Via the Brass Goggles forum, I stumbled across Been Steed’s ‘Distorted Skies’.

I’m listening to it for the first time as I type, and I really like it. It’s very much a ‘mood’ album, all ominous drones, muffled piano and twisting layers. There are some genuinely interesting note choices, for instance at the end of the opening track Time Will Erode Use (I’ll Be Waiting).

Steampunk? In parts. The Conspirator opens with a lovely broken-music hall groove that stays on the same chord for too long (in a very good way), and there’s a sitar intro later on that’s very steampunk in a British Empire, last days of the Raj fashion.

The mix of electronica, piano and distorted vocals on Distorted Skies evokes a wonderfully dark mood and I would heartily recommend it as the perfect accompaniment to the few winter nights we’ve (hopefully) got left this year.