So much to love about this, from the 70s-esque illustration by Terry Pastor to the typography. It’s another winning compilation from Finders Keepers, on sale here and now.
This is slowly creeping up on us, a new release and launch party from Buried Treasure whose recent compilation of John Baker cuts, The Vendetta Tapes, I loved.
“London. 1968. Two pioneering musicians compose electronic themes for television & radio. They discover a recording that leads to a startling revelation about their employer. Fascinated by the occult nature of the tape they conduct a studio ritual that will alter their lives forever.”
The Delaware Road is a psychological thriller & an audio-visual treat for fans of archived electronica, far out jazz & haunted folk grooves. Conceived & written by Alan Gubby. Additional material by David Yates. Compere: Dolly Dolly
Debut performance on Sat 14th Nov 2015 @ South Street Arts Centre, Reading, Berks.
Tickets here:
Live performances by: Howlround, The Dandelion Set, Ian Helliwell, The Rowan Amber Mill, Robin Lee, Loose Capacitor, Tim Hill, The Twelve Hour Foundation & Revbjelde.
DJs: Jonny Trunk & The Séance (feat. Pete Wiggs from Saint Etienne)
Tickets: £15 advance, £13 concession; £16 on the door.
Price includes free poster & advance download code for ‘The Delaware Road’ compilation album on Buried Treasure Records. All tickets are inclusive of booking fee
Star Wars video mash ups are all very well and good but now for the serious stuff that matters. I’ll be playing some tunes at this on Saturday, please visit this link for more details about how you can help, what is needed and what isn’t. You can drop donations at Glasshouse and they will be distributed to those who need them, have a clear out and help make a difference.
Obsolete formats: I have no way to play these first few items and already own them in several other forms but I couldn’t resist picking these up today.
The ‘…Pelham 123’ release is a Video disc in a huge plastic ‘cartridge’, bigger than an LP, I originally thought this was the same as the Laser disc system but it seems it’s an earlier, failed format that was read with a physical needle rather than a laser! – more info here.
I was amazed that the Derek & Clive release was even on 8-Track – this one almost as dirty as the audio it contains. The Curtis Mayfield cart is just a beautiful object.
This is Toolshed‘s first ever release from 15 years ago, a 2 track 7″ in a ziplock bag with screen-printed, folded card cover. Toolshed is Graham Massey‘s occasional all-star experimental supergroup featuring the likes of Paddy Steer, Seaming To and many more.
‘Punk Funk’ was my favourite track from The Brotherhood‘s Elementalz album back in the mid 90s and I never even knew this existed on 7″. With a great heavy remix by 12 Rounds (who included Atticus Ross among their members) exclusive to this format it’s probably my favourite find of the day. This particular version is not on YouTube so you’ll have to take my word for it.
Finally found this Psychedelic Furs 7″ with a flexi stuck to the cover, play the sleeve as well as the 45 inside!
This Jona Lewie single is actually only 6″s in size and includes a funny little disclaimer about the realities of automatic turntables trying to play it. Stiff Records up to their old tricks again, strange that they should do a 6″ and a 7″? This one was bought purely for its odd format and joins the tiny ranks of my irregular-sized vinyl collection.
From the seemingly bottomless archives of the Future Sound of London‘s tape cupboard comes vol. 8 in their From The Archives series, 12 tracks from unspecified times that never made the cut. As well as this new release there are now vinyl versions of earlier volumes of their more ambient Environments series, complete with Buggy G. Riphead sleeves. You can preview one track from Archived 8 below and get CDs, downloads and vinyl from their FSOLdigital online store where they also have posters and T-shirts. Also you get an extra exclusive 3-track digital EP if you order from there too.
New Yppah album, Tiny Place, out next month on Counter – preview two tracks here.
Finally, after a long hiatus, I’ve managed a new mix, and a audio visual one at that. The school summer holidays are a killer creatively when you have kids to attend to but now that the little ones are back to the 9-3.30 I’m back in gear. Something else that’s been occupying my time this summer, since May to be precise, is Secret Cinema‘s production of The Empire Strikes Back that I’ve been playing at in various locations and guises since it opened. Last night was my last gig, sound-tracking the Cantina Bar post-film with the run finishing completely in two weeks.
To say it’s been an experience is an understatement and it’s one I will cherish forever as it is like nothing else out there. If you were one of the thousands who attended then you’ll know what I’m talking about and I’ll do a full post about my time there in a few weeks time when it’s closed as I don’t want to spoil things for those yet to go. But to commemorate the end of my run I’ve put together this 30 minute Star Wars-themed mix, complete with a video accompaniment, featuring some of the songs I played in amongst the rest of the themed tunes selected for the different areas.
