Sunday, July 15, 2007











Dear all;

A little update of what acts I have interviewed recently for my webzine 'Setting Sun' - http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo

Happy Reading

Andy N

Quiet time recently as in updates for the interviews section for for my webszine 'Setting Sun' – http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo which features interviews with all kinds of acts although it can be seen there has being a number of new interviews conducted since I last updated a few months back..

Anyway, here are the latest interviews conducted over the past few months:

' Katherine Crowe '

Katherine is from the Isle of Man (A little island just off the coast of the United Kingdom) but has a style that comes across as a cross between Tori Amos and KateBush minus the over the top hystics but has a honesty in her music which I think is refreshing.

'NOA BELL'

Noa is from Israel, according to my notes introducting the interview Noa herself describes " her influences as varied as 'The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Smog, The Velvet Underground, Bert Jansch and Tim Hardin' but certainly from listening to these songs, there is a timeless beauty in her songs that may display the pop element of The Beatles or even Joni Mitchell, possibly because of her upbringing in Israel there is a beauty and delicateness here that is otherworldly but distantly familiar. "

'M.GRIFFIN'

Quoting myself from the introduction 'M.Griffin in his own words is 'M. Griffin is the founder of Hypnos Recordings,a important outlet for ambient music for almost a decade.' In addition to thatGriffin is also a recording artist in a minimal ambient style, and according to His own page on yspace.com as of 2006 having created 4 solo albumsAnd another 5 albums besides that in collaboration with acts such as Dave Fulton, David Tollefson (as Viridian Sun), and A Produce.


'SoPhIe'S pIgEoNs'

'SoPhIe'S pIgEoNs' are a four piece group from Moss Side, Manchester and according to the notes on my website are a collection of musicians who have ' created a sound that's toe tapping, fingerclicking, erratic rocking – wearing down the rocking chair. Hands clapping, feet a stomping, new voices filling up the smoky air. '

Perhaps in simpiler terms, they are akin to a more lo fi, throw everything in the kitchen sink experiments that while vocally recall Tori Amos meets Regina Spector – musically go somewhere else altogether.


'THE WORLD ON HIGHER DOWNS'

'The World on Higher Downs' according to my notes from Madison /Stevens Point, Green Bay, Wisconsin (That's the United States).

The band themselves list their influences as 'list their influences as'Steve Reich, Slowdive, Stars of the Lid, Cocteau Twins, Labradford, Tortoise, Tarentel, Eluvium, Matmos, Mirror, Larsen, Encre, Fridge, Loscil'Which gives a slight impression of their dreamy,Droney far-out atompsheres post rock (ish) based music, Expect it doesn't really….
'Emperor'

In contrast to most interviews I do, I don't actually know a great deal about 'Emperor' expect they are from England and their musical influences are certainly for those kind of people who perhaps like their music as a cross between Stars of the Lid meets Brian Eno. The music here is rough but has a innocent quality that is well worth checking out.


'RENA JONES'

'Rena Jones' is from Portland (USA) and repeating my notes on the interview, 'Rena's music is certainly 'Down-tempo / Ambient / IDM As described on her myspace.com it is certainly music for fans For 'The Aphex Twin' (in his more listenable mood), Boards of Canada, Brian Eno, Tortoise, Sigur Ros but if I'm honest goes completely beyond electronical / post rock music – giving it a vibe that I feel is rarely seen in music.'


'CATYA MARE'


'Catya Maré' is from Denmark and plays a looping classical music that is described as in the introduction to her interview ''Beautiful melodies...weaved into an ambient/ electronica backing, evocative music, chill out, sensual, spiritual, funky, emotional and soulful.... The violin is her Stroking Voice... She uses it in a completely different way than other violinists do... producing breathing and vibrating sound which resemblesmore the female voice than a usual violin...You can feel and smell the sound... '


'SAMARAH'


'Samarah' is from Madison, WI – she describes herself on her myspace.com page which I will borrow her also 'Samarah began playing piano at the tender age of seven and experimented with various orchestral instruments and choir during her childhood. By thirteen she was composing her own songs and played her first gig at fifteen in a local bar. In the late 90's she discovered electronic music through the rave scene and was infatuated with the new sounds. Inspired, she bought her first computer and got her hands on production software, synthesizers, samplers and drum machines. The end result was elegant compositions of minimal trip hop and experimental idm with vocals.'


'DATA RAPIST'


Ben aka 'Data Rapist's is from 'Pattaya, Thailand but also lives in London, UK and quoting myself from the interview ' crosses all over the boundaries of music From ' Experimental to Dub to Electro to DM Breakbeat and Back Electro' sometimes within the same song in the course of a few minutes as the full emotional core of the music is totally different'

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Andy N now has a poetry / writing page on myspace.com















Dear all;

Now have a poetry page on myspace.com - it will include lots of stuff to come - it can be found here:

http://www.myspace.com/andynpoetry

Cheers

Andy N x

Monday, April 23, 2007

New Poetry Reading Mp3 for Free Download

Dear all;

My writing performance group recently did a poetry reading - be it a very short reading at a place called Leigh Library on 14th April 2007.

