midwich playing live! wharf chambers, leeds, 28th July 2012

June 30, 2012 at 11:17 am | Posted in live music, midwich, new music, no audience underground | Leave a comment
Tags: ashtray navigations, daniel thomas, drone, electronica, hagman, improv, live music, mel delaney, melanie o'dubhslaine, midwich, neil campbell, new music, no audience underground, noise, phil todd, shameless self-congratulation, sheepscar light industrial, striate cortex, wharf chambers

Well, I’m glad to say the house move has been super-smooth and aside from the gold leaf on a few of the ceiling bosses needing renovation and some ‘issues’ with the servants’ quarters we’re totally settled in Midwich Mansions.  Many thanks for the best wishes that some of you have sent and I’ve already received a couple of tapes and CD-rs at the new address – fast work!  Normal service is still a way off due to holidays and other trifles but in the meantime check this out:

Crazy, eh?  You wait seven years for a midwich show then three come (relatively) at once.  Here’s the blurb from Daniel Thomas:

Sheepscar Light Industrial & Striate Cortex present Ashtray Navigations, Astral Social Club, Hagman, Mel O’Dubhslaine and Midwich performing live for an evening of celebration to mark the release of the Victorian Electronics box-set on Striate Cortex and the launch of Sheepscar Light Industrial.

Since 2009 Andy Robinson has been releasing limited runs of beautifully packaged experimental, ambient, drone and noise on his Striate Cortex label. To mark a half century of releases, he is releasing the Victorian Electronics box-set: packaged in a hand-decorated box, this release will contain four 3″ discs, one each from Astray Navigations, Astral Social Club, Daniel Thomas and Midwich.

And, as Striate Cortex reaches a milestone, Sheepscar Light Industrial is born. Daniel Thomas’ Leeds based label has been bubbling under the surface for a few months and is now ready to deliver its first three releases; Daniel Thomas & Midwich, Mel O’Dubhslaine and Azores. The latter will feature remixes by Ap Martlet, Daniel Thomas and Phil Todd.

All three Sheepscar Light Industrial releases and the Victorian Electronics box-set will be available on the evening, there will also be live performances from Ashtray Navigations, Astral Social Club, Hagman, Mel O’Dubhslaine, Midwich and, hopefully, a couple of others too…

Ashtray Navigations

Originally started as a solo project back in 1994, Phil Todd’s Ashtray Navigations have been consistently turning out high quality, psychedelic, experimental, noise. Here, longevity is most definitely an assurance of quality.

Astral Social Club

Astral Social Club is the (usually) solo project of former Vibracathedral Orchestra member and veteran experimental musicalist Neil Campbell. As was recently said – “The undisputed granddaddy of underground noise/improv/drone/whatever who has been exploring these murky waters for close to 30 years.”

Hagman

Mere babes in comparison to the aforementioned stalwarts of the experimental noise underground, Hagman are Daniel & David Thomas (no relation); two men with a variety of noise making devices, effects pedals and lots of wires…

Mel O’Dubhslaine

Mel explores extended vocalisation and non-verbal language using real and synthesised breath.

Midwich

Midwich is the noise of Rob Hayler; former Fencing Flatworm Records head honcho, documenter and veteran of the no audience underground…

Doors 7pm, £4

Wharf Chambers is a members’ club and you need to be a member, or guest of a member, in order to attend. To join, please visit wharfchambers.org. Membership costs £1 and requires a minimum of 48 hours to take effect.

I’m really looking forward to this.  I will have a shiny new 20 minute(ish) set combining elements of my contributions to the Striate Cortex box and to Sheepscar Light Industrial played AT THE SAME TIME.  May involve a recording I made on a sunny afternoon of a bee colony that lives in the eaves of my old house, Midwich Towers.

Oh and I don’t mind being a ‘veteran’ (the wording of this blurb has been entertainingly discussed on the Bang the Bore forum).  In fact I’m enjoying my elder statesman status.  My tactic of disappearing for five years then coming back with a blog that just says nice things about everyone is paying FAT dividends…