The Music of Dakota Suite
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Label: Glitterhouse, Karaoke Kalk, Navigator's Yard
Year: 2009
Format: CD/LP
Behind this mysterious moniker we find Leeds-based Chris Hooson – an avid Everton FC-supporter – at its center. Dakota Suite was inaugurated back in 1996 with a series of stark, self-released EPs that were later collected on a compilation called Alone With Everybody. Richard Formby collaborated with Hooson for these recordings contributing with his multi-instrumentalist background, in addition to David Buxton on guitars, bass, John Shepard on the drums and Colin Dunkley on cello and piano. Dakota Suite’s music is heart-felt and nearly miserable, as some critics may have hailed his music as a proponent of, yet the music may well be likened to that of Peter Broderick, Bill Evans, Fink, Mogwai, Hood. Having come across Dakota Suite’s music, I would be willing to dub him one of Britain’s best at composing lush melodies and 3am moods that grip you and sends your heart into turmoil albeit with a slightly uplifting tinge to soothe just that heavy heart.
Dakota Suite’s albums have both been centered around delicate fusion of guitar, piano, strings and soothing vocals, but our eyebrows were mostly raised over the instrumentals and with last year’s release on Karaoke Kalk had us at the edge of our seats. The End Of Trying is a collection of solemn, instrumental melodies which sees Dakota Suite with Hooson, David Buxton and Colin Dunkley take turns on the piano, whilst a long-time influence of Hooson – the wonderfully talented celloist David Darling – lends his musical touch to the recording. The reception has been incredible – with both a vinyl release in 2009 as well as a remix album on Navigator’s Yard Records bearing the title The Night Just Keeps Coming In. The latter features a breathtaking cast – and though Hooson jokingly alerts us of Sakamoto missing from the list of contributors, the stars gathered is no small feat, from the aforementioned Broderick, to the industrious Machinefabriek, the Miasmah-colleagues Deaf Center and Elegi, prepared piano master Hauschka, The Boats, Jasper Leyland, Greg Haines, Tape, Swod and more. Suffice to say, it is not just the list of contributors that is impressive, but both “The End of Trying” and “The Night Just Keeps Coming In” are two magnificent albums.
“The End Of Trying” is first and foremost a beautiful collection of compositions with deeply personal and sad piano- and string-laden melodies. The music speaks to the listener and touches on emotional chords with its personal touch, the air is one of coming to one’s end, conciliation with a fate or possibly resignation – from which it is possible to cling on and move on. Aware of Hooson’s past, both professionally from work in probation center to distressing, personal background, the music reaches out and touches a sore point in the listener’s heart, and seemingly without trying this time succeeds so strongly in tearing down any barriers between the listener and the music and the emotions therein. Dakota Suite is similar to Goldmund perhaps in his presentation of composition that are simple and modest, elegant and unassuming. Longing, hovering piano chords, breathy, accentuated strings and very modest use of some field recordings makes for a solemn atmosphere and may well feel like the score to the unique insight into the world of Dakota Suite provided by Pascal Hoffmann and Benny Jaberg in their 2006 documentary Wintersong: A Film On Dakota Suite.
Given this, it is no question why the contemporaries of Hooson have come out in strength to present their interpretations – track for track – of “The End of Trying”, and the remix album thus immediately feels a bit like the seminal, double-album Kruimeldief which saw a single Machinefabriek track (“Stofstuk”) remixed by his peers, many of which feature in the Dakota Suite remix album too. And it is Machinefabriek who opens the show; with a remix that feels taken out of the Alva Noto/Sakamoto repertoire, while Broderick follows suit with a string-fuelled rendition of the original with piano – creating a dialogue of sorts between the two instruments. Jasper Leyland treats Dakote Suite with his lovely, granular synthesis of electronics and field recordings with a style reminiscent of his recent “Sediments” release on MOAR. Hauschka’s prepared piano adds texture and dimensions to “Quietly Gathering Tragedy” whereas dreary gloom and cello strings from Elegi lowers the head even further on the already somber “All The Love I Had Was Not Enough” with arresting quiet and brooding sweeps. Things do not brighten when Deaf Center continue where Elegi left off in “Very Early One Morning on Old Road”, and it seems this is the theme to follow for many as Greg Haines’ coarse and labouring cello wails through “The End of Trying Part II”, yet finally Hannu lifts a stone from the heart as “The End of Trying Part III” is treated with light, acoustic and electric guitar chords, tinkering choruses of bells and piano-fused electronics, and Tape subsequently add their improvised take on “The End of Trying Part IV”. The Boats come out of their bay and rework the beautiful “The Night Keeps Coming” in a lo-fi version with microsounds and faint strings in the background that are not allowed to grow to full strength as in the original – an excellent version. Jacaszek then restrains and subdues a lovely rendition of “How Could You Let Me Go” and the last highlight sees Emanuele Errante scatter sounds in a reworked piece of “Second Hand Light” with beautiful finger-played guitar and brilliance of overlayed strings.
Highly recommended listening, please do yourself the favour of listening to Dakota Suite, your life will not be the same again afterwards.
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