if their output has waned over the years. The lineup has changed a few times, but Sean and Matthew have maintained their roles as guitarist/vocalist and drummer, respectively. Original vocalist Steve left the band shortly after their second record.

The band's follow up material after Somnium has mostly leaned harder into the space rock component of their sound. There's the 1998 sophomore LP There's Always Someplace You'd Rather Be, and the more instrumental The Sound of The Colour of The Sun from 2001.

I checked out the 2001 record while writing these reviews, and I've got to say that "Radiodiffusion" is arguably just as great as "I Like The Ride", though more of a bittersweet vibe juxtaposing the latter's intense euphoria. Could really do without the jumpscare on "Tous les soirs" though, like holy shit wtf come on guyz!

Sianspheric's latest LP was 2016's Writing the Future in Letters of Fire. Save for a 2020 EP titled So We Swim, the band has not put out any other major releases since. Their still playing shows regularly though, which is always great to see for bands that have been around without hiatus for as long as they have.

Even if you were already a savvy shoegaze connoisseur coming into this series, there's a good chance that you've never heard of this band or this record until now, so I compel you to explore this hidden gem of the 90s. Somnium really delivers one of the most far out trips that any shoegaze record has to offer.

8/10

Highlights: "I Like The Ride", "Turbulent + Hydrodynamic", "This Window", "Watch Me Fall"

[asgoodeasgold]

The calm before the storm. Philip is about to wreal havoc at the breakfast table. He is a total devil but it is utterly hilarious (and cringy in equal measure). Masterclass performance.

📷 BBC Ordeal by Innocence (2018) my edit

[deputy-ajay-ghale]

The casting for Philip and Hester is spot fucking on though. Ella’s big doe eyes and just Matthew’s cool charisma is perfect. 👌🏼

[pleasereadmeok]

Goode Grin 😏

Matthew describing 'Ordeal by Innocence' in one word.

I think he enjoyed being the 'Deliciously Squalid' Philip Durrant - so good in this.

📷 O by I cast featurette my edit [new version - there have been a few 😂]

[webziine]

Tunes! June 2024

Surprise sneak peak! - This is my track list of edm/trance tunes heard on @diradio during this month in June 2024 so far.

Kaskade - Room For Happiness (Above & Beyond Remix)

Arty - Rain

ATB - Twisted Love (original mix)

Solarstone - Solarcoaster (Maarten De Jong Extended Remix)

Cosmic Gate & Kristina Antuna - Alone (Extended Mix)

Lange feat. Stine Grove - Crossroads (Estiva Remix)

Aamos & False9 - Valo (Extended Mix)

Deeplav - Only You (Extended Mix)

Michael Canitrot - You and I (Original Extended Mix)

Chico Rose feat. Afrojack & Mougleta - Alone Again (Vion Konger Rmx Extended)

K-SYRAN - Dizzy (C-ROD Rollercoaster Anthem Mix)

Afrojack & David Guetta feat. Ester Dean - Another Life (Tom & Jame Remix) (Extended)

Dewey - Start Again (Original Mix)

ONEDUO & TwoWorldsApart - It's Not You

Aly & Fila With Skypatrol Feat Sue Mclaren - Running (Extended Mix)

FUTURECODE - The Network (Extended Mix)

Vir-T - Diamonds (John Snow Remix)

Danny-S vs Taito - Rainbow (Extended Mix)

Alex Sayz feat Sibel - United As One (Club Mix)

Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding - Miracle (Ben Nicky Trance Remix)

Glinskiy - Balenciaga (Original Mix)

Tove Lo - Habits (Stay High) (Hippie Sabotage Remix)

Ela Rose feat David Deejay - I Can Feel (Darone Remix)

Armin van Buuren & Nicky Romero feat. Ifimay - I Need You To Know

Firebeatz feat. Vertel - Till The Sun Comes Up (Orjan Nilsen Extended Remix)

CombiNation - Follow Me (Rene Rodrigezz Remix)

Jasper Forks - Alone (extended mix)

Bingo Players - Don't Blame the Party (Mode) (Extended Mix)

Inna - Wow (Steve Roberts Extended Remix)

Simon Patterson - Always (Jordan Suckley Remix)

Mario Deline - Something (Original Club Mix)

AVIRA - Miracles (Extended Mix)

Unclubbed Feat Zoe Durrant - Need To Feel Loved (Redroche Remix)

Alex Rusin - Opened Roads (Original Mix)

Jason Ross feat. Emilie Brandt - IOU (Jason Ross Extended Club Mix)

Showtek & Justin Prime Feat Matthew Koma - Cannonball (Earthquake) (Extended Vocal Mix)

Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford - Every Little Beat (Myon & Shane 54 Summer Of Love Mix)

Joe Manina & Alex Tone - Green Light (Dynatronic Phase Crew Edit Remix)

Dash Berlin Feat Jonathan Mendelsohn - World Falls Apart (Club Mix)

DJ Dan - Fascinated (Extended Radio Mix)

ActiveBlaze - Before (Original Mix)

Groove Coverage - Think About The Way (Extended Version)

Sia - She Wolf (Falling To Pieces) (Michael Calfan Remix)

Far East Movement - 2Gether (Extended Mix)

Alyssa Rubino - Keep On Dancing (Mike Rizzo Funk Generation Club Mix)

Rihanna - Only Girl (In The World) (Rosabel's Only Club In The World Mix)

Haddaway - What Is Love (Jake Waltz 2K19)

Movetown - Round 'N' Round (Instant Move Remix)

Paul Oakenfold & Cassandra Fox - Touch Me (Perfecto Club Mix)

Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan - Silence (Kryder Extended Remix)

