January 2018 – Page 3

Paul Draper (Mansun) announces ‘Spooky Action’ special edition with live album/ Mansun re-issues

Paul Draper has announced details of a special edition of his debut album ‘Spooky Action’. The two CD set features the original album alongside a disc capturing Paul’s triumphant headline show at London’s Scala (recorded on 21^st September 2017). The gig was part of a sell-out solo tour, Paul’s first live shows since Mansun stopped touring in 2002. The gig featured tracks from ‘Spooky Action’ (featured in the Prog, Louder than War and Guardian writers end of year charts – “the perfect confection for the later days of the 2010s” Record Collector 5*,), his solo EPs and Mansun’s ‘Attack of the Grey Lantern’ and ‘Little Kix’. The entire gig has been mixed by Paul’s long time collaborator P Dub.

Live at Scala features:

1. The Silence is Deafening

2. Don’t You Wait, It Might Never Come

3. No Ideas

4. Feeling My Heart Run Slow

5. Things People Want

6. Disgusting

7. Friends Make The Worst Enemies

8. Grey House

9. Who’s Wearing The Trousers

10. I Can Only Disappoint U

11. Wide Open Space

12. Don’t Poke The Bear

Spooky Action & Live at Scala will be available as a 2CD set on Kscope on 16^th February 2018. A single disc of the live album will be available from independent shops and a very limited signed 2 x 12” vinyl edition will be sold exclusively on Paul’s forthcoming UK tour dates. At those shows, Paul and his band will play a set of solo material before performing Mansun’s classic debut Attack of the Grey Lantern in full for the first time ever on the 21^st anniversary of its release. The dates are:

Mon 19^th Feb Brighton The Haunt (sold out)

Tues 20^th Feb Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

Weds 21^st Feb Bristol Bierkellar

Fri 23^rd Feb Dublin The Workman’s Club

Sat 24^th Feb Belfast Limelight 2

Mon 26^th Feb Edinburgh The Caves

Tues 27^thFeb Glasgow The Art School

Thurs 1^st Mar Manchester O2 Ritz

Fri 2^nd Mar Sheffield Leadmill

Sat 3^rd Mar Newcastle Riverside

Mon 5^th Mar Nottingham Rescue Rooms

Tues 6^th Mar Norwich The Waterfront

Weds 7^th Mar Oxford O2 Academy

Thurs 8^th Mar London Brixton Electric

Paul Draper was the frontman of Mansun – one of the most iconic bands of the late ’90s. Over the course of three albums (a fourth issued posthumously), they achieved something unique – after fostering a fervent cult following, they managed to maintain critical and commercial success with a series of intensely radio friendly yet increasingly experimental records. Off the back of their biggest radio record, Mansun imploded in 2003 and Paul all but disappeared from view.

Fast forward to 2017 when Paul released his long-awaited debut solo album, Spooky Action, on Kscope in the summer. The album was the result of a decade of thinking, tinkering, writing, recording and focusing.

Lyrically, biting and brutally honest – an autobiography set to captivating, addictive melody across eleven songs that peak then peak again, then peak again. Taking its cue from 2016’s two EP releases and recorded in collaboration with Catherine AD (The Anchoress) and long time Mansun collaborator PDub, The record’s eleven tracks veer from warped voodoo psych (Don’t Poke the Bear) to glistening synthetic soul (Things People Want); from warped, razor wire rock’n’roll (Grey House) to glorious widescreen analogue pop music (Jealousy Is A Powerful Emotion). Collectively, they represent Paul’s strongest, most consistent set of songs to date – half a lifetime’s work condensed into just over an hour of perfectly formed music.

2017 also saw Kscope acquire the rights to Mansun’s back catalogue. The ground-breaking label will roll out a reissue campaign over eighteen months that will cover the band’s entire history and enhance their reputation as one of the most iconic and innovative bands of the 90s.

Mansun’s four albums – ‘Attack of the Grey Lantern’ (1997), ‘Six’ (1998), ‘Little Kix’ (2000) and the compilation ‘Kleptomania’ (2004) – were originally issued by Parlophone. The Kscope reissues will bring these classic records into the modern age by delving into a treasure trove of previously unreleased audio and visual material while fully remastering the original recordings for 5.1 and deluxe 180gm vinyl. This campaign will begin with ‘Attack Of The Grey Lantern’, to celebrate the 21^st Anniversary of the album’s release.

Godsticks release new video for ‘Angry Concern’ / UK shows announced

Following the release of Welsh rockers Godsticks’ new studio album – Faced With Rage the band have released a video for the song “Angry Concern”.

The clip was filmed during the recording sessions for Faced With Rage at the world-renowned Monnow Valley Studio in Wales. Darran Charles, Godsticks vocalist, guitarist and main writer talks in depth about the track and their time at Monnow: “‘Angry Concern’ is probably one of our most experimental sounding tracks to date and testament to how integral each band member’s contribution is these days. Dan and Tom’s bass and drums are key to keeping an aggressive edge to what is a deceptively vocal-heavy track. I remember that this was one of the first tracks we recorded drums for at Monnow Valley and unusually for us, we ended up tracking drums for the entire song rather than section by section. This ensured a certain dynamism to the performance and I remember that after Tom’s very first take of this track we were all stunned into silence, including James our producer – it blew us away! One of my very favourite drum performances since the band first got together.”

Godsticks, having recently toured with The Pineapple Thief and appeared at Planet Rockstock festival, have also confirmed they will playing two headline shows in the UK in May – their hometown of Cardiff and in London.

