Islanders are said to be prone to quirkiness. Being isolated, separated from the rest of the world at least by water, probably encourages a tendency to isolate oneself altogether. For the islands of the United Kingdom, this is now also true from a political point of view. The lovingly cultivated eccentricity of the British is, at least as a stereotype, one of their undeniable assets. In the case of brothers Clive and Mark Ives, something else seems to stand out. They have been making music under the name Woo since the 1970s, initially releasing it themselves on cassettes, largely to the exclusion of the public.
»Into the Heart of Love« was also born in 1990 as one of these magnetic tapes. And revealed a wondrously idiosyncratic world of guitars, electronic instruments, gently rattling percussion, often entirely instrumental, although vocals were allowed. A wise decision, as it would have deprived us of disarmingly simple lines like »Take me home, my friend/Be with me, make me tea«. The overall impression of their music is as friendly as this invitation, flowing gently and at peace with itself in an inviting way. From the seemingly private retreat where this music was created, something emerges that is as open in form as it is open to its audience. Without promoting it aggressively, »woo« translates as just that, but with an oddball seduction. Esoteric? No, you don’t need to be initiated here. Opening your ears is enough.
In The Heart Of Love
