Young Marble Giants
WORDS: Sam Easterbrook (Youth Editorial Group)
On Fri 14 Nov Young Marble Giants play their first home town gig in almost 30 years. Playing what is certain to be an atmospheric show in Cardiff Museum as part of the Sŵn Festival, it will remind a generation of how and why they are often regarded as one of Cardiff’s finest musical exports.
Formed in 1978 and disbanded before the end of 1980 after one LP, one EP and one single, their anthology was as minimal as the music contained within it. And as with the timeless classicalism of the Greek statues from where Young Marble Giants got their name, there is a timelessness to the music which is as intriguing and as alien today, as it was almost 30 years after it surfaced on the Rough Trade label.
YMG were a three piece, comprising of brothers Stuart and Philip Moxham and Philip’s then girlfriend Alison Statton. Stuart Moxham was the main songwriter and guitarist, developing a muted clipped playing style that was instrumental in their intimate, claustrophobic sound. This was enhanced by Philip Moxham playing his bass high up sometimes merging with the guitar and leading the tracks. And then there are Alison Statton’s vocals. To modern ears, there may seem nothing special, like every other female indie vocal, but Statton was the originator of that pared down, girl at the bus stop approach to singing.
Then there were the 'drums', so minimal as to be barely regarded as a metronome never mind a drum machine, the skitty basic electronic pulse forcing home the poverty inherent in YMG’s sound. But this is not poverty of thought or circumstance, it is a poverty that inspires beauty from, and because of, restriction, colluding with the thoughts of Eno, Glass and Riley about what is absent, what is not played, being as important as what is played.
All this combines to produce YMGs' unique sound. A sound that was at odds even with the increasingly experimental and erratic sounds of post-punk, never mind compared to the meat and potato stodge rock that ruled Cardiff during the late 70s and early 80s, perhaps explaining the handful of gigs that they played here. History has been kind to Young Marble Giants, as it always is to great art and with last year’s re-release of Colossal Youth on Domino, interest has never been higher or more widespread and has paved the way for their live return. This gig is certain to be one of the most anticipated, interesting and memorable of the year. See you by the steps.
www.myspace.com/youngmarblegiants
