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EDEN MULHOLLAND: Music For Dance

One might reasonably expect a soundtrack for dance performance to be dominated by rhythm elements, but this is not necessarily true of Eden Mulholland’s collection of comissioned works. There are sombre string sections, lonesome loser ditties and raw pop nuggets rounding out a decade worth of composition. The Motocade singer is a former dancer himself, so would have appreciation for the nuance of the choreographer’s art. A variety of instruments are pressed into service from harpsichord and marimba to bodhran and industrial scrapings. Refreshingly idiosyncratic, the music benefits from being framed by the theatre. Mulholland gets to exercise his experimental muscle without having to make any concession to radio playability or commercial appeal, though without the choreography one sometimes feels cut adrift from the context of the work. Nestled amongst the atmospheric sound collages (Scan Duet is a particularly poignant reverb drenched guitar sketch) are more or less straight sing songs: Cardboard Cutouts could almost be a lost Joy Division single, while Jumping Jack channels Leonard Cohen. The CD works as a standalone presentation and Mulholland proves himself a versatile and intriguing talent.

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