BLOG. // ARCHIVE.
20.05.13
RIP Ray Manzarek.
"The future is uncertain and the end is always near".
RIP Ray Manzarek.
"The future is uncertain and the end is always near".
15.05.13
A-Sun Amissa vs McrScenewipe
"I’d never been to a gig at the Bay Horse before and tonight my expectations were far superseded. The setting fit the bands like Charlie and Chalk. First, you have to pass through what could be mistaken as a Wetherspoon's: uncomfortable, upholstered seating, seedy regulars, and oodles of Carlsberg on tap. However, you creep down to the next level and you feel as though you have just entered a secret lair via a trapdoor. The mood was perfect for the gig we were about to witness. I took a (literal) pew and awaited first on the bill, A-Sun Amissa.
There is something to be said for a band that has more guitar pedals than a Velodrome: you are in for an interesting ride. I was delighted to see that one half of the two-piece was a violinist. How were they going to make this sound? When they got into it, I wondered why I’d ever stopped listening to post-rock: because it never sounded this good.
A-Sun Amissa had a definite sound of Winter in their music. I could feel the lacerations of the violin on the back of my neck, and the guitar bludgeoning me to rest. For the entirety of their set, I had chills running across my skin. That could be something to do with the draft in the room. It worked anyhow. A beauty in their sound left me breathless in the breaks between their songs, leading me to almost forget to applaud."
A-Sun Amissa vs McrScenewipe
"I’d never been to a gig at the Bay Horse before and tonight my expectations were far superseded. The setting fit the bands like Charlie and Chalk. First, you have to pass through what could be mistaken as a Wetherspoon's: uncomfortable, upholstered seating, seedy regulars, and oodles of Carlsberg on tap. However, you creep down to the next level and you feel as though you have just entered a secret lair via a trapdoor. The mood was perfect for the gig we were about to witness. I took a (literal) pew and awaited first on the bill, A-Sun Amissa.
There is something to be said for a band that has more guitar pedals than a Velodrome: you are in for an interesting ride. I was delighted to see that one half of the two-piece was a violinist. How were they going to make this sound? When they got into it, I wondered why I’d ever stopped listening to post-rock: because it never sounded this good.
A-Sun Amissa had a definite sound of Winter in their music. I could feel the lacerations of the violin on the back of my neck, and the guitar bludgeoning me to rest. For the entirety of their set, I had chills running across my skin. That could be something to do with the draft in the room. It worked anyhow. A beauty in their sound left me breathless in the breaks between their songs, leading me to almost forget to applaud."
13.05.13
A-Sun Amissa vs London by The Sleeping Shaman
"So first on are A-Sun-Amissa, who I could’ve sworn were supposed to be a three-piece, but for whatever reason perform as a guitar and violin duo tonight – both players accompanied by an expensive-looking number of pedals. To begin with they play a couple of pieces that sound like the quiet forlorn parts of Godspeed You! Black Emperor but less raggedly executed and without that ‘punk’ sensibility I guess. I think this is just about going to be the size of it for the rest of their set, but they go on to cover a lot of ground from almost straight neo-classical to minimal drone – all of it really pretty beautiful. The violinist also occasionally loops and layers some half-wailing, half-chanting wordless vocals which give those parts an almost religious resonance. They only speak once to say thank you to everyone for listening in probably the most sincere and hushed fashion I’ve ever heard come from a stage, which only endeared them to me more. A-Sun-Amissa played a really quite diverse set in terms of musical style, but it remained focused in terms of mood and tone. I didn’t really know much about them before this performance, but they were probably my favourites of the night – and that thing of hearing something new that you love is one of the best bits about going to see live music."
A-Sun Amissa vs London by The Sleeping Shaman
"So first on are A-Sun-Amissa, who I could’ve sworn were supposed to be a three-piece, but for whatever reason perform as a guitar and violin duo tonight – both players accompanied by an expensive-looking number of pedals. To begin with they play a couple of pieces that sound like the quiet forlorn parts of Godspeed You! Black Emperor but less raggedly executed and without that ‘punk’ sensibility I guess. I think this is just about going to be the size of it for the rest of their set, but they go on to cover a lot of ground from almost straight neo-classical to minimal drone – all of it really pretty beautiful. The violinist also occasionally loops and layers some half-wailing, half-chanting wordless vocals which give those parts an almost religious resonance. They only speak once to say thank you to everyone for listening in probably the most sincere and hushed fashion I’ve ever heard come from a stage, which only endeared them to me more. A-Sun-Amissa played a really quite diverse set in terms of musical style, but it remained focused in terms of mood and tone. I didn’t really know much about them before this performance, but they were probably my favourites of the night – and that thing of hearing something new that you love is one of the best bits about going to see live music."
08.05.13
A couple of shots from the recent A-Sun Amissa show in Manchester - taken by David Armes.
A couple of shots from the recent A-Sun Amissa show in Manchester - taken by David Armes.
07.05.13
Some wonderful experiences and memories from the A-Sun Amissa tour... thanks to all that made it happen.
Here are a couple of 'fan' videos from London.
Set list:
I Lower My Eyes / Arm in Arm to a Full Awakening / Ceremony / You Stood Up For Victory, We Stood Up For Less (Part 1 + 2)
Some wonderful experiences and memories from the A-Sun Amissa tour... thanks to all that made it happen.
Here are a couple of 'fan' videos from London.
Set list:
I Lower My Eyes / Arm in Arm to a Full Awakening / Ceremony / You Stood Up For Victory, We Stood Up For Less (Part 1 + 2)
25.04.13
A-Sun Amissa hit the road tomorrow for a handful of UK dates, hope to see some of you there.
26 - NEWCASTLE (UK)
Morden Tower w/ Fieldhead // [Tickets]
27 - EDINBURGH (UK)
Banshee Labyrinth w/ Fieldhead // [Tickets]
28 - MANCHESTER (UK)
Bay Horse w/ Fieldhead & N.Racker
29 - LEEDS (UK)
Wharf Chambers w/ Barn Owl & Fieldhead // [Tickets]
30 - BRIGHTON (UK)
Green Door Store w/ Barn Owl [Tickets]
MAY
01 - LONDON (UK)
Lexington w/ Barn Owl // [Tickets]
A-Sun Amissa hit the road tomorrow for a handful of UK dates, hope to see some of you there.
26 - NEWCASTLE (UK)
Morden Tower w/ Fieldhead // [Tickets]
27 - EDINBURGH (UK)
Banshee Labyrinth w/ Fieldhead // [Tickets]
28 - MANCHESTER (UK)
Bay Horse w/ Fieldhead & N.Racker
29 - LEEDS (UK)
Wharf Chambers w/ Barn Owl & Fieldhead // [Tickets]
30 - BRIGHTON (UK)
Green Door Store w/ Barn Owl [Tickets]
MAY
01 - LONDON (UK)
Lexington w/ Barn Owl // [Tickets]
22.04.13
Early Monday morning reading on Death and other life matters by Mr. Wayne Coyne.
http://thequietus.com/articles/11681-wayne-coyne-flaming-lips-interview
Early Monday morning reading on Death and other life matters by Mr. Wayne Coyne.
http://thequietus.com/articles/11681-wayne-coyne-flaming-lips-interview
18.04.13
Some nice words on the new A-Sun Amissa record from the ever reliable Rock-a-Rolla magazine.
Some nice words on the new A-Sun Amissa record from the ever reliable Rock-a-Rolla magazine.
16.04.13
One from the vaults.
One from the vaults.
15.04.13
Out today on Gizeh: Aidan Baker - Already Drowning.
Stream in full for one week only.
14.04.13
R.I.P. Chi Cheng
R.I.P. Chi Cheng
12.04.13
How to Tour in a Band or Whatever
by Thor Harris
1-Don’t Complain. Bitching, moaning, whining is tour cancer. If something is wrong fix it or shut the fuck up you fucking dick. goddamn.
2-If you fart, claim it.
3-Don’t Lose shit. Everybody loses shit. Don’t fucking do it. Asshole.
4-Don’t fuck anyone in the band. There are tons of people to fuck who are not in this band. Dumbass.
5-If you feel like shit all the time, drink less beer at the gig. You will play better & feel better. What are you… a child? Some have the endurance for self abuse. Most don’t.
6-Remember the soundman’s name. He will do a better job.
7- Eat oranges. Cures constipation & prevents colds.
8-Masturbate. Duh… Where & when? Be creative. You’re an artist right?
9-If YOU can’t carry your suitcase 3 blocks, it’s too goddamn big.
10-Respect public space in the van. Don’t clutter, you Fuck.
11-If you borrow something, return it. Not Fucked Up.
12-Do not let the promoter dick you or talk you out of the guarantee. If there were not enuf people there, it’s their fault.
13- Driver picks the music.
14-One navigator only (usually sitting shotgun). Everyone else shut the fuck up.
15-Soundcheck is for checking sounds. Shut the fuck up while everyone else is checking.
16-Don’t wander off. Let someone know where you are.
17-Clean up after yourself. What are you… a goddamn toddler?
18-Touring makes everyone bi-polar. Ride the waves as best you can and remember, moods pass. So don’t make any snap decisions or declarations when you are drunk or insane.
19-Fast food is Poison.
20-The guestlist is for friends, family & people you might want to fuck. Everyone else can pay. They have day jobs.
21- Don’t evaluate your whole life while you’re sitting in a janitor closet waiting to go on. You think you’re above having shitty days at work? Shut up & do your goddamn job.
