Monday's Long Songs For Isaac

Trying to think positive thoughts on the worst Monday of the year, while getting back into the commute and work groove. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts... 

When Isaac died my friend Chris Rotter (Chris Mackin) recorded a song for Isaac, a twenty three minute version of his song 86'ed (which I'd first heard when Andrew Weatherall played it on one of his radio shows. Chris recorded as Bad Meat Club and was also a former flatmate of Lone Swordsman Keith Tenniswood and the guitar player in the garage band version of Two Lone Swordsmen, not to mention the man whose guitars adorn Andrew's 2008 solo album A Pox On The Pioneers). At the time when Chris re- recorded 86'ed, we'd never met but had been friends online. Since then we've met a few times, usually at Todmorden's Golden Lion. 

Poet Or Prayer and 86'ed (on Andrew Weatherall 6Mix, 8th August 2010)

Poet Or Prayer is from Andrew's unreleased second solo album, a record that became the subject of a dispute between Andrew and the engineer Steve Boardman (who wanted co- writing credits and who took the hard drive hostage, at which point Andrew walked away, onto the next thing, later saying he quite liked the idea of having a legendary, lost and unreleased album. Laugh Myself To Sleep has never seen the light of day although the title track appeared on David Holmes' album Blind On A Galloping Horse, covered by David with guitar from Tim Fairplay). Chris plays banjo on Poet Or Prayer. 

Chris' new version of his song, 86'ed (For Isaac) is still up at Bandcamp, soaring instrumental cosmische with the proceeds going to The MPS Society (the charity that looks after families affected by MPS diseases and funds for research into cures and treatments). 

The MPS Society

Last week Chris released a new series of tracks for Isaac. This was a complete surprise to me and a lovely thing to do. Chris also sponsors a dolphin, Rainbow, so the new album is under a new guise, Dölphin Plays Music For Isaac. There are five long pieces of instrumental music, all variations on a theme, starting with the thirty minute long Ocean Droog (a minimalist piano and synth excursion, the perfect backdrop to thinking positive thoughts), and then Cowboy Droog (echo, lonesome guitar, glorious synth drones), Beautiful Droog (horns, swelling synth choirs), Space Droog (cosmische synths and Vangelis vibes) and finally Cosmic Droog (piano, space, more horns, fuzz guitar). The whole album is at Bandcamp. It's a pay what you want/ free deal but if you can Chris has asked people to donate to The PMS Society by way of payment. Thank you Chris- it's beautiful that Isaac is still being remembered in this way. Positive thoughts. 

Rotters

Chris Rotter and Pati Yang have two new songs out, both available at Bandcamp and both sending any monies raised to Medical Aid For Palestine. The first is The Killer Inside- synths fade in, a tambourine rattles, the bass throbs and and Pati sings. It's got that woozy, shimmery, shoegaze feel, a pop song wrapped up in a hazy guaze. Pay what you want, raise money for those in need, find it here. 

The second is Gravity (Take Me Home), a long lost, unreleased Rotter/ Yang song, now out in the wild and looking for a home. Acoustic guitar layered over a bed of synths, Pati singing of memory and loss. Again, pay what you want, find it here. 

Chris' brother Roger is the guitarist in The Early Years, a cosmische band from Hackney whose single Complicity in 2011 caused a stir, was played on the radio by Mr. Weatherall and led to 6 Mix and then remixing Paul Weller during his Sonik Kicks period. In 2017 they released an EP of remixes of songs from their album II which included two Andrew Weatherall remixes and an Andy Bell remix. Both Weatherall remixes are stunners obviously but Remix I is especially stunning, an exercise in krauty hypnosis, repetition, bleepy melodies interrupted occasionally by the sound of speeding cars. One of those remixes which is a little overlooked in the back catalogue. 

Hall Of Mirrors (Andrew Weatherall Remix I)

Sonic Treasures For Isaac

Brother Joseph's Sonic Treasures went out two weekends ago, a six hour radio show on Radio Magnetic and dedicated to Isaac. I wrote yesterday about the tribute to Isaac in the first half hour recorded by Brother Joseph. That opening section of the show includes two of my favourite songs, Otis by The Durutti Column and the Beatless Mix of Smokebelch by The Sabres Of Paradise, and hearing them in the show and in the immediate aftermath of everything we are going through was deeply moving. 

