It would appear that some good things can come out of a trip on the London Underground after all. In 2006 Katiejane Garside, formerly of British alt-rock band Daisy Chainsaw and Queenadreena, heard Chris Whittingham busking whilst changing platforms deep under the streets of London. They formed a duo, Ruby Throat, and have now released their debut album The Ventriloquist.
The alt-folk album delves into some bleak places as it journeys through English folk and dark Americana. The initial limited edition UK vinyl pressing came out in 2007 and was bound in vintage Red Indian leather giving a good indication of the mysterious vibe created within.
Katiejane’s sometimes childlike, yet always haunting voice rises above an often bleak atmosphere as the duo explore the dark recesses of your mind. It is unlike most of what she has done before in Daisy Chainsaw where their often riotous live performances led to their acclaimed album Love Sick Pleasure.
Her post Chainsaw solo projects, Lalleshwari – Lullabies In A Glass Wilderness and Corps Electriques have already seen her produce some intriguing music. Now with Chris Whittingham she has produced an extraordinarily effective album. It is largely made up of first takes with journeys into improvisational which only helps add to its mystique.
The album was recorded without the presence of an engineer with the intimacy of the duo’s vision captured perfectly. It is as though The Ventriloquist has a spirit presence and a powerfully tangible soul, if this is too fanciful then suffice it to say that it certainly gets under your skin. It is beautifully crafted amid hushed whispers, and stripped down guitar that help open the door on a subconscious world.
You are left with the feeling that once completed the duo must have felt that sending the completed album out was like losing part of their own self. This is a recording that demands to be heard in its entirety rather than sampled or shuffled like much of the throwaway sounds of now.
It can be oddly disturbing like a dream sequence played out on a ghostly gothic backdrop. It can be sometimes uplifting, gently joyful, and always compelling. It is a musical version of going through a door marked ‘private’ only to find something quite extraordinary inside.
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