Time is Away, Elaine Tierney and Jack Rollo, are a duo, a radio show and now compilers of compilations. They like to do things their own way. They form narratives and tell stories with sound. 'Searchlight Moonbeam' is a new compilation on the Efficient Space label. Efficient Space is the perfect home for this compilation as they have a knack of releasing music that though niche, has the capacity to grow and age and become staples in record collections.

The music held within this compilation is a slow burn... But like most slow burns these are the things you really learn to love and keep close to you for a long time. The time and effort Time Is Away put into their radio shows (and DJ sets) is clearly apparent and they've obviously thought and worked hard at curating this compilation. It's considered without losing the feeling and understanding of the music and the history and place the music sits within. It's "dug" music though not in the traditional sense.

The album moves from gorgeous quasi-folk such as the opener ‘No One Around to Hear It’ by Bo Harwood and John Cassavetes to long mood pieces such as the track that follows by Chen Ming Chang named 'Rainwater' which holds a repetitive mood and movement. This is music for slow consumption and considered listening that will then gently form a backdrop as yours ears become accustomed to the sounds. There are classical Indian pieces, then a cover version of PIL's 'Poptones' which takes the original into a whole new space and then lo-fi drum machine synth business from Scala. This is music that keeps to a narrative and tells a story with the album gently concluding with a beautiful piano piece by the self-taught Delphine Dora and a piano and vocal recording by Harry Plunket-Greene.

This is a compilation fully aligned with the style that Time Is Away have been developing over the last ten years of their NTS shows (which really are a wonderful listen) and which also follows a rather nice lineage. There were compilations in the 80s and 90s such as 'Angels In The Architecture' on EG Records or 'Sugar and Poison' by David Toop or say 'Ambiances Musique D'Un Nouvel Âge' on Delabel (not sure where I got that one from) that did a wonderful job of pulling together strange bedfellows that made perfect sense together. This compilation follows in those footsteps by bringing together music you wouldn't expect or would never have probably heard had they not released this compilation. In short we fully recommend.

'Searchlight Moonbeam' is released on the 10th of November on Efficient Space. Head to the Efficient Space Bandcamp to find out more.