I sometimes wonder about the scope of that which we call music. Should my ears be limited to the radio friendly wonders of the three minute pop song or, indeed, to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or could there be actual aural satisfaction to be found even in the ambient genre. Fifteen seconds later and the play button was being pressed on “Cahill // Costello II” by Cahill and Costello.
Glasgow based as they are, Cahill and Costello - Kevin Daniel Cahill on guitar, effects and tape loops and Graham Costello on drums – are on a mission to create mood with this album. As with all things in and close to the ambient genre, much is made of loops and repetition with their unique selling point being the replacement of samples, for the most part, with percussion that, almost at odds with the electronically created sounds, seems natural and, at times, improvised.
I have, in truth, worked up some enthusiasm for the ambient genre of late. After all, sounds, whether melodic or not, can evoke memories and it is perfectly possible for music that appears superficially to be nothing more looped noise to provide a soundtrack to contemplation. “Cahill // Costello II” isn’t really ideal for contemplation as Graham Costello is always busy on his drumkit yet it does nonetheless allow your mind to wander on a more primal plane as if you had found yourself caught in a storm whilst walking in the hills.
What’s it all mean? I suppose that depends on what you are looking for. This album is too busy to be a relaxing distraction and too looped to be considered truly freeform. That said, the combination, or at least the counterpoint between the modern and what might be called the primitive, is convincing.
There is a vinyl version available from Bandcamp and other places.