This list was written under the influence of lots of esspresso & anti-depressants while on tour w/ such greats as Shearwater, Swans, Smog, Lisa Germano, Angels of Light, Bill Callahan & many more. I hope this list will help you get along w/ your co-workers whatever your job is. Contributions to the list by Jordan Geiger, Kimberly Burke, Brian Orloff, Brian Phillips Celebrity Gang Bang, Kevin Schneider, Jonathan Meiburg, Michael Gira and some other folks.
Thanks for not being an asshole, Thor Harris
How to Tour in a Band or Whatever
by Thor Harris
1-Don’t Complain. Bitching, moaning, whining is tour cancer. If something is wrong fix it or shut the fuck up you fucking dick. goddamn.
2-If you fart, claim it.
3-Don’t Lose shit. Everybody loses shit. Don’t fucking do it. Asshole.
4-Don’t fuck anyone in the band. There are tons of people to fuck who are not in this band. Dumbass.
5-If you feel like shit all the time, drink less beer at the gig. You will play better & feel better. What are you… a child? Some have the endurance for self abuse. Most don’t.
6-Remember the soundman’s name. He will do a better job.
7- Eat oranges. Cures constipation & prevents colds.
8-Masturbate. Duh… Where & when? Be creative. You’re an artist right?
9-If YOU can’t carry your suitcase 3 blocks, it’s too goddamn big.
10-Respect public space in the van. Don’t clutter, you Fuck.
11-If you borrow something, return it. Not Fucked Up.
12-Do not let the promoter dick you or talk you out of the guarantee. If there were not enuf people there, it’s their fault.
13- Driver picks the music.
14-One navigator only (usually sitting shotgun). Everyone else shut the fuck up.
15-Soundcheck is for checking sounds. Shut the fuck up while everyone else is checking.
16-Don’t wander off. Let someone know where you are.
17-Clean up after yourself. What are you… a goddamn toddler?
18-Touring makes everyone bi-polar. Ride the waves as best you can and remember, moods pass. So don’t make any snap decisions or declarations when you are drunk or insane.
19-Fast food is Poison.
20-The guestlist is for friends, family & people you might want to fuck. Everyone else can pay. They have day jobs.
21- Don’t evaluate your whole life while you’re sitting in a janitor closet waiting to go on. You think you’re above having shitty days at work? Shut up & do your goddamn job.
This list was written under the influence of lots of esspresso & anti-depressants while on tour w/ such greats as Shearwater, Swans, Smog, Lisa Germano, Angels of Light, Bill Callahan & many more. I hope this list will help you get along w/ your co-workers whatever your job is. Contributions to the list by Jordan Geiger, Kimberly Burke, Brian Orloff, Brian Phillips Celebrity Gang Bang, Kevin Schneider, Jonathan Meiburg, Michael Gira and some other folks.
Thanks for not being an asshole, Thor Harris
11.04.13
The Guardian interview Arve Henriksen (February 2013)
Trumpeter Arve Henriksen: Norway's top brass He named an album after an ancient Japanese gardening book and likes a spot of unhinged screaming on stage. Ben Beaumont-Thomas talks to the experimental Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen
Buried deep in a fjord on Norway's western bulk is Stryn, a neat, chic village with vast valley walls looming around it and a river of mineral-rich green water running through it. This is where trumpeter Arve Henriksen grew up, and it doesn't take a lot of effort to hear this landscape echo through his music: the ice-groan of a glacier in the electronics; or that unique trumpet tone, sounding somewhere between a bird of prey and the wind blowing through pine trees.
Three albums of Henriksen's startling and evocative work, released on the Rune Grammofon label over the last decade, are now being reissued on vinyl in a lavish box set, along with his new album, Chron. Diminutive and still boyishly handsome at 44, Henriksen played in music camps and marching bands in his youth, before spending two years studying music in the ancient city of Trondheim. With one ear on Bix Beiderbecke and Miles Davis, and the other on figures such as Nils Petter Molvær (part of a new wave of Scandinavian jazz that leaned towards composition and electronics), he began carving out his own language for the trumpet, imitating the breathy timbre of the Japanese shakuhachi flute.
His first LP, 2001's Sakuteiki, took its title from what is thought to the oldest garden-planning book in the world, a Japanese text published in the mid-to-late 11th century. "I look at my improvisation in the same way a gardener tries to make a nice garden," he explains. "I have tones and dynamics; the gardener has stones, trees, ponds, paths. He will work to place them in a special way, and the same with me."
Its delicate minimalism blossomed into the sumptuous Chiaroscuro in 2004, where strings, electronics and Henriksen's springwater falsetto were added into the mix. It's the most plainly beautiful of his albums, but came as he was embroiled in a divorce. "It was a time of meeting yourself in many mirrors, looking at yourself and your life," he remembers. "I was the father of three kids and trying to survive with a musical career, which was quite difficult at the time. I did some teaching, some seminars, concerts for kids ... to pay off all the stuff after the divorce. Like John Cleese! It was hell. I was really exhausted, but had this enormous energy to create. I was a maniac. I was so eager and maybe full of myself."
The experience drove him to rediscover his roots and focus on Stryn, naming his next album Strjon after its medieval name. "I asked, 'Why did I feel so depressed when I was living in that area?' And now I know the answer was that I was a teenager. There was a chemical thing going on in my brain. I can look at it now and smile a bit, but I came to know these basics of longing, solitude, depression." He would slip into his school after hours. "There were these fantastic rooms with a lot of reverb – I could stand there alone in the dark and play the trumpet. It was my way of getting through, my way of growing older."
He spent more than two years making his next record, Cartography, released on ECM and featuring a long list of collaborators, including David Sylvian, who provided gnomic spoken-word passages. Another recent collaborator was Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, who played bass on a tour last year with Henriksen's longstanding improvisatory trio Supersilent; Henriksen wrongfooted the audience with unhinged screaming and some clattering drum work. "Hundreds of drummers would have given me their car to be in my position, playing with John Paul Jones, and all of them are much better drummers. But maybe I can do things they can't, are not able to, or musically didn't think was possible, because they are stuck in this Modern Drummer magazine way of thinking. We don't have any safety net – we just jump out there and hope our aesthetics and ideas are enough to keep us floating."
His other techniques are similarly bold and irreverent: imitating reversed sounds, performing without a mouthpiece ("a fantastic, bambooish sound"), and using software to manipulate his trumpet playing. He talks of a "love-and-hate relationship" with electronics. "You can press the wrong button and it runs away. You have to bring it back again like a wild horse. But it gives you the possibility of creating fantastic things. Look at Stockhausen and [Norwegian composer] Arne Nordheim and how they made loops in the 1950s: they had to build the shit to make it happen. We can download it and a few minutes later we can loop as if we're a genius."
But, he says, there is still a "Darwinism of music" – meaning only those who can challenge the imagination will ultimately succeed amid the swathes of new technologically enfranchised musicians. The reissued kilo or so of vinyl that is his solo career is testament to his own survival instincts.
The Guardian interview Arve Henriksen (February 2013)
Trumpeter Arve Henriksen: Norway's top brass He named an album after an ancient Japanese gardening book and likes a spot of unhinged screaming on stage. Ben Beaumont-Thomas talks to the experimental Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen
Buried deep in a fjord on Norway's western bulk is Stryn, a neat, chic village with vast valley walls looming around it and a river of mineral-rich green water running through it. This is where trumpeter Arve Henriksen grew up, and it doesn't take a lot of effort to hear this landscape echo through his music: the ice-groan of a glacier in the electronics; or that unique trumpet tone, sounding somewhere between a bird of prey and the wind blowing through pine trees.
Three albums of Henriksen's startling and evocative work, released on the Rune Grammofon label over the last decade, are now being reissued on vinyl in a lavish box set, along with his new album, Chron. Diminutive and still boyishly handsome at 44, Henriksen played in music camps and marching bands in his youth, before spending two years studying music in the ancient city of Trondheim. With one ear on Bix Beiderbecke and Miles Davis, and the other on figures such as Nils Petter Molvær (part of a new wave of Scandinavian jazz that leaned towards composition and electronics), he began carving out his own language for the trumpet, imitating the breathy timbre of the Japanese shakuhachi flute.
His first LP, 2001's Sakuteiki, took its title from what is thought to the oldest garden-planning book in the world, a Japanese text published in the mid-to-late 11th century. "I look at my improvisation in the same way a gardener tries to make a nice garden," he explains. "I have tones and dynamics; the gardener has stones, trees, ponds, paths. He will work to place them in a special way, and the same with me."
Its delicate minimalism blossomed into the sumptuous Chiaroscuro in 2004, where strings, electronics and Henriksen's springwater falsetto were added into the mix. It's the most plainly beautiful of his albums, but came as he was embroiled in a divorce. "It was a time of meeting yourself in many mirrors, looking at yourself and your life," he remembers. "I was the father of three kids and trying to survive with a musical career, which was quite difficult at the time. I did some teaching, some seminars, concerts for kids ... to pay off all the stuff after the divorce. Like John Cleese! It was hell. I was really exhausted, but had this enormous energy to create. I was a maniac. I was so eager and maybe full of myself."
The experience drove him to rediscover his roots and focus on Stryn, naming his next album Strjon after its medieval name. "I asked, 'Why did I feel so depressed when I was living in that area?' And now I know the answer was that I was a teenager. There was a chemical thing going on in my brain. I can look at it now and smile a bit, but I came to know these basics of longing, solitude, depression." He would slip into his school after hours. "There were these fantastic rooms with a lot of reverb – I could stand there alone in the dark and play the trumpet. It was my way of getting through, my way of growing older."
He spent more than two years making his next record, Cartography, released on ECM and featuring a long list of collaborators, including David Sylvian, who provided gnomic spoken-word passages. Another recent collaborator was Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, who played bass on a tour last year with Henriksen's longstanding improvisatory trio Supersilent; Henriksen wrongfooted the audience with unhinged screaming and some clattering drum work. "Hundreds of drummers would have given me their car to be in my position, playing with John Paul Jones, and all of them are much better drummers. But maybe I can do things they can't, are not able to, or musically didn't think was possible, because they are stuck in this Modern Drummer magazine way of thinking. We don't have any safety net – we just jump out there and hope our aesthetics and ideas are enough to keep us floating."
His other techniques are similarly bold and irreverent: imitating reversed sounds, performing without a mouthpiece ("a fantastic, bambooish sound"), and using software to manipulate his trumpet playing. He talks of a "love-and-hate relationship" with electronics. "You can press the wrong button and it runs away. You have to bring it back again like a wild horse. But it gives you the possibility of creating fantastic things. Look at Stockhausen and [Norwegian composer] Arne Nordheim and how they made loops in the 1950s: they had to build the shit to make it happen. We can download it and a few minutes later we can loop as if we're a genius."
But, he says, there is still a "Darwinism of music" – meaning only those who can challenge the imagination will ultimately succeed amid the swathes of new technologically enfranchised musicians. The reissued kilo or so of vinyl that is his solo career is testament to his own survival instincts.
10.04.13
Gizeh has just launched a new podcast. It features tracks from A-Sun Amissa, Glissando and an almost previously unheard (unless you happened to attend the show we did in Bristol last year) The Rustle of the Stars song entitled 'Erebus & Terror'.
Stream / Download Gizehcast #7 at Soundcloud
Subscribe for free in iTunes
Gizeh has just launched a new podcast. It features tracks from A-Sun Amissa, Glissando and an almost previously unheard (unless you happened to attend the show we did in Bristol last year) The Rustle of the Stars song entitled 'Erebus & Terror'.
Stream / Download Gizehcast #7 at Soundcloud
Subscribe for free in iTunes
09.04.13
05.04.13
Went to see old friends Fuzzy Lights in Manchester last night... wonderful. Here's a live video from a while back of 'Fallen Trees' from their excellent 'Twin Feathers' record.
01.04.13
Here's the transcript of a recent interview I did with Dan Salter of Echoes & Dust.
Richard Knox of Glissando and A-Sun Amissa (amongst others) tells us about his musical work and the relationship between that and his role in charge of Gizeh Records...
(((o))): Glissando's ‘With Our Arms Wide Open We March towards the Burning Sea’ was one of the first things we reviewed on E&D way back in 2008. Why did it take so long to record a follow up? Has it taken this long to write it or have you been focused elsewhere?
There are a number of reasons really. At the time of recording that record Elly and I were going through a breakup and the energy it took out of both of us took a long time to recover from. At the end of it we were just relieved to get the album finished and released and at that point we never even thought there would be another record. We needed some time apart but we also had to tour the album as well so that whole year was really tough on the both of us, trying to deal with our personal problems and fixing ourselves while still ploughing our hearts into this music we had created together wasn’t an easy thing to do.
After that we took some time off and made some distance between ourselves and after a while the hunger started to return again but it was incredibly tentative. I’d already begun writing and putting some ideas together for new projects, just to satisfy my desire to write and tour as much as anything else. Myself, Frederic D. Oberland and Angela Chan began working on what would become ‘The Rustle of the Stars’ and that unfurled into something much bigger than we anticipated. Angela and I also started A-Sun Amissa just after that so Glissando was very much on the back-burner at this time. Elly and I were still exchanging some ideas and songs were developing slowly across the four years, we had a bunch of music we were trying to perfect and there was no pressure to achieve anything other than we knew these new songs were strong and better than the first record.
In the middle of last year we found out Elly was pregnant so that forced our hand and we sat down to discuss what we wanted to do with what we had so far and decided to try and finish the record. I had a few months spare between touring so we plunged head first into trying to get the thing done. I think we surprised ourselves as to how quickly we could actually work when we needed to and I’m really happy we did.
(((o))): ‘The World without Us’ is a beautiful record, but suffused with a distinct melancholy. What's the story behind the record? Where has that melancholy been drawn from?
Much of the story is in the answer to the previous question. We certainly pushed ourselves to discover some truths and emotions we’d buried a long time ago and there’s no doubt that comes through in the record. We also tried to make the album a progression from the first one in terms of some of the themes and atmospheres in there as some of the songs were written years ago and also made it onto ‘With Our Arms..’
(((o))): There seems to be a lot of crossover in personnel between Glissando, A-Sun Amissa & The Rustle of the Stars. How do you manage these distinct musical projects? When you have a musical idea how do you decide which band to use it for?
That’s a very good question. The personnel comes down to the simple fact that I love working with these people, they are wonderful musicians and personalities and we have a very strong understanding between us when it comes to knowing what each of us wants and needs. It’s very rare that I write specific parts and ask people to play them, I would much rather present the music to someone and have them find their own way with it. I know that when I’m working with these guys that 99% of the time they are going to bring ideas that I like, we know what makes each other tick.
With regard to musical ideas, answering is a tricky beast. Sometimes you know straight away when you have written something which project it suits best but normally I will sit down and write with a particular project in mind depending on what needs the most attention.
(((o))): A-Sun Amissa is a more drone influenced, soundscape focused (is that even a word?) affair than the more 'traditional' (relatively) song styles of Glissando. Do you approach writing for A-Sun Amissa in a different way?
The way we write for A-Sun Amissa is probably my most comfortable way to do things. It certainly comes a bit more naturally than the other projects but therein lays the challenge. A lot of drone-based music is extremely easy, lazy and boring and the amount of records being released that have no character or definition is amazing. I have no interest in churning out easy music for the sake of it, we are constantly pushing to find new ideas and sounds with this project, to keep the atmosphere but find the melodies that suit the base we are working from. It’s much freer as well which means when we play the pieces live we can improvise and change things to suit how we feel on the night or doctor the music to suit the venue which is something we discovered more and more on the recent tour we just did.
(((o))): The releases of the Glissando & A-Sun Amissa albums have come very close together, being as you are in both bands AND run the label how has that been? How do you manage your time between them & have time to do anything else?
Well, it’s not easy, that’s for sure. We finished the Glissando record in the Summer and then I spent some time working on the ‘Silent Bells’ tour, which was a series of label nights we put together in November alongside a tour for ‘The Rustle of the Stars’. In amongst that I had a few ideas for some new A-Sun Amissa material which Owen and myself spent a few days working on before I went on tour. When I returned I went back to what we had recorded and started to think about where to go with it and talked with Angela and Gareth Davis (who plays bass clarinet on the record) about some ideas, it came together pretty quickly after that. Running Gizeh is a full time job these days so finding a creative balance between that and writing/touring is quite difficult but it’s not a bad life, that’s for sure!
(((o))): Gizeh Records has been going for five years or so now, how has the landscape for independent labels changed in that time?
It’s actually quite hard to find a definitive answer to that mainly because as we’ve gotten older and stronger and wiser the music industry has been slowly collapsing in on itself. If we had been at the point we are now with Gizeh five years ago, we would be selling considerably more records than we are now. When you are building something from the ground with no financial backing and no one to tell you where you are going wrong it takes time and patience and a lot of will power to see that thing through. Gizeh is a completely DIY label and as such we are constantly discovering new ideas or ways to work or ways we can improve, be more productive etc. It’s a constant motion and there’s no denying that selling records is becoming harder. The key is to find a way to sustain what we are doing, by continuing to improve, be open to ideas, be more resourceful but keep the ideals we have and the quality we have.
So many labels are folding now and it’s not hard to see why. Sometimes you have to look at a release and think - ok, there’s no way we can justify spending that much money as it’s only realistically going to sell ‘x’ amount of copies. Of course it’s extremely hard to predict sales but I guess that’s an art form in itself that we are still working on. A big change I see is the amount of music that is being released, there is so much now. The internet has opened up a way for people to reach an audience and of course release music for free or in a non-physical manner. I have nothing against this but the problem is that it’s now an impossible fight to get noticed amongst the millions of people operating in this way, be it getting press or via social media - it’s a constant and tiring onslaught of music and information which is very easy to get lost in.
I also feel that’s there’s a balance to be found in the new developments that are being thrust upon the music industry. For instance, streaming seems to be becoming the absolute normal thing for releases these days, I’m certainly not against that - but only if we can make it work to our artists’ benefit. Soundcloud is a good invention and is very artist friendly. We use it lot but on the flipside something like Spotify I find completely evil and unsustainable. If this is the future in terms of revenue for artists and labels we are all completely fucked. We purposefully do not release our music to Spotify - maybe we are missing some new listeners in doing that but there has to be a stand against this model because in the end who is making money from it? Nobody; Spotify are haemorrhaging money and the royalties are nothing more than a sick joke.
(((o))): Leeds seems to be musically very vibrant at the moment. How much has being based there influenced your development both as a label and as a musician?
Honestly, I don’t think it’s made any difference. In fact I’m upping sticks to Manchester next week! Leeds has been my home my whole life but it feels like it’s time for a change of scenery and time find some new energies and influences. I have a wonderful group of people I’m close with in Leeds but I’ve never felt like Gizeh or the musical projects have ever been part of any scene, we have always been very much on the edge of things, people know who we are but for better or worse we generally just do our own thing.
(((o))): There's a very strong sense of collaboration & community between the Gizeh bands. Are there any more combinations you've yet to try out & things we should be looking out for?
