First Glances – Lyndon Scarfe
Barnsley-based Lyndon Scarfe has been involved in music since the early eighties. The musician/producer is probably best known, generally as the original keyboard player for The Danse Society. Within these hallowed halls though we know Lyndon best as the guitarist for The Black Lamps. (See Editor’s Albums of the Year 2015).
Now, anyone who knows a guitarist or producer will attest to the fact that these guys never have just one band. All the guitarists that I know have a side project (or several) in order to indulge their sonic palate outside the constraints of the main band. Scarfe is no exception to this except the surprise ‘twist’ here is the style of music itself which is ambient in its leanings. I’d place Lyndon Scarfe’s solo material closer to the IDM genre than the post-punk where he forged his reputation. His own music is downtempo and there’s a fair bit of drone, but it’s also fresh and interesting. Lyndon describes his solo output as ‘soundtracks for films that haven’t been made’. It’s crazy when you think there are probably plenty of films being made that are crying out for a soundtrack along these lines.
Of his recent releases, the Layers EP is rather lovely and makes a fine introduction to Lyndon’s solo guise. Music For A Lost Film 2 is, as the name implies, a continuation of the soundtrack philosophy. The album is wider in scope than the EP showing many facets of Scarfe’s playing and compositional abilities. It is available, ‘name your price’, via Of National Importance records.
Filmmakers get in touch.
The Black Lamps – Editor’s album of the year 2015