For Harkive - what I listened to on 9th July, 2013

Last Tuesday I noted down all the music I listened to for the Harkive project. I marked the various albums with the time I started listening ... what I listened to it on ... and, if appropriate, the app I used - it turns out it was all on my iPhone. Where I can ... I've added the Bandcamp player to let you hear too.
Anyway ... here we go:

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What a strange day the 9th of July 2013 was ...

(0733hrs - iPhone - Music)
I started the day with The Echelon Effect’s new EP “Cabrillo”. I put this on while I was in the shower and was so taken with it I played it twice. His post-rock sound and attention to detail is always welcomed by me.



(0757hrs - iPhone - Music)
I put on some deliciously deep ambient music after my shower - “Life Cycle” by John Puchiele Ensemble is my kind of atmosphere and makes for very pleasant ironing music.



(0840hrs - iPhone - Music)
As I walked to the train station to catch a train from Motherwell into Glasgow, I put on the latest “Fifty pence Friday” album from Jonny Trunk and Trunk Records - “Bossa Nova Bacchanal” by Charlie Rouse is a wonderfully upbeat and vibrant record that was so suited to the sunny day.

Unfortunately my mood changed dramatically when I discovered that there had been a suicide at the level-crossing near my house and, as a result of this shocking waste of life, the trains from Motherwell were cancelled. The last thing I wanted to do, at that point, was continue to listen to Charlie Rouse.

I called my wife who, thankfully, was near by and she came, picked up myself and a colleague, and drove us to Bellshill. At this point, the only thing I was listening to was the conversation from my colleague and the story of what happened from my wife - our next-door-neighbour had witnessed the tragedy and was rather shaken up about it.

I eventually got into work around 1015hrs and was so busy I was unable to listen to music while working. I was preparing for a system change overnight and had to ensure the final checks were made.

(1303hrs - iPhone - Music)
I nipped out to grab a coffee with a friend at the local Starbucks and, as I walked there from my work, I listened to tracks from “Lifenotes” from neoclassical composer Clem Leek. I'm a recent convert to his elegant compositions and “Lifenotes” perfectly reflected my melancholic mood.



(1350hrs - iPhone - Music)
It was to “Lifenotes” by Clem Leek that I reverted back to as I made my way to Argyle Street Station ... and then on to Motherwell. It is a piece of music I have become very fond of and am grateful to him for having a sale a couple of days earlier.

(1422hrs - iPhone - Rdio app)
After gorging myself on Clem Leek, I moved onto a recent release on Future Sequence by Tiny Leaves entitled “A Good Land, An Excellent Land”. His neoclassical expression fitted nicely with my mood and the vibrant movement of the music worked really well with the movement of the train.



(1543hrs - iPhone - Rdio app)
After arriving home and having a catch-up with my wife, I tried to grab some sleep. I was on for a night shift and needed to rest. As I tried to crash, I put on “Olias of Sunhollow” ... a classic progressive rock opus from the Yes frontman Jon Anderson. I love this piece of music like an old friend and find it paradoxically stimulating and relaxing. It helped me rest.

(1637hrs - iPhone - Music)
After “Olias of Sunhollow” and a period of silence ... I popped on “East” by Cousin Silas ... an album on my own netlabel - www.weareallghosts.co.uk. I love the work of Cousin Silas and am so proud of all he has put forth, especially on my wee netlabel. “East” is a tremendous example of his talent and a go-to album for me. It helped me switch off.



(1946hrs - iPhone - Music)
After dinner and conversation over the dinner table with my wife and two daughters ... I nipped out to walk our dog, Pippin, in the vain attempt to get tired. As I walked her I listened to “Rest” by Clem Leek. “Rest” is another wonderful example of Leek’s capabilities and a worthy companion as I walked the streets with my Cairn Terrier.