Titled ‘The Tracks Go Off In This Direction…’ it follows the hunt for the Droids as songs and styles from the SW canon get progressively more random. It’s all Star Wars, plenty of which you will have seen and heard before, but I like to think I’ve dug a little and unearthed some hidden gems that might not be as familiar as Meco‘s ubiquitous disco-fied Star Wars Theme.
For example: Rico Rodriguez, The Specials‘ trombonist who recently passed away, released a cover version called ‘Ska Wars’ (what else?) in 1977 on Island records which I’ve included as a tribute. Dickie Goodman, creator of the infamous UFO ‘break-in’ records’ made a ‘Star Warts’ 45 to cash in the same year, I’ve included a later (better) version and several cuts from Herbie Hancock‘s modular synth sidekick, Dr Patrick Gleeson‘s analogue Star Wars album.
It’s not all period covers though, there’s plenty of modern day Hip Hop, Rave and Techno from the likes of AGT Rave Cru, Mark Archer, DJ Shadow and all manner of, shall we say, ‘copyright infringing’ releases under pseudonyms. At the start of the Secret Cinema run, when they also ran a separate satellite Cantina Club in Hoxton, I made a ton of video clips to go with tracks for a one-off AV performance and some of the work I put into those has found its way into the video mix. With a property like Star Wars this is a red flag to a bull so how long it will stay up is anyone’s guess. Grab it while you can… UPDATE – Sorry folks, I’ve been asked to take it down… back up!
This is a pretty special release I picked up in Japan at the turn of the century. Cornelius has always pushed the boundaries with both his music, live performances and videos and this is no exception. Four 6″ ‘Sono-sheets’ under the title of ‘Sound Hunter’ (Pts.4-7 – not sure what happened to the first three), a 182 page book and a DIY record player. I’ve never built it so can’t vouch for the fidelity of the contraption but only in Japan do things like this happen.
Three of the four discs are on YouTube but the ‘Fantasma Radio Spot Take #1’ sadly isn’t. The music veers from rock to vocal pop to crazed sampledelia and all the disc are worth a listen. You can find copies on Discogs but they’re not cheap as you’d expect. There’s not much I can add to this because most of the text is in Japanese but marvel at how well it’s come together.
Unearthed from the teetering piles of books in Voltaire & Rousseau, Otago Lane, Glasgow this weekend. See just one aisle from the shop at the bottom, proper archeology needed to get to some of these beauties. Found a couple of Richard M. Powers covers and a Brian Lewis cover from Science Fantasy that seemed to be channeling him. The Kirby cover at the bottom is similar in style, I’m a sucker from this abstract, psychedelic depiction of alien worlds and it seems to have been a fad for a while to paint like this. I’m pretty sure the Kirby there isn’t Jack but you never know, anyone who can identify the artist on the Analog cover will be most appreciated, maybe Mike Hinge?.
Out today, Ollie Teeba‘s first solo album, a LONG time in the making, finally here and it’s a banger. Check out this snippets mix, full of cameos from the likes of Jean Gray, Ghettosocks, the Soundsci crew of course… full of quality tunes with a Darrell Krum cover to boot. Get a copy here, very limited vinyl.
UPDATE: – Digital now online HERE
Techno DJ Colin Faver has died, best known for his Abstract Dance radio show and club night, Knowledge. His and Colin Dale‘s shows on a Monday and Tuesday night on KISS FM in the early 90s were essential listening. It was there that I first heard the Aphex Twin and the emerging UK electronica scene amongst all the other great Hardcore and rave tunes. A pioneer.
I only just saw this, a teaser of just some of the moments during the Empire Strikes Back Secret Cinema event. I’m back there this weekend, playing both nights and the run finishes at the end of the month so be quick if you still want to go. I’ll be dropping a special SW-centric mix before that to commemorate this amazing spectacle.
Some lovely designs popping up on Andy Votel‘s twitter feed for festival appearances this summer, hope Jane tours that Belladonna rescore. There are still a load of radio shows I need to catch up with over on their Soundcloud.
Wish this was real, not sure who it was created by as I found it via Dave Taylor on Facebook and he didn’t know either so please leave a comment if you know as I can’t tell from the signature – there are a few good ones floating around the web including this one below by Paul Hostetler. UPDATE: the image above is by French artist Obion.
I’ve not done a comics round-up in a while and I don’t think I’ve bought an issue of Heavy Metal (well, not a current one) for over 20 years either. But the Jack Kirby cover on this months issue made me pick it up and plenty of the other content inside was a pleasant surprise. What with Grant Morrison promised as editor in future issues then it might be time to return to it.
