Though some of you may recognise the name Minotaur Shock, I imagine fewer have heard his music, and even less are investing time or money in it. Criminal really, as David Edwards is a rare talent and one that was nurtured early by Melodic records, before making the jump to 4AD – the mecca of independent labels. Maritime – a graceful cacophony of strings, wind instruments, electronics with programmed and live beats – was easily one of the finest records of 2005, but passed by largely unnoticed. Perhaps Edwards is destined to be yet another artist who receives widespread critical acclaim but fails to shift units. The proof is being 4AD’s decision to release his new album on digital download only and electing to skip a physical release. In fact, Edwards himself could be construed as a victim of the business. He is a prime example of recent shifts in industry trends – beginning his early career with vinyl releases only, then moving on to CDs, while witnessing his side project (the indie-orientated Brave New Fox) breaking up due to a lack of sufficient funds for touring and promotion, to finally being reduced to a digital only release. A sad state of affairs for such a multi-talented musician, producer and songwriter. But enough tales of industry woe, we should all be rejoicing in the fact that Edwards is clearly undaunted by any such distractions or setbacks, and has returned to deliver yet another fascinating album of eccentric quirkiness. To quote the man himself, “I’d describe Amateur Dramatics as school band meets Italo meets chamber music rubbing up on electro with a slice of acid, a sprinkling of minimalism and a short attention span. It’s got saxophones, violins, clarinets and the insides of my grandma’s mini-piano on it.” And he’s not too far off the mark there. Though not as immediate as Maritime, Amateur Dramatics is still an excellent release and a minor progression in some ways. Longtime collaborator Emily Wakefield appears throughout, lending the album a gentler feel with her wind instruments. Edward keeps his drumming to a minimum, this time favouring analogue drum machines that give the album an overall raucous, abrasive tone. But the specialist nature of the music, the current state of the music industry and it being a digital only release, Amateur Dramatics may yet turn out to be nothing more than a pyrrhic victory for Minotaur Shock.
