27th December 2006 (Setting sun recommends 'Submerged')

Last one of the ‘Setting Sun’ presents series now Christmas time is out of the way and life gets back to normal.

However, lastly – one last band ‘Setting Sun’ must highlight is a new up and coming band from Birmingham that are currently in their early days but with a bit of luck, we at ‘Setting Sun’ could see going somewhere is a new four piece group from Birmingham (UK) called ‘Submerged’.

The band themselves describe their short history as when Jess (Vocals) met James (Lead Guitarist) in August 2005 and the pair of them developed a strong friendship and at the start of 2006, they then recruited a bass player, Gavin Wragg and in April 2006, they then recruited a Bass player, John Duffy before more recently recruiting a drummer, Ty.

Like previously stated, the band are certainly in the early stages of still jelling together, but their demos as played on their myspace.com account certainly show the beginning of quite a promising young act who certainly could match anyone more interested in say a more powerful Launca Coil for example.

For more information on the group – please check out the group on
http://www.myspace.com/submerged05

I believe the group are playing a number of concerts around the Birmingham area. I personally haven’t seen them myself yet, but I certainly hope to during the start of 2007.

25th December (Setting Sun presents 'August Stars')

Happy Christmas everybody!

Here is the 4th in the series of ‘Setting Sun’ presents..

Next up for discussion is another friend of mine from the Make Music Mine Stable, Sebastian Wright aka. August Stars, who if my memory is correct is based in the Sheffield area of the UK (I could be wrong there of course as I know he has moved)

I first met Sebastian through my pal, Anthony from July Skies after following a link of his through on myspace.com

Sebastian’s work as through her alias as August Stars and also under my his own name are floaty, droney atmospheres drone-scapes which are often floaty and reflective and sometimes in the heartbeat of a second can prove just as haunting which sometimes can go on for 15 or so minutes

To my knowledge, Sebastian has released just one ep – 8 track EP on make music mine which may or may not have sold out by this time of writing (I know however he has a number of new releases on the way for 2007) – extracts can be heard at http://www.myspace.com/starsinaugust

24th December 2006 (Setting Sun recommends epic 45)

Third up in this short ongoing series of ‘Setting Sun’ presents being typed while in the midst of the celebrations for Christmas Eve (Happy Christmas all) has being a Birmingham (UK) band ‘Epic 45’ which is centred around two guys called Ben and Rob who are both friends of my pal, Anthony who also plays with them sometimes with them and also under his own name, July Skies who makes some of the most spellbinding and beautiful slowdive meets The Durruti Column imaginable.

‘Epic 45’ in a way follows a similar pattern to ‘July Skies’ expect for ‘Slowdive’ I on a personal level hear more of Mogwai in the sense where they sometimes raise up the tempo music wise in sometimes seconds.

This can be perhaps summed up on their second album ‘Slides’ which has recently being re-issued (quite rightly) on tracks like ‘History vs. the future’ which after some quite melodic beautiful guitar work with crunching, echoing drums (which according to the notes with the album were recorded in a empty lounge which it was being decorated) which really get going almost out of nowhere after a few minutes in a way that only Mogwai were previously capable.

However on their most recent album, there are other examples of a change in tempo like on the masterful title of their last album ‘Against the pull of Autumn’ – the band display a glorious change in tone where they subject us to a over 11 minute track where starts as a haunting almost John Cage Piano which is then developed with layers of noise before a beautiful The Durruti Column guitar takes central stage, which makes perfect sense.

Check them out on http://www.epic45.com/ - they have released three full length albums ‘Reckless Engineers’, ‘Slides’ and ‘Against the Pull of Autumn’ as well as two quite nice EP’s ‘England fallen over’ and another EP I forget the name off the top off my head (which is still beautiful).

23rd December 2006 (Setting Sun recommends: August)

Carrying on this short series of ‘Setting Sun’ presents, next up are a Brighton based six piece group called ‘August’ who are beginning to make waves around the Brighton / London based area of England.

‘August’ for me I know of about through my vocalist in M.A.N. – Andy who I know plays keyboards and also singing backing vocals in this group.

‘August’ however is very different from the abstract dance and sometimes mad improvised vocals. The band themselves described themselves as “essentially a folk-rock outfit, taking folk’s melodious guitars and storytelling lyrics and making them their own, blending the sound with elements of funk, soul/Mowtown and alternative rock. At times fast and funky, at others heartbreakingly soulful and atmospheric, august have a sound that is uniquely their own.”

Certainly from listening to them myself, I heard elements of early Neil Young and even Elton John or mixed with more modern day influences such as The Flaming Lips among others.

It is certainly rare to hear among groups nowadays which sound like they can really vary their sound sometimes in almost every song they play and certainly from their recordings, this is a band who have the talent and also the confidence in their abilities with a little bit of luck to really make something special.

For more information – make sure you check out their material on http://www.myspace.com/augustbrighton

22nd december (Setting Sun recommends Film School)

For some time now, some people
in increasing doses may have noticed
‘Setting Sun’ is always developing with lots of new and interesting
interviews with more and more new interesting bands.

Lesser known, is the fact for every act I have interviewed –
for what-ever reason there are often one or two acts / singers
which for whatever reason interviews have fallen through.

Over this Christmas period, for as much as my own personal
enjoyment as anything else – I found it worth be interesting to
re-visit some of these acts which are still going strong despite
the fact ‘Setting Sun’ has never interviewed them.

First up is the San Francisco based ‘Film School’ who I first
encountered at Manchester’s ‘In the City’ festival, which
impressed me and my friends no end with their floaty guitar
work and early to mid 80’s vocals (which kind of reminded us
of The Cure meets New Model Army meets Slowdive).

The band themselves describe themselves as “…. As a group
of like-minded San Francisco musicians writing and
producing music by themselves for themselves. The result
was something very special indeed. Undoubtedly they rock -
hungry unrestrained guitars and loud driven drumbeats -
but it is a sound as brooding, atmospheric and self-contained,
as it is explosive and infectious. It is a sound that makes them
memorable as well as unique and unequalled amongst their
contemporaries, yet simultaneously it seems somehow familiar.
It is the recalling of an early eighties alternative spirit mixed
with an unprecedented fervent and conviction.”

As far as I am aware, the band have released two albums –
both of which I have heard bits by only, but both touch
on the quality of that live show from several years ago at
least.

For more information on the band – please visit
their website to:

http://www.filmschoolmusic.com

Just to show my Xmas CD for this year with DIH is going down quite well - Keith Hicc sent me this a moment or two ago - some poor sod is enjoying the album!

http://forums.planet-mu.com/communicate//read.php?f=1&i=284477&t=284477

Cheers

Andy N

(Picture borrowed from http://www.rickdoble.net/christmas/various04_ltn.jpg)

20th December 2006 (Christmas story)

A Christmas Story…. (or maybe)

Just to get you in the mood for Christmas or not - here is a kind of Christmas Story that was wrote at my writing group ’24 Hour Arty People’ (http://www.freewebs.com/haulghwriters/) at the writing group’s Christmas Do.

I was quite drunk when I wrote this, which explains for the anger and also the bad language in it (which I have been kind enough to censor out for this re-telling)

**

Dangling like a clown, I kid you not made me feel like Santa with a multi coloured nose, expect for when the little c***s started laughing at me when I got on the train.

I wanted to tell them what I thought of them, but more importantly I wanted them to understand it wasn’t my fault I had to get on the train in that f**king costume, but when Gary buggered up the car which should have drove us there, I didn’t have much other option.

It had all started so well, until Gary had I kid you not poured lager into the exhaust of the car instead of water to stop the engine over-heating five minutes after setting off, and when he had told me I would have to get the train to me of course I told him what I thought of him.

He laughed at me, not taking me serious atall in the slightest and of course it was just my luck when I got there I ended up sat next to some fruit cake who was obessioned with talking about peverted sex so loudly that half of the train must have heard him. If I’m honest, I really felt sorry for the poor bugger who was sat oppistee him who didn’t pull his paper down once in the 15 minutes I was sat on the train, so I looked out of the window in frustration.

And then the next thing I knew I heard the conductor’s voice say ‘We are sorry this train is completely f***ed and of course we don’t give a c*** about how much hassle this causes but can you all get of the train and wait 45 minutes for the next out of date and rusty bucket of s***’. Well of course they didn’t say that, but either way I ahd to get off the train and walk down the streets of Bolton to get a bus.

I was p***ed off totally, there was no chance in hell I would get there for 2pm. I carried on walking down Newport Street - I was even tempted to get a taxi down there, even though it would have cost me I reckon something like 20 to 30 pounds, but I stopped when I walked past a pub. I blinked - I could not believe my eyes. It was a pub called ‘The Fool and the Bucket’.

I won’t need to say I gave up after that.

Photograph borrowed from (http://www.lacarte.org/health/chemtrails/orbs/)

19th December (lina paul interview)

New Interview on Setting Sun (http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo)

Typical! All goes quiet on the ‘Setting Sun’ front interview side of things for a bit, and then not one, not two but three interviews come in within days of each other…

First up, the beautiful Olof Arnalds, then the harder ‘The Human Value’ and now another quieter but undeniabley beautiful music from Hamburg (Germany) based Judith aka Lina Paul, whose music transcribing my own notes to you from the introduction to the interview ‘ Lina Paul aka. Judith is perhaps akin to my friend and long term favourite of ‘Setting Sun’ Emelie aka. Everygreen Days in vocal style, but closer to Cat Power I guess in style on certainly her more sparse tracks like ‘Empty Stairs… Other tracks like the epic ‘This wave’s length’ is much
More epic and tense stretching out to over nine minutes heading out to
Sigor Ros style music with layer upon layer of music building up

Slowly.

The interview can be read here:

http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo/lina.html

Her music be listened to here:

http://www.myspace.com/linapaulmusik

18th december (human value interview)

Another New Interview

on Setting Sun (http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo)

Just posted one interview up recently on my webzine by the excellent Olof Arnalds and here comes another one hot on it’s heels featuring the two third American, one third Cuba alternative rock trio ‘The Human Value’ who has a look of Karen O from ‘The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s’ but with a voice of Sioxise and the Banshees fronting Babes in Toyland or very early Hole.

I first heard of them via ‘In the City’ this year which kind of surprised both me and my brother, Gavin with their energy and power.

Of course, it made natural sense I interviewed them on ‘Setting Sun’ and so I contacted them - the interview can be found here:

http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo/human.html

Their music can be listened (or experienced if you like) to here:

www.thehumanvalue.com

17th December 2006 (free mp3's for download)

New Music free for download

nothing about writing today instead two new albums available for download

http://hallo-excentrico.com/pages/hemp031.html

DIH and friends - Christmas 2006

(My band's annual experimental Christmas album - full of surprises and weird tracks over 23 tracks)

http://hallo-excentrico.com/pages/hemp032.html

M.A.N. - Narnia (Minimal Impact Mix)

An near hour long remix from Brighton ambient/drone/noise terrorist, Steve which left me breathless first time I heard it.

Cheers again to all for their work on here.

16th December 2006

9 Days to go to

Christmas and the saga of Christmas cards being wrote is mostly being dealt with now I spent most of my morning writing then and got that done thank god.

Now for wrapping the presents.

I could write a story about some of the fun I’ve had writing then over the years.

(photograph borrowed from http://www.picturesofengland.com/England/Christmas_in_England/)

15th December 2006

Ten days

to go to Christmas and although I’ve got all my presents pretty well sorted out (although I still haven’t half of them wrapped) – I still haven’t got most of my Christmas Cards wrote.

I could write a story about that.

(Photograph borrowed from http://www.picturesofengland.com/England/Christmas_in_England/)

14th December 2006 (Olof Arnalds interview)

The beauty of writing is sometimes similar to listening to music you are not expecting to hear, let alone enjoy for the first time.

Writing for me often falls for me like this. Sometimes when I pick up the pen I sometimes do not know where it will lead. I could pick and start writing another poem about someone or something I have ever seen or known. I could in contrast write something else about my forthcoming 3rd play ‘Yesterdays’ or maybe a bit more about my novel ‘Intermission’ (which reminds me I need to get some more of this typed up_.

Music for me is often told through a similar pattern, or vein which often sums up my way at ‘Setting Sun’ (http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo) where I am always discovering music from all kinds of sources, sometimes totally in the most unusual of sources. Recently for example, after going to Manchester (mostly) free music festival ‘In the City’ me and my brother, Gavin sat there a night of Iceland – based music, two of which Eliza (perhaps think of Kate Bush meets Evanscence) and Ulpa (which reminded me of Radiohead meets Sigor Ros and Air) have already being interviewed by Setting Sun recently.

The third of these acts, that I have just received the answers is a amazing young singer called Oladf Arnalds, who has such a beautiful, pure voice I have no diea who I can compare it to, expect it is truly beautiful and a rare solo singer songwriter who left a full crowd stunned into silence.

The interview can be read here – http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo/olaf.html
(And there is other interviews on the way soon – at least three)

13th December 2006

http://www.urban75.org/photos/manchester/
this was borrowed from)

Writers CV ...

This has appeared on my previous blogspot and also on my myspace.com but I thought since this blog is new I would start again with my writers CV (which has been slightly updated since my myspace.com one)

Andy N
143, Chatsworth Road
Stretford
Manchester
M32 9PY

Email: aen1mpo@yahoo.co.uk

Website: http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo

Myspace website – http://www.myspace.com/andynuk

Personal Details:


Date of Birth:

28/04/1972

Place of residence:

Stretford, Manchester

Education:

Educated at Bolton University in joint honors
Creative Writing / Theatre Studies (1998 – 2001) 2.2


MUSIC PROJECTS:


CURRENT PROJECTS:

DIH

‘Imagine Jack Kerouac jamming with The Aphex Twin and you may get the basis for DIH’

Formed in 1999 by Andy N and Keith Hicc with UK Dragon joining in 2002.

Self released 3 EP’s (Silence of her wings, Further and Forever) between 1999 to 2001.

One full album ‘Internal Conflict’ (2004) has been released by Hallo Excentrico (http://hallo-excentrico.com) and a second full-length album ‘Suicide (I meant Suicide) (2006) will be released by Hallo Excentrico towards the end of this year.

Has also appeared on ‘Can’t buy me Love Volume 2’ (Can’t buy me love) and ‘Untitled Xmas album’ (V/VM) as well as ‘The Pope album’ (Boyarm records)

DIH has also had a remix track recently released on the Narnia Remixes album by M.A.N. This has been released on Hallo Excentrico and the band have just finished off their annual Christmas album (which has being released annually since 2002) which will released probably on Hallo Excentrico shortly.

Work will start on the next album ‘Metrophoris’ towards the start off 2007, with a due release date for somepoint in 2008.

M.A.N.

‘Boards of Canada with melodic tones from a impro poet’

Formed in 2004 by Andy M and Andy N.

Currently has released two albums ‘Journeys’ (2004) released by Hicc Records (http://www.archive.org/details/hicc-records) and the recently released ‘M.A.N.’ on Hallo Excentrico (http://hallo-excentrico.com)

Has also appeared on ‘Can’t buy me Love Volume 2’ (Can’t buy me love Records) and ‘The Pope album’ (Boyarm records) and are also regular guests on the DIH and friends at Christmas series of albums.

M.A.N. has recently released a remix album featuring 17 remixes of their track ‘Narnia’ off their second self titled album on Hallo Excentrico and the band will starting their third album towards the start of 2007.

They have also appeared on the annual DIH and friends at Christmas album for 2006 as well as releasing a compilation of their bits over the years also on Hallo Excentrico.

In 2007, the band will be releasing a CD of their second album ‘M.A.N.’ to be re-titled ‘From a Boy’ which will include a number of new tracks alongside re-recorded versions of old favorites on Slightly Off Kilter Records as well as possibly a tribute EP to Derek Jarman before they start work on their third album.



DISTANCE

‘Awesome Kratfwork type material’ – Junkshop Coyote.

Formed in 2004 by Tony M and Andy N.

Currently has released two albums ‘Distance’ (2005) released by Hicc Records
(http://www.archive.org/details/hicc-records) and the recently released second album ‘Distance II’ and ‘WLNT’ Sessions EP – both released through Hallo Excentrico (http://hallo-excentrico.com)

Distance has recently had a remix released on the Narnia remixes album by M.A.N.

They also released a two collections of un-official remixes ‘Off the Cuff’ which sounds how they can make original tracks and go beyond just remixes. This can be downloaded for free from Hicc Records (http://www.archive.org/details/hicc-records)

A third official album ‘Black’ will follow in either 2007 as well as a third collection maybe off ‘Off the Cuff’


PREVIOUS PROJECTS:

Andy N has also been in the projects Seven Ages, Sleeplessness and B.A.N. all of which have had albums / EP’s released on Hicc Records (http://www.archive.org/details/hicc-records)



WRITING EXPERIENCE:

SHORT FICTION / POETRY:

Andy has been a regular writer to the Irish magazine / webzine ‘Angry Left Wing Mofo) since 2002 and between 2004 and 2005, he had four stories published on ‘Straight to Hell’ (Links can be found on his website – Setting Sun – http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo)

He also has had a short story ‘Skyliners’ published in a anthology called ‘Flowers on a shoe string’ (MPG Books) in 2003 and has also had several other poems published in books such as Rage and Rebellion and The Heart’s Content’.

He also has had a variety of poetry and articles published in ‘The Big Issue’ and fanzines / small press magazines / websites such as ‘Scathe’, ‘Stardrift’, ‘Stratosphere’, ‘The Easy Way’ ‘Poetry Express’, ‘Robots and Electric Brains’, ‘Angry Left Wing Mofo’, ‘Roisin Dubh’, ‘Obsessed with Pipework’ and ‘Shoes of Quality’ to name but a few from 1993 onwards.

Andy currently has released had six poems published on respected online Poetry Journal ‘Heart to Heart’ (http://home.earthlink.net/~mjoneve/sub.html), six poems on the journal ‘Other Voices poetry’ ‘http://www.othervoicespoetry.org/vol22/index.html
And six more poems published on ‘e-writers’ www.e-writers.co.uk

He has also had published recently two poems published in the September and October issues of Remote Magazine and will shortly have a poem published in the debut collection of poetry by Other Voices Poetry and two more poems in Tajmahl Review both due for publication before the end of 2006 (http://tajmahalreview.com/)

Andy has also being featured on the poetry website ‘Slam Idol’ as a high scoring poet under the name of ‘Endless Dreamer’ and is in discussion about being featured again there and has also being responsible for some solo poetry by his vocalist in M.A.N. being featured there.

LONGER PIECES OF WORK:

Andy has recently had his first full length play ‘Night Air’ published by
http://www.e-writers.co.uk/ and which received its premium in Belfast in April of this year.

Andy has recently finished off his full length second play ‘And Buried…?’ and is currently making notes for a third full length play ‘Yesterdays’ as well as carrying on work with ‘Twenty four arty people’ with new work.

He is also working on his first full-length novel ‘Intermission’ (which should be published next year) and is in discussions with real life writers about writing a short account of some of his history with DIH under the name of ‘No where Famous ’.

OTHER PROJECTS:

Andy runs his own webzine ‘Setting Sun’ – http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo
which besides being a showcase for his own work also includes a large archive of over 55 interviews with acts from all over the world since 2003.

Andy has been a member of ‘Twenty Four Arty People’ (Formerly Haulgh Writers) since 2004 and maintains contact with the group and assists in various projects that the group undertake.

Their official website is: http://www.freewebs.com/haulghwriters/

The group has recently performed their two self written plays ‘Toni’ and the ‘2nd coming’ over the past two months and are talking about a third one at the start of 2007.

12th December 2006

(http://www.urban75.org/photos/manchester/

this photograph was borrowed from)

Off sick today...

with a bad back from work – got sent home sick yesterday with big back pains which started on the Saturday after walking down to meet a mate.

Have tried doing some writing today but nothing really has took focus aside from this scribble, which may end up getting rewrote someday although I wouldn’t put any money on it…. (Unless I re-work it into a DIH track for the future):

‘Did you not imagine
That I would still be sat here
Left to bare witness to what
Was the spectacle of our friendship?

Our existence will disappear
Into the fruits of the past
And the sands of time.

Our existence will disappear
Into forgotten memories
Like a morning after a nightmare.

In time, nobody will remember
Who we were
And why we were in love.

Nobody will remember
Walking through these paths of never year
While holding hands looking at
Trees blocking dark summer nights.

And like memories
Of a excellent football match
Or a bad meal
Which leaves a soul taste
Afterwards
The memory will fade away
And I will be left
Here to bare witness
Alone

Alone in thought.

(UNFINISHED?)

11th December 2006

(http://www.urban75.org/photos/manchester/ for copyright of picture)

Ideas for novels / fiction

Some of you may have read my nearly completed novel ‘Intermission’ which is loosely based on my life between the start of 2001 and the end of 2003 and is based to a degree about the changes in my life then.

An extract from this can be read on my website (http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo) but I’ve already had some people as me already, what next?

As all writers do, no doubt have ideas lingering around in their head I thought it could be fun to share with you a few ideas of these, which may or may not get wrote or get completed in the future:

‘POST’

Pre university (1998 – 2001) I worked as an internal postman for the former mail order giant ‘Great Universal’. A full length novel is being thought (have actually wrote some notes about this) to talk about those days in a fictional sense as I can honestly say they were interesting days certainly – something I still have a lot of memories about it, some good, some bad and a lot of comedy – some of the stories of which I have had some people say they to this day believe some of the stuff I tell them about those days.

‘YESTERDAYS’

Will be a full-length play centering around one gentleman, Terry, ex rock star and now script writer.

Notes from my notebook say the following about him:


Name: Terry McBride

Age: Late 30’s.

General Description: Long hair hippy – Prone to still wear tassled leather
Jackets and acting more like a teenager than a guy in His late 30’s. Something his daughter, Steph keeps telling him.

Occupation: A full time TV and film writer – ex lead singer off an 80’s Rock / Metal band called ‘Mirrormask’.

Credits: Extensive – Currently writing a series for Men and Motors Called ‘called English Virgin’, which he describes as a cross between Footballers Wives and Friends with a dose of Dallas and The X Files thrown in for good measure.

Married: Previously Married three times – Now going out with a Much younger girl Kim – whom used to be in the same Class as his son before he dropped out off university (Son doesn’t know this though).

Children: One from each marriage –

Harry (20) a lay about drug addict and Wannabe porn
star.

Steph (17) Halfway through her A Levels - Seeing a
Much older married Man (Her Science Teacher).

Mikey (14) Spoilt little brat who imagines himself as The British Eineum but in reality is as tuneful as MC Hammer.

Brothers / Sisters: One Sister – Louise (36) a solicitor. Married to Luke (Also 36) another solicitor – Two children Paula and Paul (Both 15) – Both at a private boarding school. They are not close.

Parents: Both Dead but are currently haunting him.. They don’t like his new Girlfriend and she doesn’t like them.


‘Rivers’

(Started in 2005) will be a story (probably a short story) that starts off with the terrifying words…

‘I know where and when exactly I died, almost as well as I know exactly when and where I was born.

I know when the sun rose for the last time and when was the last time I breathed and even when the wind blew on my face and when I fell to the floor never to rise again.

I know it was twelve minutes past twelve on the 28th April in Nineteen Ninety Nine Four.’

Before revealing in flashbacks why this person died and how they lived and what leads next at the end of the story.


‘Christmas Eve’

(Started in 2004) will be a piece of fan fiction focusing around the character of John Constantine from the comic ‘John Constantine (Hellblazer)’ for a website called ‘Straight to Hell’.

I have had four pieces published on there over the years and this one was started years ago as a prequel to something longer maybe where John Constantine encounters a ghost which has a similar rage to the girl in ‘Carrie’. There is a chance this could be the beginning of a series of short stories as I fancy John Constantine being transported onto another world in perhaps something similar to Stephen King’s ‘The Gunslinger’ series with John Constantine heading towards his own Dark Tower or as I like to think something he should have faced years and years ago perhaps his destiny.

10th December 2006

(http://www.urban75.org/photos/manchester/

for copyright of photograph)

On a different note…

I was just thinking about what somebody told me the other day i.e.- the fact I live a very busy life – i.e. you work full time, muck around with two different bands, help with a writers group, run a webzine ‘Setting Sun’ (http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo) and am writing a novel – how do you manage?

I don’t.

9th December 2006

(http://www.urban75.org/photos/manchester/

this photograph was borrowed from)

Just sat here...

With a glass of whiskey in the early hours of the morning, watching a video recording from today of ‘Have I got news for you?’ and I’m deep in thought about latest and forthcoming music releases.

First of all, Mitch from Hallo Excentrico (http://hallo-excentrico.com/) has recently released a M.A.N. at Christmas album of mine, which isn’t really a M.A.N. album but rather a compilation of M.A.N. tracks, which has appeared on the DIH albums at Christmas series since 2002.

For those not familiar, the DIH at Christmas albums has been a pet project as a bit of fun since about 2002.

DIH, like M.A.N. has always being a spoken word project but in contrast to the almost pop like nature of M.A.N., DIH has always being a bit harsher.

DIH, itself has been knocking around since the late 1990’s perhaps as Mogwai or The Aphex Twin fronted by Jack Kerouac but in 2002 as a bit of fun which has since being carried on since, DIH decided to do a fun project too where the trio would also do a experimental cut and paste album yearly where they would for fun try and break as many copyright laws in the album and then pass it onto friends (the 2005 album holds the current record with 140 or something broken copyright laws).

Andy M, the voice of M.A.N. came aboard in 2003 just for fun and in a way I guess, those first tracks formed the basis of what followed with future M.A.N. recordings over the next few years and over two official albums.

The Christmas albums, from which this compilation formed is a interesting development over the years and shows the dafter, sometimes darker side of M.A.N. like tracks like ‘Christmas Eve’ for example, I can honestly say would not dare release officially on a M.A.N. album, although it gave me a bloody good laugh when Andy recorded the vocals. Cheers, mate.

Next up, in no order before the end of the year (hopefully) are the following two releases:

Minimal Impact VS M.A.N. – Narnia

This is a sort of sequel to the M.A.N. ‘Narnia’ remix album released on ‘http://hallo-excentrico.com/’ earlier on this year.

The first album of Narnia remixes was by my own admission, a surprising mixture of remixes of all sorts of styles. At the time I’d heard rumors of a longer full length remix from Steve who is Minimal Impact, although I had never heard it myself so I dismissed it as an urban myth.

Fast-forward a few months, and out of the blue a copy off Steve and I was left spellbound by it. Stripping away the original completely he took it to a new level and left it more as a journey of noise spread out across a hour which really got under my skin in a good, good way.

Also just completed for this year is the 23 track annual DIH and friends at Christmas album for 2006, which I have just received the last track of and needs sending off to Mitch also (Will be done next).

This year is something special, I’ll tell you for nothing.

With previous years, the core of me, Keith Hicc and UK Dragon has had a number of guests who would regularly appear including M.A.N., Tony aka Gingertea my ex vocalist in W@, my brother Gavin who is Gavino Productions among others, but this year the rules have changed altogether with outside unrelated projects allowed into this circle including the Sitar/ electronic wizard Chris Cook aka Same Actor who recorded a near 19 minute epic, as well as Minimal Impact who produced 2 very different tracks, breakcore madman 7UP, and even two tracks from UK Dragon’s daughter, who produced two very surprising tracks.

All of course shall be released soon, but believe me this is a cracker of an album, possibly my favorite DIH @ Christmas album so far.

8th december 2006

(http://www.urban75.org/photos/manchester/

this photograph was borrowed from)

And no doubt...

the door would have still stayed shut no matter how I kicked it. No matter if either the door would have either being locked or the joints would have being freezing cold because of the sudden drop in temp.

That happened to me last year when I got so drunk I spent ½ hour blind drunk trying to get through now my late elderly neighbor’s front door at 2.45 in the morning.

And of course the door didn’t open then, but what if the door would open? Like life, what would have happened if I had managed to get in.

Well, I wouldn’t be sat here for certain.

7th December 2006

(borrowed from http://www.manchester.gov.uk/)


I had no plan when I originally started writing – no real desire to write a great deal and still do when I start always at the top of the page.

I sometimes like to imagine what would have happened if I could have started again? Would I do something completely different or would I always return back to the beginning in one form or the other.

introduction

Introductions


Dear all;

As some of you may know - I used to run - http://www.swampheartlandblogspot.com but with the new year being among us I decided it was time for a change - more - in fact lots more to follow shortly as I intend doing this regular from now onwards.

In the meantime - have a look at http://www.geocities.com/aen1mpo - my website for some samples of my writing

Cheers

AEN