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My plan is to curate a documentary covering the electronic music scene in Wales during the 1980’s and 1990’s. The aim is to focus on contextualising the era in relation to the music coming out during the period and to understand the how, when and why of it all. By extension, we hope to explore the identity held by the people of Wales during the 1980/1990’s all the way through to today’s notions.
Having played some of the music out in Bristol, and knowing that many of the global underground DJ’s have recently taken an interest in our bit of the world I wanted to give the music and the people behind it their deserved screen time. I also want to look at the way it's being perceived today by listeners outside of Wales, and to better understand this search for ‘the exotic’ in the underground music scene today.
However, to make this the best documentary it possibly can be we need the stories of those who were there to experience it all. This goes full circle, from artist to label to booker to listener. We need to hear the stories from everyone involved at the time. In addition, we are desperately trying to get hold of the vinyl / cassettes / CD’s from the era for use in the documentary. So if you or anyone you know might have some of the listed releases please get in contact.
Here's the list of relevant releases for people to look through: Cerddoriaeth Electronig Cymraeg
Please contact kiernanabb@gmail.com
Sunbathers on beaches in a lockdown
and a new type of offensiveness is born
one that is inflamed by citizens doing
what was ordinary two weeks ago
but is now essentially criminal
and under scrutiny
some of the land's private wealth
is revealed in the news of owners
caught visiting their second homes
among them those extraordinary beings
who are our well-funded leaders
exhorting us mere plebeians
to stay at home protect the NHS save lives
the dual-edged maxims of governance
the mantras we do not all follow
do as I say not as I do
our two tier society
where did we lose our country?
Dunkirk is invoked for the ten thousandth time
while in Russia a medic assassinates
five noisy neighbours
our inessential travel and inessential purchases
are sex workers on a furlough?
grim economic data arrives early
a power vacuum awaits
give me gilded horseshit
I’ll be happy with it
but won't bet on it
fear Easter when the sun shines
and we all want to come out and play
in the changed reality
the substituted stage set
the overloaded crucifixes
but fear more greatly an Easter
that doesn't rise in judgement
on its ritual structures
DAVID GEORGE RICHARDS
Seimon Pugh Jones video interviews Harold Gouvier Richards of Summerhill in Pembrokeshire. He talks about his father, David George Richards and his role in The Great War as a Royal Engineer in the tunnelling company.
Build up herd immunity
selves as cattle
livestock locked down
in slaughterhouse towns
stay home
protect the NHS
and save lives
protect and survive
taking back control
the language of our various crises
the slogans of our desperate times
the litany of avoidable lunacy
an opportunity to inform on those
who veer from the restrictions
of the pandemic's regime of new laws
with new rules to learn
the requested change of behaviour
of travel and purchase patterns
the twitching net curtains
betraying an increased interest
in the essential comings and goings
of one’s dear neighbours
funny how we find our true place
when we’re all in this together
and there's no let up from spam
its faceless operators still having
to steal a living as thousands die
may these gangster spamsters
be eaten alive by their hamsters
as other life forms colonise
the polluted human settlements
and the air is cleansed again
there’ll never be a Spring
quite like this one
until the next time
the lemming army of hoarders
is marching over the cliff edge
of dried teats and no deals
with their gluttonous supermarket trolleys
and who’s profiteering from
Personal Protection Equipment
ventilators and medication?
who actually is in charge
of the looting the delays
and the half-heartedness?
my grandmothers could have done better
they were not hampered
by feelings of entitlement
but knew from real life drama
what urgency demanded
where to start in Ravi Shankar’s back catalogue
now I've got the time?
pandemonium reigns
now wash your hands
there’ll never be a Spring
quite like this one
until the next time
A multi-dimensional sound that traipses across hitherto unexplored regions of sound - Clash
HMS Morris’ knowledge and creativity within the electronic-psych genre is expansive and satisfying - Jill Goyeau, Get In Her Ears
Hot on the heels of the well-received Babanod, released in early February, HMS Morris are now pleased to present Poetry. It’s the second in a series of singles due for release in 2020, and will be available from April 1st on Bubblewrap Records.
The song reflects the sliding scale of madness that results from unreciprocated obsessive love. Beginning with some light-hearted hypothetical quasi-stalking, singer Heledd Watkins then moves through self-criticism, recrimination, and finally a full-on banshee-wail of desperation. Structurally the music is indebted to Ravel’s Bolero, a repeating ostinato rising steadily from very quiet to very loud – although in Poetry, HMS cover twice the volume in half the time, in acknowledgement of the limited attention span of the snapchat generation.
Poetry will be available digitally from all the usual platforms.
AUNTY MAGS PART 8
Aunty Mags re-appears for her last trip down memory lane, for now, with her reminiscences of family life in Carmarthen.
Ramblings and tales of Priory Street and Carmarthen in general. It’s the last installment for now but she is screaming at me to come up to film more. She has so much more to tell and it would be a crime not to archive her memories..
