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Gnac \ Sevens [LTMCD 2477]

An expanded edition of the second album by Gnac, the instrumental project from composer Mark Tranmer, originally released in 1999.

Now featuring 17 tracks, Sevens gathers several 7-inch singles released on labels including Kooky, Earworm, Amberley and Liquefaction, as well as material issued only on compilations.

Stand-out tracks include Legrand Illusion and The Moustache (French film blurred), Armchair Thriller (John Barry meets John le Carre), Ves 004 (five concantenated guitar miniatures) and Hennebert Sleeve, the latter a stylish homage to cult European designer Benoît Hennebert.

Tracklist:

1. Legrand Illusion
2. The Broken Fall
3. Armchair Thriller
4. Another Fine Mess
5. 1958
6. Difficult Loves
7. A Tangle With...
8. The Moustache
9. Heliotrope
10. Our Distance
11. VES 004
12. Soviet Bureau
13. Repetition
14. And Now It's So Much Colder
15. The Man With the Laugh Like a Rusty Hinge
16. Une Chanson du Crépuscule (Twilight Version)
17. Hennebert Sleeve (Twilight version)

Available on CD and digital (MP3 or FLAC). To order CD please first select correct shipping option (UK, Europe, Rest of World) and then click on Add To Cart button below cover image. Digital copies are delivered to customers via link sent by email.

Reviews:

"Compelling imaginary soundtracks, lovely liquid records. This 1999 collection now resurfaces in expanded form, adding singles and compilation cuts to its original if-John-Barry-was-French theme. Spellbinding highlights such as Legrand Illusion and Une Chanson du Crepuscule spell it out, but all else about this hanging, evocative music, which can make a single piano or guitar miniature echo an orchestra bringing the noir into a Melville film, is subtlety incarnate. Four stars" (Uncut, 03/2007)

"To describe Gnac's music is much like trying to put Mark Rothko's ominous, floating canvases into some frame of reference along with the rest of the art world. Playful, childlike and innocent, but betraying a wholly adult creator in its darker timbres" (Record Collector, 03/2007)

"Immaculate" (Juke Box, 03/2007)

"An agreeably fragile introduction to the Gnac sound, with plenty of wistful atmosphere and haunting reverb regardless of whether a song performed primarily on guitar or on piano. Highlights include The Broken Fall (a fine electric/acoustic guitar overdub), Armchair Thriller (a sedate Johny Barry-esque spy movie theme, vibes echoing into the distance) and A Tangle With (the combined feel of serenity and sadness is a wonder to behold)" (All Music Guide, 1999)

"He may be a statistics wizard by day, but at night Mark Tranmer forgets all about subtraction and multiple numbers to turn his hand to composing magical instrumental tracks - music that is rich, compelling and surprisingly emotional. No words are necessary: the music alone wraps itself around you like a gigantic, velvet cloak. Imagine a classical composer like Debussy trying to make his first pop record, or Michael Nyman adapting Drowning By Numbers for an easy listening crowd. That's the mysterious sound of Gnac" (City Life, 1999)

"Intriguing, tasteful and understated, all chiming synths and electronic strings. Library music from a fictitious French 70s film?" (Record Collector, 05/1999)

"Gentle piano-led soundtracker with an ear for melody" (Jockey Slut, 03/1999)

"An ideal introduction to Tranmer's sound, an emotive soundtrack to a somewhat innocent brand of melancholia" (Leonard's Lair, 02/2007)