Hello
The clocks have moved back, and for a brief moment the mornings are lighter again, and the day can begin a little earlier.
An evening of dark drones in Bristol
October closed with a rather magnificent live show at St George’s in Bristol, if I dare say so, at the invitation of guitarist Adrian Utley of Portishead. I had no idea what to expect just hours before the show began, as we sat in the café in the basement of the building working out what exactly we should play that evening!
I shared the stage with the amazing Spiralis Aurea Trio led by Stefano Pilia and Alessandra Novaga from Italy, as well as Bristol’s own JOW, featuring Pete Judge and James Gow. As it was, the show developed into a kind of modern appraisal of early Renaissance music, with interweaving guitar lines, cello, trumpet and my electronics. We played so quietly that I could even hear a phone alert ring out during one passage, not ideal of course, but a joy to play so very quietly.
The show was recorded, so I’m hoping that these 80 minutes of unreleased music might be available to more of you in the future then!
Columns LP with Ben Kelly
For those who have been patient, the special edition vinyl of my scores for Ben Kelly is now available. The LP, entitled ‘Columns,’ features the soundtracks to two works that I scored for legendary British designer Ben.
Ben Kelly is one of the UK’s most influential designers. He’s probably best known for his interior design of the legendary nightclub, The Haçienda in Manchester. His practice has produced influential work for 180 Studios, Virgil Abloh, The Sex Pistols, The V&A, Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm McLaren and Factory Records.
We’ve been friends for many years so it was a joy to produce these two new works for him in collaboration. It’s a really unique design too. An organic shaped die cut peephole is cut into the front of the sleeve as a homage to Marcel Duchamp’s final work Étant donnés (1946-1966) – a gateway to another world. The peephole reveals one of Ben’s orange columns and plinth with a gloss varnish on a black background.
The rear of the inner sleeve contains a printed transcription of a conversation surreptitiously recorded via dictation, complete with mistakes and mishearing’s, between myself and Ben, and yes, it’s very amusing to read.
The vinyl is available exclusively from The Vinyl Factory, and given that it’s handmade, since no machine could complete the process as Ben wished, and every copy is hand-signed, then it’s an artwork in itself!
Since The Vinyl Factory does not release digital music, I am offering it exclusively on my Bandcamp shop here. The download also includes photos and scans of the original vinyl artwork.
There’s a thoughtful review of the LP online here too, as Magazine Sixty, which I recommend having a read of.
New music with Michael Wells
Out today is another new release, an album with another fine old friend, Michael Wells of Greater Than One/GTO/Tricky Disco and countless other colourful and playful identities. We had fun making an album where I focused on playing the electric guitar as the basis for the tracks.
ZERO is a mini-album of playfully optimistic tunes, with an electronic sensibility. It can be listened to on all streaming services and available to buy directly at Bandcamp from 1 November.
Spare Snare Minimalism
Also out today, on 1 November, is Mix-Up by Spare Snare. If you aren’t familiar with their music, they are a Scottish group, formed in 1991. We played a show together way back in the 1990s, and so it’s a pleasure to work with them again all these years later.
They recorded four sessions for the truly legendary John Peel, and most recently worked with the late producer, equally legendary, Steve Albini. This new release is strictly limited to 300 copies, and the CD features remixes of tracks from their album, The Brutal. My minimal remix is accompanied by mixes from Hifi Sean, Sci-fi Steven of Bis, Raz Ullah, The Leaf Library and more. Pick up your copy here.
Exploratory sounds on Slack City Radio
As the calendar seems to speed by, the latest episode of EarSpace is ready for your listening pleasure. For Episode 15 it’s time for an electronic trip through time and space.
This time I bring you newly released music to swing your hips to from Gabor Lazar, Robert Henke and Trinity Carbon, sounds inspired by a fatberg weighting 35 tonnes in East London, and a tribute to the late Achim Szepanski of the label Mille Plateaux.