I’m extremely happy with what we have managed to achieve with the artists we work with. It’s always been my goal to create something much bigger than just a label and that thing is continuing to grow. The collaborations seem to find themselves in a way, I feel like we have quite a few kindred spirits between us and it’s always throwing up new ideas and new directions. Meeting new artists, working with them and getting to know them personally is still a huge excitement for me so I’m sure there will be some interesting things happening in the future.
(((o))): You've had a busy start to 2013 with those 2 releases. What have you got coming up for the rest of the year?
We have a soundtrack to a film by Jayne Amara Ross (of Farewell Poetry) called ‘The Freemartin Calf’ coming out in June. There’s a new The Rustle of the Stars album in the works which we need to focus on in the coming months and a few other ideas in the pipeline too.
Here's the transcript of a recent interview I did with Dan Salter of Echoes & Dust.
Richard Knox of Glissando and A-Sun Amissa (amongst others) tells us about his musical work and the relationship between that and his role in charge of Gizeh Records...
(((o))): Glissando's ‘With Our Arms Wide Open We March towards the Burning Sea’ was one of the first things we reviewed on E&D way back in 2008. Why did it take so long to record a follow up? Has it taken this long to write it or have you been focused elsewhere?
There are a number of reasons really. At the time of recording that record Elly and I were going through a breakup and the energy it took out of both of us took a long time to recover from. At the end of it we were just relieved to get the album finished and released and at that point we never even thought there would be another record. We needed some time apart but we also had to tour the album as well so that whole year was really tough on the both of us, trying to deal with our personal problems and fixing ourselves while still ploughing our hearts into this music we had created together wasn’t an easy thing to do.
After that we took some time off and made some distance between ourselves and after a while the hunger started to return again but it was incredibly tentative. I’d already begun writing and putting some ideas together for new projects, just to satisfy my desire to write and tour as much as anything else. Myself, Frederic D. Oberland and Angela Chan began working on what would become ‘The Rustle of the Stars’ and that unfurled into something much bigger than we anticipated. Angela and I also started A-Sun Amissa just after that so Glissando was very much on the back-burner at this time. Elly and I were still exchanging some ideas and songs were developing slowly across the four years, we had a bunch of music we were trying to perfect and there was no pressure to achieve anything other than we knew these new songs were strong and better than the first record.
In the middle of last year we found out Elly was pregnant so that forced our hand and we sat down to discuss what we wanted to do with what we had so far and decided to try and finish the record. I had a few months spare between touring so we plunged head first into trying to get the thing done. I think we surprised ourselves as to how quickly we could actually work when we needed to and I’m really happy we did.
(((o))): ‘The World without Us’ is a beautiful record, but suffused with a distinct melancholy. What's the story behind the record? Where has that melancholy been drawn from?
Much of the story is in the answer to the previous question. We certainly pushed ourselves to discover some truths and emotions we’d buried a long time ago and there’s no doubt that comes through in the record. We also tried to make the album a progression from the first one in terms of some of the themes and atmospheres in there as some of the songs were written years ago and also made it onto ‘With Our Arms..’
(((o))): There seems to be a lot of crossover in personnel between Glissando, A-Sun Amissa & The Rustle of the Stars. How do you manage these distinct musical projects? When you have a musical idea how do you decide which band to use it for?
That’s a very good question. The personnel comes down to the simple fact that I love working with these people, they are wonderful musicians and personalities and we have a very strong understanding between us when it comes to knowing what each of us wants and needs. It’s very rare that I write specific parts and ask people to play them, I would much rather present the music to someone and have them find their own way with it. I know that when I’m working with these guys that 99% of the time they are going to bring ideas that I like, we know what makes each other tick.
With regard to musical ideas, answering is a tricky beast. Sometimes you know straight away when you have written something which project it suits best but normally I will sit down and write with a particular project in mind depending on what needs the most attention.
(((o))): A-Sun Amissa is a more drone influenced, soundscape focused (is that even a word?) affair than the more 'traditional' (relatively) song styles of Glissando. Do you approach writing for A-Sun Amissa in a different way?
The way we write for A-Sun Amissa is probably my most comfortable way to do things. It certainly comes a bit more naturally than the other projects but therein lays the challenge. A lot of drone-based music is extremely easy, lazy and boring and the amount of records being released that have no character or definition is amazing. I have no interest in churning out easy music for the sake of it, we are constantly pushing to find new ideas and sounds with this project, to keep the atmosphere but find the melodies that suit the base we are working from. It’s much freer as well which means when we play the pieces live we can improvise and change things to suit how we feel on the night or doctor the music to suit the venue which is something we discovered more and more on the recent tour we just did.
(((o))): The releases of the Glissando & A-Sun Amissa albums have come very close together, being as you are in both bands AND run the label how has that been? How do you manage your time between them & have time to do anything else?
Well, it’s not easy, that’s for sure. We finished the Glissando record in the Summer and then I spent some time working on the ‘Silent Bells’ tour, which was a series of label nights we put together in November alongside a tour for ‘The Rustle of the Stars’. In amongst that I had a few ideas for some new A-Sun Amissa material which Owen and myself spent a few days working on before I went on tour. When I returned I went back to what we had recorded and started to think about where to go with it and talked with Angela and Gareth Davis (who plays bass clarinet on the record) about some ideas, it came together pretty quickly after that. Running Gizeh is a full time job these days so finding a creative balance between that and writing/touring is quite difficult but it’s not a bad life, that’s for sure!
(((o))): Gizeh Records has been going for five years or so now, how has the landscape for independent labels changed in that time?
It’s actually quite hard to find a definitive answer to that mainly because as we’ve gotten older and stronger and wiser the music industry has been slowly collapsing in on itself. If we had been at the point we are now with Gizeh five years ago, we would be selling considerably more records than we are now. When you are building something from the ground with no financial backing and no one to tell you where you are going wrong it takes time and patience and a lot of will power to see that thing through. Gizeh is a completely DIY label and as such we are constantly discovering new ideas or ways to work or ways we can improve, be more productive etc. It’s a constant motion and there’s no denying that selling records is becoming harder. The key is to find a way to sustain what we are doing, by continuing to improve, be open to ideas, be more resourceful but keep the ideals we have and the quality we have.
So many labels are folding now and it’s not hard to see why. Sometimes you have to look at a release and think - ok, there’s no way we can justify spending that much money as it’s only realistically going to sell ‘x’ amount of copies. Of course it’s extremely hard to predict sales but I guess that’s an art form in itself that we are still working on. A big change I see is the amount of music that is being released, there is so much now. The internet has opened up a way for people to reach an audience and of course release music for free or in a non-physical manner. I have nothing against this but the problem is that it’s now an impossible fight to get noticed amongst the millions of people operating in this way, be it getting press or via social media - it’s a constant and tiring onslaught of music and information which is very easy to get lost in.
I also feel that’s there’s a balance to be found in the new developments that are being thrust upon the music industry. For instance, streaming seems to be becoming the absolute normal thing for releases these days, I’m certainly not against that - but only if we can make it work to our artists’ benefit. Soundcloud is a good invention and is very artist friendly. We use it lot but on the flipside something like Spotify I find completely evil and unsustainable. If this is the future in terms of revenue for artists and labels we are all completely fucked. We purposefully do not release our music to Spotify - maybe we are missing some new listeners in doing that but there has to be a stand against this model because in the end who is making money from it? Nobody; Spotify are haemorrhaging money and the royalties are nothing more than a sick joke.
(((o))): Leeds seems to be musically very vibrant at the moment. How much has being based there influenced your development both as a label and as a musician?
Honestly, I don’t think it’s made any difference. In fact I’m upping sticks to Manchester next week! Leeds has been my home my whole life but it feels like it’s time for a change of scenery and time find some new energies and influences. I have a wonderful group of people I’m close with in Leeds but I’ve never felt like Gizeh or the musical projects have ever been part of any scene, we have always been very much on the edge of things, people know who we are but for better or worse we generally just do our own thing.
(((o))): There's a very strong sense of collaboration & community between the Gizeh bands. Are there any more combinations you've yet to try out & things we should be looking out for?
I’m extremely happy with what we have managed to achieve with the artists we work with. It’s always been my goal to create something much bigger than just a label and that thing is continuing to grow. The collaborations seem to find themselves in a way, I feel like we have quite a few kindred spirits between us and it’s always throwing up new ideas and new directions. Meeting new artists, working with them and getting to know them personally is still a huge excitement for me so I’m sure there will be some interesting things happening in the future.
(((o))): You've had a busy start to 2013 with those 2 releases. What have you got coming up for the rest of the year?
We have a soundtrack to a film by Jayne Amara Ross (of Farewell Poetry) called ‘The Freemartin Calf’ coming out in June. There’s a new The Rustle of the Stars album in the works which we need to focus on in the coming months and a few other ideas in the pipeline too.
31.03.13
Photographic evidence from A-Sun Amissa's recent trip to the UK, Netherlands, Denmark and Germany.
Photographic evidence from A-Sun Amissa's recent trip to the UK, Netherlands, Denmark and Germany.
30.03.13
The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
22.03.13
04.03.13
Safe and sound back from the A-Sun Amissa UK/EU tour - warm thanks to all those who came to the shows, bought merch, had a drink with us, put us up, put us on and fed us. It's was pretty emotional at times but we pulled through some hard battles on this one.
