Len Leise - A Bend In The River

Calm, breezy music on International Feel with a backstory that's too good to be true.

Len Leise is an old artist discovered by Mark Barrott of nu-balearica imprint International Feel.

Although he can claim Ibiza as his current base, Barrott often spends his time in far-flung corners of the world unearthing rare, dusty records and rescuing them from total obscurity. On one such trip a few years ago, he found a cassette release in a bargain bin in a Paris charity shop by Len Leise. Titled 'Songs For Sunsets', the tape (pictured above) was a self-released collection of breezy, delicate music utilising early synthesizers and light electronic percussion.

It took a while, but Barrott was able to find Leise living in Australia, and after a long correspondence eventually persuaded him to record new material for the latest release on International Feel, the 'Music For Forests' EP.

Or did he?

As with all things International Feel, it's impossible to know where fantasy ends and reality begins, with many of the label's releases made up of Barrott under different guises and in different styles. Not that it matters, because A Bend In The River speaks for itself on a purely emotional level, a slow-burner that you might liken to Philip Glass, Florian Fricke, CFCF, or the calmer moments of Call Super's recent album.