Link: http://secondmotionrecords.com/artists/steve-kilbey-martin-kennedy.html

Steve Kilbey’s solo career is just as prominent and almost as long lasting as his involvement in The Church. And with the second phase of the 30th Anniversary Church re-issues in the works from Second Motion, White Magic is perfect timing.

With the heavier and denser structure of The Church’s Untitled #23, White Magic lets Kilbey focus and expand on his airy, natural views on the transcendental experience. It reminds me of why I love Priest=Aura and songs like “Destination” from Starfish so much.

Teaming up again with Martin Kennedy, the two enlisted members from Kennedy’s Aussie band All India Radio to help expand the moody contexture of Kilbey’s mysterious mind and Kennedy’s chakra-like floating pop.

The beauty of White Magic is the expanse of Kilbey’s talent wrapped up into the three-minute pop song. Even with the shorter time constriction, we still feel that journeyman in him, as well as the moment of suspended animation in us. We lose ourselves in the beauty of the delicacy in the music and the sheer joy that Kilbey can still feel as vital and fresh as the day we discovered the clouds.

“Intense” proves you don’t have to turn it up to have the song’s essence weigh down on you. “Unfocused” is the pure art of floating as the song is the perfect feeling of slow drifting. Not much gets beyond the tempo structure of a drawl. With guitar reverb like on “Sumer,” it’s a perfect accentuation.

Without plucking the nectar from every song on this album and divulging the elements that transform within every blooming experience, it’s best left to be experienced yourself. What I can say is that White Magic may just be one of the most beautiful albums to experience.

“This was definitely the right time for me to be doing something of this caliber,” he said. “I started this project right at the end of my previous group, Burnside Project, because I had a creative need I had to fill. This was a challenge to myself. Could I get someone like Dave Smalley work in a concept of a House song. This was the type of question I was asking myself at the time, so I followed through with it.”

By the mid-2000s, Burnside Project was fading out and what was left was his experience as a producer and remixer, doing re-workings for artists like Beck, Radiohead, Kristin Hersh and a laundry list of other independent performers.

“It’s really easy to remix a song and throw a beat behind it. I am really careful to try and make a remix distinctly original and not just some techno remix that is ‘by-the-numbers.’ I try to bring in instruments and percussion to mold that electronic and organic experience together.”

To get the full story, you have to back things up pre-Burnside Project and Jankovich will tell you that his career is stemmed from his love of growing up to the New Wave and Punk Rock sound. He started out in the Punk Rock scene in Madison, Wisconsin, listening to people like Smalley and his band Dag Nasty, as well as groups like The Cure and New Order. But when an opportunity to arose in New York City, he took it and gravitated more to the electronic scene.

“This was in the mid-90s when the Drum-N-Bass and Trip Hop scene became popular. When I started making electronic music during those times, I kept thinking how do I get back to that New Wave ideal.”

That’s when Burnside Project took off and the electro-pop sensibilities for Jankovich really started to shine. While creating and remixing, he started to become fascinated with songs that don’t fit in regards to context of an electronic environment and rework them.

“My remixes got me thinking on how to do an entire album on them,” he said. “What would it be like if I took my iPod and put it on shuffle. The only thing that really changed were the vocalists. The music stayed the same as far as style. So that was when I made my personal wish list of collaborators.”

People on that list beside Smalley and Hitchock, were artists like Steve Kilbey from The Church and Tanya Donelly from Belly to more contemporary artists like Danny Seim from Menomena and Yuki Chikudate from Asobi Sesku.

Of course, several people on his list couldn’t accept due to certain engagements, obligations, or other commitments, but ones like the list above did make it. In an Internet society, things moved pretty quickly, but Jankovich still took his time.

“Reason it took so long to complete this is that I did not have a deadline. I also was careful to perfect these songs. It was a big worry for me that it had to feel completely natural. I did not want any novelty to it. The personal challenge for me was to have 12 solid songs where I could see each one as a single. I felt that every song on this project was the best it could be.”

Another factor in the process was that the procedure was different for every artist. For someone like Seim and Menomena, their collaboration and correspondence was strictly exchanged via e-mail; whereas, for Donelly, Jankovich went to Boston to spend time at her house, one of several daunting experiences for him.

“It was a pretty intimidating experience because I grew up listening to Belly, and I didn’t know what to expect. But she was so nice, and I got to personally help direct that song.”

According to Jankovich, there were two moments in which his heart would jump and turn this legitimate project into one of realistic value: first, when they wrote back and accepted to being a part of the project, and second, when he heard the vocal take for the first time.

“Most people you idolize, you realize that they are totally normal people,” he said. “There were some worries and anxieties, wondering what is going through their head. For me, these are like the U2s of the world. They are successful people but are normal in how they treat that, and I liked it.

“What I’ve learned is that collaboration is so creatively rewarding. It’s an environment I feel comfortable releasing and plan to do more.”

You can keep track of Pocket’s releases by going here: http://music-by-pocket.com/. And a full list of collaborators: Robyn Hitchcock, Shonali Bhowmik, Craig Wedren (Shudder To Think), Dave Smalley (Down By Law), Yuki Chikudate (Asobi Sesku), Mark Burgess, Steve Kilbey (The Church), Lorraine Lelis, Tanya Donelly (Belly), Sal Principato, and Danny Seim (Menomena).

Pocket