ATA Records – The Library Archive Vol. 1

The spirit of KPM, DeWolfe & I Marc 4 was distilled in a locked garage in Leeds.

The funky, atmospheric, moody and sometimes downright weird output of the likes of DeWolfe, Cavendish, Burton and the ubiquitous KPM has always been a guiding inspiration for ATA Records, as evidenced by the haunting soundtrack works of The Sorcerers, the big band horns of the Yorkshire Film & Television Orchestra and even the soul-jazz of The Lewis Express ('Theme From The Watcher).

Everything released on ATA is written and directed by label bosses Neil Innes and Pete Williams, who frequently dip their toes into the library pond while working on other projects. These occasional one-offs have accumulated over the years and have now found a home on the first volume of an ongoing series: The Library Archive. Recorded using the same techniques and equipment used to create the now legendary music catalogs for the film and television industry of the 60s and 70s, The Library Archive could easily stand alongside the sleek, minimalist covers of KPM or Telesound. The fierce brass songs "Whack, Slap & Blow" and "Kaye Okay" could both have been written by Keith Mansfield and serve as the theme tune for a glamorous Saturday night TV show circa 1972. duck Strut" is a sassy slice of bass-driven Brit-funk, muted horns and flute adding an element of Quincy Jones to the grooving drums and percussion. "The Needle Nose", "Midnight Heist" and "Wiretap" are among the more cinematic tracks on the album. Moody and atmospheric, they conjure up images of dark alleyways, shadowy figures and dead letterboxes. "Wigged out" is reminiscent of the weird organ sounds of Italian library legends I Marc 4, while "Nuclear Wind I & II" uses Moog and Mellotron as an electronic counterpoint to ethereal voices. the acoustic interlude of "Siren's sea" conjures up images of distant cliffs, and the breathy vocals lure you onto the rocks before the album closer "Planet Nine" traverses the cosmos.