DESCRIPTION:
‘The Eysenck Suite I – Melancholic’ is the first instalment of a four part experimental aural jigsaw puzzle from the enigmatic Russian Linesman, who has become a somewhat cult figure over the past eleven years, crossing paths with mavericks such as James Holden, Max Cooper, Nathan Fake, Ryan Davis, Applescal and Laurent Garnier, along the way, via his imaginative transmissions from his secretive studio lair in Nottingham.

Preview Track List
1 How Can the Sky Be So Beautiful When We Have Been So Bad?
2 Fauna
3 Olympiapark
4 I Thought You Were a Legend Until You Apologised
5 Yaqui
6 If It's Not Too Much Trouble Just Get Me on the Plane
7 Odin!

A musical diarist who deeply values his chosen form of expression as art inspired by his physical and emotional travels through life, he has released numerous singles, EPs and two studio albums. For the uninitiated to gain an insight into the workings of the Russian Linesman’s mind, his last album (‘Nostalgia Story’ 2013) was a sprawling thirty-seven-song flood of inspiration that was recorded live in one take, whereas ‘The Eysenck Suite I-IV’ is the result of four solid years of dedicated writing and numerous re-records.

The catalyst for this latest, bold musical project was located in a tattered old Psychology book by Hans Eysenck, unearthed from his parents’ loft. It contained an analysis of temperament theory and its roots in the ancient ideas of Hippocrates and Galen. Exploring these concepts and endeavouring to recreate them has shaped the project’s music and how it is presented. Galen had named four temperamental categories as being “Melancholic”, “Choleric”, “Sanguine” and “Phlegmatic”, and the esoteric Linesman’s compositions communicate his interpretation of each classification of Eysenck’s resulting model and the emotions they encompass, ordered and structured and revealed across four EPs.

Part one focuses on the Melancholic temperament that tends towards sadness and feeling low, resulting in a somewhat pessimistic view of the world. The name has been adopted as a synonym for sorrow, but comes from the Greek words for black bile. This first EP is intended as a soundtrack for times of sorrow, reminiscence and regret. But also for moments of withdrawal from over thinking everything, reducing anxiety, reflecting and triggering memory traces of happier times.

“In the ideal personality, these complementary traits are intricately balanced, and so, within these recordings, I hope the listener can find comfort in acknowledging them, and in turn finding their own balance.” – Russian Linesman

Although he use's James Holden's favourite software - Jeskola Buzz - the Russian Linesman writes all his music on acoustic guitar and piano, harking back to a past spent touring as an acoustic singer/songwriter playing folk music. This ethos has evolved into recording with vocals as well, before everything is heavily edited and drowned in electronic sounds.

“I find this method of writing allows me to find more curious melodies and give the songs an organic spine. I use lots of found sounds too, with the intention of recreating feelings and settings for my stories. Some of the finished songs still contain snippets of the vocals, guitars or pianos, while others will be fully enclosed in a digital sarcophagus.” – Russian Linesman

The series of four EPs will be released at bi-monthly intervals throughout the year from 27th March 2017:
The Eysenck Suite I Melancholic (loki010)
The Eysenck Suite II Choleric (loki011)
The Eysenck Suite III Sanguine (loki012)
The Eysenck Suite IV Phlegmatic (loki013)

Released by: Loki Recordings
EP release date: 27 March 2017
Available on all digital download stores and streaming sites.
https://www.beatport.com/artist/russian-linesman/62397/tracks