Rediscovering the Haunting Sounds of The Advisory Circle: A Journey Through Retro-Futuristic Landscapes
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This October, a significant piece of electronic music history is set to be revived as The Advisory Circle’s original version of Mind How You Go! is reissued on 10″ vinyl. Initially released in 2005 as a 3″ CD, this seminal work by Cate Brooks, the artist behind The Advisory Circle, showcases her unique ability to blend the nostalgic with the eerie, creating soundscapes that are as unsettling as they are mesmerizing. Brooks, who also goes by other aliases like King of Woolworths, has built a reputation for crafting music that draws heavily on the aesthetic of 1970s public information films—audio that feels both comforting and unnervingly off-kilter.
The reissue of Mind How You Go! offers listeners a chance to revisit the beginnings of The Advisory Circle, a project that has since become synonymous with the Ghost Box Music label. This label, known for its exploration of “hauntological” themes, has been a crucial platform for artists who delve into the eerie and the uncanny, often through the lens of retro aesthetics. The Advisory Circle’s work fits perfectly within this realm, standing alongside other Ghost Box artists like Belbury Poly and Pye Corner Audio, who similarly explore the intersections of nostalgia, electronic music, and unsettling atmospheres.
Cate Brooks’ fascination with the strange and the familiar doesn’t stop with The Advisory Circle. Under her own name and through other projects, such as her collaborations in The Pattern Forms with Ed Macfarlane and Edd Gibson of Friendly Fires, Brooks continues to explore the emotional and psychological impact of sound. These works, released through labels like Clay Pipe Music and her own Café Kaput, often share a thematic continuity with The Advisory Circle, further cementing Brooks’ place as a key figure in the contemporary electronic music scene. The influence of library music and vintage soundtracks is a recurring theme across her discography, echoing the work of artists like Broadcast and The Focus Group.
The reissue of Mind How You Go! not only honors the legacy of The Advisory Circle but also serves as a reminder of the enduring appeal of music that exists at the fringes of the familiar. It’s a celebration of the strange, the nostalgic, and the unsettling—a sonic journey that invites listeners to question what lies beneath the surface of everyday life. As fans and new listeners alike prepare to experience this work on vinyl, the significance of The Advisory Circle in the broader landscape of electronic and experimental music becomes ever more apparent.
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