Dennis Young - Bella (2020)

As a founding member of Liquid Liquid, the brilliantly influential and oft-sampled post-punk/funk pioneers of the early '80s, Dennis Young has been well-versed in audio experimentation for around 40 years now. From rhythmic no wave tastemaker to new age champion to experimental guitar explorer, Young's fearless pursuit of new methods and new sounds continues undiminished by trends. And so it goes with "Bella," Young's first solo album of entirely new material in more than 15 years. For "Bella" charts yet another new direction in Young's unpredictable career. This collection of instrumental pieces may surprise those familiar with Young's previous solo projects (issued by labels such as Bureau B, Athens of the North, and Staubgold, among others), but his willingness to explore timbres of all kinds should have prepared us all to expect the unexpected. If Liquid Liquid were roughly analogous to A Certain Ratio, "Bella" is closer to The Durutti Column in its guitar-based examination of textures and moods. But Young's voice, as composer and architect of sound environments, remains his own. From the occasionally harsh to the sublimely sensitive, “Bella” proves yet again that Dennis Young’s ear for intricacy and depth is as strong as ever.

"'Bella' is a recording that happened by accident. I purchased a new guitar pedal back in the fall of 2018 to see how it sounded with the rest of the chain of pedals I had in place. As I started recording, to my surprise, songs started to appear, and over the next 4-6 weeks, I had enough material to produce and mix the music that was to become 'Bella.' I was also lucky to find Colin Sheffield whose label was the perfect outlet for this work. Sometimes the stars line up! As always, thanks for listening!"
- Dennis / Fall 2019