(2033hrs - iPhone - Music)
After walking the dog and grabbing a cup of tea, I headed back upstairs for more sleep. This time I put on the latest longform ambient drone from Earlyguard entitled “Pareidolia”. Earlyguard’s longform pieces are wonderful ... if you like, as I do, longform ambient ... and “Pareidolia” is a great example of the genre. I found his piece very relaxing and happily drifted as a result.



(2123hrs - iPhone - Music)
After “Pareidolia” I selected the first ever album I released on my netlabel - “The Path Between The Trees” by Cousin Silas. I can't express how much I love this piece of music and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of deep listening to it ... an experience I found very relaxing but one that didn’t send me to Nod.



(2213hrs - iPhone - Music)
The last piece of music I listened to on the 9th July was the sublimely beautiful post-rock ambience of Good Weather For An Airstrike and his recent EP “A Sense Of Uncertainty”. It really set me off for a bit more sleep before I was awoken at midnight to say the implementation was off.



What a day ... a day that was, at times, a very strange day ... but nonetheless one that was filled with great music.

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Support independent music.

- Tx

http://harkive.org

The Harkive Project

"It is my belief that no two people have ever listened to music in precisely the same way, and I think this is particularly, increasingly true today. Some of us may use technology or services common to many others, or we may listen to music on the same type of journeys, or in similar spaces, and for similar reasons, but each of us nevertheless creates our own, unique patchwork from what is available to us. The Harkive Project wants to find out how and why you listen to music in the way that you do, and how the devices, technologies, formats, services and time available to you are combined to create your personal listening experience. 

On 9th July 2013 I will be gathering stories from music fans across the globe in order to create a unique snapshot of the many listening cultures, habits and practices that exist on that day. I want to repeat this process every year and map how these change over time. My hope is that the results of my analysis into the responses to various instances of Harkive develop into a useful, informative and interesting resource for anyone interested in Popular Music. In order for this to happen, I need your help: I’d like you to tell me your story."

harkive.org/about/

I find the idea of documenting all the music I listen to on the 9th July (tomorrow) for the Harkive project a compelling idea ... and I intend on getting involved. You should too.

Go here >> harkive.org << to find out more.

Tx

What I listened to in June ...

This list excludes songs on physical formats.

- Tx

Our visit to London ... Day 1

Spent a couple of hours on the Southbank this afternoon.

Before hand, however, we had a whole heap of hassle trying to get our travel sorted - we can buy Adult Oyster cards without any issue but the we'ans need photos for theirs ... with their cards taking up to 3 weeks to get produced. So we need to buy them daily all-day travel tickets ... which isn't an issue except I wish someone that represents Transport for London could actually tell me that. Put it this way ... the folks we sought help from in Paris were friendlier and more helpful than the folks we met today in London.

Anyway ... we went to Waterloo and walked along outside the Southbank Centre ... gazing at the London Eye and the long, long, long queues for it.

We grabbed burritos at Wacaha and ate al fresco.

London is going to be fun ... once we've gotten our bearings.

Tx

"Calypso - is like so..." by Robert Mitchum - 50p on Trunk Records

I was so stoked when Trunk Records' recent email came in and their "50p Friday" album was a personal favourite ... "Calypso - is like so..." by Robert Mitchum.

I've had this album on my iPod for a long time ... I got given it in 128kbps and was desperate to get it in a better bitrate.

It is a mental record ... very, very funny and sing-a-long catchy ... with Mr Mitchum doing a very good version of the Calypso ... a style he learned after spending time in Caribbean. Its a firm family favourite ... especially with Olly's parents. Anne (my mother-in-law) is particularly fond of it.

Thing is ... she's not the only one. This is what Johnny Trunk has to say about it:

Yes, this is Robert Mitchum, the weed smokin' rum totin' super Hollywood bad guy. Think of Mitchum and you imagine Cape Fear, gangsters etc, tattoos, not a man capable of making a Caribbean rum-soaked album, singing in a half-cocked Jamaican patois. Well that's exactly what this is, a true classic. And he gets away with it. Most of the time. All there is left to say is tick, tick tick.