Joseph uploaded the show (in seven sections) to Soundcloud yesterday. You can listen to it here. 

After the tribute to Isaac there is some mighty dub from Stephen Haldane, some ambience, psychedelia and cosmic splendour from Joseph, lots of those dreamy pedal steel guitars and analogue synth sounds, more from Stephen and then Chris Mackin's guest mix which starts with his special reworked version of 86'd for Isaac and then Chris' song selection, a beautiful mix of ambient and western taking in Gene Clark, Dennis Wilson, Link Wray and Chris Bell among others. Here's Chris' handwritten tracklist. 

Chris signed off with a quote from Nick Cave, no stranger to grief and loss. Nick's son Arthur died in 2015. Nick wrote a lengthy piece on his blog about grief (I glanced at it a few days ago but haven't read it in full yet, it seems too soon. I will though). He finished with this and Chris put it in his message for his mix- 'In time there is a way, not out of grief, but deep within it'. 

Sitting here now, typing this, that seems hopeful. While writing this post last night I found an interview with Nick Cave from 2017 and in it there was something that resonated very strongly with me-

''A lot is said about grief, especially the conventional wisdom that you do it alone. I personally have found that not to be the case. The goodwill we received after Arthur’s death from people who I did not know, especially through social media, people who liked my music and kind of reached out, was extraordinary...'' I've definitely found this to be true. 

Facility 5 And 86'd

It's Isaac's funeral on Friday. Planning and organising your child's funeral isn't something you really ever think you'll have to do but with Isaac I guess it was always somewhere at the back of our minds. The reality is much more than you can ever imagine. 

Some things happened yesterday which show the impact Isaac has had on people and the never failing to amaze me kindness of people. I hope some day we can pay it all back some way. At the weekend Nina Walsh contacted me to say she wanted to do something to raise money for the MPS Society, the charity that support children and adults with the group of rare genetic diseases that included the one, Hurler's Disease, that Isaac was born with. Nina wanted to auction off her and Andrew Weatherall's 39p museum, a treasure trove of sweets, crisps and pop that used to line the shelves at the Facility where so much of the Woodleigh Research Facility recordings were made. As an additional treat she said she'd throw in the original reference master CD of Andrew's Convenanza album and all these items would be bundled together in a brand new Facility 5 tote bag. To say this left me floored is an understatement. The auction is taking place at The Flightpath Estate Facebook page. There's a JustGiving page here for anyone who'd like to donate to the MPS Society. Here's a pair of pictures of part of the 39p museum and Mr Weatherall himself posing with a 39p can of bubblegum flavoured fizzy pop. 

Nina wrote this- 

IN MEMORY OF ISAAC TURNER

My thoughts have been very much with Adam and Isaac Turner this last week.

For those of you who don't know Adam, he writes a fantastic blog https://baggingarea.blogspot.com/

More of a musical historian than a blogger.

Baggingarea has always been the one stop shop that Andrew and I would visit when we needed to remember something about ourselves!

Sadly Adam's son, Isaac, who brought so much joy to so many via his pictorial everyday doings posted on social media, passed away last week and many a heart has been broken.

Isaac lived with a condition called Mucopolysaccharide disease (MPS), a condition I knew nothing about until getting to know Isaac, albeit through pixels alone. He was a brave young man with a terrific smile and we will all miss him dearly. My deepest condolences to Adam and the Turner family.

As a way to raise some funds for the MPS Society I have decided to auction Andrew's beloved 39p Museum that was curated over the duration of our partnership from Facilities 1 to 4. I will also include the original reference CD master of Convenanza, mastered by Noel Summerville at 3345 Mastering, bundled together in a brand spanking new Facility 5 tote bag (awaiting delivery!). 100% of proceeds will go to the MPS Society, payable via the JustGiving fundraiser page set up by the marvelous Martin Brannagan of the legendary Flightpath Estate Facebook page. There is also the option to just donate if you are feeling generous

The auction will end at midnight Christmas Eve.

Bids in the comments below this post.

Do I hear £10?

Yes, there are a couple of parts of that which have me blushing through my tears. And to have Isaac, the Woodleigh Research Facility and Andrew brought together in such a way just leaves me speechless.  