A rather excited Darran Charles comments on taking that step to headlining: “After spending the best part of a decade as an opening act you can imagine we have been chomping at the bit to finally do our own headline shows. We’ve more than paid our dues I think, and with 4 albums behind us it’s time to stand on our own 8 feet! We’ll be performing tracks that we’ve never played live before and rehearsing harder than ever to ensure these are the best two Godsticks shows you’ve seen to date. We genuinely cannot wait!!”

4^th May – Cardiff – Buffalo Bar

5^th May – London – Camden Assembly

Ticket details: https://www.godsticks.co.uk/gigs

Review – Cosmograf – When Age Has Done Its Duty (2018 remix) – by Progradar

In the sleeve notes for the comprehensive new package that comes with this remix of Cosmograf’s 2011 critically acclaimed release ‘When Age Has Done Its Duty’, Robin Armstrong writes,

“I sometimes think about all the people I once knew that are now gone and I very much struggle to come to terms with their collective struggles, joys and achievements in life coming to an end. It’s an enduring theme in a lot of what I write. I decided some time back that it would be a tragedy to leave a life with no legacy left behind and it’s a driving force for me to leave as much music as I can with the hope that someone will remember…”

Robin is the man behind Cosmograf and is an extraordinary musical storyteller. His involving concepts and often personal historical narratives take you, the listener, directly to the centre of the story and envelop you in a whole gamut of emotions, all invoked by his remarkable songwriting.

Following the brilliant ‘The Hay Man Dreams’, released last year, Robin has taken it upon himself to revisit ‘When Age Has Done Its Duty’ to completely remix and master it and, in his own words,

“…address some of the issues that were less than perfect on the original recording. Many of the original guitar, bass and vocal parts have been re-recorded, new string arrangements added and a more dynamic low volume level master produced…”

I’ll confess, I have never heard ‘When Age Has Done Its Duty’ before so I can’t give a ‘before and after’ review but, as a big fan of Cosmograf, I’ll tell you what I think of this release as a whole.

The concept of the album is based around Robin’s personal experiences as a boy, visiting his Auntie Mollie and Uncle Harry at their home, Pear Tree Cottage, in a tiny village called Cleobury North in rural Shropshire and he has expanded the concept to cover the emotions and experiences we feel through the ageing process from birth to death. The stunning, original artwork is done by Graeme Bell.

Into This World is a an eleven minute piece that sets the scene with ‘Birth’ as the theme and is instantly recognisable to any fan as a Cosmograf track. Slow building and slow burning with a fragile piano note and Robin’s distincive vocal, the clever lyrics are used to convey the hopes, fears and aspirations that follow the bringing of a child into the world. A powerful and edgy song where the stylish drums of Bob Dalton are used to very good effect. As always, this excellent musician has you gripped from the first note with a moody and atmospheric song that asks questions and, while there is always a feeling of venturing into the unknown, deep down it is hope and optimism that is at the core. The elegant bass of Steve Dunn joins us for Blacksmith’s Hammer, a tribute to his Uncle Harry who worked the forge, shoeing horses right up to his death, age 73 in 1987. It’s an uplifting piece of music, an ode to a modest life where simple pleasures (like smoking a pipe) were enjoyed to their full. An almost spiritual song, there’s a superb (if short) guitar solo that burns with a humble honesty and the lyrics literally describe his demise; he sat back from shoeing a horse and drew his last breath.

Written about Pear Tree Cottage, a special place in Robin’s childhood, On Which We Stand was originally a poem which he wrote to read at his Aunt’s funeral and has become the lyrics to this beautiful song. A wistful and nostalgic opening courtesy of Simon Rogers’ guitar opens into a sublime vocal where Robin reminisces of all the happy times he had in the cottage, the games and the fond memories of he pastimes that made it such a wonderful place. Sit and listen to the words, let the music wash over you and you can almost imagine being there, a sentimental musical journey down memory lane. An old light switch that Robin remembers triggers flashbacks to previous memories and dramas, this is the essence of Bakelite Switch, sounds or smells we experience that snap you back to a previous event in time. On my first listen to the album, this was one of the songs that immediately stood out, the compelling , almost mysterious opening that erupts into a forceful and dynamic guitar riff catches your ear straight away. Bob’s drums drive the track along and you’re hooked as soon as Robin’s vocal begins, “We had electric light in the 70’s, flick the heavy switch, lights up all our lives.” A very involving song that speaks about the novelty of going back to a house that is very much ‘back in time’ and the emotive guitar solo from Luke Machin combines with some swirling keyboards to add even more drama to the visceral memories that Robin is invoking.

Huw Lloyd-Jones adds a poignant vocal to the emotive background of Memory Lost. The song is about an old lady battling on as best as she could after the death of a partner, and living alone with her memories. The title referring to hanging on to the only thing you have left when someone dies…your memory of them. A pared back and sincere track that really hits you hard and makes a mark on your heart and soul, a single tear rolls down my cheek as I listen to the intensity of Huw’s voice, Robin adding a wonderful harmony. I challenge you not to be moved by this seven minutes of Robin trapping history so he would never lose the detail as the years passed, the guitar solo that closes the song is just superb. Documenting Mollie’s last days at the cottage, title track When Age Has Done Its Duty opens with a wonderful recital of ‘Growing Old’ by Tom O’Bedlam spoken over an eloquent piano and keyboards and then Steve Thorne lends his stirring vocals to this bitter-sweet tale. In the 20 years after harry’s death, Mollie always seemed to just be waiting to be with him and in the days leading to her death she just huddled against the Rayburn in the kitchen refusing to eat or move. A sad but elegant song that documents the passing of this proud woman. Robin’s songwriting skills really come to the fore on this track and his choice of Steve Thorne as the vocalist is perfect, the pathos and sentiment he brings to every word is perfect. Just when your emotions are as strung out as you think they can be, Robin fires another stupendous guitar solo at you, leaving you utterly drained.

