Following on from 2017’s ‘The Meanderlux Vessel’, Quodega are back with a brand new album at the end of May. ‘Only Forward’ is a departure from the scintillating post-rock debut, instead adopting the form of super-charged, perspicacious electronica. The brainchild of award-winning composer Tom Raybould, whose work has previously been released by Rough Trade and Warp Records, ‘Only Forward’ will be available as a limited vinyl run of 100 records, as well as digital release across all online platforms. 

The first single taken from the album, ‘I Design Your Eyes’, reverts to Raybould’s previous body of work under the pseudonym  Zwolf , incorporating influences from the early works of  Boards of Canada, Autechre  and  Plaid  and filtering them through the unique contours of his own musical imagination. The resultant cinematic scope and aesthetic draws upon these threads alongside Raybould’s extensive soundtrack work. Recent plaudits in this field include a Welsh BAFTA for indie film ‘The Machine’, with the OST also being released in 2019 by Swiss niche vinyl label We Release What The Fuck We Want To Records. 

The album will be released on the 31st May on a limited run of 100 heavyweight black vinyl, each housed in its own laser cut sleeve, and comes with a digital download. 

The release will also coincide with a month long residency for Raybould at Shift Art Space, Cardiff. Here the album will be deconstructed in reaction to the space, resulting in the creation of interactive sound installations available for audience manipulation and culminating in a live 5.1 performance of the record. 

AmeriCymru: Hi Paul, care to tell us a little about your new collection 'Otherlander'?

Paul: Otherlander is a collection of poems mainly written in the last two years. Many were written for the project Gwaelod, a collaboration with the artist Chris Rawson-Tetley that is inspired by the Welsh flood story of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The poems respond to ideas of identity, memory, history, diaspora, loss, and the relationship of these concerns to the location where these events and feelings were and are experienced. It has more of a story-telling feel about it than my earlier work. It is my first attempt at self-publishing, a return to the DIY punk rock ethic of my teenage years, a chance to re-connect with the possibility of independence and a more express way of getting work out.

AmeriCymru: "A collection of poems of reverence and rage.....". Do you agree with this characterization of the poems in 'Otherlander'?

Paul: I think that "reverence and rage" is an apt description of the collection. I have included poems that celebrate marriage and others that are elegies. There is admiration for the way our ancestors struggled to survive, both economically and culturally, and anger over the way they were often treated and how their descendants are being treated today. I have been researching my family history for about a decade and have been humbled by the many sacrifices made along the way.

AmeriCymru: One of my favourite poems in this collection is 'Anger One'. What was the inspiration for this poem? Where or what is 'hangar one'?

Paul: Anger One is a middle aged rant, one of a series, I'm afraid. It deals with our changing shapes, the demands on our resources, the feeling of amnesia and our relationship with our parents. Hangar One is everywhere and is nowhere. It is the larger structures that oppress us-churches, schools, supermarkets, the Houses of Parliament, castles, prisons, the state and its offices. It is also as small as one's internal secret guilt.

AmeriCymru: One poem featured in the collection, 'Ceibwr' is written in both English and Welsh. Why this particular poem? Is this something you plan to do more often in the future?

Paul: Ceibwr was suggested by a painting by Chris Rawson-Tetley and by a request by a Welsh-speaker to write a poem about it in that language. It is a favourite landscape of mine and I think fits into the edge of the scenery of the Cantre'r Gwaelod theme due to its coastal location. Yes, I am aiming to do more bi-lingual work.

AmeriCymru: Are your previous collections Lull of the Bull (2010) and The Trigger-Happiness (2012) still available for purchase?

Paul: My previous book are available still though stocks of Lull of The Bull are low.

AmeriCymru: Where can people go to purchase 'Otherlander' online?

Paul: Otherlander can be obtained via Otherlander  Face to face I will sell the book at the austerity price of £5.

AmeriCymru: What's next for Paul Steffan Jones? Will you be promoting 'Otherlander' with readings? Any new projects lined up?

Paul: I am currently nearing the completion of the next book, The Ministry of Loss, which I hope will appear next year. These poems continue the theme of identity and will feature more tales from my family's story. Also, I am writing new work for a fifth collection of about 20-25 mostly longer poems, Rant. These will include the state of the nation diatribes, Where Did I Put My Country? I hope to promote Otherlander at readings. I am still writing for the Gwaelod/ Pictures of Us project with Chris and have an involvement in the collaboration, Room 103. The latter deals with George Orwell's ideas in the contemporary world. Though this seems a fairly busy workload, I am giving thought to the form my poetry will take in the near future as I feel I need to come up with a more lyrical style acceptable to a much wider audience.

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?

Paul: Best wishes and thanks again for taking an interest.

