Blood looms and blooms rar

It is the exquisite attention to the possibility, behavior, and character of sound that makes Blood, Looms and Blooms an accomplished piece of work. Every single noise, no matter how small in the mix, appears to be heavily treated and subjected to radical EQ-ing-- taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the Logic computer program she favors.

These far-reaching, assured explorations of sound are particularly breathtaking on the album's first single, "Mettle", which is also one of the few exclusively instrumental tracks. The dark mood and layered rhythmic sparring is uncannily reminiscent of fellow label mate Flying Lotus, and weaves a sample of a dripping faucet that has been sequenced to sound like a beat into the tough fibres of other pleasingly combative lower frequencies.

Another highlight is "Daisies, Cats and Spacemen", where Leila's sister, Roya Arab, provides striking vocals and lyrics, which are weighted with imagery of ancient cities and "filthy footmarks reflecting tear-filled skies.

Blood, Looms And Blooms manages to feel strikingly singular despite being such a patchwork of different personalities, from the Beck-like indie feel of "Little Acorns" to the IDM-influenced "Carplos" to the uplifting accessibility of "Deflect". It's fitting that Leila's magical realism-evoking press photographs play on a Frida Kahlo-meets-crazed inventor concept.

With this album she has created an experiment of enormous sonic range and openness-- at 14 tracks this leaves a lot of room in which to expand, yet the sound never strays from its essential logic and reveals something new at every turn. Leila herself has suggested that her ability to weld together so many ideas-- which may well come across as cluttered under the influence of someone else's ear and imagination-- could have been influenced by her initial refugee status upon in the UK with her family, following the Iranian revolution of In a recent interview she reflected on this idea, "I realised very early on that people don't really belong anywhere.

Her first album in eight years and her Warp debut, Leila 's Blood, Looms and Blooms almost didn't happen: after the release of 's moody, murky The Courtesy of Choice , she lost both of her parents and, for a long time, her interest in making music.

With the encouragement of her friends and family, Leila returned to the studio and recorded these songs, often with her family and friends -- who include Terry Hall and Martina Topley-Bird -- in there with her. While Blood, Looms and Blooms ' very existence is somewhat surprising, it's even more remarkable that this is Leila 's most uplifting work, given the loss that preceded it.

Far from wallowing in grief though that would certainly be understandable , Leila crafts vivid tracks that cast as much light as they do shadow. Terry Hall 's tracks borrow some of the Specials ' forays into woozy, carnivalesque atmospheres: "Time to Blow"'s winding melody and tumbling keyboards update his unique brand of whimsy, while album closer "Why Should I Worry," a duet between Hall and Topley-Bird , plays like a show tune that's somehow nostalgic and futuristic at the same time.

The ominous undercurrents of Like Weather and The Courtesy of Choice also resurface, especially on "Mollie," which opens Blood, Looms and Blooms with some very uneasy listening: a blippy drum machine beat gives way to dense distortion and huge swaths of atmospheric electronics while skittering percussion and a vaguely Middle Eastern melody lurk in the background, creating an exquisite -- and exquisitely tense -- atmosphere.

The only song more massive on Blood, Looms and Blooms is the wittily named "Mettle," which, with its giant fuzz bass, lapping water, and guitars corroded with distortion, sounds like an enormous engine pumping at the center of the world.

Even the tracks that recall the monochromatic territory of Leila 's previous albums, such as "Daisies, Cats and Spacemen" which is sung by her sister, Roya Arab and the funky yet dramatic Topley-Bird showcase "Deflect," have something unique unfolding at every turn, while "Lush Dolphins"' playfully darting synth melodies and "The Exotics"' otherworldly lounge break entirely new sonic ground for her.

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