Gracie and Rachel : The Echoes Interview and We Remember Harold Budd.
The chamber pop duo of Gracie and Rachel have returned with a new album of melodically gorgeous songs called Hello Weakness, You Make Me Strong. It’s in the Top 20 of The Best of Echoes 2020. In the midst of pandemic, they talk about influences from classical to hip-hop, and music that is uplifting but also responding to the world around us. They dress in opposites, black and white, but we get into the shadows with Gracie and Rachel on Echoes.
We also remember Harold Budd who left the planet on December 7th. He was 84 years old and a victim of Covid-19. Harold Budd is a legend in the ambient world, but like his music, he’s a subtle legend, known probably more among musicians than fans. His early 1980 albums with Brian Eno, The Plateaux of Mirror and The Pearl, are among the early signposts of ambient music. Older artists like Tim Story and John Foxx of Ultravox genuflect at Budd’s altar, while a new generation of composers including Balmorhea, Olafur Arnalds, Mary Lattimore and Nils Petter Molvaer have been influenced by his work. His collaborators have included Robin Guthrie of The Cocteau Twins, Andy Partridge of XTC and guitarist Bill Nelson.