Album bio: ed leigh - Millennial Falcon
Millennial Falcon is the debut album from Wigan-based producer, beatmaker, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist ed leigh. A “beat tape with emotion”, as he describes it, Millennial Falcon is hard to pin down into one label; there are certainly hip-hop connotations, but there’s also beatless mood pieces, introspective atmospheres, glitched takes on blues, chirpy art-pop tracks, and plenty of expansive emotion. Truly, it’s a representation of the diverse and inquisitive soul of its creator.
ed leigh came to making this kind of music after several years of searching. In his earliest musical incarnations he was influenced by his parents’ punk leanings, then in his later teens he started messing around making “shocking” drum’n’bass songs on GarageBand, before he came to making house tunes, some of which saw release on Bristol’s Boogie Cafe Records. He also made a name for himself DJing around Preston with his brother, where they would play a diverse range of house, techno and hip hop. But none of these outlets felt like they really expressed the real ed leigh.
It was when he quieted down, focused and started listening to his heart and instincts that something clicked; the beat became secondary to more emotive elements like tone, timbre and mood. From here, ed leigh the project was reborn as a purveyor of focused, heartfelt and tactile pieces - “organic hip hop”, as he likes to call it. He cites the likes of Knxwledge, Mount Kimbie, and Nick Drake as main influences, and his sound often reflects all of those – then strays beyond them into warped takes on folktronica, blues, R&B, experimental and ambient.
It all comes to fruition on Millennial Falcon, which he made in a focused, feverish period using a simplistic setup of voice, keys, guitar and Ableton – and seasoned with samples and found sounds. The result is the purest expression yet from the multi-talent, which he perfectly describes as a “personal portrait”.
The title Millennial Falcon is obviously a pun on the beloved spaceship belonging to Harrison Ford’s Han Solo in the Star Wars films, but, as with his music, there is more to be teased out than what’s on the surface. ed sees himself as the titular Millennial, always stuck in his phone while the world whizzes heedlessly onwards all around his ears – a perfect analogy for the way in which his music encompasses the bustling sounds of the wide world, but enclosed within is an introspective core.
What’s more, ed idolises Harrison Ford, not just for Han Solo, but for all of his outspoken and irreverent characters. “I think I’ve always taken a shine to these cheeky, confident people,” he says. “Even though I’ve always been a bit awkward.” This, again, is a neat summation of the heart of ed’s music; his yearning to speak out and express himself is audible, but, instead of coming out in witty remarks, they arrive via these lovingly detailed tracks. At some points they possess all the swagger of a Han Solo type, at others they drift off into beautiful reveries like the mind of a distracted millennial.
Millennial Falcon is the kind of record that demands attention, the kind of music that reveals new layers of emotion each time you revisit it. The opening “melanchronic” is a perfect example; an ode to one of his best friends, at first it sounds like a chirpy and woozy stroll, but the depth of the production allows us to see many shades of the subject. Repeats reveal a new wrinkle, some sadness coming through in the simplistic acoustic guitar melody that hovers in the middle distance and a note of melancholy in the wordless vocal that’s draped over the beat.
Following on from that opener, a series of 16 more impressionist sonic portraits reveal themselves. Sometimes these productions capture ed and his varied feelings, sometimes they observe his girlfriend or friends, sometimes they float into something more abstract – but they’re never anything less than honest and engrossing.
“It’s a lot of gut reaction,” he says, something that is borne out in his subtly visceral productions. Each song is ripe with feeling, which could be love, satisfaction, frustration, fatigue, insecurity, anger or bliss – and plenty more that are beyond the ability of words to express. On Millennial Falcon, ed skilfully entwines them all into a detailed and lovingly arranged tapestry of sound and mood that emulates the complexity and difficulty of modern living.
His voice is a key element in the mix, but he doesn’t write the words, they come from a sub-conscious place of truth; “it’s whatever’s on the forefront of my head”, he says. In his wizardly hands, his vocals become another malleable element to work into his pieces; chopping, warping, and retexturing until it locks perfectly into the sonic and emotional groove he’s created.
Although Millennial Falcon is very insular, it also exists within a living, breathing environment that ed cultivates through his deft use of field recordings and found sounds. Adding texture and atmosphere to these songs are samples from far and wide, some from casually chatting with his girlfriend, some from much further afield; a mountain in Wales, a train station in Beijing, an idyllic scene in Bali. Each is perfectly enfolded into his detailed arrangements, harmonising with the mood, and aiding in conveying the bundle of emotions that ed wants to express.
No matter how far afield he takes us, we never stray from being by ed’s side, and often that means encountering his friends and loved ones in the backgrounds. Whether they’re impersonating Saruman from Lord of the Rings or saying something inaudible but intimate, they only augment the personality of the piece. “It’s like a bit of yourself when you release something with your friends on it,” ed says, sagely. Listening to Millennial Falcon feels like chilling right alongside them.