I would heartily recommend this album ... especially at 50p. Snap it up ASAP before it goes.

Tx

http://trunkrecords.greedbag.com/buy/calypso-is-like-so-remastered-2/

Seven questions with ... Craig Murphy aka Solipsism

Yesterday I posted a review of "The Cerenerian Sea" by Solipsism & Nacht Plank. I was given the opportunity to listen to the album by Craig Murphy aka Solipsism ... who kindly agreed to answer my wee blog interview when I asked him. This is what he had to say:

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1) Who are you and what do you do? 
My name is Craig Murphy and I am a musician and producer of music in various experimental genres. I founded the Herb Recordings label in 2006 and ran it until 2013, when the label was taken over by an American music group who control a variety of independent labels. I now work in an A&R capacity for the group. My main musical project is Solipsism, though I have worked in the past with singer and lyricist Neil Carlill (Delicatessen/Lodger) as part of the psychedelic folk group Shoosh and more recently, I have been working extensively with Lee Norris (Metamatics/Norken) as Ashtoreth’s Gate and Solipsism & Nacht Plank.


2) What are you working on at the moment? 
For the majority of 2013 I have been working exclusively on the Ashtoreth’s Gate and Solipsism & Nacht Plank material. Lee and I are both workaholics where music is concerned and it consumes most of our days in one way or another, so it’s been a terrific working relationship as we can connect on a musical level as well as a work ethic level equally and it has resulted in a sustained period of creativity. This has been great for me personally, as I tend to ebb and flow when working myself. Our first album as Solipsism & Nacht Plank is being released on CD via Databloem Records and we’ve just finished our second which will be released on …txt Recordings in the near future. The first Ashtoreth’s Gate album will also be going out soon on CD via Gterma Records and we also have some other stuff on the go. I also have a Solipsism album due for release on CD soon via Twice Removed Records called "A Distance Between Us" and a few other things materialising in the near future. It’s been a busy year!


3) Who inspires you? 
- Name an artist who has inspired you.
Lots of people have inspired me over the years, lots of places, events and even hazy memories have all played some part in inspiring me, though I can’t really pinpoint any single person as being more inspirational than the other.

- Name place that has inspired you. 
The Isle of Mull

- Name some "thing" that has inspired you. 
Space


4) What drives you to do what you do? 
The single biggest influence on me musically is someone from a largely unrelated genre, Frank Zappa. I’ve been a massive Zappa fan since I was a teenager and he was a great role model for artists who want to do things their own way in spite of current trends and also for artists who want to actually do it themselves. Zappa ran a cottage industry pressing his own CDs and vinyl and even took care of much of the distribution. He resented the power that major labels had and successfully sued at least one of them. His most important lesson though was to show that you can do what you want to do if you have the will and determination to do it and the belief in what you are doing. He pioneered cross genre experimentation in the 1960s with the first genuine jazz/rock fusion album titled Uncle Meat and experimentation would remain key to all his future releases regardless of the structure of the band or the genre he was working in.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express? 
Escapism, plain and simple.


6) What role does community play in what you do? 
As a solipsist, not very much I’m afraid!


7) What is next for what you do? 
You never know what the future holds, but I’ll keep working on music until I have a better idea.

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Thanks Craig.

Craig is a workaholic who has five ... yes, five ... new albums due out later in 2013:

• Solipsism - "A Distance Between Us" - CD Album: Twice Removed Records
• Solipsism & Nacht Plank - "The Cerenerian Sea" - CD Album: Databloem Records
• Ashtoreth's Gate - "Ashtoreth's Gate" - CD Album: Gterma Records
• Ashtoreth's Gate - "II" - CD Album: ...txt Recordings
• Solipsism - "Seed Arcanum" - Digital Download: Herb

Enjoy.

- Tx

Recommended - "The Cerenerian Sea" by Solipsism & Nacht Plank

I have a thing for ambient drones. I go to sleep listening to one (or two, if I can't sleep) ... and ... I listen to one whilst working (or two, if its a big piece of work) to aid concentration. I'm a huge fan of this style of musical expression and ... while my netlabel has some wonderful examples to choose from ... I love it when I find a piece from an artist I am unfamiliar with.

