Review: Talybont - Chillbe

Back in January, the first review of 2020 that I posted was Captain Flatcap’s Fowl Play EP, four tracks of pure enjoyment that I described as “one of the first significant releases of the year”. Well, it’s certainly been quite the year – far beyond what any of us were expecting back in January – and as 2020 draws to a close, what will likely be the final review I post concerns Chillbe, the new side-project from Captain Flatcap’s Chris Rotherham. Very different from Captain Flatcap, Chillbe fuses folk and Classical influences, looking away from the bass-heavy dance music that we’re used to, and instead bringing about some of the most relaxing sounds one can aim to produce. Named after the small Welsh village (only a short drive from where I live, in fact), the EP is called Talybont.

The first track is ‘Onwards’, which utilises a fingerpicked and percussive guitar style, along with a wide variety of percussion instruments to create a beautifully atmospheric, naturalistic environment. Rotherham has a mastery of all the instruments he plays: guitar, flute, and ukelele – which he manages to stop from sounding gimmicky or out of place at all. The added electronics are very subtle, remaining reserved but wonderfully placed, and the overall production is fantastic, with all the live sounds being manipulated to just the right extent. The title track ‘Talybont’ then features some really nice harmonies, with Rotherham’s compositional ability truly shining through. The electronics are slightly more prevalent here, but still rather subtle, and not overly done at all. The sound completely takes you away – it’s so so relaxing, and one could have this on for hours. Every element of the piece is completely under control, and what results is a genuinely magnificent sound.

‘Time Stepping’, the interlude, is the most electronics-heavy piece, especially in the drums that emerge, and is certainly a bit of a change-up from the previous two, being quite experimental. The piece fades in very smoothly, with initially just the lowest tones audible, before we gradually begin to register the higher detail. The piece culminates with a sampled quote summing up some of the artist’s philosophical beliefs. Following, ‘Waltz Of The Entities’ is a genuine waltz, with the compositional feel really sounding like a waltz beyond just the 3/4 time. With the staccato stabs of the main backing line alongside the bouncy, antiquated recorder-based melodies, he’s really changing it up here: one will often hear musicians claim Classical influence to try and elevate their music, but in this case, the claim is genuine. The song presents quite the journey, and this second half of the EP represents a slight change in direction away from the first two completely relaxing numbers. Finally, ‘Upwards’ – matching track one in name – is another with excellent guitarwork. Most of the instrumental lines here are quite simplistic, but it’s in the way Rotherham plays them – in such an exquisite way – that makes the piece executed so well. Every part is played to perfection – nothing is skimmed over for the sake of ease. The power of music is such that it can create such intense levels of emotion, and songs like this one manage to showcase that to the highest potential.

The overall EP creates such a beautiful atmosphere, and such strong feelings that simply cannot be overlooked. It’s haunting at times, calm and serene at others, and a wonderful experience from start to finish. Rotherham has been classically trained in the past, and whilst this has had some impact on the music of Captain Flatcap, it’s never been demonstrated to the extent that it is on this release. He’s clearly got real strengths making this type of music, and there should definitely be an audience for it. Ultimately, I really hope that rather than simply remaining a one-off side-project, this EP represents the start of a long endeavour for Chillbe.

Talybont is available from 24/12/2020.