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Short bio (800 chars)
Millennial Falcon is the debut album from Wigan-based producer, beatmaker, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist ed leigh. A “beat tape with emotion” as he describes it, Millennial Falcon has hip-hop connotations, but there’s also beatless mood pieces, introspective atmospheres, glitched takes on blues, chirpy art-pop tracks and plenty of expansive emotion.
ed arrived at his sound when he quieted down and started listening to his heart and instincts; the beat became secondary to more emotive elements like tone, timbre and mood. From here, ed leigh the project was reborn as a purveyor of focused, heartfelt and tactile pieces - “organic hip hop”, as he calls it. Knxwledge, Mount Kimbie, and Nick Drake are main influences - and are audible - but his sound goes beyond them into its own world.
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Marketing blurbs:
“all waze”
The first single from Wigan producer ed leigh’s debut album, “all waze” is a blissful transmission from deep within a bubble of pure euphoria. Supported by fluttering waves of sampled mellotron and an array of clicks and whirrs, he sets a playful scene that captures the innocent back-and-forth between two people who are so in sync that they have their own language. “I want you to love me always” repeats the insistent vocal loop with such earnest devotion that you can’t help but swoon.
“melanchronic”
“melanchronic” immediately wraps you in its warm and characterful sonic blanket, welcoming you to the warming world of Wigan producer ed leigh. A complex and loving concoction inspired by one of ed’s best friends, “melanchronic” at first sounds like a chirpy and woozy stroll through the British wilderness, but repeat listens to the complex arrangement reveal some sadness coming through. It givies us a rounded and heartfelt view of the subject, whom you can hear impersonating Saruman at the end.
“is it”
Underscored by a bustling field recording of a busy train station in Beijing, ed leigh’s “is it” is an invitation to get out and explore the world and all its wonders. Drifting on a breeze of lightly-picked guitar and caressing electric piano chords, “is it” captures the sheer joy of freedom and discovery. The producer’s wordless, pitch-shifted vocal floats across the top, embodying that euphoria of feeling like you’re on nobody’s clock but your own and you have the whole world to explore.
“30”
A skilfully deployed vinyl crackle welcomes listeners to ed leigh’s “30”, clueing them into the feeling of ageing and weariness that the song explores. Created as a response to the Wigan producer’s impending 30th birthday, the song features a vocal that’s incomprehensible, but the way it droops and sighs reveals a weary soul. In a way that evokes early Four Tet, ed also inserts sprinkles chopped acoustic guitar and other bright sonic interjections, reminding us that getting older isn’t all bad.
“tequila”
Tequila is associated with hangovers, but ed leigh’s “tequila” taps into the euphoria it can bring when consumed on a summer evening in the company of your one and only. “I wanna be with you baby” is the song’s hook, and ed implements a groovy bassline, hazy guitar strums and an array of other sumptuous sounds to bring that message to life. A snapshot of carefree bliss beamed from the producer’s Wigan bedroom, “tequila” transports you to a pool-side setting, no matter where or when you listen.
“sleepless in standish”
“sleepless in standish” is producer ed leigh’s ode to insomnia in his hometown - but restless nights have never sounded as comforting as this. ed evokes the feeling of an agitated brain firing off a host of different sounds at once, his singular production nous pulls them all together into a warped version of soulful jazz. A distant cornet whispers over sprinkles of midnight keys, while his beseeching voice yearns “lay here with me” – you’re powerless to resist leaning back and drifting away.
“notice me”
Taking us deep inside the mind of someone desperate for attention, ed leigh’s “notice me” is a funky traipse through the mental halls of an isolated mind. Through his sorrowful voice repeating “didn’t you notice me standing alone?” and the carefully sculpted sounds, the Wigan producer puts us in the shoes of someone on the exterior of life. Left outside, we feel the coldness permeating their body and mind in every element, from the song’s crackling foundation to its glistening halo of keys.
“apres”
Wigan producer ed leigh’s buoyant and affable production “apres” is a song that evokes a feeling of youthful frivolity. Comprising a tactile wooden beat, lo-fi guitar strums and a choppy synth melody, “apres” opens up like a vortex into freedom. Various vocal loops bubble up and intertwine, chattering away like a group of friends and tangling in a web of joy. With “apres”, ed seems to offer you hours of free time and the potential to do anything you want.
“don”
Inspired by the effortlessly cool Donald Glover, “don” is ed leigh on a confidence trip – strutting and shimmying on bouncing bass and stylish licks of guitar. As ever, the Wigan producer’s charming personality shines through his carefully constructed beat, over which he boasts “I got something for you baby, I got it in my heart”. Overall, “don” is a testament to the power that giving and receiving love can have on one’s self-esteem, rolled into a warm bundle of sonic ingenuity.
“sedentary life”
“sedentary life” is ed leigh’s invitation to sit quietly alongside him at his home studio in Wigan, getting lost for hours in a universe of sounds and ideas. While his body remains locked in one place, his mind whirrs through galaxies that are brought to life here through expansive synth-beds and a chugging interplay of beats and glitching vocals. “sedentary life” offers a characterful and exciting stroll through the evocative musical mind that is ed leigh, revealing new ideas at each step.
