Towers

'towers' is the immense second album from baltic fleet and follows his 2008 self-titled debut which was number 29 in our albums of the year. we described it as a faultless piece of instrumental music that captures the spirit of eno, neu! all the way through to modern post-rock and chamber music. baltic fleet is the moniker of multi-instrumentalist and diy producer paul fleming. the second record signifies a departure from the travelling and diarising of life on the road (whilst touring as keyboard player for echo and the bunnymen), and arrives home to the industrial backdrop of north west england. the album was written and recorded in a room overlooking the industrial landscape a stone's throw from spike island, the scene of another northern band's finest hour. the cinematic aspect is still apparent on this second offering but is more direct. analogue synthesisers intertwined with distant guitars roll over a backdrop of live and electronic drums. two years in the making, the record captures varied emotions. 'towers' tells a story of life in between the silos of liverpool and manchester but with a foot in both, a cultural no-man's land, in the shadows of industry.