There are a few reviews doing the rounds for the new record - out March 18th - here's a selection thus far:
“Oh great, a record I really like that’s damned difficult to write about. Still, let’s try. This, A Sun Amissa’s second LP, is a superb symphonic piece, very much like a Rhys Chatham bliss-out and also similar to The Flowers of Hell’s magnificent ‘0’ from a few years back. We get two long tracks, each around 15 minutes. Part One is a magisterial, clear-eyed drone - utilising that brilliant sound that only massed guitar strumming effects can give when set delicately in the middle distance of a track - one that also manages to float around in an unruffled manner like a barrage balloon on a hot day.” [Incendiary]
“contrast is exactly what the release seems to be about – putting these polarised themes against each other and in doing so emphasising what lies between them. This I mean in a stylistic sense of course, in the imagined narrative that the music evokes. In a more physical way, considering the actual sounds, a similar technique appears to be employed. Alongside the more transient punches of delayed, simply picked guitar and sharp attacks there are the slow moving (if moving at all) drones and textures. Yet sitting quietly in the middle are these rather intimate and beautiful moments where tiny knocks and scrapes sing, gently, out of the shadows. In these intoxicatingly delicate moments the shroud melts away to reveal a much more humble, human centre that perhaps is forgotten when hidden behind walls of thick drone; instruments instead respond to the slightest of touch that reminds us of the interaction at the root of all we are hearing.
Not favouring innovation or huge dramatic explosions, A-Sun Amissa seem comfortable enough adding their take on an established style. Those eager to expand the often slightly bleaker, semi-orchestrated collection of drone records on their shelves should seek this out.” [Fluid Radio]
“the band’s best work to date, the final four minutes its best segment. It’s post-rock, it’s jazz, it’s modern composition; it’s the gnarled mirror image of the band’s previous work, a bold experiment that few would attempt. We admire A-Sun Amissa for choosing the road less traveled”
[A Closer Listen]
“Their greater use of dissonance, sees the melancholic sound move towards a feeling of unease. The air becomes cold and stark, perfectly reflected in the album's cover art, a lone shack of a building photographed in black and white. 'You Stood Up...' captures the rich creativity of the band, revealing greater depths on repeated listens. Extending the already great discography from Gizeh, A-Sun Amissa have released an important second album, marking them as a serious outfit to be followed.” [Future Sequence]
“In a style comparable to the grandaddy of post-rock, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, but with an ambient twist of sonic atmospheres and jazz inflections, A-Sun Amissa explores the progressive world of drones and instrumental intricacy. You Stood Up For Victory, We Stood Up For Less is a soundscape that comes alive in colour and feeling of emotion. It moves through dynamic lows and highs, explores the intensity of sound, and is a stunning creation of musical intimacy." [Echoes & Dust]
“Admittedly, it's hard to not think of (early) Godspeed You! Black Emperor during the opening minutes of A-Sun Amissa's You Stood Up For Victory, We Stood Up For Less when Richard Knox's reverb-drenched guitar sketches out a mournful pattern that's deepened by Angela Chan's complementary viola and piano playing (for the record, the textura review of 2012's Desperate in Her Heavy Sleep debut album drew a connection from it to Godspeed's 1998 release F# A# 8). The duo's decision to present two long-form settings on the sophomore A-Sun Amissa album also suggests a shared sensibility between the outfits. Knox and Chan are, incidentally, familiar partners, as both also lend their talents to the Glissando and The Rustle of the Stars projects. What also recommends the album is that, at nineteen and seventeen minutes, its two hypnotic settings provide ample room for the music to develop fluidly and the various instrument sounds to appear with an unhurried grace.“
[Textura]
“The rich tones of the underlying drones may be warm, but there’s a chill to the brittle, echoey guitar that chimes over the top. Piano notes hover like droplets of water… swells to a sandstorm of sound, overwrought sax / woodwind twisted slow jazz... it’s all blended together magnificently: nothing stands out as incongruous, there are no seams or sharp edges, and the expansive sound envelops the listener, releasing them back to the real world only after the music ends and silence returns.” 8/10 [Whisperin & Hollerin]
Safe and sound back from the A-Sun Amissa UK/EU tour - warm thanks to all those who came to the shows, bought merch, had a drink with us, put us up, put us on and fed us. It's was pretty emotional at times but we pulled through some hard battles on this one.
There are a few reviews doing the rounds for the new record - out March 18th - here's a selection thus far:
“Oh great, a record I really like that’s damned difficult to write about. Still, let’s try. This, A Sun Amissa’s second LP, is a superb symphonic piece, very much like a Rhys Chatham bliss-out and also similar to The Flowers of Hell’s magnificent ‘0’ from a few years back. We get two long tracks, each around 15 minutes. Part One is a magisterial, clear-eyed drone - utilising that brilliant sound that only massed guitar strumming effects can give when set delicately in the middle distance of a track - one that also manages to float around in an unruffled manner like a barrage balloon on a hot day.” [Incendiary]
“contrast is exactly what the release seems to be about – putting these polarised themes against each other and in doing so emphasising what lies between them. This I mean in a stylistic sense of course, in the imagined narrative that the music evokes. In a more physical way, considering the actual sounds, a similar technique appears to be employed. Alongside the more transient punches of delayed, simply picked guitar and sharp attacks there are the slow moving (if moving at all) drones and textures. Yet sitting quietly in the middle are these rather intimate and beautiful moments where tiny knocks and scrapes sing, gently, out of the shadows. In these intoxicatingly delicate moments the shroud melts away to reveal a much more humble, human centre that perhaps is forgotten when hidden behind walls of thick drone; instruments instead respond to the slightest of touch that reminds us of the interaction at the root of all we are hearing.
Not favouring innovation or huge dramatic explosions, A-Sun Amissa seem comfortable enough adding their take on an established style. Those eager to expand the often slightly bleaker, semi-orchestrated collection of drone records on their shelves should seek this out.” [Fluid Radio]
“the band’s best work to date, the final four minutes its best segment. It’s post-rock, it’s jazz, it’s modern composition; it’s the gnarled mirror image of the band’s previous work, a bold experiment that few would attempt. We admire A-Sun Amissa for choosing the road less traveled”
[A Closer Listen]
“Their greater use of dissonance, sees the melancholic sound move towards a feeling of unease. The air becomes cold and stark, perfectly reflected in the album's cover art, a lone shack of a building photographed in black and white. 'You Stood Up...' captures the rich creativity of the band, revealing greater depths on repeated listens. Extending the already great discography from Gizeh, A-Sun Amissa have released an important second album, marking them as a serious outfit to be followed.” [Future Sequence]
“In a style comparable to the grandaddy of post-rock, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, but with an ambient twist of sonic atmospheres and jazz inflections, A-Sun Amissa explores the progressive world of drones and instrumental intricacy. You Stood Up For Victory, We Stood Up For Less is a soundscape that comes alive in colour and feeling of emotion. It moves through dynamic lows and highs, explores the intensity of sound, and is a stunning creation of musical intimacy." [Echoes & Dust]
“Admittedly, it's hard to not think of (early) Godspeed You! Black Emperor during the opening minutes of A-Sun Amissa's You Stood Up For Victory, We Stood Up For Less when Richard Knox's reverb-drenched guitar sketches out a mournful pattern that's deepened by Angela Chan's complementary viola and piano playing (for the record, the textura review of 2012's Desperate in Her Heavy Sleep debut album drew a connection from it to Godspeed's 1998 release F# A# 8). The duo's decision to present two long-form settings on the sophomore A-Sun Amissa album also suggests a shared sensibility between the outfits. Knox and Chan are, incidentally, familiar partners, as both also lend their talents to the Glissando and The Rustle of the Stars projects. What also recommends the album is that, at nineteen and seventeen minutes, its two hypnotic settings provide ample room for the music to develop fluidly and the various instrument sounds to appear with an unhurried grace.“
[Textura]
“The rich tones of the underlying drones may be warm, but there’s a chill to the brittle, echoey guitar that chimes over the top. Piano notes hover like droplets of water… swells to a sandstorm of sound, overwrought sax / woodwind twisted slow jazz... it’s all blended together magnificently: nothing stands out as incongruous, there are no seams or sharp edges, and the expansive sound envelops the listener, releasing them back to the real world only after the music ends and silence returns.” 8/10 [Whisperin & Hollerin]
11.02.13
Pre-orders are now available for the new A-Sun Amissa record 'You Stood Up For Victory, We Stood Up For Less' from the Gizeh Store.
For one day only Gizeh are also streaming the whole of 'Part One' from the record on soundcloud.
The Gizeh Store is also stocking the very first A-Sun Amissa shirt. We'll have these with us on the upcoming UK and EU tour.
Pre-orders are now available for the new A-Sun Amissa record 'You Stood Up For Victory, We Stood Up For Less' from the Gizeh Store.
For one day only Gizeh are also streaming the whole of 'Part One' from the record on soundcloud.
The Gizeh Store is also stocking the very first A-Sun Amissa shirt. We'll have these with us on the upcoming UK and EU tour.
|
29.01.13
Please note a change of venue for the A-Sun Amissa show with Aidan Baker in Preston on February 17th. the show is now at the Mad Ferret.
Please note a change of venue for the A-Sun Amissa show with Aidan Baker in Preston on February 17th. the show is now at the Mad Ferret.
23.01.13
A-Sun Amissa release a new record on March 18th entitled 'You Stood Up For Victory, We Stood Up For Less'.
It features two tracks and will be released on limited edition 180g vinyl and download.
Click here for the Gizeh release page. See the main page for full tour dates.
A-Sun Amissa release a new record on March 18th entitled 'You Stood Up For Victory, We Stood Up For Less'.
It features two tracks and will be released on limited edition 180g vinyl and download.
