Leyland Kirby

James Leyland Kirby, known professionally as the Caretaker, is an English ambient musician. His work as the Caretaker is characterized by exploring memory and its gradual deterioration, nostalgia, and melancholy. The project was initially inspired by the haunted ballroom scene in the 1980 film The Shining, the 1978 TV show Pennies from Heaven, and the 1962 film Carnival of Souls. His first several releases comprised treated and manipulated samples of 1930s ballroom pop recordings. Most of his album covers were painted by his friend, Ivan Seal.