Breathless - The Glass Bead Game (1986)

Breathless - The Glass Bead Game

Tenor Vossa

1986

Take care to look as you pass
Or you might miss the one thing
You’ve strived for all your life.

Dominic Appleton is most famous for his contributions to the dreamy power-band This Mortal Coil in the late eighties, but his own band are so achingly beautiful that as good as This Mortal Coil are, they're in my bad books for taking away his limelight. Breathless released their first LP in 1986 on their own record label Tenor Vossa, making a sweeping mix of post-punk, psychedelic and relaxing prog-rock. Really, though, this album is its own thing - it was unlike any of its contemporaries and nothing has came since to match it.

The Glass Bead Game is only eight tracks long, but all eight soar high in the sonic clouds, with beautifully deep drums and long synth keys that provide layer after layer of romantic noise. Breathless aren't a singles band - this album has to be listened to as an album. Even better if you have a physical copy, because the artwork accompanies the music perfectly, with a painting by keyboardist Ari Neufeld. We open with 'Across the Water,' and already we get a feel of what this album is going to be like. It's quite a short song, but leads into 'All My Eye and Betty Martin' perfectly. This is a seven minute track with layers of guitars, synths, drums, liquid vocals and a strong deep bass that provides a thick foundation. Listening to this album on vinyl with a good sound system whilst in bed is something I do regularly. I first listened to it last year whilst getting into bed - I needed something to listen to whilst laying in bed, but didn't know what. I hadn't listened to them yet, but recently discovered them through sheer luck and decided to give them a try. Because I was in bed, I had no idea which song was which, or when it would end, all I can say is that I was incredibly relaxed by the music. There's something nostalgic about it that caressed me, and as I lay in bed on that cold January night at near to 1am, I felt simultaneously at peace and in awe of what I was listening to.

Dominic Appleton has an amazing voice; his voice is always credited and praised, but I'm going to praise it some more: he nails the romantic desperation, the lust, the love, the beauty - he captures the essence of love itself in his voice and also in his lyrics. He's a perfect songwriter, and alongside Matt Johnson, Adrian Borland and Howard Devoto, he's one of the best not only in post-punk, but in music altogether. He manages to create wonderful lines that encapsulate romance, love and heartbreak. He manages to convey feelings so effectively through words, and he sings it so beautifully. What I love most, though, is how, especially in the first two albums and here in The Glass Bead Game, the vocals blend and wash inside the music. The words leak out of the music, drenched in the sound of those keyboards and basslines. There is nothing that takes centre stage - it's all a collaborative effort to create art. Yeah, this is art. It's not 'art rock,' because as a genre that's something entirely different. This is just art. Pure beauty. It's an album that really was ahead of its time and for those few that know about it, we're lucky and blessed and richer for it. Discovering this album was like discovering a beautiful patch of land that had never been stepped on before, now it's time to show it to the world.

Breathless are still making music (and are still as good) and you can buy their latest LP here.