Blogs
An interesting basic factual account of Welsh history in the Viking era. Part 1 of this series can be found here: Celtic Britons: the Origins of Medieval Wales - YouTube
The channel features several videos on the history of the Celts in Europe and Britain. Click here for a complete listing.
Ritual Cloak's sublime new 'Shell' single out now via Bubblewrap Collective
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-11-23
Following on from their second album (Divine Invasions), collaborations with Welsh poet Autumn Juvenile and Polish Artist Michal Iwanowski, plus an R.E.M cover, electronic post-rock duo Ritual Cloak are back with a brand new single. ‘Shell’ will be released on 23rd November across all digital platforms.
Bethan Lloyd unveils hypnotic 'Cutting Circuits' single via Soulpunx Berlin
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-11-21
Bethan Lloyd is a Welsh artist whose trance inducing vocals expand over an ocean of rave inspired production, harmonic layering and otherworldly ecstasy. Working within the unseen realms, Bethan has engaged deeply in the art of relinquishing control.
Cutting Circuits is a celebration of relinquishing control, both internally and externally. Changing the pathways of one’s life and opening up to genuine and powerful experiences of awe. This song is a blueprint for cutting the circuits of control and returning to true purpose, to the web and to the void.
(For Owain Ddantgwyn
our Owen of the white tooth
in battle a bear
Arth/Ursus/Arthursus/Arthur
to his family a comfort
to his kingdom
a worthy leader
warlike as the age demands)
so meet me at the forum
in old Viroconium city
that vacated shell we fitted
like a glove of mail
of might
of shade of light
those men of Rome left in a hurry
and tonight we can have our fill
from their amphora
so have a glass with me
a toast for declining empires
in the morning we will sharpen
our minds and our blade edges
ready for the latest wave of pagan invaders
to imprint the sand of our beaches
with such heavy footfall
and cruel design
we will meet them at the heights of Badon
and claim a hopeful victory
split wrong heads asunder
in a war that we will ultimately lose
and which will be forgotten
as those who will subjugate us
in turn will kneel in obedience
and kiss the ring of their oppressor
leaving us to be onlookers
in our own isle
sulky in our ale
liminal
in the far margins
the unforgiving terrain
where seed fails to shine
in the harshness of our tears’ rain
not knowing that scant numbers
of dreamers and word launchers
will meditate on our time
in their leaderless day
believing as we did
that they are near to the end of all time
“What Jeremy Gluck has brought and continues to bring to music is what nobody else can bring, i.e. lyrical innovation and artistic integrity that goes far beyond the constraints of a business model.” Brendon Moeller (Beat Pharmacy, Echologist)
Released in the wake of their debut collaboration on Plan for a Performance for Gluck's album The Self , and the subsequent SWND single Love/I Left the Left Page Blank, their new single The Benefactor is both intense and uncompromising, comprising one eleven-minute spoken word ambient electronic soundscape that builds to a juddering climax. This powerful new work cements a working relationship between Gluck and Hazel that sees the release of a full album early in 2023.
Lead singer of cult surf-punk band The Barracudas - the subject shortly of a 3CD retrospective on Cherry Red Records - Jeremy Gluck as a solo artist has had songs covered by artists including Lydia Lunch and Rowland S. Howard (The Birthday Party, Crime and the City Solution, These Immortal Souls), and Nikki Sudden (Swell Maps), with whom two latter artists in 1987 he recorded the first supergroup alt.country album, ‘I Knew Buffalo Bill’ .
Currently a recording artist, NFT artist, spoken word artist, and prolific electronic music and video art collaborator, Gluck continues his journey into experimental electronica...
Paul Hazel has had many releases on labels such as Rising High, Rotation, Inspiral, 2Kool, Masters At Work, Welsh Modular Alliance, and SWND. He has composed and produced the music for a number of commercial films and TV programmes and exhibited several short films of his own in Japan, Venice, and at several galleries across Wales.
The video for The Benefactor is a generative art piece created by American live coder Northwoods (Charlie Kramer), with whom Gluck and Hazel have collaborated before. Taking the audio and text and feeding it into software to algorithmically trigger imagery, an otherworldly ‘scape emerges evoking The Benefactor in binary, mind and spirit.
LINKS
https://bambooradical.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JeremyGluckArt
https://www.facebook.com/paul.hazel.31/
https://twitter.com/nonceptualism
https://objkt.com/profile/tz2JPVuwvUZyq1LyFwNz2ghXbJ62pQ1rd9f2/activity
ROGUE JONES - SENGL NEWYDD/NEW SINGLE: 'TRIONGL DYFED' - ALLAN NAWR / OUT NOW AR/ON LIBERTINO
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-11-08
(SCROLL DOWN FOR ENGLISH)
'Triongl Dyfed' oedd enw'r ardal o orllewin Cymru lle gwelwyd sawl UFO yn y 1970au a'r 1980au. Cysyniad canolog y gân yw damcaniaeth ddychmygol fod ymosodiadau bwriadol Meibion Glyndŵr i losgi bythynnod gwyliau wedi’u cyflawni gan estroniaid.
Yn cael ei chanu yn bennaf o safbwynt yr estroniaid - mae'r gân yn benthyg o 'Mae Gen i Het Tri Chornel', yn dyfynnu rocwyr y 70au Edward H Dafis 'Mae'n Braf Cael Byw Mewn Tŷ Haf', ac yn enwi'r canwr ac actor chwedlonol Bryn Fôn, a gafodd ei arestio ar gam ar amheuaeth o fod yn aelod o Meibion Glyndwr, yn ogystal ag Owain Glyndŵr ei hun. Roedd Edward H a Bryn Fôn ill dau yn barod iawn i ganiatáu'r band i gyfeirio atynt – mae tawelwch Owain Glyndŵr ar y mater yn fyddarol.
Fel yr albwm cyfan, cafodd ei recordio yn Stiwdios Tŷ Drwg, Grangetown gyda Frank Naughton ac mae’n cynnwys perfformiadau gan Llŷr Parri ar y drymiau a Harri Rees ar y clarinet gyda phopeth arall yn cael ei berfformio gan Bethan ac Ynyr.
“Rydym yn credu bod yr argyfwng ail gartrefi yng Nghymru yn wirion bost ac rydym yn credu y dylai’r llywodraeth ymyrryd i atal prisiau tai rhag codi mor ddramatig ac i ganiatáu i bobl ifanc gafodd eu magu yn yr ardal fedru brynu tŷ fforddiadwy lle maen nhw’n byw” meddai'r band.
*Rhag ofn i'r geiriau gael eu camddehongli; yn bendant nid yw Rogue Jones yn awgrymu mai llosgi ail gartrefi yw’r peth iawn i’w wneud – cân yw hon am estroniaid yn dod i lawr o’r gofod i losgi tai haf*
Mostly sung from the point of view of the extra-terrestrials – the song borrows from ‘Mae Gen i Het Tri Chornel’ an old welsh nursery rhyme, quotes 70s rockers Edward H Dafis’ hit ‘Mae’n Braf Cael Byw Mewn Tŷ Haf’ (‘It’s nice to live in a holiday home’) and name-checks the legendary singer and actor Bryn Fôn, who was falsely arrested on suspicion of being a member of Meibion Glyndwr, as well as Owain Glyndŵr himself. Both Edward H and Bryn Fôn were extremely accommodating in allowing the band to reference them – Owain Glyndŵr’s silence on the matter is deafening.
As with the whole album, it was recorded in Tŷ Drwg Studios, Grangetown with Frank Naughton and features appearances from Llŷr Parri on drums and Harri Rees on clarinet with everything else performed by Bethan and Ynyr.
"We believe that the second home crisis in Wales is completely out of hand we believe that government should intervene to prevent house prices from rising so dramatically and to allow young people who grew up in the area to buy an affordable home where they live" said the band.
*In case the lyrics get misconstrued; Rogue Jones are categorically not suggesting that burning second homes is the right thing to do - this is a song about aliens coming down from outer space to burn holiday homes*
John Peel Favorites 'Derrero' release brand new 'Curvy Lines' Album via Recordiau Prin
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-10-30
With Support coming from Gideon Coe on BBC 6 Music , Bethan Elfyn and Adam Walton , BBC Radio Wales & Huw Stephens , BBC Radio Cymru, Frankie Francis and Charlie Ashcroft on Amazing Radio.
Recorded back in Nov 2021 the album sees Derrero exploring new ways of working to expand upon their sonic palette and distinctive use of cut and paste song writing. Many ideas were traded across the web and new material was rapidly realised during 4 days of marathon studio sessions.
Maintaining a resolutely DIY approach to music making Curvy Lines demonstrates a strident and confident band who remain steadfastly unafraid to swim against the tide and self-produce and self-release uncompromising music outside of the mainstream
The members of Derrero all met at Falmouth Art college in 1993: after studies, they evolved in Brighton before settling in Newport, Wales. There they released their debut single Tiny Shoes on Size 8 Records in 1997 and also their debut LP later that same year after signing to Big Noise records in Cardiff.
Since the bands foundation Derrero have released 4 critically acclaimed albums and toured with the likes of Super Furry Animals, Catatonia, Sebadoh and Granddaddy as well as collaborating on the film ‘Beautiful Mistake’ with John Cale.
The band also recorded three sessions for the legendary John Peel
Curvy Lines is released on 30.10.22 and will be preceded by two digital singles, 'Morning Star' on the 07.09.22 & 02.10.22
1. Ancient Names
2. Internal Dialogue
3. Leaves on the Wing
4. Crease in the Flex
5. Morning Star
6. Numbahh Wahnn
7. High Side
8. Destinations Unknown
9. Long are the Days
10. Salamander
11. Kelp
12. Sign of Life
'Curvy Lines' Album will be available to pre-order from 26.08.22
Whilst the Cardiff three-piece multi-genre band My Name is Ian prepare for their upcoming brand new album - due out next year - we’ve got a little 2 minute nugget of Halloween pop-punk fun for you.
'Spooky Holiday' is out across all digital platforms from 21st October.
Creatures of Cardiff, My Name Is Ian have already built a back catalogue that would have taken The Stone Roses millennia to mirror. Since 2010 their output of thirteen releases have dealt with break-ups, breakdowns, mysterious lion paintings and characters from the Tom Hanks movie Big.
This restless productivity has seen genres including but not restricted to
lo-fi, bedroom punk, garage rock, prog and anti-folk, all filtered through the pop-oriented
cranium of frontman Reginald Foxwell .
Spooky Holiday Lyrics
It’s a spooky holiday everybody
All the ghost and ghoulies scare everybody
It’s a spooky holiday. Spooky holiday.
Frankenstein not frankincense
Yeah it’s only October so you know it makes sense.
A carved pumpkin and a load of candy
I'm ready for the monsters who trick or treat.
I got my costume on
I’m a zombie vet
Euthanize the chinchilla
Eat the owners flesh
Don’t answer the phone
Whatever you do
Watch out for the killer
They’re behind you!
Hold on now, You don’t believe in ghosts
I’ve heard bad enough screams from baby goats
there’s a lot that we don’t know so I’ll just play it safe
Save the ouija board for another day.
Funny bones
Skeletons
Yeah doing a dance
That vampire costume is missing some fangs
Witches
Black cats
Dead Mickey Mouse
Let’s have a graveyard party
Or just go to a house!
