Although he’d actually put out a number of releases out on his own (including this beautifully bonkers nugget), the first time I came across Bullion was earlier this year when he released a highly sought after 12″ on R & S.
“Say Arr Ee” and it’s B-side “What Does She Know” were spectacularly produced oddball Balearica, just downtempo dancey enough to dance to while simultaneously completely puzzling. It’s fantastically odd.
More recently, he released an EP Love Me Oh Please Love Me that similarly skirts the experimental/dance-pop zone.
A handful of original tracks and a cover of experimental pop wizard Robert Wyatt‘s “Age of Self,” Bullion’s release is gloriously self-assured and a great soundtrack for summer evening drives around Los Angeles.
With hints of Arthur Russell‘s haunting romanticism and Hot Chip‘s geeky playfulness, Bullion (neé Nathan Jenkins) is cutting a sharp experimental pop path for himself that should get people’s attention while affording him the freedom to keep doing whatever it is he wants…which in the long run is what’s best for us all.
— Mario Cotto