This film shows the inspiration of Harri Webb’s life and poetry on the people of Merthyr. Those who knew him,read his verse and admired his politics. Children from three schools wrote poems in workshops inspired by his work for a competition. Locals at a monthly Open Mic at the Imperial Hotel read his poetry, sing songs and read their own poems based on Webb’s verse. Featuring ‘Colli Iaith’ music track with the vocals of Erin Lancaster and produced by Gwyncy Jones . Harri Webb lives on through all of them...
Mae'r ffilm hon yn dangos ysbrydoliaeth bywyd a farddoniaeth Harri Webb ar bobl Merthyr : y rhai oedd yn ei adnabod, yn darllen ei bennill ac yn edmygu ei wleidyddiaeth. Ysgrifennodd plant o dair ysgol gerddi a ysbrydolwyd gan ei waith ar gyfer cystadleuaeth. Pobl leol mewn Meic Agored misol yn darllen ei gerddi, yn canu chaneuon ac yn perfformio cerddi a ysbrydolwyd ganddo. Yn cynnwys y dôn thema 'Colli Iaith' chanu gan Erin Lancaster a'i chynhyrchu gan Gwyncy Jones. Mae Harri Webb yn byw trwy bob un ohonyn nhw...
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Looking Up England's Arsehole - Harri Webb Many of Harri's titles are still available though some have become collectors items and this fact is sadly reflected in the prices. Harri Webb on Amazon For first time readers, looking to acquaint themselves with Harri's patriotic and boozy ballads, we recommend the excellent Y Lolfa reprint of his collection - Looking Up England's Arsehole |
Harri Webb on Wikipedia:- Harri Webb
LOST HOLLOW – OH HEART
Tommy Harden of Lost Hollow shares, "Our 12 year old son, Rowan, found a heart shaped rock on the beach while we were filming. We put it in the anchor hole of the ship because it was too heavy to lug around. As we were wrapping up filming, I looked at the rock and the hole and showed it to our videographer Seimon. I said, 'Look! O Heart' as the anchor hole was literally the "O" and the rock the heart. He got his camera back out and said in his thick Welsh accent, "Now that's art!" It's the opening shot of a truly sensational video.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 28, 2020) -- The 2018 Indie Music Channel’s Americana Artist of the Year and Emerging Band of the Year, Lost Hollow, featuring vocalists Tommy and Lorrie Harden, announces the premiere of its breathtaking new video for “Oh Heart” off its latest album, Looking for Happy . The video can be seen HERE and the album is available on iTunes/Apple Music, Amazon, and Spotify.
The stunning video for “Oh Heart” was shot by photographer/videographer Seimon Pugh-Jones, a Welsh historian, at the childhood home of poet and writer Dylan Thomas, in Swansea, Wales, and at nearby Ferryside Beach. The sweeping landscapes and dramatic skies provide an amazing backdrop, both physically and metaphorically, for this mesmerizing love song, written by Tommy Harden, Lorrie Harden, Kellys Collins, and Jeff Smith.
With achingly beautiful harmonies accompanied by acoustic guitar, the first line of the second verse sums up the song’s powerful message from the protagonist to her broken heart:
“What I could do if tears would turn to glue; I’d fix you up and we could love like new,” anchored by the final line of the chorus, “If you just keep beating, I’ll keep breathing.”
Lorrie said, "For us it was like being in heaven, one of those days where you don't want it to end. Everywhere you rested your eyes, it was just sheer beauty. We're so grateful to our Welsh friends who put so much into this video."
Recorded in Tommy's Dungeon in Nashville, Looking for Happy is a 12-track ode to the pursuit of happiness as told from the perspective of the Hardens. The powerful songwriting duo explores themes ranging from the ups and downs of companionship to the sorrow of heartbreak and the dizzy excitement of living in the moment. Lost Hollow's succinct, candid songwriting is delivered beautifully, with soulful harmonies and masterful instrumental arrangements.
The first single from Looking for Happy , “Shine On,” and its accompanying video HERE have deeply affected thousands by telling the gripping story of Sancy Shaw, an adored wife and mother of four, tragically taken too soon by a drunk driver.
Lost Hollow has been described as an emotional powerhouse with two amazing voices weaving intricate and compelling songs. As songwriters, the Hardens had two cuts on Reba McEntire’s double platinum–selling album Duets . They were inducted into the IMC Hall of Fame in 2019. For more information, visit losthollowband.com
Ffred Ffransis, a prominent Welsh language campaigner has been featured in the news recently courtesy of bone headed BBC TV presenter Dan Walker. This character, in the course of reporting on Ffred's current dangerous predicament, thought it most important to mock the spelling of his name (see this news report ). Ffred and his wife Meinir are currently, ".... stuck in Peru and have no way of coming home. They are in the city of Cusco which is at 11,200 feet above sea level. Ffred suffers from Left Ventricular Systolic Disorder which affects the heart, and has to take medication and have regular blood tests. The disease also makes it difficult for him to breathe and with Cusco's altitude, it’s having a big impact on him, and his health is deteriorating. Both are also in their 70s and therefore in the high-risk category for the Covid-19."
