{"product_id":"zen213","title":"Martyn - The Air Between Words","description":"\u003cp\u003eThree years after his last album – \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/ninjatune.net\/release\/martyn\/ghost-people-2\"\u003eGhost People\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e – \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/ninjatune.net\/artist\/martyn\"\u003eMartyn\u003c\/a\u003e joins the Ninja Tune family to present his third long player. Universally respected for his ever-evolving, but inimitable sound, the Dutch-born, Washington DC-based producer brings an entirely new sonic direction with \u003cem\u003eThe Air Between Words\u003c\/em\u003e. This is an exploration of the essence of all of \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/ninjatune.net\/artist\/martyn\"\u003eMartyn\u003c\/a\u003e’s music: a rugged four-to-the-floor groove, intelligently sculpted and artfully composed.\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\r\nWhere \u003cem\u003eGreat Lengths\u003c\/em\u003e - his 2009 debut - was a body of work that explored \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/ninjatune.net\/artist\/martyn\"\u003eMartyn\u003c\/a\u003e’s uncategorizable versatility, and 2011’s \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/ninjatune.net\/release\/martyn\/ghost-people-2\"\u003eGhost People\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e (via \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.brainfeedersite.com\"\u003eBrainfeeder\u003c\/a\u003e) was a focused effort on writing an album with a specific sound, \u003cem\u003eThe Air Between Words\u003c\/em\u003e came from a different realm altogether. \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/ninjatune.net\/artist\/martyn\"\u003eMartyn\u003c\/a\u003e had no parameters, and in fact no plan at all. He fell into a back-to-basics mentality where simple experimentation with purely analogue sounds and equipment inadvertently turned to melodic sketches, and without warning the album revealed itself.\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\r\n“Every album signifies a period in your life, and finishing one shows you something about yourself,” says \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/ninjatune.net\/artist\/martyn\"\u003eMartyn\u003c\/a\u003e about the experience. “Without the music being introspective, this is my most natural sounding album.”\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\r\n\u003cem\u003eThe Air Between Words\u003c\/em\u003e opens coyly with the panoramic sonics of \"Forgiveness Step 1\" - a beatless but nonetheless authoritative statement of intent - before pitching headlong into pure dancefloor territory. Lean, raw, powerful productions predominate - gloriously brash, occasionally beautiful, but always vigorously hypnotic, sensitively swung and utterly irresistible.\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\r\n\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/ninjatune.net\/artist\/martyn\"\u003eMartyn\u003c\/a\u003e joins forces with \u003cstrong\u003eKieran Hebden\u003c\/strong\u003e aka \u003cstrong\u003eFour Tet\u003c\/strong\u003e for \"Glassbeadgames\", a powerhouse of a track that finds the perfect amalgamation of both producers’ fortés. Heavy kicks, UKG-esque percussion and swirling subs dictate the groove, whilst the melodic progressions are simultaneously melancholic and anthemic, and further enhanced by a Hebden trademark thumb piano motif.\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\r\nAnother collaboration - \"Love of Pleasure\" - finds \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/ninjatune.net\/artist\/martyn\"\u003eMartyn\u003c\/a\u003e partnering with his good friend \u003cstrong\u003ecopeland\u003c\/strong\u003e (formerly known as \u003cstrong\u003eInga Copeland\u003c\/strong\u003e, or one half of art pop duo \u003cstrong\u003eHype Williams\u003c\/strong\u003e). Her fragile vocal cuts through distorted piano riffs and swathes of broken synths, a fitting centerpiece for the album before it returns to its essence via \"Forgiveness Step 2\", \"Like That\" and \"Two Leads and a Computer\", which distinctly draw from a 90s \u003cstrong\u003eWarp\u003c\/strong\u003e heritage (\u003cstrong\u003eSweet Exorcist, LFO and Autechre\u003c\/strong\u003e) but bizarrely sound like they’ve been beamed from the future. After the Afro-tinged elegance of \"Lullaby\", the final piece word belongs to \"Fashion Skater\": a dark, earthy, almost Zen-like exercise in house music in its purest form.\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\r\nStylistically and sonically, \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/ninjatune.net\/artist\/martyn\"\u003eMartyn\u003c\/a\u003e stands apart from his counterparts. His music incorporates vintage references but is steadfastly forward-facing at the same time. He’s always done that. His sound is heritage and future - and that character has elevated him alongside fellow electronic heavyweights such as \u003cstrong\u003eFour Tet, Kode9, dBridge\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eMark Pritchard\u003c\/strong\u003e.\r\n\r\n\u003cimg src=\"\/files\/images\/martyn\/two\/Martyn-TABW-Product-Shot.jpg\" width=\"430\" height=\"269\"\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cimg src=\"\/files\/images\/martyn\/two\/Martyn-TABW-Product-Shot-2.jpg\" width=\"430\" height=\"286\"\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ninjatune","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44934238732447,"sku":"ZENCD213","price":10.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"3xLP","offer_id":44934238765215,"sku":"ZEN213","price":23.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0493\/8563\/5999\/products\/the-air-between-words-main.jpg?v=1736246384","url":"https:\/\/merch.ninjatune.net\/products\/zen213","provider":"Ninja Tune","version":"1.0","type":"link"}