When younger artists collaborate with older musiciIsn’t it fascinating ans who inspired them to be creative in the first place? How about when collaborations cut across the arbitrary boundaries of genre as well as differences in age? Take Luke Vibert and BJ Cole. While Vibert has established himself at the forefront of British electronica (with albums under aliases such as Wagon Christ and Plug), Cole has lent his unusual pedal steel guitar style to a variety of artists for the last 30 years. Although the pedal steel is an instrument associated with the realms of swing, Hawaiian and country music, Cole has worked with modern rock stars such as Björk and Beck, as well as old-timers such as John Cale and the late Marc Bolan.
OK, enough background information and name dropping. Stop the Panic is an instrumental album that juxtaposes Vibert’s progressive electronic programming against Cole’s lazy, stratospheric wail with entertaining results. Using funky drum ‘n’ bass rhythms and squiggly synthesizers as a rock-solid foundation for Cole’s high lonesome sound, this progressive meeting of the minds is as inspirational as it is unorthodox. Dreamlike, danceable and a great headphone album, Stop the Panic is another step in the grand confluence of modern music making.
