THOMAS HARDISTY - PEACE IN THE PLAZA LP

Lulu's:
2017 saw the quiet release of Tom Hardisty's "Reflective Works", a collection of ambient pieces that compiled his home-recording work from 2009 up until that point. It's content came as somewhat of a surprise to those only familiar with Hardisty through his time in punk (and punk-adjacent) bands Constant Mongrel, Nun, Woollen Kits and Leather Towel. Nevertheless, Reflective Works was a triumph; a beautiful, occasionally eerie collection of ambient pieces whose remarkable cohesion did nothing to give away their often vast difference in context of composition and recording.

Hardisty continues the curveballs with Peace In The Plaza; his first fully-formed solo album and an environmental music ode to the great Northcote Plaza. Whereas Hardisty's previous ambient work at times flirted with unease, Peace In The Plaza is a record filled with warmth; calling to mind the works of Inoyama Land or Hiroshi Yoshimura just as much as it does op-shop new age tapes.

Any tongues in cheeks at the album's muse slowly fall away as it proceeds; creating an environment with and for the music to inhabit. By the time you hit Sunrise On The Hill, the album's final track, you can almost feel All Nations Park's cold breeze on your cheek.

This record was featured in our September 2019 Newsletter. To read more from this newsletter, click here.