As if that wasn't enough, there's this too. Last weekend Brother Joseph's Sonic Treasures radio show went out on Radio Magnetic, a Glasgow based internet radio station that I've supported in the past with guests like Sonic Boom, Andy Bell, Justin Robertson and David Holmes. I'll be able to share the full show soon, a six hour musical treat dedicated to Isaac and with an opening half hour that was a mix done especially for Isaac by Brother Joseph. The show's guest was Brother Chris Mackin, otherwise known as Chris Rotter. Chris was the guitarist in the live garage band incarnation of Two Lone Swordsmen and releases music on his own as Bad Meat Club. Back when Andrew Weatherall did a radio show for 6 Music he played a then unreleased Bad Meat Club tune called 86'd, a glistening skyscraper of a song, all soaring guitars and motorik rhythms. Chris messaged me to ask if it was OK to go ahead with the radio show. I replied to say it was and asked him to play 86'd for Isaac. Chris then took my breath away with a twenty three minute reworked version of 86'd, one minute for each of Isaac's years. Chris has now shared 86'd (For Isaac) at Bandcamp, asking only for a donation to the MPS Society as payment. 

I can't fully put into words how this leaves me feeling. Thank you Nina and Chris. 

Love Theme

This is very lovely, a new one from Mat Ducasse and available at a name your own price deal at Bandcamp. Synths and twinkly melodies, some xylophone and a bit of Vangelis in there in inspiration I think. Two versions, Love Theme and Love Theme (Remix). Back in March Mat released a gorgeous cosmic lullaby with guitars from Kenji Suzuki and the ever wonderful Chris Mackin (who went above and beyond last weekend for me). Bunny's Lullaby was written for Chris' friends Charles and Lisa when they lost their baby, and, well, that's pretty close to me at the moment. All proceeds from Bunny's Lullaby are going to Great Ormond Street Hospital. When I posted Bunny's Lullaby earlier this year The Swede described it as 'moving and profound' and I can't do any better than that. 

Monday's Long Song

This was featured in the middle of David Holmes' recent show at NTS (posted yesterday) but I've been meaning to post it in its own right since I bought it, it's nine minutes long so fits in perfectly for this long running Monday series and is in aid of a very good cause. 

Bunny's Lullabye, nine minutes of beautiful guitar playing (courtesy of Chris Mackin and Kenji Suzuki) and some twinkling synths, is a gorgeous piece of music and send off, a cosmic lullaby. Buy it at Bandcamp. All profits from its release will be going to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

Mat Ducasse is/ was Matty Skylab. Back in 1999 Skylab remixed Holmes' 69 Police, the lead song from Homer's Bow Down To The Exit Sign, an album of instrumentals, guest vocalists (Bobby Gillespie, Jon Spencer, Martina Topley- Bird) and street sounds. On this remix Matty loops the organ sounds and adds some squealing guitar or sax, maybe both, over a dusty chuggy rhythm. Music for a nightclub scene in a dystopian future film. 

I'm Still Dreaming

One of Primal Scream's finest post-Screamadelica moments is this one, Autobahn 66 (from 2002's Evil Heat album). Ignore the title, the song's a beauty, a shimmering krautrock groove, ticking and hissing drums and a cooler than fuck bassline, spacey synths and melodies beamed in from out there. Over this Bobby whispers his stream of consciousness- dreaming, always dreaming, dreaming my life til the day that I die, colours so beautiful, softer than silk. It's no surprise that the desk was being manned by Weatherall (with then fellow Swordsman Keith Tenniswood).  My virtual friend Chris Mackin laid down the bass part and then in his own words 'went out til 5 am celebrating'.

Autobahn 66 (album version)

According to Discogs there was a promo release of Autobahn 66 that had a 7 minute 26 second instrumental version. If anyone's got it, I'm right here. The single version I bought contained the Radio Edit and an Alter Ego remix of Autobahn plus Substance D. This is a top notch single release, well worth whatever I paid for it 16 years ago. Alter Ego are a duo from Dramstadt in Germany and their remix is less cosmic, more mechanical, and yes, more Teutonic.

Autobahn 66 (Alter Ego Remix)

Substance D is Weatherall's remixed version of the album track A Scanner Darkly (also from Evil Heat and produced by himself and Tenniswood). Substance D is deliciously dirty mutant funk built around the same drum machine that powers Autobahn 66.

