Name: Rain Before Seven…
Brand: Penguin Cafe

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

ERATP159LP

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-07-07

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Forte

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

3700551785032

Total Cap

Black LP

ERATP159LE

Clear

[r27645021]

Extended format: Yes

3700551785025

Clear LP

ERATP159CD

3700551785049

Artist

Penguin Cafe

Genre GB

Modern Composition

Label GB

Erased Tapes

Erased Tapes Records is a London-based record label established in 2007 by Robert Raths, also known as Ghostworker. With the label code LC 15952, Erased Tapes has become renowned for its diverse roster of *artists* and *performers*. The label's focus lies on releasing avant-garde and experimental music across various genres, including ambient, electronic, and modern classical. Erased Tapes has gained a reputation for nurturing talented musicians and pushing boundaries within the industry. Their commitment to quality and innovation has made them a trusted source for unique and captivating musical experiences.
At Erased Tapes, they believe that music should be an immersive journey that transcends traditional boundaries. They strive to create an environment where artists can freely express their creativity while receiving support from a dedicated team of professionals. By fostering close relationships with their *artists*, Erased Tapes ensures that each release is treated with care and attention to detail.
Over the years, Erased Tapes has built an impressive catalog of critically acclaimed albums that have resonated with listeners worldwide. From the ethereal compositions of Nils Frahm to the mesmerizing soundscapes of A Winged Victory For The Sullen, each release showcases the label's commitment to showcasing groundbreaking talent.

The Penguin Cafe Orchestra (PCO) was founded by British composer Simon Jeffes (1949 - 1997). Jeffes, born in Sussex, England and raised in Canada and around Europe, began playing the guitar at the age of 13. He studied classical guitar, piano, and music theory at Chiswick Polytechnic before dropping out. 

While living in Japan in 1972, Jeffes developed an interest in ethnic music, particularly African styles. Inspired by this fusion of sounds, he launched the PCO as a platform for his eclectic compositions. The concept of "Penguin Cafe" came to him in a dream during a bout of food poisoning in the south of France that summer. Describing their music as "modern semi-acoustic chamber music," the PCO's unique style blends traditional Western sounds with diverse influences.

Contact Information: 
Penguin Cafe Orchestra 
2 Hippodrome Place 
London W11 4NG 
UK 
Tel: +44 20 7792 3493 
Fax: +44 7792 7855

The 100 best albums from 2023 based on a year of listening, months of consideration, weeks of discussion and days of compiling. Every one of these albums has made an impact on us this year but to learn more about the ones that made the top 20, please <a href="http://blog.roughtrade.com/uk-albums-of-the-year-2023/">click here for the UK</a> and here <a href="http://blog.roughtrade.com/vinyl-albums-of-the-year-2023-rough-trade-us/">for the US</a>. To see all our the Rough Trade Exclusive editions from our top 20, released to celebrate our Albums of the Year, <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/collection/albums-of-the-year-exclusives-2023">click here for the UK</a>, <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/en-us/collection/albums-of-the-year-exclusives-2023">here for the US</a> and <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/en-de/collection/albums-of-the-year-exclusives-2023">here for Europe</a>.

Albums of the Year 2023

Penguin Cafe return with new album Rain Before Seven.. A sense of optimism infuses Penguin Cafe’s fifth studio album, not the braggadocious, overconfident kind, but more a blithe, self-effacing optimism in keeping with the national character. Even when all signs point to the contrary, it operates within the certainty that things are going to be alright. Probably.

The title comes from an old weather proverb with the rhyming prognostication —&nbsp;fine before eleven&nbsp;— hinting at a happy ending, irrespective of the science:&nbsp;“I found it in a book and I'd never heard it before,”&nbsp;says Arthur Jeffes, leader of Penguin Cafe.&nbsp;“It has faintly optimistic overtones&nbsp;and I quite like it. It's fallen out of usage recently but it does describe English&nbsp;weather patterns coming in off the Atlantic.”

From the widescreen reverie of opener ‘Welcome to London’ with its cheeky nod to Morricone to ‘Goldfinch Yodel’, the self-described “Maypole banger” at the denouement, there’s a welcome sense of sanguinity, always with an undercurrent of exotic rhythmic exuberance. Playfulness pervades, with a titular nod to&nbsp;A Matter of Life…&nbsp;from 2011, the last album title that concluded with an ellipsis. That Penguin Cafe debut is the bridge between the legendary Penguin Cafe Orchestra, led by Arthur’s father Simon Jeffes, and the muchloved descendent, led by Arthur.

“Stylistically it's really satisfying to get back to playful rhythms and instruments,”&nbsp;says the younger Jeffes, who kept the group’s debut from 12&nbsp;years ago in mind when writing the new album.&nbsp;“Certainly when starting out, I became aware that we’d stopped using quite a few of the textures that had been there at the beginning—and it was certainly there in my dad's earlier stuff. So there's a lot of balafon and textures from completely different parts of the world, musically and geographically: ukuleles, cuatros and melodicas that you can hear.”

Encouraged by co-producer Robert Raths, the rhythmic elements of&nbsp;Rain Before Seven…&nbsp;have never been more to the fore and, at times, even hint at&nbsp;the electronic. ‘Find Your Feet’, for instance, is underpinned with more than&nbsp;just a pulse. Mixed by Tom Chichester-Clark, it brings to the musical melange&nbsp;what Arthur describes as a&nbsp;“near electronic feel”. He adds, excitedly:&nbsp;“There are elements of fun here which we haven't really done with the last three records.”&nbsp;Another ebullient highlight is ‘In Re Budd’, dedicated to the late&nbsp;ambient godfather Harold Budd, who Arthur discovered had died on the day&nbsp;he’d been writing the celebratory ear worm with a deceptively tricky&nbsp;syncopation. Played on an upright piano with some “prepared” felt to&nbsp;accentuate the bounce, Jeffes feels a track with an Afro Cuban Cafe vibe&nbsp;would appeal to Budd’s contrariness.

And then there’s the aforementioned ‘Welcome to London’, which got its name as the world started to open up and people were finally allowed to fly again. Jeffes, who touched down on home soil for the first time in a while, was struck by its cinematic John Barry-esque qualities as he took a taxi into West London from Heathrow with the mise-en-scène of the opulent twilight. The optimism is there, and maybe a little caustic irony too.&nbsp;“Robert [Raths] added a layer of nuance which I think is interesting,&nbsp;because many Londoners are not from London originally. So you pitch&nbsp;up to London as an outsider, and you haven't really found your tribe&nbsp;yet, you get mugged… and then ‘Welcome to London’ takes on a more&nbsp;sarcastic resonance.”

Rain Before Seven…

Music GB

Discover Rain Before Seven… by Penguin Cafe. A sense of optimism infuses their fifth studio album, with playful rhythms and exotic textures. Available in CD and LP formats from Erased Tapes.