Eran Hersh & May Kravitz - Human (Passenger 10 Remix)

Avicii - The Nights (Felix Jaehn Remix)

Lypo - Falling for You (Original Mix)

Above & Beyond Feat Marty Longstaff - Flying By Candlelight (Above & Beyond Club Mix)

Nicky Romero feat Basto! - When Love Calls (Vocal Mix)

Arash Feat Helena - One Day (Golden Star Extended)

Tritonal & Paris Blohm Feat. Sterling Fox - Colors (Klude & Ryan Remix)

West Coast Massive feat. Otis Parker - Waiting (Extended Mix)

Adam Ellis & Michele C - Don’t Disappear (Kismet 333 Extended Remix)

Bodybangers Feat Linda Teodosiu - Go (Original Mix)

Robin Schulz feat. Francesco Yates - Sugar (Stadiumx Remix)

Enerdizer & Lyd14, Chavano - Move The Mountains (Extended Mix)

Armin van Buuren & Punctual feat. Alika - On & On (Extended Mix)

Martin Garrix vs Matisse & Sadko - Break Through The Silence (Original Mix)

Zedd Feat. Selena Gomez - I Want You To Know (Marc Benjamin Remix)

Sam Allan & Sarah De Warren - Sunrise (Extended Mix)

Kele vs Sander van Doorn feat Lucy Taylor - What Did I Do (Original Mix)

Seven Lions and Above & Beyond feat. Opposite The Other - Over Now (Extended Mix)

Dj Adamus - Free The Night (Club Edit)

Dim Chris - You Found Me (Extended Mix)

Mike Candys & Averro feat. MEELA - Dancing Around

Lisa Williams & Johan Holt - Tomorrowland (The Reaper) (Extended Mix)

Cover Drive - Twilight (Nicola Fasano & Steve Forest Club Mix)

Dinka Feat Hadley & Danny Inzerillo - Reach For Me (Original Mix)

These and anything else I hear will be added to my official list which is only published in my Night Watch Webzine. You can see that list and so much more content in the first issue available as a free download on my website at dtprojktz.com - Night Watch Webzine 001. It is a free pdf download.

You may wonder how the above list could be useful for you. Well, you could look these tunes up on Youtube, Spotify, or your favorite music platform, and discover some new favorite artists and tracks. Be aware that you may not find the exact remixes that di.fm has in their inventory, however the basic tracks can set you off on a search journey of not only finding the radio versions of these tunes, but maybe find other remixes of them as well.

[icherys]

Character study/empathy game today: Philip Durrant

A chaotic urge to insult everyone around you so that they won't forget you're still a force to consider.

Dependence on somebody you're once loved but came to loathe now because of their's pity:

Constantly outshadowed by your past-self.

Strengthening what's left:

Manipulating and plotting right behind a family's back just because it's it fun to see them underestimate you:

Exploit your condition's biases because why not if you have to live it:

Find an interest just for the sake of the thrills - why not your wife's sister:

And still be the most wise person in the house besides that psycho-guy:

- I'm staying up.

- Why?

- Because I'm the only person who couldn't have killed her.

[unkindness313]

Matthew Goode with drinks

as

1. Matthew Clairmont in A Discovery of Witches (s01e02) 2. Stanley in Dancing on the Edge (s01e02) 3 & 4. XXX in The Hatton Garden Job 5. Heck in Imagine Me & You 6. Hugh Alexander in The Imitation Game 7 & 8. Tom in Burning Man 9. Henry Talbot in Downton Abbey (s06e07) 10. Philip Durrant in Ordeal by Innocence (s01e01)

for @pleasereadmeok

[colour-on-a-black-sea]

[burberrycanary]

Matthew Goode’s Filmography [41/45]: as Philip Durrant in Ordeal by Innocence (2018)

It’s like kicking a whipped dog. It’s easy—and the dog expects it. And that’s what you are. You’re a whipped dog. Licking the hand that beats you.

[lotusgraphics]

Matthew Goode 250x400

Please, like and reblog if you save/use. Do not remove the credit and do not redistribute as your own. We doesn’t claim credits for the images used for the graphics. Thanks ♥

[fassophy]

Matthew Goode in Ordeal by Innocence

[newleasemusic]

Turquoise Share New Single, 'Strawberry Daiquiri', Ahead Of Fermented Fruit EP

Turquoise Share New Single, ‘Strawberry Daiquiri’, Ahead Of Fermented Fruit EP

Hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska trio TURQUOISE deliver instrumental rock influenced by their midwestern roots. Comprising of Tim Buchholtz (bass), Alex Durrant (Drums) and Matthew Senstock’s (guitar), Turquoise combines jazz, metal, and indie rock for its own brand of noise. The guys started writing together while touring with Antlerhead in the summer and fall of 2019, and when the pandemic of…

[asgoodeasgold]

Philip is being machiavellian, stiring the pot by trying to get Doctor Calgary, the stranger who turned up with an alibi for the presumed murderer of the Argyll matriarch, to play games so that they can extort the family.

Matthew Goode's is absolutely brilliant at being vile and trying to shock and unsettle the poor doctor. Those eyes are so intense.

[pleasereadmeok]

Philip being charming, yet manipulative to get what he wants from his wife.  Perfectly played by Matthew Goode and Eleanor Tomlinson.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VegaCatLove-Matthew (@vegacatlovematthew)

[pleasereadmeok]

“I was a god”

Injured flying ace, Philip Durrant, bitter about his situation in ‘Ordeal by Innocence’.  Played by the awesome Matthew Goode. 

📷 O by I my edit

[unkindness313]

Philip gets into a shower, p. 1 of 2