Cocteau Twins, Harold Budd: The Moon and the Melodies LP

--- Out Aug 23, 2024 ---

"The Moon and the Melodies" is a singular record within the Cocteau Twins' catalogue. Unusually ethereal, even by their standards, and largely instrumental, the album was guided by the free-form improvisations of collaborator Harold Budd, an ambient pioneer who had drifted into their orbit as if by divine intervention. Building on the atmospheric bliss of "Victorialand", released earlier the same year (1986), it signalled a possible future for the trio, yet it was a path they'd never take again. Now, almost forty years after its initial release, Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd's "The Moon and the Melodies" is being reissued for the first time, remastered from the original tapes by guitarist/co-producer Robin Guthrie, and complete with the original 23 Envelope (Vaughan Oliver) artwork. For such a low-key affair, the album casts a long shadow - but bassist Simon Raymonde believes the record's uniqueness stems directly from its humble, unpremeditated origins: "It captured a moment in time between friends that are enjoying making music together. Really, that's the essence of it".