For your interest or maybe not, here is the link for the reading:

http://www.archive.org/details/24hourartyleigh

It is a FREE download

Regards

Andy N

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

music for one album review for 'mobile disco roadshow'











Regular readers of my webzine
'Setting Sun' (http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo)
will know I have a very varied in taste in music
varying from metal to bossanova jazz to folk, switching
from Astrud Gilberto to Nine Inch Nails last night alone
without batting a eyelid sometimes.

Reviewing albums is often a different game altogether
however where instead of often just listening to albums,
I will pay more attention to the structure and listen to the
background ambience as much as the music itself.

A good case in point is Sherry aka Music for One's
incredibally limited new album 'Mobile Disco Roadshow'
which fuses a haunting mixture of experimental rock
and country instrumental music which is played
according to the sleeve notes by ' Sherry, a
couple of guitars, a bunch of effects pedals,
the odd screwdriver and sometimes the audience'

The mention of the word screwdriver in the previous
pargraph gives a good hint to how noisy some of these
tracks can be for example 'Beyonce' which is as
noisy and freeform a track I have heard in the
past few years, but this is counter balanced by
'The Sea Swallowed Me' which is a haunting example
of Post Rock and made me shiver for a good five to
ten minutes after I finished listening to it.

Comparisons are difficult in particular when listening
to the album as a whole, but some of the track such as
a ' a short winter' are excellent mood pieces which when
I closed my eyes took me back to a bad winter in Manchester
back in the late 1970's when I was growing up and 'Flies covered
my lips' brings to thought the last sounds you may hear just befroe
you die or a moment when you may feel pretty uncomfortable
with something like when a fly jumps all over you.

Sherry's music I guess goes much more than just mood
and memories. It's music that taps away at the root of your
conscious mind and if you give it enough time, it will
reap huge rewards. After all, anybody who calls their
album 'Mobile Disco Roadshow' deserves a pay on the
back for the title if nothing else.

Excellent.

Please go to http://www.musicforone.com/ for more details
and if the album is sold out - nag her to get it reissued (It's worth it!)

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Caroline Martin - Broken EP Review














I first heard off Bristol born Caroline Martin through a session
she did with the late John Peel's Radion Show and was haunted
by his whispered, fragile beauty she shone with on her songs
to such a degree it took me a few years but eventually through
Caroline herself I tracked down her debut EP 'YOUNG TENDER
RABBIT MEAT' EP and was instantly a fan.

I met Caroline in person a few years later and live, her quiet,
powerful Cat Power meets Nina Nastasia songs made even
more sense which shone through on her second ep - 'MONN'
which shown to me a very Leonard Cohen lyrical influence in
places before being left speechless by her 16 track debut album
'I HAD A HUNDRED MORE REASONS TO STAY BY THE FIRE'
which had some of the most errie story telling you would ever
hear in music.

A few years passed and now Caroline has re-surfaced with a 7 track
EP 'Broken' (which actually is a 8 track EP as it includes as a hidden
track a ace Piano Version of 'My Daddy's Shotgun' from 'I HAD A
HUNDRED....' ) which I note from the notes that came with the
album this is a collection of demo songs that I decided not to take
any further, they are thoughts and feelings and they do their job
as they are... There's some distortion, a few gliches and mistakes
... this is a release I have long wanted to make'

I certainly agree there is certainly the odd glitche in the recording,
but the more you listen to this release the more these mistakes
add to the charm on even cover versions like 'How much I lied'
(which I think orginally was a Gram Parsons song) which she really
makes the song her own and on her own compositions such
as 'Before I die' and 'Last Fight' which are tracks that really sent
a shiver down my back the first time I heard but then on a second
listen meant something else altogether.

Recommended

For previews of some of the tracks please go to Caroline's
page on myspace.com

http://www.myspace.com/carolinemartinsmalldog

Hot Roddy - One Liners Album Review








Hot Roddy is one of the names Chris Cook remains music
under, the other being Same Actor.

I have known Chris for a few years and have ceased to be surprised
how different his stuff can vary constantly from the other.

His previous album under the name of Same Actor called Sharp
Edges which was released on the Bip Hop label was a brilliant mixture
of live sitar and other mostly live acoustic instrumentation remodelled
through his laptop so it sounds like something completely different with
beauitful affect.

This new album is a good deal harsher and somewhat more menacing
throughout with tracks like the opening 'Half Life Paritial Suicide'
starting off with some great live instrumentation before it starts
changing into something very different altogether, which leaves
you sat there by the end of the track shocked as he has shown
more ideas in that track than some bands /acts manage in a full career.

The second track 'Crust Mantle Hell' is even more intense, certainly
reminding correctly as another review I read while thinking about this
album as part early Aphex Twin, part Gabba certainly in the first half
of the track before then morphing off into a muscial territory which
is pretty well hard to put into any kind of genre and on tracks like
the third track 'Know your Deficiencies' and on the finale track 'Desolation'
demand repeated listens to let the track and indeed the full of the album
develop in his head.