Under the circumstances we have no hesitation in:
1 Asking the Senedd to devote emergency funds to the repatriation of Ffred and Meinir. A couple of plane tickets wont break the bank!
2 Calling on Dan Walker to resign! ( UPDATE: It should be noted in mitigation that Dan Walker has apologised for his absurd remarks and has taken a lead in alerting the world to Ffred's situation via his Twitter feed:- https://twitter.com/mrdanwalker/status/1240974016174788610 )
3 Asking our readers to spread the following message as widely and as quickly as possible.
Llythyr Ffred a Meinir - Peru
Annwyl
Ysgrifennaf atoch ynglŷn ag achos Meinir a Ffred Ffransis sy’n sownd ym Mheriw, a heb unrhyw ffordd o ddychwelyd adref. Mae Meinir a Ffred yn ninas Cusco sydd 11,200 troedfedd uwch lefel y môr. Mae Ffred yn dioddef o Left Ventricular Systolic Disorder sy’n effeithio ar y galon, ac mae’n gorfod cymryd meddyginiaeth a chael profion gwaed yn rheolaidd. Mae’r afiechyd hefyd yn ei gwneud hi’n anodd iddo anadlu oherwydd bod Cusco yn uchel yn yr Andes, yr aer yn dennau, ac mae’n cael effaith fawr arno a’i iechyd yn dirywio. Mae’r ddau hefyd yn eu 70au ac felly yn y categori risg uchel i’r Covid-19. Pryderwn yn fawr beth fyddai’n digwydd pe byddent yn dal y firws allan ym Mheriw.
Ar Fawrth 15 fe wnaeth Periw gau'r holl ffiniau gyda dim ond 24awr o rybudd, doedd hyn ddim yn ddigon o amser i drefnu ffordd allan gan fod pob hedfaniad yn llawn. Golygai hyn fod miloedd o bobl wedi’u gadael yno heb ffordd allan.
Mae llywodraethau Israel, UDA, Ffrainc, Yr Almaen, Gwlad Pwyl a Sbaen wedi trefnu hedfaniadau i ddod â’u dinasyddion yn ôl adref. Lle mae’r cymorth gan y DU? Mae’r llysgenhadaeth ym Mheriw wedi bod yn aneffeithiol hefyd, pan gyhoeddwyd bod y ffiniau yn cau fe wnaeth y swyddfa gau ac felly doedd dim modd mynd yno am gymorth nac arweiniad.
Mae’r sefyllfa yn Cusco yn dirywio’n sydyn; mae’r fyddin ar y strydoedd yn atal pobl rhag gadael eu gwestai, mae curfew rhwng 1pm-8am, does dim llawer o fwyd ar ôl yn yr archfarchnadoedd ac mae tensiwn yn cynyddu rhwng y twristiaid a’r bobl sy’n byw yno. Mae wir yn mynd yn waeth bob dydd.
Rydym yn erfyn ar y llywodraeth i drefnu hedfaniad adref i Meinir a Ffred a’r 400 arall sydd ym Mheriw, mae angen i hyn ddigwydd cyn bod hi’n rhy hwyr.
Dear
I write to you regarding the case of Meinir and Ffred Ffransis who are stuck in Peru and have no way of coming home. Meinir and Ffred are in the city of Cusco which is at 11,200 feet above sea level. Ffred suffers from Left Ventricular Systolic Disorder which affects the heart, and has to take medication and have regular blood tests. The disease also makes it difficult for him to breathe and with Cusco's altitude, it’s having a big impact on him, and his health is deteriorating. Both are also in their 70s and therefore in the high-risk category for the Covid-19. We are very concerned about what would happen if they caught the virus out in Peru.
On March 15 Peru closed all borders with only 24 hours’ notice, this was not enough time to arrange an exit as all flights were full. This left thousands of people stranded.
The governments of Israel, the USA, France, Germany, Poland and Spain have all organised flights to return their citizens. Where is the Uk’s response? The embassy in Peru has also proved ineffective, when they announced that the borders were closing, the office also shut its doors and it was therefore impossible to go there for guidance and advice.
The situation in Cusco is deteriorating rapidly; the army on the streets are preventing people from leaving their hotels, there is a curfew between 1pm-8am, there is not much food left in the supermarkets and tension is increasing between the tourists and the people who live there. It really is getting worse every day.
We urge the government to organise a flight home for Meinir and Ffred , this needs to happen before it’s too late.
Cysylltiadau pwysig / Important contacts:
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs:
Dominic Raab MP
fcocorrespondence@fco.gov.uk
dominic.raab@esherwalton.com
Secretary of State for Wales:
Simon Hart MP
simon.hart.mp@parliament.uk
correspondence@ukgovwales.gov.uk
Prif Weinidog Cymru:
Mark Drakeford AC
PS.FirstMinister@gov.wales
correspondence.fm@gov.wales
A Message From St David's Day Ambassador to the World - Gwenno Dafydd: St David's Day Banners 2020
By Ceri Shaw, 2020-03-13
ENGLISH
BUY THE ST DAVID'S DAY SONG HERE
CYMRAEG
