Jimmy Tamborello, known as Dntel to most, has been making music for more than a decade. In 2001, he had the indie world buzzing when he released Life Is Full Of Possibilities, making him one of the most notable figures in the turn-of-the-century glitch scene. Commercial success hit Tamborello as one half of the Postal Service, the other half being Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie. The sole Postal Service album, Give Up, is Sub Pop’s second best-selling record to date, and the “Such Great Heights” single was used on TV shows and covered by Iron & Wine, whose version in turn made it onto the Garden State soundtrack. Tamborello has worked with artists from Conor Oberst to Grizzly Bear, and he still engineers electronic music and hosts an internet radio show. On Dntel’s latest album, Aimlessness (Pampa), he dialed back the guest vocals, focused on instrumentals and made an ethereal, spaced-out electro album. Tamborello will also be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Tamborello: Virginia Astley is an English singer/songwriter who I stumbled on a couple years ago in blog-world. She was mostly around in the ’80s and ’90s and makes enchanted, floating music with an angelic voice. I’ve liked everything I’ve heard from her, but my favorites are her debut LP, Promise Nothing (Les Disques Du Crépuscule, 1983), her duet with David Sylvian called “Some Small Hope,” from the album Hope In A Darkened Heart (WEA, 1986), and her instrumental album, From Gardens Where We Feel Secure (Rough Trade, 1983).
Not too long ago I found two vinyl copies of Hope In A Darkened Heart at Amoeba for $1.99 each, and not much of her stuff has been reissued. I’m surprised there’s not more interest in her work from the modern music nerds of the world. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone’s working on the reissues as we speak. Just now looking at her discography, I see two releases from the 2000s that I haven’t heard of before; I need to track those down once I finish writing this.
Video after the jump.