Click here for the Gizeh release page. See the main page for full tour dates.
|
RELEASE DATE:
MARCH 18th 2013 FORMATS: Limited Edition LP / DL TRACKLISTING: 1. Part One (19:24) 2. Part Two (16:52) PERFORMERS: Richard Knox [guitars/field recordings] Angela Chan [viola/vocals/piano] with: Gareth Davis [bass-clarinet] & Owen Pegg [guitars] Mastered by James Plotkin ARTWORK: Photography / Layout by Frédéric D. Oberland & Richard Knox |
Watch an exclusive video from Le Cargo of The Rustle of the Stars performing a new song 'A Requiem for Laika' acoustically in Paris last November.
We have released a new sampler through Gizeh Records to begin 2013 featuring a new A-Sun Amissa track (well, an edit of it) from the aforementioned new record. It also features; Aidan Baker, The Freemartin Calf (soundtrack), Lidwine, Glissando, Fieldhead, Mere and The Rustle of the Stars. Download for free (or a donation if you prefer) here.
03.01.13
Full stream / free download of the whole of Gizeh Records' 'Silent Bells' show from Left Bank, Leeds on 17.11.12
Full stream / free download of the whole of Gizeh Records' 'Silent Bells' show from Left Bank, Leeds on 17.11.12
Back in February of 2012 A-Sun Amissa played a wonderful show in Bochum, Germany at Christuskirche. The show was recorded and can now be downloaded for free - click the image below.
20.12.12
A-Sun Amissa will tour the UK and parts of Europe in February with our good friend Aidan Baker. We also have the delight of having Gareth Davis on the road with us, expanding the line-up to a quartet for this trip. It's the first time (and in fact my first time) we will visit Scandinavia, there is one more date to be added which we hope to confirm very soon.
A-Sun Amissa will tour the UK and parts of Europe in February with our good friend Aidan Baker. We also have the delight of having Gareth Davis on the road with us, expanding the line-up to a quartet for this trip. It's the first time (and in fact my first time) we will visit Scandinavia, there is one more date to be added which we hope to confirm very soon.
12.12.12
RIP Ravi Shankar.
RIP Ravi Shankar.
A short essay by Aidan Baker:
Considering the frequency of certain issues raised or questions asked, I thought I might start posting a series of short essays to both address such concerns and/or outline some of my/our motivations behind what I/we do, if only for my personal edification and mental clarity, if not yours…
And so, here, in a series of who knows how many, is the first:
On Prolificacy
I am currently reading Every Love Story Is A Ghost Story, a biography of David Foster Wallace, one of my favourite writers and someone with whom, as I learn more about his personality and life, I feel something of an affinity (mentally, creatively, OCD-ly [see also: Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself). Wallace is credited as saying that, when trying to decide whether to devote his life's work to fiction or philosophy, that working on “fiction took 97% of his brain, philosophy only 50%.” Substituting music for philosophy, I find this also true—but while Wallace's statement may imply a negative connotation to the philosophical side of things, I do not consider the 'effortlessness' of music a bad thing. Creative writing is much more intellectually rigorous and mentally taxing for me than creating music—which doesn't mean I dislike writing. Rather, writing is something at which I must work harder, more diligently, more craftily, in order to hone it to an acceptable level of consumption by others. Music, on the other hand, comes freely and intuitively—as effortlessly as breathing—which arguably corresponds to the differences of the media: Writing is more about intellectual stimulus; Music is more about emotional stimulus.
Of course, there is emotionally resonant writing, just as there is intellectually rigorous music, but in terms of artistic expression (my own, at least—although I'm sure others feel similarly), this is how these two methods of artistic expression differ. I write to challenge my brain; I make music to challenge my heart (or soul...or the neurotheological centre of my brain...or whatever...).
So, if it's not already obvious, I'm writing this to justify my own prolificacy. Which justification, part of me feels is entirely unnecessary and unwarranted and why should I have to? while another part just wants to explain...
One of the most common criticisms of ambient/experimental music is that it is easy to do and (much like criticisms people make about abstract modern art) anyone can do it. And, to a degree, this is true. Nor do I have a problem with that. Everyone should be free to make music and music should be free to everyone (and I'm not talking about downloading here—that's a subject for another essay). Whether that music should be made available as a commodity (whether art should even be considered a commodity—yet another essay) and publicly disseminated is another question. This kind of music is easy to do and with the advances in technology over the last few decades it is easier than ever to produce and release music into the world. And that ease has certainly resulted in an over-saturation—and arguably the homogenization or devaluation of music—but, like many things that are easy to do well enough, it is difficult and requires skill/talent/creativity/whatever to make exceptional ambient/experimental music. And while this difference between passable and exceptional might not be immediately apparent to the casual listener, it does exist—there is such a difference. And that difference should be pretty obvious to anyone willing to listen carefully and treat this sound as more than just another auditory signal in our already rather noisy modern lives.
This may well smack of elitism and egoism (and possibly self-righteousness), but I have been working in this musical genre for over a decade and feel that I am capable of making more than just passable ambient music. Of course, I have no illusions that everything I produce is exceptional—but I don't, contrary to some negative opinion, release absolutely everything I record—and some musical projects I work on more diligently, rigorously, than others, depending on the nature of that specific project. And it has also taken me some several years to reach this point of confidence in my own abilities.
When I first began making ambient, drone-based (for the moniker 'drone' as a genre label is rather inaccurate) music in the mid-to-late 1990s, I was experimenting with sound. Dissatisfied with pop and rock music, I was teaching myself a new methodology of music, taking inspiration more from 'post-modern' musicians like Glenn Branca, Sonic Youth, and Caspar Brötzmann, and less from ambient pioneers like Brian Eno or Robert Fripp (whom a lot of people assume were influential to me—but I've never really listened to Fripp, Eno a little, yes, but not much) who, to my ears, are more about electronic/technological innovation/manipulation and less about re-inventing performance techniques of already existing technology (i.e. the electric guitar). This time period coincided with the rise of the internet and home recording possibilities, which allowed for the expansion of an underground music community that had previously been fairly disconnected. With it came the rise of micro cdr labels, which allowed musicians like myself, previously toiling in obscurity in their bedrooms, to release their musical experiments in sound in a relatively easy and inexpensive way and actually have other people hear them (and creating music in a vacuum is contrary to the nature of music—music demands to be shared).
At the time, when physical and/or digital distribution for underground music was not as developed, I chose to work with a plethora of micro-labels around the world in order that their respective fanbases and networks might hear my work. And I could, of course, have given the different labels the same album and flogged that single work in order to create a name for myself. But I found that idea unappealing and, given the nature of the music—exploratory, experimental—counterintuitive to what I wanted to achieve. I needed to keep recording, keep experimenting, in order to evolve and establish my own musical voice and, as such, I developed a pattern of prolificacy which has stuck until this day. Even if, now, today, I have established an artistic reputation and don't necessarily need to be as prolific as I once was (and I'm not, I don't think—I've just diversified [and, hopefully, evolved], with other projects, other goals), there is still that emotional resonance which music has for me…
In other words, while I may need to read or write to maintain my intellectual health, I need to create and listen to music to maintain my emotional health. Whether you feel compelled to keep up with my musical output is your choice, of course—but you needn’t feel compelled to hear or own everything I produce (though maybe consumerism is the last vestige of free will)—although I do like to think there is enough difference and variation between my various releases to keep things interesting—and I thank those of you who keep listening for participating in my emotional well-being (and hopefully your own, too!).
Considering the frequency of certain issues raised or questions asked, I thought I might start posting a series of short essays to both address such concerns and/or outline some of my/our motivations behind what I/we do, if only for my personal edification and mental clarity, if not yours…
And so, here, in a series of who knows how many, is the first:
On Prolificacy
I am currently reading Every Love Story Is A Ghost Story, a biography of David Foster Wallace, one of my favourite writers and someone with whom, as I learn more about his personality and life, I feel something of an affinity (mentally, creatively, OCD-ly [see also: Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself). Wallace is credited as saying that, when trying to decide whether to devote his life's work to fiction or philosophy, that working on “fiction took 97% of his brain, philosophy only 50%.” Substituting music for philosophy, I find this also true—but while Wallace's statement may imply a negative connotation to the philosophical side of things, I do not consider the 'effortlessness' of music a bad thing. Creative writing is much more intellectually rigorous and mentally taxing for me than creating music—which doesn't mean I dislike writing. Rather, writing is something at which I must work harder, more diligently, more craftily, in order to hone it to an acceptable level of consumption by others. Music, on the other hand, comes freely and intuitively—as effortlessly as breathing—which arguably corresponds to the differences of the media: Writing is more about intellectual stimulus; Music is more about emotional stimulus.
Of course, there is emotionally resonant writing, just as there is intellectually rigorous music, but in terms of artistic expression (my own, at least—although I'm sure others feel similarly), this is how these two methods of artistic expression differ. I write to challenge my brain; I make music to challenge my heart (or soul...or the neurotheological centre of my brain...or whatever...).
So, if it's not already obvious, I'm writing this to justify my own prolificacy. Which justification, part of me feels is entirely unnecessary and unwarranted and why should I have to? while another part just wants to explain...
One of the most common criticisms of ambient/experimental music is that it is easy to do and (much like criticisms people make about abstract modern art) anyone can do it. And, to a degree, this is true. Nor do I have a problem with that. Everyone should be free to make music and music should be free to everyone (and I'm not talking about downloading here—that's a subject for another essay). Whether that music should be made available as a commodity (whether art should even be considered a commodity—yet another essay) and publicly disseminated is another question. This kind of music is easy to do and with the advances in technology over the last few decades it is easier than ever to produce and release music into the world. And that ease has certainly resulted in an over-saturation—and arguably the homogenization or devaluation of music—but, like many things that are easy to do well enough, it is difficult and requires skill/talent/creativity/whatever to make exceptional ambient/experimental music. And while this difference between passable and exceptional might not be immediately apparent to the casual listener, it does exist—there is such a difference. And that difference should be pretty obvious to anyone willing to listen carefully and treat this sound as more than just another auditory signal in our already rather noisy modern lives.
