Ruby Tingle’s EP “Fountainia” is a mesmerizing audio-visual journey that takes listeners into a realm of enchantment and introspection. Released under No Such Thing Records, this EP was originally conceived as part of the Manchester Jazz Festival Originals Commission, showcasing Tingle’s innovative approach to music. Opening with the glistening synths and futuristic spacial experience that is “Through the Canal”, you’re hurled into this mesmerisingly spacious atmosphere.
“Fountainia” seamlessly blends elements of electronica, keys, saxophone, guitar, accordion, and male vocals to create a genre-defying fusion that Tingle aptly describes as ‘gothic jazz.’ The result is a unique sonic landscape that transports listeners into a dreamlike state, where imagination runs wild and reality intertwines with fantasy.
The EP delves into the waterways and decorative features of Manchester, with Tingle expressing her personal connection to these spaces within her home city. Through her music, she paints vivid sonic pictures of immense bird people stalking canals, gargoyles quenching their thirst from fountains, and celestial pools where listeners swim alongside manatees under pink skies. The imagery evoked by Tingle’s compositions is awe-inspiring and invites listeners to embark on an otherworldly adventure.
There’s an endearing quirkiness that’s augmented by a stunning soundscape that continually seems to invigorate itself. Falsettos, staccato rhythms, and otherworldly production choices combine into something that’s simultaneously unnerving and wildly intriguing.
Collaborating with artists and composers Dirty Freud, Jonoa, KINRAR, and Steven Calver, Tingle has crafted a truly collaborative and immersive experience on “Fountainia.” Each track is meticulously composed, incorporating natural sound processes and Tingle’s ethereal, high-range celestial vocals. The result is a collection of original and dreamy compositions that push the boundaries of experimental music, inviting listeners to explore the depths of their own imagination.