White Light Awaits takes on the question that has been asked through the ages, what happens after you die? Written as if Robin was having an ethereal conversation with Mollie, asking her what it was like to die and did she experience anything after death. Being a devout Methodist, she would have been appalled by this idea. There’s a bitter, angry tone to the song and the edgy guitar of Lee Abraham adds to the almost cynical, questing tone of Robin’s vocals. Drums are, this time, provided by Dave Ware and their dynamic feel just adds to the challenging aura. The album closes with the heartwarming Dog on the Clee, an inspring song which tells the story of Robin forging a privileged bond with Mollie’s Border Collie ‘Laddie’, a dog that didn’t really like many people at all. The graceful acoustic guitar and Robin’s ethereal vocal bringing a sense of wonder and inspiration to the final chapter in this utterly captivating story.

It may have been originally released in 2011 but this completely remixed and mastered version of ‘When Age Has Done Its Duty’ feels as fresh as if it was recorded yesterday. Possibly the most emotional journey that Cosmograf has ever taken me on, I feel it is Robin at his most open, a wonderfully involving musical journey with a narrative very close to his heart. There’s nothing quite like a Cosmograf album and this could possibly be the best of them all.

Released 26th January 2018

http://www.cosmograf.com/shop/when-age-has-done-its-duty-cd-2018-remix-edition-preorder/

Oh, and for vinyl fans like me, there will be a vinyl release later in 2018!

Reviews – Rob Gould – More Huru For Your Guru and The Sad Robot Declared Peace With Himself – by James R Turner

Many moons ago one of the bands I used to se on semi-regular basis playing at a rundown old Leisure Centre in Rotherham that had long seen better days (like pretty much of all of Rotherham at the time tbh) were Fula, a Buxton based prog rock band, and one of the founder members and driving forces behind the band was multi-instrumentalist and song writer Rob Gould, who would conduct proceedings from his behind his rack of keyboards on stage, as well as joining Brazilian band Ashtar on keyboards.

Since Fula have been on an indefinite hiatus, Rob has continued to plough his own furrow, a one man Peak District Psych composer, putting out ambient electronic albums, inspired by the caves in which he works, as well as more rock and song based audio albums like his last full length album the critically acclaimed ‘The Broken Road’.

Now he’s got two albums out for our delight, and they both are as different from each other as is possible to get, reflecting the many sides to Robs musical personalities.

I will start with the first one of the collection, the wonderfully titled ‘More Huru for Your Guru’, with it’s startling psychedelic cover (great hat Rob). It collects together 10 tracks of cover versions that Rob recorded between 2014 and 2017 for the Fruits de Mer label, and shows where Rob’s influences lie.

From two fantastic interpretations of David Bowie songs, a brilliantly haunting version of We Are the Dead, which takes the tension and power of the original and makes it more sinister in Robs skilful reworking, and the fantastic Sense of Doubt from Bowies “Heroes” album, where Rob shows his musical chops off in fine style. Kudos also has to go to Rob for having the balls to cover A Saucerful of Secrets, in it’s entirety, I have no idea whether Rob is crazy or inspired to take this Floyd song (that to many is one of those Marmite tracks) and reconfigure it and make a bloody good job of it, but either way, the only time I have seen anyone attempt this was again at that Rotherham leisure centre where a Floyd ’67-’69 only covers band called Ummagumma gave it a go.

I was also pleasantly surprised to hear on this album the cover version of The Purple Gang’s Granny Takes a Trip, I thought I was one of the only people in the world who have love for The Purple Gang, and Robs version is a perfect homage to the original whilst making it work in his own style.

With guests of the likes of Hawkwind’s Mr Dibs (who provides vocals on Robs trippy version of the Beatles’ Tomorrow never Knows) Fula’s Nigel Moss on bass on Saucerful amongst others, Rob has assembled an excellent ensemble that help him filter others songs and turn them into his own.

A covers album is always a difficult thing to try and perfect and here Rob manages the balancing act of staying true to the songs, whilst putting plenty of himself in there to stamp his personality on them and not just make a straight forward ‘boy-band’ retread. Extra points go, as always to anyone who covers Pink Floyd and doesn’t pick Comfortably Numb. This is a fantastic album, full of fun, great songs and shows Rob really enjoying himself doing something slightly different to what we’ve known him do before.

‘The Sad Robot Declared Peace with Himself’, is one of Rob’s companion piece albums, and this time it forms a companion to ‘The Broken Road’, containing, as it does, variations on themes of songs recorded for the album, and indeed music recorded at the time and not included, this follows previous companion albums like ‘Black Holes and Empty Spaces’ and ‘An Ocean in a Drop’.

It is a fantastic companion to ‘The Broken Road’, opening with an extended version of Daybreak in the Graveyard of the Sentient Robots, one of the standout tracks from that album, here, in all its’ glory, Rob gives it room to breathe and grow, its soundscapes immersive and complex, pulling you in and washing over you in waves of ambient electronica.