This may well smack of elitism and egoism (and possibly self-righteousness), but I have been working in this musical genre for over a decade and feel that I am capable of making more than just passable ambient music. Of course, I have no illusions that everything I produce is exceptional—but I don't, contrary to some negative opinion, release absolutely everything I record—and some musical projects I work on more diligently, rigorously, than others, depending on the nature of that specific project. And it has also taken me some several years to reach this point of confidence in my own abilities.
When I first began making ambient, drone-based (for the moniker 'drone' as a genre label is rather inaccurate) music in the mid-to-late 1990s, I was experimenting with sound. Dissatisfied with pop and rock music, I was teaching myself a new methodology of music, taking inspiration more from 'post-modern' musicians like Glenn Branca, Sonic Youth, and Caspar Brötzmann, and less from ambient pioneers like Brian Eno or Robert Fripp (whom a lot of people assume were influential to me—but I've never really listened to Fripp, Eno a little, yes, but not much) who, to my ears, are more about electronic/technological innovation/manipulation and less about re-inventing performance techniques of already existing technology (i.e. the electric guitar). This time period coincided with the rise of the internet and home recording possibilities, which allowed for the expansion of an underground music community that had previously been fairly disconnected. With it came the rise of micro cdr labels, which allowed musicians like myself, previously toiling in obscurity in their bedrooms, to release their musical experiments in sound in a relatively easy and inexpensive way and actually have other people hear them (and creating music in a vacuum is contrary to the nature of music—music demands to be shared).
At the time, when physical and/or digital distribution for underground music was not as developed, I chose to work with a plethora of micro-labels around the world in order that their respective fanbases and networks might hear my work. And I could, of course, have given the different labels the same album and flogged that single work in order to create a name for myself. But I found that idea unappealing and, given the nature of the music—exploratory, experimental—counterintuitive to what I wanted to achieve. I needed to keep recording, keep experimenting, in order to evolve and establish my own musical voice and, as such, I developed a pattern of prolificacy which has stuck until this day. Even if, now, today, I have established an artistic reputation and don't necessarily need to be as prolific as I once was (and I'm not, I don't think—I've just diversified [and, hopefully, evolved], with other projects, other goals), there is still that emotional resonance which music has for me…
In other words, while I may need to read or write to maintain my intellectual health, I need to create and listen to music to maintain my emotional health. Whether you feel compelled to keep up with my musical output is your choice, of course—but you needn’t feel compelled to hear or own everything I produce (though maybe consumerism is the last vestige of free will)—although I do like to think there is enough difference and variation between my various releases to keep things interesting—and I thank those of you who keep listening for participating in my emotional well-being (and hopefully your own, too!).
11.12.12
A new friend...
A new friend...
06.12.12
Over at the Gizeh Records Store we've just added some merch left over from The Rustle of the Stars' tour that just ended. There's a highly limited edition tour print and a tote bag. For the whole of December Gizeh is running a 50% off sale on most items in the store.
Also just added are a bunch of vinyl test pressings, including the new Glissando album and The Rustle of the Stars album as well. There is only one of each so be fast.
Finally, here's a small film shot by Frederic D. Oberland of The Rustle of the Stars and our recent adventures.
Over at the Gizeh Records Store we've just added some merch left over from The Rustle of the Stars' tour that just ended. There's a highly limited edition tour print and a tote bag. For the whole of December Gizeh is running a 50% off sale on most items in the store.
Also just added are a bunch of vinyl test pressings, including the new Glissando album and The Rustle of the Stars album as well. There is only one of each so be fast.
Finally, here's a small film shot by Frederic D. Oberland of The Rustle of the Stars and our recent adventures.
|
|
28.11.12
We are finally back from touring and we want to say a HUGE thanks to all of you who came out to the shows... especially the 'Silent Bells' label nights in Manchester, Leeds and London. They were truly memorable evenings that will live long in all our hearts. These shows take an enormous effort to arrange and some of the words of praise we have received have been very humbling to say the least. Financially, it's a big risk for Gizeh to produce these nights, the costs are more than you can image and we simply need you to turn out to support the artists and the label which you did and it means we can continue to try and bring you this wonderful music in an interesting and thoughtful way.
We have some recordings from the show which we are currently listening to and editing. There are some ideas going around as to what we should do with these so hopefully we'll have more news for you soon on that.
In the coming weeks we'll be issuing details of our next three Gizeh releases which are due in February/March so stay tuning and again, THANKS!
We are finally back from touring and we want to say a HUGE thanks to all of you who came out to the shows... especially the 'Silent Bells' label nights in Manchester, Leeds and London. They were truly memorable evenings that will live long in all our hearts. These shows take an enormous effort to arrange and some of the words of praise we have received have been very humbling to say the least. Financially, it's a big risk for Gizeh to produce these nights, the costs are more than you can image and we simply need you to turn out to support the artists and the label which you did and it means we can continue to try and bring you this wonderful music in an interesting and thoughtful way.
We have some recordings from the show which we are currently listening to and editing. There are some ideas going around as to what we should do with these so hopefully we'll have more news for you soon on that.
In the coming weeks we'll be issuing details of our next three Gizeh releases which are due in February/March so stay tuning and again, THANKS!
05.11.12
Well, we made it. Four years in the making and today is the day.
The whole thing is up for streaming for one week only and you can buy the thing from your local independent record store or if you prefer to shop online maybe from the Gizeh Store.
Available on 180g wax / CD or download and orders from the Gizeh store get a free instant download so you can listen to it while you wait for your parcel to arrive.
Well, we made it. Four years in the making and today is the day.
The whole thing is up for streaming for one week only and you can buy the thing from your local independent record store or if you prefer to shop online maybe from the Gizeh Store.
Available on 180g wax / CD or download and orders from the Gizeh store get a free instant download so you can listen to it while you wait for your parcel to arrive.
20.10.12
Some photos from a busy week.
Some photos from a busy week.
16.10.12
Just a few days now until we head off for a handful of UK dates with Sleepingdog. Busy days at Gizeh HQ learning Chantal's new songs, Glissando rehearsals and preparing for the new Fieldhead, Lidwine and Glissando records....
Glissando rehearsals at Gizeh HQ.
Just a few days now until we head off for a handful of UK dates with Sleepingdog. Busy days at Gizeh HQ learning Chantal's new songs, Glissando rehearsals and preparing for the new Fieldhead, Lidwine and Glissando records....
Glissando rehearsals at Gizeh HQ.
|
|
|
|
Sleepingdog Tour Poster // October 2012
|
Glissando tote bag design
|
03.10.12
A couple of new pieces of artwork just completed. The Fieldhead piece is a screen-print which will feature on a selection of limited edition tote bags that accompany the new album 'a correction'. For those of you with eagle eyes you'll notice the Fieldhead design is different from the one originally posted to feature with the LP. We had one or two logistical printing problems with the other design so a new idea was needed. There's still a handful of these left at the Gizeh store.
The Rustle of the Stars will tour the UK and France (with one show in Belgium) in November. Hopefully we'll have some of these posters for sale on the tour.
A couple of new pieces of artwork just completed. The Fieldhead piece is a screen-print which will feature on a selection of limited edition tote bags that accompany the new album 'a correction'. For those of you with eagle eyes you'll notice the Fieldhead design is different from the one originally posted to feature with the LP. We had one or two logistical printing problems with the other design so a new idea was needed. There's still a handful of these left at the Gizeh store.
The Rustle of the Stars will tour the UK and France (with one show in Belgium) in November. Hopefully we'll have some of these posters for sale on the tour.
|
|
01.10.12
Pre-orders are now available for the new Glissando record 'The World Without Us'. Click here for all the info / options.
Here's a new track we've allowed out for streaming:
12.09.12
Last night I heard the sad news that Hydrahead Records will close its doors at the end of this year. Hydrahead has been a constant source of inspiration to me both musically and for Gizeh. The pressure to survive in the current climate is intense to say the least. It's a big ask for anyone to keep on their chosen path and not waver under financial strain, this can be said for most people involved in the arts in fact. The quest to keep independent labels afloat is becoming an increasing difficult task, it has been for years of course, we struggle and fight every day for every penny, every outstanding invoice, every review, every possible sale that can be achieved. Why? Because we love it. To walk arm in arm with artists into the abyss, knowing that the path is quite possibly going to collapse underneath our strained bodies at any time. But this is the truth, the truth that these artists and labels want to create something that stands the test of time, that people can enjoy, find inspiration and/or solace in.
Of course we all want to make a living from this, and why not? Why should we work 60 hours a week for nothing (or very little). Why should we put our relationships, homes, savings, sanity on the line to create something that some fucking prick can upload to a server in five minutes, send a tweet and then the whole world can potentially have it for free? Illegal downloading is obviously not the sole reason the industry is in decline... it's a poisoned well of a mess but something that is so simple to do (and also so pointless) is costing artists and labels being able to continue the thing they have worked and crafted their whole lives on.
