Manchester is a hub for music in the north of England. It’s where experimentation happens, it’s where foreign artists come to play when they tour and it’s where we find Bernard + Edith; a musical duo with an expansive palette that ranges R&B, psychedelia, dream pop and Egyptian hip-hop. Bernard and Edith are middle-name pseudonyms for Nick Delap and Greta Carroll who produce and sing respectively. As a duo, there are few who manage to work so cohesively while bringing together so many different genres of music and as Jem passes through one’s consciousness, it becomes more and more impressive.
Stylistically, there are so many calling-cards from other artists that have been borrowed and personalised. There are shades of Grimes’ Halfaxa on “Dagger”, an air of Massive Attack’s Mezzanine on “Crocodile” and “Wurds” sounds as though the duo have flown in a beat from the Far East. This wide range of sounds, when coupled with the brilliant lyrics makes for an impressive, immersive record and displays Bernard + Edith as musical chameleons as they mould their impressive list of influences to fit with their own style.
Electronic pop music is a well-explored plateau in music of the 21st Century, but what many are missing is something that sets them apart. “Tidal Wave” is one track on Jem that really sets Bernard + Edith apart as the textured production, coupled with the Siren-like vocal delivery, is impressively formed. The heady bass that is introduced after the first verse really fills out the composition and rattles your ears as it’s used sparingly, but effectively in an electronica track that holds similarities with the likes of Portishead and Cocteau Twins’ music.
Instrumental artists are clearly an influence on Jem too, as a Haxan Cloak drone opens album highlight, “Heartache”. Furthermore, this is where Edith’s voice is at her most Beth Gibbons-like as there’s a sneer on the opening salvo that really screams Dummy. The dynamic changes present on the track are what really push it though, as Edith’s voice is used as more than transport for words, but used as an instrument like Sigur Rós or the aforementioned Cocteau Twins. This, among many other factors causes a significant amount of intrigue and this is one of many qualities that “Poppy” has in buckets. The track takes the form of a duet with Edith and a vocoder track that is simultaneously inspired and Swans-level unnerving. The chameleon-esque use of various genres is clear on the track too as sample-based music, R&B and trip-hop styles are obvious (especially the likes of Elisabeth Fraser’s work with Massive Attack). These wide ranging styles work incredibly well together and it allows for a track that seems simultaneously new and familiar due to this expansive palette.
Throughout, there is a substantial amount of influence from Cocteau Twins and this makes sense as the duo is signed to the Twins’ record label: Bella Union. Moreover, this has further informed all manner of further influences as the groups’ members have worked with the likes of Massive Attack, Peter Gabriel and This Mortal Coil. This combination of trip-hop, experimental music and ambient music – alongside Bernard + Edith’s musical assortment of influences – formed Jem and the album something that ought to be widely listened to. The record is full of highlights, stand-out moments and musical goodness and is definitely worth checking out.
Release: 11th May 2015
You can download Jem from iTunes here and on CD/vinyl from Amazon here.
You can listen to “Poppy” from Jem below:
