e ruscha v & the only thingz: e ruscha v & the only thingz, too

Analogue bubblebath suds and chimes from multi monikered electronic maestro Ed Ruscha - founding member of 90’s shoegaze band Medicine - wrangling his imaginary ensemble The Only Thingz for a full-length follow-up to his sought-after 2018 entry for Good Morning Tapes' limited series. ‘Ed Ruscha V & the Only Thingz’ is exemplary of the sanguine, etheric spirit and bucolic nature that’s blessed all Eddie Ruscha’s body of work since the early ‘90s; from his earliest shoegaze work with Medicine, thru his lolling disco tracks as Secret Circuit with Beats In Space, to electronic pop with Scott Gilmore. But it’s under his own name (which he shares with his pop-art pioneer father) that Ed really comes into his own, sketching out scenes flush with a colourful warmth and gentle headiness that effortlessly lends itself to Good Morning Tapes’ crystal clear mindset. Each of the eight pieces here seamlessly caresses stressed heads with a blend of electronic synthesis and field recordings, veering from groggy pastoralism to swaying ambient house, luring listeners into a sullied conception of ambient world-building. The wilting chord petals of ‘Slumber Punk’ recall the most blissed of AFX’s SAW works, while the lilting triplets of ‘Frog Man’ feels like a siesta in the Balearics, while ‘Tree Ring Circus’ and ‘Sight Gag’ offer a lush smush of raga-esque acid dub, before heading into the gorgeous new age intentions of ‘Waves Over Stones’.