46 minutes, 11 seconds

In the Nursery
Köda

Not the first bombastic neoclassical ITN album--that would be Stormhorse--but this one considerably upped the production ante and cemented the ITN sound that would carry them through the late '80s and early '90s. Bright horns, sweeping strings, pounding tympani, crisp snare drum--it made a bold statement at the time. Now it sounds a little dated and tinny in parts, especially when you consider how much more complex and lush ITN's music has become since the release of Köda.

My guilty-pleasure favorite here is one of the bonus tracks, "Compulsion." It's one of those rare ITN tracks that feature vocals by the Humberstone twins themselves, rather than by Dolores Marguerite C. or a guest vocalist. Anyway, the song is a riot of snare patterns and hyperactive synth flourishes, and the lyrics are something out of a spy-movie drama. It has to be heard to be believed.

Also today:

46:10 Radio Kuolema, Broadcasting the Dead
46:09 Red Reflection, Prelude to Annihilation
46:07 Cyberaktif, Tenebrae Vision
46:07 Miriam, When Beauty Is Invisible
New arrival! 46:28 Simulacrum, Anti Matter Society
46:06 IC 434, The Banished
46:05 Harold Budd, Avalon Sutra