This is certainly not a album for fans of pop music, rather people who
like their music to challenge and in some cases downright scare them
into a sense they do not know what is going to happen next from one
minute to the next.

Recommended.

To read further on Chris - please visit him on his website

He has several (mostly unreleased tracks) for download on his
myspace.com page (http://www.myspace.com/sameactor) and
you can hear snips of a few tracks on this album on this website (http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=32025)


Sunday, April 01, 2007

New Setting Sun Interviews

















Dear all;

Two more new interviews on my webzine 'Setting Sun' - http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo

First up, is a artist called 'Beth McKinney' who is from Austin, Texas

Copying from my own notes which lead as a introduction to the interview I noted ' I first got into Beth’s excellent Ambient / Experimental textures and sounds capes after one of my regular treks around Myspace.com in search of some good and interesting
New music which kind of reminded of ‘Stars of the Lid’
Certainly with acts she has named herself in her interview
Such influences such as ‘Takagi Masakatsu and Stephan Mathieu’,

Second up, is 'West Midlands based (UK) Kinora Viewer' who I noted in the interview came across as ' ‘of Early P.J. Harvey, Labradford, Young Marble Giants, Stereolab, A.C. Marias, Cowboy Junkies, Magazine, Yo La Tengo, Thee Moths, Bowery Electric.’ While managing to sound totally original. '

Both acts are certainly worth checking out and both acts's interviews can be read in the interviews section of my webzine 'Setting Sun' - http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo

Cheers

AEN

Thursday, February 22, 2007

latest interviews on setting sun

Dear all;

Being waiting for permissions back from these bands before proceduring with this interviews and also health has got in the way (being ill for a few weeks with a chest infection) but at long last here are the latest few interviews from my webzine ‘Setting Sun’ for your enjoyment.

First up, is French singer songwriter Adeline Moreau who I compared to a mixture of a French Kate Bush and Bjork with a touch of fellow French singer Camille thrown in.

Her interview can be found here

http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo/adeline.htm

Next up is a interview from a band centred around, Lisa and Dave from Natick, Massachusetts who are better known as ‘Sweet Wednesday’ who are certainly for people if you like alternative country music perhaps mixed Gillian Welch with Gram Parsons.

Their interview can be found here

http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo/sweet.htm

Also included is a interview with a brazillian alternative metal / rock band called ‘Diafanes’ which certainly stood out for me because of their unusual instrumentation in places.

Their interview can be found here

http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo/diafanes.htm

Other recent interviews dating back to January 2007 include the alternative metal band from Birmingham ‘Submerged’ (who are certainly are for fans of Evanscance and Launca Coil) which can be found here (http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo/sub.html) and the whispering beauty of Hamburg born Lina Paul (http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo/lina.html) and Olof Arnalds (http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo/olof.html)

More interviews are being lined up as we speak.. Going to be a busy next month or two I think.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

9th January 2007 (Red House Painters)





















Okay, for those who know me they will know me they know I love the loss filled music of sadcore legends 'Red House Painters' or namely 'Mark Kozelek's' music, but with the launch of broadband at my home it enabled me to look and see what music I could download off the net.

By chance, I found a torrent (off some site I cannot even remember where) which contained the complete back catalogue of The Red House Painters.

I pretty well had it all (aside from 'Shock me' EP and 'Red House Painters II') and couldn't resist getting hold off it, although I would then go and buy them (which I did through http://www.amazon.co.uk), and if nothing else it gave me to listen to some tracks in some cases I hadn't played for ages.

Take for example, their first album ' Down Colourful Hill' a 6 track album which i know for a fact lasts for about 45 minutes! Usually when I have played this album I have usually sticked to 'Michael' (which always make me think of some former friends that on some nights I still miss) and 'Medicine Bottle' (I love the drum solo 2/3's of the way into the song) but repeated listens also drew me to '24' for the line of 'thought I would have it down by 16' which bought back memories of my own childhood and 'Japanese to English' which also reminded me of a at least one or two long distant relationships of mine which failed.

Their second album commonly termed 'Red House Painters I' I always found a much more difficult listen, not because of the badness of the material - rather with songs like 'Katy Song' which reminded me too close of a ex girlfriend of mine of a same name (who lived in 'London') and 'Mistress' (Piano Version) which sent a shiver down my back everytime I heard it. On more listens, I found myself comforted by listens to 'New Jersey' and 'Dragonflies' which I found more upbeat and enabled to look at memories which often I can relate to through Mark music, which I think is probably the reason why it probably means a lot to me as with other people.

'Red House Painters II' their second album which followed within a spell of months in 1993, I seem to recall is still less a personal favourite of mine if I'm honest, although on listenings now I am shocked by the cover of 'Star flanged Banner' and 'Uncle Joe' is certainly a powerful listen.

Need to sit down and go through the rest - will tommorrow I think (or maybe not)