In between, there’s intensely emotive music from Klara Lewis, the final recordings of Mika Vainio, as well as sounds from Alan Sparhawk of Low, Clark, Polypores, Oliver Coates and many more. And I introduce and chat about every piece of music too. Hope you will enjoy it! Listen back here.
Now, time to check your calendar and see if you can make it along to some forthcoming live action.There are quite a few lined up for 2024-25 now already.
Getting ‘Switched On’ in Whitby
On 9th November I’m visiting Whitby to perform for Switched On, which features three days of live electronic music in a very gothic location, with a vast array of live acts. I shall endeavour to find some suitable eyeliner to match.
Harry Smith at 100 in Brighton
The following week I’m down in Brighton for a very special presentation at the Attenborough Centre on Friday 15 November, focusing on the work of Harry Smith. Smith (1923–1991) was a great American eccentric, experimental filmmaker, musicologist, graphic designer, bohemian and anthropologist. He was also a collector of found objects and sounds, including the world’s largest known private paper aeroplane collection. The Anthology of American Folk Music is perhaps his most famous contribution.
I was invited by the Harry Smith Archives to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth by performing live scores to a wide selection of his films. For this evening, I will be performing a live soundtrack to Smith’s Early Abstractions (1946–57) and Untitled Seminole Patchwork (1965–66) films.
Sing some Hymns for Robots
With just about enough time to unpack and watch my clothes, I’m then off to Lancaster on 24 November for a show at the Gregson Centre, to perform at ‘Hymns for Robots.’ I realise that I don’t think I have ever actually visited Lancaster, so am very much looking forward to exploring the locality.
I’ll be performing alongside Gordon Chapman-Fox (in a rare non-Warringon-Runcorn New Town Development Plan set), Kinbrae, Ben Chatwin, Cholly, Lo_Five, Subordinate Clause & Guerrilla Biscuits. Tickets available here.
Tickets are already on sale for shows in 2025 too, including a night in Ipswich on 22 March at the Steamboat Tavern, and a London show with my old sonic pal Fennesz on 11 April at the Round Chapel in Hackney in London.
Dutch friends and fans might be interested to learn of two shows in Amsterdam in January 2025 at Orgelpark, but they have yet to be promoted online. I’ll be working with a group of musicians performing works from German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, amongst others. This is going to be fun in such a special location too.
Ghosts in Paris
Amazingly, (cue the dramatic music), my installation at the leading contemporary art museum Centre Pompidou in Paris will finally open in December. After around twenty years, (yes, twenty years!!), of communication and conversation, Esprits de Paris, created with the late Mike Kelley will be displayed again, for the first time since 2003.
If you scroll to the bottom of the page here you can find out more information. It’s a hugely ambitious work that Mike and I made at the time, alongside another unreleased work (which I’m still working on at present), that focuses on the idea of EVP and ghostly presence.
On Friday 6 December I will be giving a talk about the work and answering questions, and tickets are free, so please do come along if you are local. At present, there is also a huge retrospective show of Mike’s work at Tate Modern in London, and encourage you to visit if you. In the main entrance an excerpt from the soundtrack to our Esprits de Paris is playing out, to scare visitors too 😀
So, as you can see, things don’t seem to slowing down for the holiday season at present. I’m really hoping some of you can make it out to the live shows, as it’s always a joy to chat with people too.
As ever, thanks for your support.
Warmest wishes
Professor Scanner
::: listen :::
David Jackman: Schining (Die Stadt)
Ernst Thoma: Reels 1977-1986 (Soave)
King Crimson: Red Box Set (DGM)
Intermodulation: Connections (Paradigm Discs)
::: read :::
Nancy Perloff: Sensing the Future: Experiments in Art and Technology (Getty)
Michael Craig-Martin (Royal Academy)
Joan Didion: Slouching Towards Bethlehem (Everyman’s Library)
Hans Ulrich Obrist: Metzger (Hauser Wirth)
::: watch :::
World of Glory: Roy Andersson
Revenge: Coralie Fargeat
Strange Darling: JT Mollner
Perfect Days: Wim Wenders