Take "The Cerenerian Sea" by Solipsism & Nacht Plank ... a 5-track 71 minute album due to be released on Databloem Records ... an album I was recently given to have a listen to.

This is my kind of ambient ... drone-based but with an emphasis on melody and the imaginative use of noise, glitches, and samples to create and enhance the atmosphere. An atmosphere that isn't quite dark but isn't quite light either ... more a mysterious otherworldy twilight ambience.

The album kicks off with "Imperfect Queen" ... a short-ish drone piece that underpins a delightful melody … a melody that is never drowned out by the noise.

It then moves to "Lush, Polite Heroin" with it's loops of field-recordings that morph into something dissonant yet beguiling. When the melody takes over around the 1:30 mark, the piece takes a decidedly uplifting form which I really enjoyed ... before fading to an almost static buzz. I thought of The Sprawl in William Gibson’s seminal sci-fi classic ’Neuromancer' as I consumed this track ... it has that kind of feel.

We then come face to face with the third track ... the momentous 34 minute opus entitled "Wishbone Four Vaults" which begins with an omnipresent hum before breaking out into some seriously dissonant noise ... a sound, at times, to be endured more than enjoyed ... but one that, if endured, becomes enlightening to those who make it. This is a serious wall-of-sound that does remind of the more frantic elements of nature … like the wind blowing a gale over a body of water. There is something truly elemental about this piece which is a tribute to Solpsism & Nacht Plank's imaginative use of electronics and noise.

The final 2 tracks are far more peaceful ... like the calm *after* the storm. "Dusted Nordic", with its repeated sounds, feels almost hypnotic ... as if I am rising after a long, deep sleep. The underpinning drone vibrates. It forms a subtle melody that warms and comforts ... removing all outside distractions.

The final track - "Escape Point" - is another longform piece ... one that clocks in at 19 minutes. It is bright and airy ... like the breaking of a new day. It is another imaginative piece ... one I found warm and endearing, and definitely in contrast to the dissonant display of power that is the third track. This track balances out the album ... bringing the listener back down after an interesting and varied sonic trip.

I found "The Cerenerian Sea" by Solipsism & Nacht Plank an interesting listen with moments of peace to complement the moments of noise ... the noisier sections may not be to everyone’s taste but I would recommend this release to folks looking for something that, at times, challenges but ultimately rewards the listener.

Tx

http://solipsism-music.tumblr.com/post/52053901970/solipsism-nacht-plank-the-cerenerian-sea

Oh and Nacht Plank's tumblr too >> http://leeanthonynorris.tumblr.com/

We're coming to London ... and need your ideas

My family and I are coming down to London next weekend for 7 days and need your help ... its been 4 years since our last visit and we need your ideas for places to go and things to see.

Not your usual tourist stuff, mind you ... but the spaces that are a wee bit special.



Think museums, galleries, boutiques, cafes, coffeehouses, recordstores, bookshops ... that kind of thing ... preferably independent and unique.

My friend Royzoner has kicked things off with this list:

• The Bowie exhibit at the V&A,
• The Bialy Bagel Shop and Kahalia Cafe on Brick Lane,
• Whole foods on Kensington High Street for foodstuffs,
• The Coffee Plant in Notting Hill, and
• Clapham Picturehouse or the Waterloo South Bank IMAX for a Cinematic experience.

However ... he couldn't recommend a Recordstore.

So what do you recommend? Leave a comment or '@' me on Twitter (@headphonaught).

Tx

Seven Questions with... Ben Steed

I recently reviewed Ben Steed's upcoming album on Twice Removed Records entitled "From Here You Can See Everything" ... where I said this ... as well as other things:

"...What Steed packs into 36 minutes is more than some artists pack into their whole careers. The variety on display and, more importantly, the quality of each track is simply remarkable."

