Elijah Minnelli - Ball & Socket - Accidental Meetings
The mythical community Breadminster seems to be a healthy environment for artists to grow and to drop releases quite regularly. The (apparently only) resident Elijah Minnelli is a good example.
Minnelli, after some contributions on Breadminster City Council (BCC) label (rumoured to be his very own) and Dub/step afficionado’s dearest ZamZam Sounds, has released two albums in a row: Perpetual Musket on UK institution Fat Cat and Clams As A Main Meal, again on BCC. Features of these two on outlets like The Guardian, The Wire or The Quietus underscored the waves they made.
His unique, signature sound developed with every release, never losing its path: a forward- as well as (in the best way) backwards-thinking style of Reggae and Dub with influences of Cumbia, as well as styles of Folk from different areas. With Ball & Socket he returns with a new chapter of electronic Breadminster Folklore on the London/Bristolian label Accidental Meetings, his first since 2022, with classic Elijah Minnelli sound but also a bunch of unexpected sonic gifts.
Torpid opens the gate to Breadminster and reveals the first surprise: Minnelli’s voice, usually hidden behind slow, percussive steppers, now enters the foreground. Over a dark drone of Melodica chords, his moaning three-part vocal chant builds up before breaking off, leaving us behind with an acute feeling of the track’s promised torpidity.
The delicately arranged Low Country continues the previous vibe, again reduced on Melodica drones as well as different layers of Minnelli’s solemn voice. Patiently arranged, raw percussion elements add to it before they are rounded off by super slow Reggae groove and a catchy melodica melody. On Unkind (Discomix), he is joined by Berlin based Kiki Hitomi, who has a strong UK connection herself from her time as part of King Midas Sound, now focusing on WaqWaq Kingdom project. Together they create a bittersweet heartbreak-ballad, again set with Minnelli’s puristic and highly effective mix of catchy melodica melodies and dubbed out drum work. Bad Swap, the only instrumental focused cut on this 10”, closes the gate to Minnelli’s world after a last stroll across Breadminster’s plazas, taverns and of course, town hall. The farewell melody slowly fades as we’re left behind, wondering what might happen next in Breadminster…