This is Rob back in his electronica territory, a whole world removed from being a Guru, this is him pulling soundscapes together, allowing his ambient and electronic ethos to run through the record. From Starmaker? The Broken Road revisited, which refines and returns to themes on the original album, to the longest track on here The Last Hurrah, which ebbs and flows between almost krautrock minimalism and stunning piano composition, this is where Tangerine Dream, Jean Michel Jarre and Michael Oldfield meet, on some windswept moor in the North of England.

The vast open spaces are evoked gloriously here, Rob is at his compositional finest, and like all the best soundscapes the music here has room to build and grow, the waves filling the room, and the underlying shimmering synths and recurring piano motifs layering and building to a shimmering climax, where the understated beauty of the unaccompanied piano work has a neo-classical edge to it, with tinges of melancholy and beauty fades into a pulsating, pounding electronica musical climax, all Radiophonic synths and minimalist beats, there is a certain thrill to be had as the repetition builds and changes to a driving insistent climax.

The sleeve notes state that these were all pieces completed around the time of ‘The Broken Road’ (which for my money is Rob’s finest solo album) between 2008 and 2013. All apart from The Fireclown, which was originally recorded back in 1990 and re-arranged here and has that almost dance edge to it, darker edgier musical stabs combined with half spoken lyrics, brings to my mind anyway Pulp circa ‘Separations’, and is a brilliant way to end this collection.

Instead of seeing this as a companion album, see this more as the ‘bonus disc’, the bits that fit in-between the spaces, and the songs that didn’t quite get away.

As such it works perfectly, and these two vastly different but both suitably interesting albums, that really show Rob Gould’s multi-faceted talents, and remind us (if we needed reminding) of how consistent and interesting a musician he is. Highly recommended.

Both albums released in 2017.

Order ”The Sad Robot Declared Peace With Himself’ from Rob’s website and receive ‘More Huru For Your Guru’ free here

Review – Verity White – Breaking Out – by James R Turner

That Clive Nolan chappie, not only being an integral part of Pendragon, founder member of Arena as well as driving force behind lots of different musical projects over the years, he also knows his onions when it comes to find new talents. When he branched out into his musical theatre company he brought his knack for a tune and talent for bringing on new voices to the stage with him.

Verity is one such talent, you might have seen her performances in several of Clive’s Caamora project productions including ‘Alchemy’ (which is where I first saw and met Verity at a CRS awards night several years ago) and she is one hell of a vocalist. If you missed her on those performances then you will have seen her with Pendragon on their ‘Masquerade Overture’ 20^th anniversary tour (as an aside that makes me feel old, I remember when ‘Masquerade Overture’ was brand spanking new) where she fitted in like she’d always been there.

Now, as the title of her debut solo album indicates, Verity is ‘Breaking Out’, and blimey she does it in style.

Following on from a few teaser singles last year, ‘Breaking Out‘ see’s Verity stepping from under the wings of her mentors and putting herself firmly in the spotlight.

As a performer and vocalist Verity is not backwards in coming forwards, and this album is chock full of full on rock songs that demonstrate her voice and range in style, and nothing here feels forced or fake, with her husband Alex on guitar and production duties this is a real family affair, and, as I’ve said before and will say again, couples that play together have a connection far deeper than ordinary bandmates, as they connect on both an emotional and musical level. This for me adds far more to the music as it brings something more out into, and this gives the album a lot of soul and power, and Alex is also one hell of a guitarist.

The 10 tracks on here are all fantastically written and produced, and are designed to showcase the power and versatility of Veritys vocals, from her full on rock power on tracks like the raucous I Don’t Care, about a lairy mad night out (I somehow get the feeling from this track that verity would a: Drink you under the table and b: end up dancing on said table at the end of the night) whilst the opening title track is a tour de force in putting her vocals centre stage, and sets the tempo for the rest of the album with it’s blues riffs, funky piano break and soulful vocals.

Zeros and Ones has some great synth work and a softer vocal approach from Verity, Demons In Your Head is an emotionally honestly charged song about struggles with mental health and again there’s softer vocals on the reflective and introspective See Through with more emotionally honest lyrics. These songs show that Verity has a lot of heart and soul and wears both on her sleeve.

More of those sublime synths drive Face It and it shimmers and has another of those amazing guitar hooks that are scattered over this album like rice at a wedding and with its sheen and funk could strut it’s way onto any radio play list. This is a fantastic driving album, stereo on loud, open road and an excellent soundtrack. Exhale mixes the ethereal with the rocky side as Verity puts her voice through it’s paces, it’s dynamic range and power makes this performance a tour de force and reaffirms that she is at the top of her game, & arguably one of the female vocalists of her generation.

Slow Fall is a great piano driven rocker with some great musical interplay and more of Verity’s wonderful vocals. The whole album covers the human experience perfectly and is full of radio friendly rock songs. The music on here is all sublimely produced and performed and there are some wonderful musical moments on here that get the toes tapping from start to finish.

Verity White is someone who has added so much as a vocalist and performer within any ensemble that she has performed with, and on this confident debut full of charm and power she juxtaposes real rock swagger with emotional vulnerability and proves that she is a star in her own right.

‘Breaking Out’ is an apt title, as this see’s Verity stamping her mark all over the music scene and showing that she is a name to watch.

This is an essential album and one hell of a debut. I can’t wait to catch Verity on tour in January.