Brandon Graham and co. continue to redefine what comics can be with the anthology title, Island and issue 3 of 8House with some of the most fantastic art by Penalta, part Moebius, part Geof Darrow.
These three titles from Mike Mignola‘s Hellboy universe are always on the pull list. B.P.R.D. is a fully functioning title of its own now with most of the main characters absent from its pages but enough slow-burn story line to keep me hooked. The Ape Sapien spin-off is still good and finally going somewhere, there’s going to be one almighty pay-off soon, I can feel it. And here’s the annual issue of Hellboy (in Hell) from Mike although we are promised another before the year is out. It’s great to have him back on the art with this and no doubt it will run and run as Hellboy wanders the different levels of the Underworld.
I dithered on Low when it first came out but recently read the first 6 issues in the trade and it’s excellent, so now I’m catching up with the monthlies. The world has been irradiated and mankind has gone underwater to survive with various warring factions, cities and more, the art is gorgeous and it’s a fresh take on a dystopian scenario.
This Damned Band is a fun re-imagining of a 70s rock band (Led Zeppelin basically) told in a Spinal Tap-esque documentary style with the feigned Devil worship more real than a fashion pose and East of West is always on the list along with Black Science, Saga and Ody-C. Other series’ in various stages of completion not featured: The Surface, Nameless, Empty Zone, Lady Mechanika, Kaptara, Space Riders and Sandman Overture. Roll on Xmas for the beginning of the end of Brandon Graham’s Prophet epic too after a wait of a year.
Seeing as today has been turned into *ahem* ‘Force Friday’ by the powers that be here’s a Tie-Fighter from the new Hasbro Star Wars toy catalogue. Still iconic.
Here’s my new 45 Live image by Paul Trewin aka Sub2 – he’s certainly captured the likeness even if I do look a bit serious. Check his work out here and see the whole 45 Live roster below (including new member Jon More from Coldcut). There the start of a new night in Plymouth on the 26th of this month too with myself, Boca 45, Pete Issac and Francois Parker if you’re in the area. There’s be a new mix from me next week to go with it…
We continue the Japanese theme this month with several releases from the Far East. One of Japan’s biggest cultural exports to these shores in the 00s was Nigo whose Bathing Ape clothing empire was an instant underground hit before spreading to the mainstream via people like Pharrell championing it. One of the first to latch on it in the UK was James Lavelle who released several Nigo-fronted records on Mo Wax and many crossover products in Japan from compilations to clothes to toys.
A common ground for both in Nigo’s homeland was the monthly style and culture magazine Relax which featured Bape wear heavily and even had a regular ‘what’s happening’-style page from Lavelle called LTD. EDT. at one point as well as many features on Mo Wax artists. Like a lot of magazines of its ilk it usually came with a high quality free gift (I’ve bought magazines with a wallet by Delta and a Bathing Ape mirror!) and flexi discs were given away too. I have two such discs, both by Nigo with collaborators, the first here given away with issue 36 in 2000, a mellow version of his ‘Kung Fu Fightin’ release produced by K.U.D.O. of Major Force.
Two issues earlier Nigo had teamed with another Mo Wax alumni – Money Mark – for ‘Relax Dub (Part II)’ . I’ve no idea where you can hear the original or Part 1 but it was again produced by K.U.D.O. with both discs nestling inside custom Bape die-cut covers. There were only two flexis to my knowledge although there was a Bape mini-CD included with the mag a year later. I think Relax ceased publishing in 2006 but it held the kind of ‘style-bible’ respect of The Face magazine over here, covering music, art, fashion and underground culture from around the world with themed issues containing exhaustive research and excellent photography.
Back over in the West we had Dazed & Confused magazine which – keeping with the Mo Wax connection – included a Money Mark flexi with issue 42 in 1998. The flexi disc was pressed at Eva-Tone in the US (the UK’s main flexi manufacturer Lyntone having closed down in 1991). It featured ‘Trust’, taken from his Push The Button album of the same year and is the only flexi that Mo Wax released. Unfortunately none of this audio is freely floating around on YouTube or the like and seeing as these artists are contemporaries I don’t really want to be putting their material up here from my own recordings. Mark’s LP doesn’t seem to be available in digital form from the usual outlets but he’s giving his 1st album, Mark’s Keyboard Repair away free on his website. Nigo’s Ape Sounds album is available on iTunes.
Sad to learn from Jim Thirlwell that artist The Pizz has passed away. He was of the Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth school of custom cars and monsters, very much in the vein of Robert Williams, Savage Pencil and the whole ‘Lowbrow’ movement. I’ll always remember him best for the Steroid Maximus and Garage Monsters artwork he did for Jim.
Beautiful posters for Expo 67 in Montreal I discovered at various places online – just stunning.
