Top Fiction (LP)

UK Import Pierre Dutour's infamous Top Fiction is the epitome of a five-tracker. Coming to light in 1979 on Tele Music, its collection of environmental themes are all astounding. They come recommended as tracks you'd choose to elegantly elevate deep selector sets or mixes. Opening with "Captain Parade," it then heads straight to the glistening synths and proud horns of beatless ambient wonder "Mountain Echoes". The sci-fi atmospherics of "Space Fiction" are definitely sampleable whilst the proud horns of "Mountain Trumpet" definitely contain blasts that could be of creative use. "Tambours Parade" is more marching-band funk, only this time the drums go hard and there's a lot to like about this one. The B-side opens with the gorgeous "Deer Forest". It's one of the most beautiful songs you'll ever hear. Like something off Brian Bennett's Voyage, it rides dreamily melodic synths, and comes on, as one fan claimed "like something Angelo Badalamenti would have co-written with Final Fantasy composer, Nobuo Uematsu". Be instantly beguiled by the deep eerie nostalgia and pretty delicate piano of "Magic Lake I" and the whistling-synth-augmented "Magic Lake II". The almost-title-track "Pop Fiction" is another hidden gem, containing dreamy, glistening arpeggios that are just begging to be sampled with a heavy knocking beat behind it. The set closes with "Damnation Space", two minutes of spooky Musique concrète. The audio for Top Fiction has been remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring this divisive release sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the original space-age sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue. Tracklist: A1. Captain Parade A2. Mountain Echoes A3. Discowboy A4. Tombola Time 1 A5. Tombola Time 2  A6. Space Fiction A7. Mountain Trumpet  A8. Tambours Parade B1. Deer Forest B2. Charly Guitare  B3. Magic Lake 1  B4. Magic Lake 2 B5. Pop Fiction B6. Damnation Space