BREAKING OUT TOUR

January 11th – The Castle Hotel, Manchester – tickets
January 12th – Fiddler’s Elbow, Camden, London – tickets
January 14th – Gwdihw Cafe Bar, Cardiff – tickets
January 18th – Mr Wolfs, Bristol – tickets

Released 3rd November 2017

Order ‘Breaking Out’ from bandcamp here

Interview with Thumpermonkey by James R Turner

Following on from his review of Thumpermonkey’s E.P. ‘Electricity’, James R Turner posted a few questions to the band…

1) The last full length release was back in 2012, so what have you guys been up in the interim?

Working very, very slowly on a new album, though it is pretty much complete now. Additionally, a lot of the last year has been spent concentrating on making sure that we have a good strategy for its release. Sel Balamir of Amplifier is going to be putting out the album on his new ‘Rockosmos’ label, so we’re all super excited to finally share it. Rockosmos has also just put out a 4 track EP called ‘Electricity’.

2) Where did the inspiration for ‘Electricity’ come from?

We’d played the new songs to Sel that we wanted to release as an album, and while he was really into the vibe, he felt that he’d like us to produce an EP quickly to help consolidate the identity of the label and ease new fans into what we do. So the initial ‘inspiration’ was basically Sel saying ‘write a load of new songs!’ This was a totally different approach to how we’d written the upcoming album – it’s the fastest we’ve ever written new material.

A lot of inspiration came after we settled on the EP’s front cover image – I’d been trawling through the British Library archives looking for ideas, and the image of a pith-helmeted englishman getting blown up by his experiments, (in this instance, trying to use electricity to ‘transform babylon’), stood out. We already had the shells of songs by this point, but the image suggested new themes to me – ancient civilisations, colonial arrogance, religion – that kind of stuff. These ideas seemed to naturally worm their way into the lyrics.

3) How do you write and compose your songs? And are there any specific influences on your writing style?

It’s a very democratic process. What normally happens is that everyone produces scores and scores of demos that eventually get whittled down to a shortlist that everyone is happy to experiment further with. There’s very little jamming, really. One of us will end up taking a demo, mutating it into something else, and then if everybody is into it, we’ll start trying to learn it and refine it in a rehearsal space.

We’re big fans of the Immersion Composition Technique – also known as the ‘20 song game’, where everyone in the band is forced to write 20 songs in one day, and then meet to see if there are any bits worth keeping. You can check out www.ics-hub.org for more information about this way of writing.

4) Since your last release the industry has moved apace, are you fans of streaming or do you prefer the physical release?

I think it’s not worth getting too attached to a particular delivery method – I think bands just need to canvas the opinion of their fan-base and see what they are into. What we have learned, (and I don’t know if this is specific to the genre of music we’re making), is that there’s certainly a desire for physical product not to disappear completely. We get a lot of requests to reprint old albums and EPs that have been only available digitally for the last few years, so we promise we’ll try and get round to that!

5) Is there a new album due soon?

Yes indeed – now that the EP is out of the way, the next few months are going to be about getting an album release date set – the album is called ‘Make Me Young, Etc’, and will be released in 2018.

6) In the digital age how important do you see the role of social media in promotion?

I know many bands are frustrated by having to engage in advertising on social media platforms, and it’s easy to focus on the negative, but it really is critical I think. While you are fighting against a certain amount of white noise due to the sheer volume of people competing for attention, it’s worth stopping and reflecting on how these platforms offer you the opportunity to connect with people who otherwise never would have heard your music.

7) any further live dates planned?

We’re playing at the ‘8 Years of Chaos’ all dayer on Feb 3rd at The Brewhouse, London – Chaos Theory is our favorite promoter, and it will be great to play alongside all the other excellent bands that Kunal has picked from nearly a decade of bonkers shows. We’re also looking at dates outside of London as well.

8) Who are your favourite artists/bands?

We don’t all agree on the same influences, but generally speaking we’ve got a lot of time for Shudder to Think, Magma, King Crimson, Deerhoof, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and Scott Walker’s recent output.

9) Can you recommend any up and coming bands to us?

Most recently I’ve been really getting into Charlie Cawood’s lush instrumental solo album ‘The Divine Abstract’, (Charlie is the bass player for old label-mates Knifeworld, as well as being a multi instrumentalist in about 20 other bands). Here’s hoping he figures out how to perform it live!

I’ve also been enjoying recent releases by Yowie (“Synchromysticism”), and Strobes (“Brokespeak”).

10) What question would you like to be asked in an interview that you never have been? (& what would be your answer).

I’d like somebody to ask me about my constant inclusion of references to Aztec theology in Thumpermonkey song lyrics. My answer would be very long.

11) Vinyl. Yes or No & why!

Sure – why not! Our upcoming album is hopefully going to have a vinyl release. I’m not one to spend too much time engaging in discussions about the perceived positive or negative aspects of a specific format – a substantial amount of our fans have asked for vinyl version, and all I’m concerned about it that this sounds like a lot of fun. I’m personally looking forward to seeing the artwork in a larger format as well. If enough people demanded our album on a 90 min cassette, I’d be happy to consider it. Maybe not minidisc though. Or wax cylinder.

‘Electricity’ can be ordered from bandcamp here

Band picture by Simon Kallas.

Review – Arc of Triumph – s/t – by James R Turner

Facebook, it’s a funny little place isn’t it? A microcosm of the real world where everything is amplified and friendly joking can be taken too far where people misread the signals, and where braggadocio and one-upmanship seems to be the preferred method of conversation. Like so much other social media including Twitter, certain parts of it seem to be an endless stream of vitriol and anger, directed at others who are different, people you disagree with, people who aren’t ‘you’.