Substance D

Nocturne

Chris Mackin (also Chris Rotter of Le Volume Courbe, the live band version of Two Lone Swordsmen and his own Bad Meat Club) shared this over Christmas and then it got lost in amongst all the merrymaking. Eleven and a half minutes of sonic adventuring and dancehall vibes, turning cosmiche at five thirty and then building.

La Maison

Those of you with good memories may recall that last year I wrote about Le Volume Courbe, an experimental London based group centred around French singer Charlotte Marionneau. There was an album called I Wish Dee Dee Ramone Were Here With Me which had two songs on it that I loved. This one...



...and this one...



I have recently come into possession of a remix of The House. Sonic Boom has gotten his mitts all over it and given it his noisy, droney treatment. However since drafting this post word has come through and I've been asked not to share that remix right now, so sorry, it's not here. Having written most of the post I thought it was well worth sharing these two songs again. Enjoy.

Swordsmen On The Road

Back in the middle of the last decade Two Lone Swordsmen mutated into a live garage rock 'n' roll band with Andrew Weatherall on vocals, Keith Tenniswood on guitar and a bunch of friends helping out including Chris Mackin (Chris Rotter) on guitar and Nick Burton on drums. I saw them play at Sankey's but have no photographs. Who took pictures at gigs in 2007? Not me. These two live songs from when they played Brighton have come my way recently and thought some of you might be interested. First up is their speedy cover of the Gun Club's Sex Beat, which in studio version was on The Double Gone Chapel album.

Sex Beat (Live in Brighton)

Feast was on the Big Silver Shining Motor Of Sin ep, a four track vinyl release in 2004, a scuzzy, amped up tale of handing over cash to the doctor, over a building wall of sheet metal guitar noise. 'Ein, zwei, drei, vier...'

Feast (Live in Brighton)

This Is My List

Here is my list, self indulgent as Drew says, but fun to do. I've enjoyed more new music during 2015 than any in recent years. These are the albums and songs/singles that have struck a chord with me and that have stuck with me since their release.

Albums

12. Mbongwana Star 'From Kinshasa'
Traditional African forms coupled with electronics. Still startling.

11. Mick Jones 'Ex Libris'
Vinyl only, six track instrumental.

10. MonoLife 'Phrenology'
The skull from Hull with some cracking old school dance music.

9. The Orb 'Moonbuilding 2703AD'
A return to form, four very long pieces full of ambient buzz.

8. Le Volume Courbe 'I Wish Dee Dee Ramone Was Here With Me'
Contains two of my favourite songs of this year- The House and Rusty.

7. Steve Cobby 'Everliving'
It could have been 'Revolutions' as well. Both are full of sumptuous electronic tunes and ideas.

6. Gwenno 'Y Dyad Olaf'
Perfect psychedelic pop sung in Welsh (except for the one sung in Cornish).

5. Crocodiles 'Boys'
Dirty, sexy, brash guitars from San Diego. If you haven't heard Foolin' Around, click play now.



4. Moon Duo 'Shadows Of The Sun'
Loads of uptempo two chord motorik psyche but with In A Cloud they had one of the year's most beautiful, almost Balearic guitar moments.

3. Sexwitch 'Sexwitch'.
Six covers recorded by Natasha Khan, Toy and Dan Carey. The intense stomp of the Middle Eastern songs take some beating and Natasha's vocals are superbly focused while also slightly unhinged. Possessed and obsessive.

2. The Charlatans 'Modern Nature'.
Recorded after the death of drummer Jon Brookes, a band back on form and determined to celebrate life with some of the best, soaring songs of the year- So Oh and Come Home Baby especially.

1. Jamie Xx 'In Colour'
A history of dance music from house to grime, emotionally charged from start to finish, with moments of ecstasy, clarity and genuine beauty. I'm still playing it from start to finish.



Singles/Songs
The hand and influence of Mr Weatherall is all over this section. That's just the way it's been this year. Both lists show I've been veering far more towards dance/electronics this year. A top seventeen for no real reason.

17. Noel Gallagher 'In The Heat Of The Moment' Andrew Weatherall Remix
It came out last year online but was released on vinyl in April. Glorious remix.

16. Dubrobots 'Forever'
This Cardiff based producer sent me two versions of this massively dub influenced song. Still rattling my ribcage.

