Wonderful words by the ever erudite Adam Turner. 

The ambient guitarist Thought Leadership is a bit of a mystery. No press info, no bio, no background or story, no words on the songs, or the sleeves – just the knowledge that he’s from Edgeley, in Stockport, and uses Roman numerals for track titles. The three Thought Leadership albums so far are named after suits in a Tarot card deck: the Minor Arcana – III Of Pentacles and Ace Of Swords came out on vinyl last year and IV Of Cups is out now. The connection between the Tarot and the ambient / post- punk / Balearic guitar compositions is unclear too, but traditionally the four suits represent different characteristics. Swords are reason, logic, intellect and wisdom. Pentacles are material matters, possessions and career. Cups concern spiritual matters, emotions and love.

Often such a lack of information would leave me wanting to know more, wanting to piece together the artist and pin the person to the music, but somehow with Thought Leadership it doesn’t seem to matter. Apart from pondering the occult / Tarot significance and the business / management lingo of the chosen alias*, you’re left to just listen to the music.

Be With Records recently posted a photo of a white Fender Stratocaster, the machine used to record all three albums to date. IV Of Cups is a return to the early 80s post-punk sounds. There is less of the Balearic synth work of its predecessor,  and instead much more of that Fender and assorred FX pedals. XXI leaps from the speakers, a blast of Durutti Column inspired 6-string sounds. The Echoplex and chorus pedals providing a rush of texture and tone. XXIII begins with a primitive drum machine intro before crystalline Cocteau Twins-esque shards start dancing. The artist alternating between these and fluid runs up and down his instrument’s neck. Sonically similar, XXVII is similar sonically, but XXIX is more downbeat and reflective, adding a little northern melancholy. Winters can be long on the hillside overlooking the Mersey. At eight minutes, this is the album’s longest track: an excursion into space, the guitar unfolding and unwinding, filling the room and slowing time.

This then leads us to XXX, and its rubbery notes. The low E string a counterpoint to the glassier treble, and finding Thought Leadership leaving his influences far behind. Now, uniquely, no one but himself.

*Thought leadership is a business and leadership practice – “the providing of valuable insights and sharing of expertise, drawing on knowledge and experience (so it says on the internet).” It’s aimed at giving fresh perspectives and forward thinking ideas to position a company, or brand. as market experts skilled in generating new opportunities. I can hear the conference room from here, picture the powerpoint and smell the crap, complimentary coffee.

Vinyl copies of Thought Leadership’s IV Of Cups can be ordered from Be With Records. Digital can be purchased directly from from Darkly Inclined Tapes. 

You can find more proper, on point, prose from Adam Turner over at his own brilliant blog, The Bagging Area. Adam is also part of the admin team at the mighty Flightpath Estate.