This is where Arc of Triumph come in, I was connected to the band (Simon Elvin and Rory Holl) through someone posting about reviewing the album on a friends timeline, and you guys know me, if there’s something new and exciting out there, and I can get to listen to new music and help a friend of a friend out, then hell I will do my best.

Which is how this duo’s debut album appeared in my inbox, and on my iPod (other media devices are available) and how it came to be one of my albums of 2017.

This record could probably not have been written and created at any other point in human history, where you have the alleged leader of the free world tweeting about the North Korean leader, less diplomacy and more like a little kid throwing stones.

You have the omnishambles that is the zombie Government of the UK trying to negotiate the worst possible deal on Britain’s exit from the European Union, frankly they couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery, and you have the threat of ISIS, global warming, the lack of any global leader to come to any consensus for anything, and a resurgent Russia and China.

These my friends are what we call, interesting times.

Arc of Triumph, an ironic metaphor rather than a glory seeking name, take this rich and unstable tapestry and weave it into a rich and intelligent album all about the end of empires and collapse of great civilisations. After all, no civilisation knows it’s at the end of its reign until after the event.

These 10 tracks run the whole gamut from devious politicians to collapsing empires, and it’s a testament to the bands strength of vision that the whole concept hangs together brilliantly, and the album flows with style and grace.

Starting with the dynamic and great Brick and Brick, they lay put their stall with some funky guitar work, fab old school synth sounds and mature intelligent lyrics.

This is the combination of album as story, history lesson and grand concept, after all those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat.

Pulling off a trick that has been utilised by artists like the Beautiful South, Elvin & Holl pull of the juxtaposition of darker lyrics with a more upbeat sound, creating angular, spiky post rock sounds that fans of bands like Franz Ferdinand would find much to love.

This isn’t their only musical skill though, and to imply so would be doing the band a disservice. Unlike some of the more preachy end of music where certain more earnest songwriters treat their audience like children, there is no grand sermon style songs on here, no patronisation and by treating the audience as the intelligent adults that they are, Arc of Triumph manage to get the message across using the music and the lyrics and no trickery.

Tracks like the brilliant My Town; evoking the images of fallen Egyptian Empires in their Pyramids and monuments to their ego, punches it’s evocation of arrogance and pride out with some driving guitar work and powerfully written music.

In contrast I’ll be Your Eyes pulls together everything that is wrong about the public being brainwashed by charismatic right wing leaders, who pull on some Daily Mail esque image of ‘wanting the country back’. It’s uncomfortable listening, as is probably the aim, due to the words of the lyrics repeated across the many platforms from twitter to Facebook to the front pages of newspapers, ‘pull up the drawbridge and pull down the blinds’. Sometimes the truth is uncomfortable, and there are no holds barred here, similar to last years ‘We’re all in this Together’ by IT, in the words of a former American statesman, it’s an inconvenient truth. But one we all need to hear.

Songs like Take it All With Us and Birthright deal with the ideals of greed and believing people can have anything they like, the sense of entitlement that pervades so much of society, and the constant drive for more that is ripping the planet apart underneath us.

With a broad musical palette to work from, these songs cross genres and become a fantastic musical melting pot of rock, folk, post rock, angular indie guitar mixing with lovely vocal harmonies, elements of folk rock and some genuinely prog keyboard sounds, which is beguiling, charming and utterly confident in it’s own sound and style.

The album, despite the dark message that runs throughout, particularly on the closing duo of This is What Will Happen, with it’s pop noir elements and dark Poe-esque imagery, evoking the Raven, and an almost Wishbone Ash ‘Argus’ era guitar sound, that features some sublime violin, the dark folk element of this brings the track to life and it’s repetitive beat and drive is almost tribal in nature. The closing Darker Shadows, at 7 minutes the longest track on the album, has some really magnificent mood music, powerful electronic sounds, pounding drums and some astonishing vocals.

This album is one that is definitely a grower; listening on my headphones you slowly absorb the atmosphere, the musical nuances, the intelligent vocals, and the passion. My goodness this album drips with passion and emotion. Considering this is a debut this walks all over new albums released in 2017 by bands who’ve been at it a lot longer and obviously aren’t as hungry or fired up as this dynamic duo. It is fresher, sharper, clearer of purpose and full of charm and depth.

Arc of Triumph have produced a triumphant musical arc, and one that I keep returning to again and again. Don’t let this gem slip under your radar. Your ears will never forgive you.

Released 16th October 2017

Buy ‘Arc of Triumph’ from bandcamp here

Review – Transport Aerian – Therianthrope – by Progradar

The review of this new release from avant-garde/art rock musician Hamlet’s Transport Aerian project has been a very difficult one to write. Hamlet is not afraid of talking and writing about difficult subjects and, in the case of ‘Therianthrope’, expressing his thoughts through his music.

‘Therianthrope’ is described as an album whose themes are dedicated to the emotions of the mind, torn by different assets of mental illness in the context of quickly developing world on the brink of the war, social and economical catastrophe. In the other worlds, it explores a twisted, ugly side of anyone of us in the modern world.

Not exactly warm and cuddly then? However music has always been there to explore all kinds of emotions and themes and it is how it does this that really matters.