The search for answers continues every day. In my opinion a huge factor in all of this is actually a very sad one. In an industry that rapidly falling apart, the number of people actually making music is quite phenomenal. Herein lies the problem. The fight to be noticed by anyone and everyone has become increasing distasteful and tedious. Via social networking the grounds for self-promotion is now very simple, via sites such as bandcamp etc artists need now not rely on the friendship, dedication and fan-base of a record label. They can do everything themselves. Now that is a good thing in way of course but in doing so the swarm of self-promotion is quite insane. To have the quality of the release in song-craft, production and artwork is not enough to be noticed anymore and that is sad. The amount of music being thrown into the world is completely saturating the market and fight to be seen and heard is so competitive it's hard to know what to do and where to go with it. Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased that people are finding the need to create and put their art into the public domain but where does it end? One of the problems is that now it is so simple to record an album - in fact right now I could go and play one note on the guitar, throw it into logic, time-stretch it for 40 minutes and I have a record. Within one hour I could tell the entire world about it and have it available to buy (or not buy) through various means. Now if you are working for years on a record, honing and crafting the songs, working on the artwork, talking with labels, paying for studio time to find the best way to portray your hard work - this is the competition you are up against. Not musically speaking but simply to get that music noticed by people.
Small labels can no longer afford to pay a PR person to ensure their releases get maximum exposure in magazines, a factor where having a label for your release becomes crucial. Only the wealthier labels can afford this now, the same with distribution, independent record stores are folding which makes it harder to get distribution and in turn put the records in the shops. Magazines are going digital in an attempt to stay afloat which reduces advertising income and costs people their jobs. And so the vicious circle continues in every sector of the industry.
Indeed there are no answers to the questions. It's a simple fight, and a fight for everyone. There will be many more label casualties joining the likes of Hydrahead in the coming years and who knows where we will be in 5 or 10 years time. The financial strains on everyone are increasing and having spare money to spend on records is sometimes not an option when you have to eat and pay rent. The points made above are fairly straightforward and there is a more complex and in-depth way to talk about and explain the whole situation but for now I simply felt the need to express at least a little something from my daily thoughts on the matter.
If you can in whatever way possible support independent artists and labels then please do, it's something that we all work incredibly hard at - to be able to bring you quality, life-affecting music, all we ask is that you come with us on this journey of survival.
The full and very eloquent statement from Aaron Turner about Hydrahead is here.
09.09.12
The very first Gizeh Records mug has now been added to the store.
The very first Gizeh Records mug has now been added to the store.
|
|
30.08.12
Chantal from Sleepingdog has a poetry project Nu Nog Even Niet. A self-titled EP is out now on Jezus Factory.
Chantal from Sleepingdog has a poetry project Nu Nog Even Niet. A self-titled EP is out now on Jezus Factory.
29.08.12
An old one but always a great one.
An old one but always a great one.
21.08.12
A-Sun Amissa // writing + recording at Owen's City#1 studio in Leeds yesterday.
Just realised I forgot to mention this on here when it came out so here it is... a wonderful, free 42 track compilation from Future Sequence, It features tracks from A-Sun Amissa, The Rustle of the Stars and Gareth Davis' Mere project.
|
14.08.12 The Pussy Riot case in Russia comes to a head on August 17th. An incredible amount of people have come out in support of the group including Bjork, Kathleen Hanna, Madonna, Ad Rock and plenty more. Even the major of Reykjavik dressed up as a member of Pussy Riot for a Gay Pride parade (see photo). It's unbelievable to see the girls locked in a cage in the courtroom, they should be celebrated, not condemned. Three of the group face three years in jail if found guilty - lets hope that isn't the case. Read more here. "I am sorry that so many words have been uttered and you all still haven’t understood this. Or it is calculated deviousness when you talk about our apologies as insincere. I don’t know what you still need to hear from us. But for me this trial is a “so-called” trial. And I am not afraid of you. I am not afraid of falsehood and fictitiousness, of sloppily disguised deception, in the verdict of the so-called court" Maria Alyokhina Read the closing statements from the three girls here. |
|
RIP JASON NOBLE
Sad news this past week on the passing of Jason Noble who founded three bands who were extremely influential to me. Rachels, Shipping News and Rodan. Jason was 41 and suffering from cancer. You were an inspiration and will always continue to be.
Sad news this past week on the passing of Jason Noble who founded three bands who were extremely influential to me. Rachels, Shipping News and Rodan. Jason was 41 and suffering from cancer. You were an inspiration and will always continue to be.
07.08.12
|
After four long years we are finally ready to launch the new Glissando record. We hope you will like it. It's out on November 5th through Gizeh available on limited edition heavyweight vinyl, CD and download.
The title is 'The World without Us'. It's taken one hell of an effort to put this together and we also have bunch of guest appearances on there from: Angela Chan, Frederic D. Oberland, Lidwine, Aaron Martin, Tim Hay, Paul Elam, Al Hay plus we are thankful to Nils Frahm for doing a wonderful master on it too. Pre-orders should be up mid-September all being well and the Gizeh Store will have an extra special exclusive version. In addition to this news we can confirm the first live shows in a long long time. They are as part of Gizeh's 'Silent Bells' label tour and we'll be performing alongside Fieldhead and The Rustle of the Stars for three nights in the UK. November 16 - MANCHESTER | Sacred Trinity Church (Silent BellsTour) [tickets] 17 - LEEDS | Left Bank (Silent Bells Tour) [tickets] 18 - LONDON | Cafe Oto (Silent Bells Tour) [tickets] |
|
02.08.12
Unfortunately we have had to cancel the scheduled A-Sun Amissa tour for September. Aplogies to those who have already bought tickets to the shows. We are rearranging for February - more details on that soon.
21.06.12
This article by David Lowery has been doing the rounds these past few days, maybe you have read it... if not it's worth investigating if you are interested in music and so-called 'free culture'.
Some of you may also have heard that Tom Carter (from Charalambides) was recently taken ill whilst on tour in Germany. Tom is from the US and as such has obvious problems receiving health-care in Europe. In addition to that, the loss of income from the canceled tour dates will hit Tom and Christina hard.
Here are some words from Volcanic Tongue who have set up an appeal:
While on a tour of Europe with Charalambides, Tom Carter was hospitalized in Berlin, Germany and has been in intensive care for over two weeks. He is currently being treated for serious complications of pneumonia. At this time, there remain many uncertainties regarding his condition, which continues to be variable and evolving. Hospitalization and a projected recovery could last at a minimum many weeks and possibly months.
The consideration and support that has already been expressed, during this time, is of great comfort to Tom’s family.
Many concerned individuals have asked about sending cards and flowers, all of which is greatly appreciated. However, the intensive care unit is not equipped to accommodate gifts. We will be sure to let everyone know if and when the hospital is able to do so. Additionally, Tom is currently unable to receive phone calls or visitors. Many individuals have also inquired as to what other assistance they can provide. Due to the severity of Tom’s illness, his hospitalization away from home, and the projection of a possible prolonged recovery, Tom and his family will certainly incur a more than significant financial burden. There will be medical bills as well as possible travel and housing expenses. It is thought that a considerable portion, if not all, of Tom’s recovery must take place in Berlin.
A fund is being established to receive donations to offset these costs. Information on how to contribute will follow as soon as it is available. Tom Carter’s generosity and modesty as a musician and friend, coupled with his dedication to a vision of spiritual music as transformative force, provides us all with a rare example of creative and personal possibilities intertwined. Let us keep Tom, whom we cherish, in our thoughts and attune our minds to his full recovery.
Please forward this notice to anyone who may be concerned. We will post updates here as more information becomes available.
Volcanic Tongue is donating all proceeds from sales of Charalambides and Tom Carter and Christina Carter releases to Tom Carter and his family. Blackest Rainbow Recordings have also very generously offered all their available releases to VT with all proceeds going direct to Tom’s fund. Click the links below to browse all the releases that are part of the appeal.
- http://www.volcanictongue.com/artists/show/114
- http://www.volcanictongue.com/artists/show/116
- http://www.volcanictongue.com/artists/show/399
- http://www.volcanictongue.com/labels/show/793
19.06.12
London shows announced for A-Sun Amissa and Sleepingdog. It's the first ever A-Sun Amissa appearance in London and Sleepingdog (Chantal and myself) will be doing four UK shows in October.
A-SUN AMISSA
SEPTEMBER
UK dates tba soon
12 - LONDON (UK) | Power Lunches [tickets]
14 - TILBURG (NL) | Incubate Festival
SLEEPINGDOG
OCTOBER // UK
21 - MANCHESTER | Castle
22 - LONDON | Power Lunches [tickets]
23 - NOTTINGHAM | Malt Cross
24 - LEEDS | Wharf Chambers
London shows announced for A-Sun Amissa and Sleepingdog. It's the first ever A-Sun Amissa appearance in London and Sleepingdog (Chantal and myself) will be doing four UK shows in October.
A-SUN AMISSA
SEPTEMBER
UK dates tba soon
12 - LONDON (UK) | Power Lunches [tickets]
14 - TILBURG (NL) | Incubate Festival
SLEEPINGDOG
OCTOBER // UK
21 - MANCHESTER | Castle
22 - LONDON | Power Lunches [tickets]
23 - NOTTINGHAM | Malt Cross
24 - LEEDS | Wharf Chambers
|
|
13.06.12
07.06.12
'Mere' is out now on Gizeh... a couple of tracks available via soundcloud.
'Mere' is out now on Gizeh... a couple of tracks available via soundcloud.
Another video has surfaced from The Rustle of the Stars tour in May - this one is from Paris.
You can watch it over at Hartzine.
There are a few tours in production: A-Sun Amissa (UK/EU - September) // Sleepingdog (UK -October) // The Rustle of the Stars (EU - November). As always Sleepsound is taking care of business. Hopefully some announcements soon.
You can watch it over at Hartzine.
There are a few tours in production: A-Sun Amissa (UK/EU - September) // Sleepingdog (UK -October) // The Rustle of the Stars (EU - November). As always Sleepsound is taking care of business. Hopefully some announcements soon.