15. Public Service Broadcasting 'Gagarin' Richard Norris Remix
The album did nothing for me but this remix, full of Spanish acoustic guitars, sent Yuri to Ibiza.

14. jennylee 'Never'
Warpaint's foxy bassist with an early 80s single that pushed the right buttons.

13. Gwenno 'Chwyldro' Andrew Weatherall Remix
Further, stranger, slower.

12. Unloved 'Guilty Of Love'
David Holmes' new project taking in 60s/70s filmscores with a girl group vibe. Also had two long dubby Weatherall remixes.

11.  Vox Low 'Cast Upward Through the Waves, A Ruby Glow
Strange stuff from a French duo finding weird spaces between rock and dance.

10. Heretic 'Pollux' Andrew Weatherall Remix
I'm getting repetitive strain from typing those three words- this one took early New Order and merged it with some sparse electronics and a spooky vocal refrain.

9. Timothy J. Fairplay
Timothy J released several superb four track e.p.s this year, full of vintage synths- Stories Of Prison, Love And Columbium, No News From New York. Take your pick. Together they'd make a potential album of the year.

8. Paresse 'Rosita'.
Super smooth stuff from Scandinavia. Wraps your ears up all warm.

7. Haunted Doorbell 'Unconnected Thoughts On Jacking'
I'm cheating here- Fairplay again, this time with Matilda Tristam. Four outstanding instrumentals joining the various dots. The e.p. and title track gave us the song title of the year. Beautiful Sheffield is exactly as it sounds.

6. Patti Yang Group 'I'm Ready'
Chris Rotter, Matty Skylab and Patti Yang with a thumping piece of hymnal house. Do you want a free download?



5. Jamie Xx 'Loud Places' John Talabot's Higher Dub
I posted this last week. It's stunningly good, reworking an album highlight into something else with mesmerising, euphoric peaks.

4. C.A.R. 'Glock'd' Asphodells Remix
Super glam stomp, a massive wobbly bass, dirty guitars, French accented vocals; the sound of the future.

3. Sinkane x Peaking Lights 'Mean Dub'
This ten minute dub version of Yacha was the sound of my summer. All four tracks on the reworked dub e.p. were top quality stuff but Yacha is something else entirely and from somewhere else entirely too. Fast dub.



2. Pearl's Cab Ride 'Sunrise' (MonoLife Extended  Trip)
A Humberside funk and soul sixpiece taken on a long trip by MonoLife- trumpet, distorted vocal, two note bass, drifting but always moving forwards. Beautiful.



1. Mike Garry and Joe Duddell 'St Anthony: An Ode to Anthony H Wilson'
This came out in August, an emotional tribute to Mr Manchester set to Joe Duddell's Your Silent Face inspired strings, full of Mike Garry's poetic references to the city and its sounds. All proceeds go to The Christie so if you haven't bought it yet, there's another reason to do so. Almost inevitably, there's a Weatherall remix on the other side (which isn't too shabby either. In fact it's very, very good). Still prone to move me after umpteen listens.

Rusty

The French vibe continues. Le Volume Courbe- Charlotte Mariounneau and her friends, people like Kevin Shields, Martin Duffy and Chris Mackin- have a new album out and there's this lovely song on it, a shimmering ode to friendship. It sounds a bit like My Bloody Valentine after they got a little drunk and your idealised French girl wandered in and started singing over it. Everyone had a good time, hugged and had another drink. Tres bien.

Ready For Dub

Last week I posted The Patti Yang Group's I'm Ready, a smashing slice of summery house from Chris Mackin, Matty Skylab and Jagz Kooner. Quite a few of you seemed to approve. Chris has since provided this dub version, the romantically titled I'm Ready For Love Bog Dub

I'm Ready

New and free to download from a group of sonic adventurers- Chris Mackin (Chris Rotter, guitarist for Andrew Weatherall or rather the man who says Andrew Weatherall is the singer in his band), Matty Skylab, Jagz Kooner (Sabres of Paradise, The Aloof) and sultry vocals by Patti Yang- is this very relaxed slice of Chicago house by way of the Balaeric Isles. Rooftop terrace. Sun on skin. Fag ends in empty beer bottles. Thumpy bass. Nice build up to the end. Classy.