The PR informations goes on to say:

“Besides the conventional music pieces, ‘Therianthrope’ also features The Abstract Symphony, a set of songs and instrumental pieces based on blind improvisation by the team of guest musicians. Nobody knew what the other musician would play, as they were only given a theme to describe and photographs to emphasize the visual in the sound. Such experimental approach is a manifest of modernity, an information field that contains the similar artistic concepts and thus allows any music to be created out of idea, without other forms of direct physical or intellectual interaction.”

The mood is set by the dark opening track Smirking Sirens which has a grating rhythm and seems to feed on your nervous energy. The music is harsh and Hamlet’s vocals are as direct and accusatory as ever. This is the singular style that I have come to expect from this unique musician and it carries on with the next track Pitchfork Martyrs. There’s almost a funereal tone to the music, a dark but actually enjoyable dirge. I’m still on the fence with this album but it is beginning to grow on me, insinuating its darkened charms into my soul. Let You Never Perish and Destroy Me carry on with the obsidian, sombre mood. These are songs that are written to convey the depths of twisted, darkened human minds where depression and insanity are never far away but they do so in a captivating manner. You find yourself unable to turn away, almost like the old days of hiding behind the sofa but wanting to sneak a peak at the horror film showing on the TV. It is clever and intelligent songwriting that keeps you right in the middle of the story.

The Abstract Symphony sections follow, woven through the standard tracks, and this sees such talented musicians as Marco Ragni, Peter Matuchniak, Rachel Bauer and Darren Brush join Hamlet in improvised sections of music where none of the musicians knew what the other was playing. It is a really ingenious way of creating music and left me intrigued as to what they would come up with.

I : Information Field and II: Saturate really stretch the listener, this is not music that you can lay back and let wash over you, it demands your attention but is never anything less than an absorbing listen. You will return to this album time and time again and come away with different impressions of these tracks, thought provoking and stimulating, they really do ask questions of you that you may not even want to answer. September appears like a light in the darkness, a veil lifted and a mind rescued from obfuscation. Hamlet’s vocals are intertwined with the more dulcet tones of Rachel Bauer and give the track the feel of an oasis in a sea of darkness, pain and confusion. Stefan Boeykens lead guitar is superb, however the ever present fog of confusion is never far away…

III: Lovemeat is another journey into the creative minds of the musicians and has a soundtrack atmosphere to it, like a quirky independent movie where you never quite know what is happening, tension and surprises at every turn. Hamlet is joined solely by Darren Brush’s Chapman Stick for the enigmatic and Delphian feeling Eternal Guilt, a powerful foray into madness and insanity in a musical form. A painful and harrowing listen but one which adds candour and honesty and a piece of music that had me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath throughout. The slow burning guitar solo is genius.

IV: Poor Things Need ( A Common Interest) is another inventive slice of music that actually has a real laid back feel to it, almost a folk/roots music style. There’s still a fragility at the core, a feel that this is a rarely seen period of lucidity where a cry for help can be given and understood. Lions is beautifully melancholy and sombre, Hamlet’s vocal imparting a vulnerability that cries out for help. I find myself getting lost in the music and the lyrics, there’s no darkness here, just a raw and open candor and pain. Marco Ragni and Peter Mantuchniak add brillaint guitars that just help this song be as humanly honest as possible.

The last Abstract Symphony V: Immortals brings these great sections of music to a close with a real jazz infused feel. Layers of guitars, dulcimer, Chapman Stick and keyboards contribute to an abstract piece that, along with Rachel’s narration, connects with you at a very basic level, the music infusing itself into your very soul. This deeply passionate album comes to a close with Last Years of Peace, an atmospheric and involving experience that leaves you in a reflective and contemplative frame of mind. There’s an almost oriental note to the music with its mesmerising, hypnotic harmonies and I actually feel myself relaxed and calm as it comes to a close.

‘Therianthrope’ is not intended to be an easy listening experience, it is a thought-provoking and sometimes actually quite raw and painful musical journey that should be consumed in one listen to understand and get the most from it. It is an intense and intensely satisfying record that proudly steps away from the expected to deliver one of 2017’s more engrossing and stimulating releases.

Released 17th November 2017

Order ‘Therianthrope’ from MRR here

BEATRIX PLAYERS 2018 LIVE DATES ANNOUNCED + SUPPORTING ORIGINAL COCKNEY REBEL STEVE HARLEY

Beatrix Players are a London-based all-female trio whose unconventional but evocative music straddles the boundaries of folk, prog rock, acoustic, classical and pop music. The band are thrilled to announce they will be supporting Steve Harley Acoustic Trio, the original Cockney Rebel, across three shows at Cardiff’s Acapela Studios on February 14th, 15th& 16th; followed by their own headline show on April 22nd.

They will also be performing a warm-up London show at Camden’s Green Note on Friday 19th January before heading to The Robin 2 in Wolverhampton on February 11th next year to support symphonic rock band Serpentyne.

Beatrix Players recently released double A-side single ‘All That Thinking / Hurt’ in October. ‘All That Thinking’ being taken from their 2017debut album, ‘Magnified’, while ‘Hurt’ is a previously unreleased studio recording of the Nine Inch Nails song, famously covered by Johnny Cash on his ‘American IV: The Man Comes Around’ album.

The trio recently won the prestigious Limelight Award at the 2017 Prog Awards which took place at London’s Globe Theatre on September 14^th, and performed Hurt live to an audience of peers, critics and industry insiders. The Limelight Award highlights the best of the talent that has emerged over the past 12 months on the progressive rock scene. Previous winners of the coveted award include The Anchoress, Messenger and TesseracT.

