A quarter of a year later/

I write again. It's been a funny few weeks. Busy with music of various sorts. A gig in Leeds with aurelie, supporting one of the oddest groups I have ever come across. The frontman was a one armed Northern gentleman resplendent in tweeds, backed by a guitarist, tuba, violinist and pianist. A lady fried bacon into a microphone onstage. Then a frenetic section in which Barney (the sartorially elegant leader) operated an ancient manual typewriter accompanied by the young oriental woman on an equally archaic looking sewing machine. From here things only got weirder, with a group of audience members summoned onstage to read from randomly selected pages of various books, the most striking being a text on the derivation of the word Scatological. At one point Barney took a break from conducting the racket to relieve himself (thankfully in the correct area) and deelgated his role to another audience member whilst so doing. the set closed with a rousing number which involved the violinist sanding down a table as the resulting dust was hoovered up by an industrial strength vacuum cleaner. It made my own experiments feel extremely conservative. 

Undaunted, a few weeks previously I was offered an opportunity to perform alongside Japanese noise merchant Damo Suzuki (ex Can vocalist). I naturally obliged, despite feeling extremely under the weather with a chest infection. Dosed up, as I was, on antibiotics and altogether bleary the undeniable gravity of the situation only hit me later - perhaps a good thing. I played bass guitar while members of Black Carrot (including aurelie drummer Euan Rodger) and Mister Lee ably provided the rest of the instrumentation. The set lasted 50 minutes a portion of which C/can be seen here:



Continuing the reverse chronology, I have in recent months become something of a regular at monthly night of experimental improvised music: Quadelectronic. My weapon of choice is usually the 'cello run though various effects. The lion's share of attendees are performers, who are divided into randomly chosen ensembles (usually trios or quartets), and then perform, for a maximum of ten minutes. Participants come from a range of backgrounds. All out progressive noise makers play alongside more 'traditional' vocalists / instrumentalists often with startling results. I find myself somewhere inbetween: producing textures with radio or rudimentary sampling on dictaphone, as well as using 'cello to create drones or percussive elements. The night is extensively documented (thanks to the diligence of Quad regular Jim Tetlow) and performances can be viewed here:







the latter being a rare solo performance.

I had better sign off as this becomes characteristically lengthy.

Last, but by no means least, dear friends and musicians Ola and Sergei have been blessed with a baby girl Amelie. Who is lovely. To the parents many congrats. To the nipper: The World welcomes you...

Donout.