Grind my teeth down

mortar and pestle

molar pestilence

at the dentist

get a new set

a horse look

my masculinity blurs

whatever it is or was

weight piles on

semi-industrial consumption

of ill advice

that amorphous shape

my eyes dim with tears

my ears struggle to keep up

everyone wants

my money

my effort

my support

my attention

my input

my time

my vote

my life

while the flora

and the fauna

disappear

memory as a sequence

of half snatched-back vignettes

that perhaps I was never in

we can’t escape our parents

they’re in our faces

our ways of moving

of hoping

their bad luck

their diseases

their misjudgement

in the diaspora of kids

leaving home

the energy of synergy

in hangars of anger

the anchors of rancour

with truncheons of tension

in Anger One

anger has won

‘Safety in Numbers’ is the third single released by the Cardiff based Post-Punk / New Wave four piece Silent Forum on Libertino. Following on from the swaggering, off-kilter, infectious pop energy of ‘How I Faked The Moon Landing’ and ‘Robot’ , ‘Safety in Numbers’ explores a far more reflective musical landscape. This is a song that “expresses the importance of looking after your friends......that time will forget us, but that our relationships are the most meaningful thing we can achieve in life.”

Yet again Silent Forum delivers a song very much on their terms, a song that resonates with kindness and a musicality that captures your heart.

Performing under the name Silent Forum since late 2015, the four-piece deemed Wales' most promising band blends shadowy Post Punk with uplifting, inspiring New Wave. They move unpredictably from serious and direct to playful and overblown. Since they signed to Libertino records their sound has taken an ambitious turn, gathering praise for epic singles like 'How I Faked the Moon Landing' and 'Robot'. They have an eagerly awaited debut album set for release later this year.

Destroy//Exist "The sound sophisticated and playful at the same time, certainly reminiscent of the artful progressive pop sound of XTC, the nerve of Wire and the new wave idiosyncrasy of Squeeze and Talking Heads, while maintaining the entirety of the quartet's fervent originality."

Adam Walton, BBC Radio Wales “Silent Forum have an album planned for release on Libertino for next year, which I am really excited for. Both singles so far have been different but still recognisably them. There is something really interesting, almost PIL-like with those guitars."

This week sees the publication of Mostly Welsh , a collection of poems by Chris Armstrong. The collection blends the historic with mythological and personal themes and deals with love, loss and his relationship with Wales and Ceredigion. 

The process of writing the collection began over 15 years ago: 

“After losing my wife, nearly all of the poems I wrote were focussed on her and losing her – things I wished I had expressed while she was still alive, or at least said better, said more or more often. Poetry – both reading and writing – developed into some sort of catharsis or release for me. It wasn’t present at the time she died, as coping with the remains of family life and work took all my energy and time. Now it’s an ever-present pleasure, and I don’t think a single day goes past without some thought of my wife,” said Chris Armstrong. 

Chris Armstrong has lived in Wales for most of his life, and moved to the Tregaron area, mid Wales in 1972. The landscape surrounding him has always inspired him, as he feels a strong link to the countryside around him. 

“Wales and the local countryside has been a great influence, as is the sea. The sea is probably the next most important theme [after love and loss] as I have always lived near or on it. It often finds its way into the poems of love as some sort of allegory or symbolisation,” said the author. 

The collection has received praise from Ffrangcon Lewis:

“At their best, these poems have a directness, honesty and crispness of diction which enables the poet to communicate the most raw of experiences with a degree of sureness, restraint and power.” 

Mostly Welsh is a collection of poetic forms rooted in the Anglo-Welsh tradition that explores the poet’s life and mind after a loss, and follows his life journey. 

“In essence, this collection is a man’s life experience finding expression through verse.” 

Chris Armstrong was born in Sussex and has lived in Wales since he was 10 years old. He spent more than a decade in the merchant navy before working on a Ceredigion farm and then taking a degree which led to ten years working as a research officer before he set up his own consultancy, research and training company in the information and libraries sector.  

Mostly Welsh by Chris Armstrong (£6.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.

AmeriCymru: Hi David and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. What can you tell us about your series of children's books featuring Owain and his dog, Llew?

David: The books are about a young boy and his dog, who meet people from the past, when they are out and about. I can then tell their story in a fun way.

AmeriCymru: What inspired you to start this series?

David: The Owain and Llew books come from my love of Welsh history and specific characters from the past. I have the characters in the books use their native language, with translations in to English at the back, I get annoyed when everyone from Martians to Aztecs speak English.

AmeriCymru: You have written several other titles including 'Two Five Two'. Care to tell us a little more about these?

David: I first wrote the books Eightmilez and A view to behold, hoping to get my part of Wales in with the tourist board, sadly it didn’t work. I was then approached by Cwmni a local objective one group to write The wonders that surround us. That got a great reception from locals and others around the world, sadly no longer in production. My next challenge was a book about my army life in The Royal Regiment of Wales, I decided to make it about the more humorous events. I had to put some smiles back on the faces of veterans. The last project was a Celtic star chart, using Taliesin’s work and other ideas, this chart included Welsh people who had contributed much to Astronomy, including Barbara Middlehurst from Penarth who moved to America to advance her career.

AmeriCymru: You are, dare I say, an 'advanced' Welsh learner. How long have you been learning Welsh? What is your proudest acheivement to date in your struggle to master the language? What advice would you give to new learners?