Through their enchantingly dark and evocative melodies, expansive arrangements and empowered orchestral sound Beatrix Players tell stories of real life and fantasy. Citing influences as diverse as Michael Nyman and Regina Spektor and drawing comparisons to the likes of Kate Bush and Einaudi Ludovico. There are tempestuous passages in the bands’ music that you can imagine being delivered by traditional rock instrumentation but it is the very absence of guitars and drums that means there’s nobody out there quite like Beatrix Players.

BEATRIX PLAYERS UK SHOW DETAILS

Friday 19^th January

Green Note, London

(Serpentyne warm up show)

www.wegottickets.com/greennote/event/420455

Sunday 11^th February

Robin 2, Wolverhampton

(supportingSerpentyne)

www.therobin.co.uk

Wednesday 14^th February

Acapela Studio, Cardiff

(supporting Steve Harley Acoustic Trio)

SOLD OUT

Thursday 15^th February

Acapela Studio, Cardiff

(supporting Steve Harley Acoustic Trio)

SOLD OUT

Friday 16^thFebruary

Acapela Studio, Cardiff

(supporting Steve Harley Acoustic Trio)

SOLD OUT

Sunday 22^nd April

Acapela Studio, Cardiff

(Headline Show)

www.acapela.co.uk/events/beatrix-players/

www.beatrixplayers.co.uk

F: @BeatrixPlayers

T:@BeatrixPlayers

Review – Tom Slatter’s Murder and Parliament – Murder and Parliament – by Emma Roebuck

Secret Project **** released, and I have to admit my personal prejudices got the better of me when the worst kept secret at Evil Pachyderm Central Lab 558 was actually announced ready for release.

My bigotry being I see Tom Slatter as a wordsmith turned musician rather than a musician who can do words too! I gave it a cursory spin to choose a track for my show on Progzilla then, as is my wont, set it aside for proper listen when I had no reviews in hand. Martin then suggested I have a go at the review so I have the reason and motivation to examine this release closer with my singular brain cell.

The opening track A Scattering begins with swelling, rising keyboard riff that introduces a distorted guitar sound then a repeating riff that I assume is from Alun on bass. The refrain is passed from instrument to instrument then devolves into a manic feeling ‘battle of the musician’s’ jam session. Imagining Tom essentially jamming with himself is something too torturous to actually retain. In the central section it transforms into a jazz improvisation and tennis match as sections are passed across the studio. Consider four versions of Tom in the studio grinning in the classic evil Professorial manner of a Verne/Wells classic and you get my imagery and should be rightfully worried. This, in all honesty, shows some real depth and texture that makes me smile and I see my prejudices were flawed and incorrect.

Crookedness has the feel of a Tom Slatter track, the “Steam Punk Skiffle” guitar and drums combo racing into the track, seeing who gets there first and unsurprisingly ending in a draw at the middle eight. This is not a bad thing and Grey Malkin is a fine piece of similar proportions of manic guitar and lilting tempos for variety. It appears there is actually a Slatter Guitar sound! You can hear his musical voice and technique in the sound and structure. Both these tracks could have been songs with words but they turned hard left at the lyrical and melody corner and the lyrical content became a guitar line with keyboard harmonies. They both have enough to keep the listener busy if they want to dig deeper but also can wash over you as whole pieces if they are on in the car or while performing those other functions that life demands.

That is the first three out of the way and they feel like what I would expect from Tom knowing his previous work in the way I do. The next 5 all show something very different and one of the reasons why I think this actually is an album that should not be forgotten in the seasonal melee that was Christmas and New year. Kettle and Cauldron sounds like it is straight of an experimental Berlin school jam between Can Neu! and Kluster and is annoyingly short at 3 minutes and a bit. It could be expanded to a 15 or 20 minute zone out percussion and synth electronic dream. Firecracker has the addition of Chrissie on Violin giving a softer feel and a drifting continuance from the previous track into that guitar sound.

Embers is, by a country Victorian Mile, my favourite on this album. The violin, atmospheric keyboards and sonic landscape understate what is going on and hide, to some degree, a complex but very easy on the ear piece of music. Think a Steam Punk Floyd Shine on You Crazy Diamond and you get some idea from words but only listening to it can you really get it! Alun does the bass line as a melody in parts and vanishes in others. Again Slatter, too short! I want a longer track with more beyond the fade.

Clamour and They Broadcast My Birthday on a Numbers Station (no, I have no idea what that means either!) flow together from Embers developing and growing almost as if they were from a common session. Clamour is a mature piece and shows insights of an avante-garde and metal combination without sounding like either. Tom has an ear for a riff and a refrain and is fond of bouncing them around and playing them to create larger works. Both tracks have that finger print on them. On deeper listening, Tom is hinting at his influences from the rock, metal, thrash, jazz (and possibly prog too) genres.

Instrumental albums are never easy, especially when you are a songwriter, and it could so easily have been and album of music “I could not find words for so let’s make an instrumental album”. Instead it shows a side of Mr Slatter that lies hidden too often in his other albums; the composer is exposed here at his most vulnerable and it is all the better for that exposure. I know there are plans afoot for Tom to play with a full band in a live setting and I think there is room for these tracks in that set. I would love to hear him experiment in some long form electronic material too.

I said I went into this with a fair amount of prejudice and expectation and I apologise for that and a slapped wrist for me. I think this is one for your collection, despite missing the inevitable end of 2017 best of lists and no doubt the forgotten of 2018 to come lists.

Released 1st December 2017

Order ‘Murder and Parliament’ from bandcamp here

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: