Blogs
Conformist returns with inventive new remix of Radio Europa's 'Something Beautiful' featuring vocals by Gwenllian Anthony (Adwaith)
By AmeriCymru, 2020-06-23
Conformist is back with a new remix of Radio Europa' s ' Something Beautiful' featuring vocals by Gwenllian Anthony of Adwaith. Out on 31st of July it's the first new material from Conformist this year and a teaser of more to come with his forthcoming third album slated for release in late 2020.
Conformist is the moniker of Cardiff's Michael Simmons, he takes Radio Europa's 'Something Beautiful' from last year's acclaimed " Community is Revolution " album and gave it fresh spin, with an intricate palette of synths, strings, cut up vocal samples and spluttering beats, he shows off his inventive talent to craft insidious sound experiences.
Conformist says:
" Community Is Revolution" by Radio Europa was one of my go-to albums from last year, its themes and the narratives referenced within the album spoke volumes to myself and continue to do so as we meander through these dark times, so when the opportunity to remix a track from this album came up i was all over it. Plus getting the opportunity to work on Gwenllians' excellent vocal contribution was too good an opportunity to pass on; Adwaith are, simply put, the best Welsh band in years. Hopefully this release is a catalyst for more Conformist releases, beginning with album number three in the Autumn."
Radio Europa say:
Conformist is one of the most respected names on the Electronic music scene in Wales, with early demos immediately catching the attention and of Steve Lamacq, Huw Stephens, John Kennedy and Eddy Temple Morris.
Subsequent Conformist albums " Paid To Fake It" (2013) and " Lifestyle Bible " (2016) earned lavish praise:
"Paid To Fake It" is the sort of record that will take your breath away...bloody brilliant" The 405
" a head-spinning deluge of audacious beats and samples...staggering" Wales Online
Conformists' production work is distinguished and full of unique character; staying leftfield but fresh and ahead of others; meticulous, dense and layered, revealing hidden detail with every listen - taking inspiration from Public Enemy 's Bomb Squad and cut n' paste pioneers Coldcut, Steinski and The Dust Brothers to name a few.
Most recently Conformists' own tracks have been reinterpreted by key figures in the underground Electronic music scene such as Man Without Country, Mark Pistel of Consolidated, Kayla Painter, Odonis Odonis & H O R S E S.
Conformist will return later in 2020 with his eagerly anticipated third full length album.
https://wormholeworld.bandcamp.com/album/community-is-revolution
https://www.libertinorecords.com/adwaith
www.conformistmusic.com
The much vaunted app that seems
to be no longer so vaunted if at all
the commitments that wither
almost as soon as they're uttered
the NHS Track and Trace tsar
a baroness who had formerly been
the chief executive of a telecoms company
when there was a breach of thousands
of its customers' data
and who left with a full year's salary
of £550,000 despite working
only two months of that financial year
and who as a Jockey Club board member
argued against cancelling the Cheltenham Festival
as Coronavirus cantered towards us
allowing a quarter of a million people
to congregate
be socially very near to one another
and then disseminate over a wide area
potentially spreading the infection
with all that that mundane but grave phrase implies
our democracy
still led and misled
by an aristocracy
the lie of modernity
trapped in a form of feudalism
until the hoodwinked citizens
of Albion call it a day and decide
that they don't wish to work
for such baronial employers any more
and learn to print their own money
as our rulers essentially have always done
and what of those highly qualified and experienced
scientific and medical officers
who are suddenly absent
from Downing Street presentations
where they had provided a degree
of much-needed wisdom and caution
a level-headedness amid the madness
of months of growing terror
and a collapsing economy?
is this because they had not given
in to the requests to back
Dominic Cummings
over his lockdown meandering?
or had they somehow done themselves
out of their own jobs by allowing
their expertise to rub off on Ministers
in a process of osmosis by the mere act
of standing two metres from humans
who previously held experts in contempt?
Dexamethasone is a steroid hailed
in June as an important discovery
in tackling the disease
following a complex trial
(“the world’s biggest”)
that involved 175 UK hospitals
Spain had been successfully using
this inexpensive and well known medicine
for this type of treatment since February
yes Spain
a country in Europe
in our world
and not in outer space
not beyond the gaze
of our most powerful telescopes
the last time I checked
but then again they are foreigners
our professors seemed so pleased with the results
and any good news is to be lauded
and applauded in this litany of bad news
but had they in effect reinvented the wheel?
importantly could an additional 4 to 5,000 lives
have been saved had it been introduced earlier?
meanwhile Macaque monkeys
escape from an Indian laboratory
with Covid-19 samples
a metaphor for our times
A five year old patient
with underlying health conditions
diminutive in her intubation
and her chariot-like bed
nameless to us
victimised
beloved
in this scary place
of scary-looking people
the sounds of ongoing urgency
of breathing big as a country
it's hard to read a person's face
when it's behind a covering
they say that with this bastard
you die alone
no one to hold your hand
no one to lie that everything's
going to be alright
no one to say goodbye
goodbye
AWARD-WINNING ILLUSTRATOR’S FIRST BOOK ABOUT EMIGRATING, LONGING AND QUILTS
By Ceri Shaw, 2020-06-17
Popular illustrator and artist Valériane Leblond has written her first book for children, as well as painting the images that bring the story to life. The Quilt (Y Lolfa) is a beautifully illustrated hardback offering a message of hope which is sure to also strike a chord with many adult readers in these difficult days: when things look bleak, remember that happy times will return.
The story follows a little girl who lives with her parents on a farm near the coast, around the turn of the twentieth century. Times are hard and the family decides to emigrate to America, raising the fare by selling all of their possessions except for a black and red quilt lovingly hand-made by the mother. The little girl feels homesick and sad at times, but the memories of love and home contained in the quilt help her overcome this and adapt to her new life.
“I’ve been interested in quilts and quilting since I was a teenager, when my mother made me a quilt. Since moving to Wales, I’ve painted and read a lot about the craft of Welsh quilting, which is unique,” said Valériane. Traditionally, Welsh quilts are of a simple patchwork design, with more emphasis on the stiches and thread patterns. “The most interesting fact for me is that these quilts were made when opportunities for women to work and earn were very limited. Also, if you look closely, it’s much more than a craft – it’s an abstract fine art!”
Praise for The Quilt :
“[Valériane Leblond’s] first book as author and illustrator is a glorious production which conveys a message of hope... I loved the muted palette and Leblond’s portrayals of Wales, Liverpool and the New World.” Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller
Valériane Leblond is a French author, illustrator and artist. Books illustrated by her were shortlisted or won the prestigious Tir na n-Og children’s book award for five years running from 2015. She now lives in an old farmhouse near Aberystwyth with her sons, several cats and too many chickens.
Suitable for children between 4 and 8 years old.
The Quilt by Valériane Leblond (£5.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
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...the unknown world is in truth, about us everywhere, everywhere near to our feet, the thinnest veil separates us from it, the door in the wall of the next street communicates with it.
'The London Adventure', Arthur Machen
... I saw a star shining over our valley, a keyholeful of light, telling me I was home.
'The Water Music & Other Stories', Glyn Jones
It is always a pleasure to welcome a major talent to the Welsh literary scene and 'Keyhole', by Matthew G. Rees clearly establishes the author's claim to this title. The 18 stories in this collection are set in various locations in Wales although mainly in Carmarthenshire and the Marches. They all exhibit magical and supernatural qualities and exemplify the author's fascination with the 'liminal' or, 'that territory where the known and the unknown meet and interact.'. In this respect his writing is reminiscent of the work of one of his literary heroes - Arthur Machen. Indeed this collection is published by a small publishing house in Newport, Gwent (Three Impostors) which specialises, amongst other things, in reprints of old Machen classics.
Matthew has worked at various times as a journalist, teacher and night shift cab-driver. He also has a PhD in creative writing from Swansea University and is the author of two plays. He was raised in Gwent, the Welsh border country, an area rich in myth and legend. He has said that - "It's a place where you constantly find yourself stumbling across strange stories, that aren't always myths,...".
All the stories in this collection have a mythical, spellbinding quality to them. Consider the tale of Rhys the inhabitant of a remote Welsh farm - Yr Hollt. His dedication to his hobby (flower pressing) attracts the attention of some visiting local gypsies or migrant workers. Their presence is never really explained but they do have magical powers which are revealed to Rhys with tragic consequences. One detects the influence of James Frazer here, but with an ironic savage twist.
As one might expect a collection like this is filled with bizarre and eccentric characters. In 'Sand Dancer' we meet Jobey whose obsession with Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor and Lauren Bacall amongst others betrays an almost pathological reverence for the popular music and mores of a bygone era. Whilst metal detecting on a local beach he is granted an opportunity to realise his dreams in a most unexpected fashion.
In 'The Lock' we are treated to a cautionary, almost moral, tale concerning a property developer who revisits his youth by taking a narrow boat excursion on the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal. He panics as his surrondings become, by turn, unfamiliar and threatening. In the closing scene nature, 'red in tooth and claw', exacts punishment for his depredations and a primitive justce is served.
The above short account may give the impression that all Rees's stories lead to a ghastly denouement, and many of them do, but there is also humour and pathos in these pages. In 'Dragon Hounds' two mythical beasts are invoked to resolve a love feud in an old peoples home. The darkly humorous manner in which they render their assistance is one of the many fine passages in this collection.
These superbly crafted and extraordinary tales delight in many ways not the least of which is the vivid description of the Welsh countryside, villages and farm interiors. Coinsider the following . In 'The Press' we read that:- "My parents first brought me here when I was young. As a small boy I was drawn to the heavy black range in the kitchen (that I was forbidden to touch). To me it was a train, inexplicably lodged in the walls of the house, yet of the kind an old man like Rhys would surely catch." Another tale opens with the following evocation of an overcast evening on a Welsh beach:- "Conger eel sky, thick, endless and monger slab-heavy on the shore."
In conclusion this is an exciting debut from a major new talent. These stories never fail to delight and intrigue and we have no hesitation in recommending 'Keyhole' to anyone with a taste for fine writing and exquisite story telling. You will not be disappointed!
Brit holidaymakers in Malaga
at the start of the outbreak
herded by the police as they're falling foul
of developing public health restrictions
singing and slurring
"we've got the virus na na na na na!"
as they grin and stagger
clutching their tumblers close
the wit and the swagger
the representation
of a stereotype abroad
caroused but not often aroused
hope they stay safe on a plane
with one way tickets to embarrassment
when they arrive home they find
that the world has changed
they blink in a newly relegated
and regulated third world country
that still thinks it rules the waves
with the desperation that goes
with that change in status
that misplaced identification
maybe they should have stayed in Spain
or jetted to New Zealand which looks
a good bet if their borders were open
or anywhere other than Brittania's isles
which at a time of curtailed freedom
burgeoning loneliness
and a deeply uncertain future
are in the process of being looted
by Government-approved contractors
parcelled off to outsourcing
and offshoring "opportunities"
and ruled by an unelected special adviser
The queue from the main tent was six deep and stretched for nearly two miles back to the little Powys town of Hay-on-Wye.
The reason was the release of Howard Marks new book at the Hay Book festival.The former Oxford Graduate and Welsh mastermind of a European Cannabis Ring sat ‘smug’ly. Who said crime doesn’t pay. The best selling author had released his latest in a series of books with a view to helping his former fellow prisoners bide away their time in jail. Like the author himself, the release date had kept going forward, as the US backed Drugs Enforcement Agency had objected to his books and profiteering.“ Who shall I make the book out to sonny?” asked Marks ‘pen’ at the ready.“ And more importantly which one of my aliases would you like ‘Marked’ on it?” asked the globetrotter with more passports than the entire Newport Office.“ Mr Nice will do!”said the little boy rolling his autograph pen like it was a joint. Marks had over the last five decades seen more joints than most, some with but most without bars.His seven years in the Terre Haute Prison in America, had taken their toll on the face of the Welshman- his once ‘Film Star’ looks had been replaced by that of a roc kstar. Unfortunately, it was a combination of Bill Wyman and Keith Richards.
He was once on a ‘Rolling Stoned’ tour with his idols in Cardiff , where as part of his parole conditions he had to tell the schoolchildren at Cathays High School not to take drugs. One of the children raised his hand up and complained that there were none left in Cardiff as Keith Richards and Howard Marks had done them all already. The other non-criminal writers like Jeffrey Archer and Rupert Allison, at the Times Newspaper sponsored event, looked on jealously as the volumes produced by Marks and publishing stable-mate Boyd Clack were setting new festival sales records. Both Clacks’ book entitled ‘High Hopes’ and the Marks one called ‘Pot Black’ were outstripping demand.They seemed to have a hidden quality that their rival authors did not- besides being well-written that is.
“Howard ....did you ever in your wildest dreams think that this would be such a roaring success?” asked Melvyn Bragg nasally.“ Howard I know ?” said the former prison author, as he signed another book looking Northward, sat in the glorious sunshine on the raised grass platform in the Powys field . “ So you mean...you didn’t expect this kind of ‘South Bank Show’?”said Melvyn.“ I expected a good turnout....I’m not called ‘Mr Nice’ for nothing...but I don’t like to Bragg!” continued the ‘pot idol’ as he signed another volume using yet another alias...this time ‘Puff Daddy’. Boyed by the attention, his fellow writer Clack, a former hippy , was not only signing his books but adding a ‘smacker’ with his own lips to the front cover.“ Kisses are better than Wine!” he declared to the latest in along line of BBC Wales Comedy Fans.“ Howard....how do you think the book will be received around the World...do you have any regrets at all ....shamelessly cashing in on your notoriety as a criminal and convicted international drug smuggler?” asked the adenoid suffering arts presenter.“ None at all....this time I’m making legitimate money...this isn’t a front....even if it appears to be affront to the US....after all they are the ones to put the ‘dope’ into dope smuggling!” laughed Marks with a smile not seen since he was released on bail (appropriately to Hay- on- Wye) .
“ Do you think America will be interested in a book about Snooker entitled ‘Pot Black’.....why would the prison population want to buy (albeit in great demand) a book about the exploits of Welsh World Champions Terry Griffiths, Ray Reardon and Doug Mountjoy from the 1970’s.....I can understand the dynamic and flair of players like Mark Williams and Matthew Stevens.....and even that one that looks like Merthyr’s John Williams-Dominic Dale!” asked Bragg.
“ Have you read the book Mel?” asked Howard.“ Not yet....I have had a bit of a head cold recently....but I will get round to it soon!” said the smooth talker.“ If you are congested try rubbing the front cover on the end of your sinuses....the book has an almost medicinal quality, unsurpassed by other books of its kind!” suggested Clack eavesdropping on the conversation.“ And it tastes almost as nice as a piece of ‘battyberg’!” he said looking skyward to dad.“ These books aregood for ‘Hay Fever’!” said Marks smiling just like a Super Furry Animal.
Bragg began to smell a rat.He was surrounded by people who were the usual suspects at ‘Brecon Jazz’, those who slept in tents in a field, most were from the ‘flower power’generation and wore ‘Bob Marley’ and Jimi Hendrix tee-shirts.They weren’t buying the book to read it.Marks looked at him as the penny dropped.“ Guess how many kilos of books I have sold to the prisons in the USA?” asked Marks.“ Those prisoners have been described as of being of ‘ex-hemp-lary character’....it is after all helping to make the detention centres a much ‘karma’ place.“Personally, Melvyn I don’t think Ihave made a ‘hash’ of my career!...what do you think?” smirked Mr Nice.“ I think you're very clever Mr Marks indeed!” replied Bragg catching on to the three way conversation.“Anything that is manufactured in the UK and exported these days is fine ‘in my books’ too !” agreed Clack.“ We all have ‘High’ Hopes for success ...give this one to Federal Drugs Officer Craig Lovato with my compliments... next time you’re stateside...I’m afraid I can’t...I’m barred from the place!” said Marks.
Lockdown closes Dylan's Birthplace
Along with so many other businesses the Birthplace closed in March and we cannot see it fully opening for some considerable time. We still have bills to pay and precious little support from the government (When is a museum not a museum? Well, according to the Arts Council (of England) who decide these things it's when it is not a charity or run by a local authority!)
"Do not go gentle" we said as we developed our plans to survive lockdown and come out the other side with a bright and vibrant Thomas family home. We don't expect handouts or pay crazy interest rates to invisible lenders. Our plan is simple and has evolved from a number of other successful projects from the hospitality and tourism sectors. We have come up with a plan which helps us through the lean period and gives you a great deal to help save the Birthplace for future generations.
We are turning to crowdfunding and have two amazing products on offer.
Pay it Forward vouchers will allow you to buy a voucher which can be used for any product on offer at the Birthplace at a 20% discount. So, if you purchase a £100 voucher it will be worth £120. Don't worry how long the lockdown will last as it will be valid for five years. They also can make great birthday or Christmas presents.
Unique Experiences and Rewards We have to thank our great artists and performers for helping us develop the experiences. You could choose to have a handwritten poem from one of the many poets who have performed at the Birthplace, buy a limited edition DVD of performances at the house or have your own personal house tour.
There is lots more information on the crowdfunding page www.crowdfunder.co.uk/dylan so why not pop along and have a look.
Thank you for reading our appeal and thank you in anticipation for your support - it will help us survive, help the Dylan community and give you a great deal. We look forward to seeing you very soon.
Keep safe
Geoff and Sarah Haden, the staff, volunteers and performers at the Birthplace.
10th June 1921 saw the formation of what is now Cwmbach Male Choir..... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US !!!!!!
Although we haven't been able to meet we've put together this short special video to celebrate. Using the wonders of Whats App and technical wizadry of Nathan Jones of nathanjonesmusic.co.uk we feel this is a suitable tribute.
We share our birthday with someone else that is 99 today - can you guess who ? Watch till the end to find out.....
Many thanks to our Chairman Brian Williams for the intro, our MD Mike Thomas and accompanist Jayne Thomas..... however special thanks to the choristers who donned uniform and took part ... if you'd told them 3 months ago that they would be filming themselves on smart phones and uploading video via the internet they would have laughed you out of town.... but they did it.... well done boys !!
Children's rainbow pictures in windows
Thursday evening national applause fests
with saucepan percussion accompaniment
guards of honour for those discharged
from Intensive Care Units
joyous scenes of a joyful population
the best of us in the worst of times
acts of kindness
of selflessness
sacrifice and courage
the rubbed-out outline of community
becoming visible once again
through the paper-thin official effort
the erasers in temporary abeyance
frightened by the zoo tiger
rattling its cage bars
let’s be tigers once again
and as for so-called “protection”
for our care and health workers
some will be wearing bin bags tonight
if they’re lucky
our “defence” budget is £40 billion
tell me just who’s the enemy?