At that point we had yet to connect on Twitter / Facebook etc ... we have since done so and I can confirm he is a top lad.

He happily answered my wee blog interview ... have a wee read below:

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1) Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Ben Steed. Hi! I'm a composer based in England. Musically I have composed various genres over the last few years but in more recent times I seem to be moving mostly towards ambient and piano-lead pieces. I have just recently finished my new album 'from here you can see everything' which is due to come out 1st July through Twice Removed Records.


2) What are you working on at the moment?
Right now I am taking a short break from any major pieces of work as I wait for the new album to be released, but I am occasionally twiddling with a live set I am slowly constructing and will soon be finishing up an EP of textural noise and ambiance planned to come out in August.


3) Who inspires you?
So many things inspire me it's hard to really put a finger on any of it. Musically, I'm inspired by so many artists it'd be possible to really start listing them, but it ranges from almost every genre under the sun. Acoustic stuff to noisecore, classical to ambient, post-rock to IDM, psychedelic to reggae… It's a never-ending, ever-growing list! But in terms of inspiration in general, it really is uncountable how many things inspire me. Please excuse this pretentious waffle, but I find poetry in everything, and it all offers its own unique form of inspiration.


4) What drives you to do what you do?
These days, nothing immediately conscious drives me. Music is in my blood, and deep in my subconscious. I LOVE writing and releasing music and there's no way out of it for me now. It's what I live for, because it just is. And whenever people express their enjoyment for my work, it really does blow me away and, if anything, makes me want to keep writing.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?
Interesting question. I'm not sure if there *are* any specifically desired values. I much prefer people to take whatever they want from the music I make, develop their own opinions and interpretations. That said, I have always loved the idea of immersion, inspired by my own love of being utterly immersed when listening to music. I also enjoy the idea of 'vague storytelling' in my music. Leaving clues in my music towards concealed bigger notions is something I love doing, but I don't know if anyone's picked up on any of it yet!


6) What role does community play in what you do?
A huge one. I value every individual I've met in my life - both in person and online - and regard them at the highest level. There are so many talented people out there who I have had the pleasure to meet and, occasionally, work with. I have never really had a close connection to local communities and scenes (save for about 7 years ago when I was a strictly acoustic act), but there are certainly many communities online that I have come to love. I am an internet nerd, so running into these types of communities are to be expected for such a nocturnal introvert. I would say, though, that there is one community, one 'family', that has had the biggest impact on me and are a group I love unconditionally without question. They know who they are.


7) What is next for what you do?
After this new album drops I plan to, as I mentioned, release a short EP probably in August. After that, my next major release will be in the vein of ambient jazz which will most likely come out next summer sometime. Meanwhile, I am slowly writing my first novel, of which gradual progress is being made. I will also finish this live set I mentioned, and I plan for many more collaborative efforts with people, including my psybient duo Ibotenic and my psy-dub-post-rock-ambient band Access To Alchemy.

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Thanks Ben. I can't wait for the EP in August and some Ambient Jazz is right down my street!

"From Here You Can See Everything" is released on Twice Removed on 1st July :: http://twicerememberedtwiceremoved.bandcamp.com/

- Tx

My photos from Airdrie Salvation Army's Open Day

Yesterday I had the privilege to photograph the first Open Day at Airdrie's Salvation Army. I had a hand in organising the event and it was fab to see it all come together ... through my lens and through my own eyes.



The event was organised by this man ... Bobby Weir Jnr. A very passionate man with a heart for his community. It was free and featured games, face-painting, hot-rolls and a good, ol' fashioned Army cup o' tea.



I managed to take over 200 photos ... with 199 making it onto Flickr. I'm more interested in documenting the day than just sharing my best ... so you've got pretty much all I took on the day. I particularly loved taking some portraits. That was a lot of fun ... as was the whole day, to be honest. I was grinning like a loon for the most part all day.

Here's to the next one!

I've shared some of my faves ... the rest are available over on FLICKR.

Tx