Record Label
Last Sunday, Padraigh from the excellent Perfect Sound Forever show covered Alien Jams, this is so good!
Craig Leon- Donkeys Bearing Cups Craig Leon
This Heat- Track Loop
Vox Populi- Fassle
Robedoor- Concrete Brother
Popol Vuh- Ich Mache Einen Spiegel
Experimental Audio Research- Data Rape
Ike Yard- NCR
Outer Space- 11 38
Advisory Circle- Now Ends The Beginning
Motion Sickness of Time Travel- Ballade for a snow moon
Just received Test Pressings for AJ001, first release is on its way!
Over the past couple months, Gabriel Humberstone and I have been working on an upcoming gig at London’s Cafe Oto. It will be on May 9th, so hope you can make it!
Ekoplekz
Brood Ma
Cafe Oto
£8 adv/ £10 door
Advance tickets available here-http://
EKOPLEKZ-
Over the last five years and spanning thirty plus releases on labels including Punch Drunk, Editions Mego, Public Information, and most recently Planet Mu, Nick Edwards’ Ekoplekz project has developed a unique sound drawing on dub, early 90s Warp, noise and early electronics. These influences are combined with a dedication to analog electronics and diy instrumentation, bringing a rawness and immediacy to his sound and performances. In the early 2000s, Edwards authored the Gutterbreakz blog, which provided a space of critical discussion central to Bristol’s burgeoning dubstep and electronic scene. The website is now an archive, the last post simply declaring ‘the place where shit used to happen.’
Alongside his solo work, Nick has been active in a number of collaborations including Ekoclef (with Bass Clef) and eMMplekz (with Barron Mordant). His most recent release, Unfidelity, pushes his earlier explorations into a more rhythmical and melodic territory, though retaining the damp, melancholy doom laden sound that he has become known for.
https://twitter.com/
www.planet.mu/discography/
BROOD MA-
Brood Ma is the musical alias of artist James B Stringer. Brood Ma is a fractured, cybergothic nexus of tropes from weird literature, dystopian rave and high technology, presented in longform performances and recordings that resemble crisis scenarios as much as electronic mixes. The music tends to be oppressively psychedelic, evoking fourth-world entropy, embattled tax-havens, and the aesthetics of simulated combat. His record F I S S I O N is available from Mantle records, and his forthcoming records will be released on Quantum Natives.
https://soundcloud.com/
http://
Last week’s show included a live radio set!
Ain Bailey played a set, ahead of her Sonic CueB performance later that week. I was also joined by Luca who curated the South London festival, and we got a chance to chat about it on the radio.
I played a few tracks to start the show and then Ain did a live radio set, which was really cool! Here are a few words about Ain (taken from her tumblr page)
“Ain Bailey is a sound artist and dj living and working in London. Bailey recently graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London with a MMus in Studio Composition. Her electroacoustic compositions make extensive use of synthesised samples and field recordings, and are utilised for installations, moving image soundtracks, and multichannel and stereo playback.”
My latest review for Juno Plus on Blackest Ever Black’s Weekend Reissue…
First known for her role in the pioneering post-punk band Young Marble Giants, Alison Statton continued making music after the group dismantled, operating under the name Weekend. Teaming up with Spike Williams of Z Block Records and Reptile Ranch, as well as Simon Booth (later of Working Week) they signed to Rough Trade in 1981 and released one studio album, called La Variete, along with three EPs. Later discovered in the mid-90s, a collection of demos revisiting Weekend’s early days appeared on The ’81 Demos, a 1995 CD release by the Vinyl Japan label, while also emerging as bonus material in the 1992 Cherry Red reissue album of La Variete. The ’81 Demos now form the latest focus in Blackest Ever Black’s occasional dalliance with archival matters and offer Weekend listeners the first vinyl edition of these early recorded works.
Although each of these four tracks were originally released on Weekend’s debut cassette Le Variete, these demos offer different versions of the recordings, and are almost unrecognizable in some cases; comprised of jazz infused tracks, though less embellished than some of their previously released works. The rich earthy guitar tones of “Drumbeat” combine with Statton’s signature dreamy vocals, along with the occasional chiming of minimal percussion. “Red Planes” delicately unleashes its powerful hold on the listener, where violin penetrates stark drum machine beats. Through this track Statton’s vocals are resolute, yet jarringly detached in their delivery, eerily void of emotion over dub inspired patterns.
The echo filled backdrop and recorder wailings on “Nostalgia” show a true departure from some of Young Marble Giants grittier guitar tracks, with vocals that take on a distinctively reflective lyrical style. “Summerdays Instrumental” speeds up the tempo with a panicky pulse, but the main focus of this track is the expressive guitar tones that unfold, seemingly unrelated to the poppier vocal fuelled version of this track found on the original release of La Variete.
Weekend were short lived, but in their time they managed to produce some truly great works and are often cited as musical influencers. Their work can now be appreciated more fully by fans and newcomers alike thanks to Blackest Ever Black’s archival endeavours.
I joined some wonderful ladies in organizing the Androgynous Mind event at Ace Hotel. Throughout the event, we recorded the DJ sets and I have compiled just a few of the tracks that were played on the night, which can be found in the link above. Thanks to all of the performance artists and everyone involved, very pleased with how the night turned out!
