After a couple of false starts, the new album by The Durutti Column, 'Keep Breathing', will finally be in the shops on Monday 27 February.

Written and played almost entirely by Vini Reilly, the album is built out of ideas generated over the last year and was inspired by African hip hop, traditional Jewish music (Klezmer) and 1930's piano music by Art Tatum.

The 12 tracks were created over 3 months in a room "not much bigger than a broom cupboard" using only one microphone and whatever time and equipment Reilly and the album's programmer Ben Roberts had spare. This inventiveness adds to the richness of Reilly's amazing "honey wrapped in sandpaper" guitar playing.

The gorgeous song 'Maggie' samples a school choir he heard on the BBC 14 years ago, while other tracks such as the defiant 7 minute long love song, 'Let Me Tell You Something' are just as powerful and reflective, showing the positive frame of mind Vini was in when making the record.

The new album is more polished and less haphazard than his previous efforts and Durutti Column have also committed to touring it extensively in 2006, with a live band consisting of Keir Stewart, Bruce Mitchell on drums and John Metcalfe on viola.

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Thanks to Phil Jones.

Labels: John_Metcalfe, The_Durutti_Column

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