Victorialand

Victorialand
Studio album by Cocteau Twins
Released 14 April 1986
Recorded 1985
Genre Ambient, ethereal wave, dream pop
Length 32:52
Label 4AD – CAD602
Producer Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins chronology

Echoes in a Shallow Bay
(1985)		 Victorialand
(1986)		 Love's Easy Tears
(1986)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic link
Martin C. Strong (8/10)[1]
Record-Journal (B-)[2]
This is about the music album. For the Antarctica region, see Victoria Land

Victorialand is the fourth album by Scottish band Cocteau Twins, released by 4AD in April 1986. Working without member Simon Raymonde, who had been enlisted to work on This Mortal Coil's Filigree & Shadow album, vocalist Elizabeth Fraser and guitarist/producer Robin Guthrie produced a record almost completely devoid of percussion, drenching acoustic guitars in reverberant space to create a wide, expansive sound that borders on ambient.

The title refers to the part of Antarctica known as Victoria Land after Queen Victoria (and forming the British claim to the continent, currently dormant under international treaty). As is often the case with Fraser's vocals, the lyrics are indecipherable.[2]

On its initial release in the UK the vinyl edition was a 12" disc which played at 45 rpm, which would be normal for EP rather than a full album which would normally play at 33⅓ rpm. This was due to difficulties in the mastering process in reproducing the minimal soundscapes. Some test pressings at 33⅓ rpm are known to exist.

An uncredited instrumental version of "Oomingmak" was used as a backing track for the credits at the end of the 4AD compilation video "Lonely Is An Eyesore". This instrumental version was later made available in the 1991 4AD singles box set.

Track listing

All songs written by Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie.

  1. "Lazy Calm" – 6:36
  2. "Fluffy Tufts" – 3:07
  3. "Throughout the Dark Months of April and May" – 3:05
  4. "Whales Tails" – 3:18
  5. "Oomingmak" – 2:43
  6. "Little Spacey" – 3:28
  7. "Feet-Like Fins" – 3:27
  8. "How to Bring a Blush to the Snow" – 3:52
  9. "The Thinner the Air" – 3:16

Credits

Additional personnel

Reception

One critic described the album as ethereal, and resembling "early Gong space-rock with much of the stuffing left out."[2]

References

  1. ↑ The Essential Rock Discography - Volume 1: 222. 2006. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Zebora, Jim (June 15, 1986). "BoDeans' rock mix lacks spark". Record-Journal. Retrieved 30 December 2011.