A strange and quite successful combination of book and music. I remember, many years ago, a combination of book and music coming out – physical book and vinyl record – where the music had to be cued for passages of the book to be read. The music did not really work as a standalone piece and the book was flaccid without the musical amplification. It was an unsatisfactory experience because the reader/listener had to be operating different things and breaking concentration. Mr Ratcliffe has re-invented that by recording his words and using the music, very effectively as a narrative and mood emphasis.
The story is that of a post-apocalyptic world, the Residuum, full of strange creatures and ruled by no-one, where a mysterious warrior, Anku, escorts a child through the ravaged landscapes of the Residuum—caught in a battle that will determine the fate of time and reality itself.
The concept is influenced by sound and action pieces such as Jeff Wayne’s ‘War of the Worlds’ or Rick Wakeman’s imagining of ‘Journey To The Centre Of The Earth’, both based on books and brought to life through song, music and narrative. It only works if the book is strong enough and the music compelling enough that you can see both as parts of a whole. In the main, this works pretty well.
The music is predominantly electronic, wide swathes of Tangerine Dream-like synths and bursts of frantic EDM-paced rhythm sections.
Very well worth checking out, it takes a little getting an understanding of the world of the Residuum, but overall well worthwhile.