David: Dw I wedi ddysgu Cymraeg ers mil naw naw dim. I’ve been learning Welsh since 1990. But off and on due to circumstances, in the last three years I have been able to get at it with a bit more vigour, and I’m now getting somewhere. I have used the ABC of Welsh, Cwrs Mynediad and Sylfain, now working with say something in Welsh and Duo Lingo. My advice to new learners would be to use your Welsh, it doesn’t matter if you know one word or a thousand, use them every day, think using them and talk to yourself using them.

AmeriCymru: What's next for David Williams? Any new writing projects in the works?

David: I have more Owain and Llew books on the go, one is in art work stage, one I’m just finishing the writing and there are five other in various stages, I’m also going back over the star chart and looking at other ways of producing that.

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?

David: I joined AmeriCymru when it started as a Web page it was a great idea and nice to see our kin across the pond flying the flag. I enjoy reading about the events that you guys have and the passion for the land of our fathers. Mae hen wlad fy nhadau.

Cymru am byth.

Diolch yn fawr

David

(D ap E Scribbles comes from Dafydd ap Evan, Evan being my father. Scribbles is a reference to my writing.)

John MOuse returns with a breakup song in the guitar driven indie pop vein of 2014’s “I was a Goalkeeper”. Coming off the back of the experimental art Project “The Fen Sessions” where John MOuse wrote, produced, released and then deleted an album over a weekend, “There’s a hole in my heart (an area the size of Wales) is a punchy indie dance floor classic and is backed up with a remix of Gladiator / Contender by Bristol’s Greg Stoddard exclusively via the Bandcamp site. John MOuse will be promoting the single at Devaudin Festival , Chepstow on May 18th and Sugarfest Bristol May 26th.

John MOuse was born out of John’s previous band JT Mouse, which featured members of Zabrinksi, The Spencer McGarry Season and Steven Black AKA Sweet Baboo. John’s debut album released in 2006, on Crocfinger records was a collection of home tape recordings. It’s “A Universal” showed glimpses of the intriguing lyrical content that John MOuse future albums will become synonymous with.

2010 saw the release of the first and long-term songwriting partnership with Phil Pearce. Pearce, songwriter for Scottish fronted Prince Edward Island and Faye Davies creative partnership helped form “Humber Dogger Forties” which can be classed as the first proper John MOuse album. The album featured TV’s Steve Jones duet-ting with his step brother on “The Last Great Rhondda Romance”, a tale of two young boys falling in love in the South Wales Valleys.

“The Death of John MOuse” was mooted as the last John MOuse album. The deterioration of the song writing relationship reinforcing the title of what was to be MOuse’s most successful album to date. Lead single “I Was a Goalkeeper” a tale of old friends reuniting, another duet, this time featuring Gareth Paisey of Los Campesinos, was released prior to the 2014 World Cup and garnered unprecedented coverage for any previous John MOuse release.

A new era of John MOuse was born out of the album, and John hooked up with a new live band from his Rhondda home. Featuring members of MEA (a local Metal band) a revolving number of bass players and Paul Scunge Sheppard of 90’s Indie outfit Hopper, John went on to tour the UK. His live show, now with a new harder edge, but still full to the brim of performance, saw the band supporting the likes of Future of the Left, Half Man Half Biscuit, Malcolm Middleton and The Wave Pictures and at Festivals including two memorable sets at Green Man festival.

Eclectic, eccentric, genre hopping, have been both the strength and weakness to John MOuse career. A comparison of artist list the size of the doomsday book including bands such as Pulp, Roddy Frame, The Wedding Present, Art Brut, the list goes on and on. The saving grace and constant though is MOuse’s lyrics. The words are immersed in cultural artefact and personalities. Comic, bittersweet and nostalgia are recurring themes in all of John MOuse’s albums.

In 2018 John MOuse released “Replica Figures” the second album on Keep Me in Your Heart Records, and saw him return to work with JT Mouse member Stephen Black aka Sweet Baboo. The album was again Chameleonic in style and was somewhat a return to his lo-fi roots.

In early 2019. John MOuse attempted his most ambitious release to date. Writing, recording, producing, mixing, mastering and releasing an album over a weekend. Each track had a two-hour window and was uploaded for free download, until 9am on the Monday morning when “The Fen Sessions” would be deleted forever. Working again with long term songwriting partner Phil Pearce, Faye Davies and Jon Hodges, “The Fen Sessions” is a concept album never to be heard again.

28 musicians, both live and in the studio, have worked with John Mouse, reflecting the forever changing sounds and styles, and progressive nature of each John MOuse live show and release.

Ynys is a new project by Dylan Hughes, ex Race Horses and Radio Luxembourg. The songs of Ynys combine Dylan’s melodic gift and adventurous playful song craft into a rich collection of melancholic harmonies and off-kilter psychedelic pop songs that mirror the vulnerability, yet assured, classicism of alternative touchstones such as Velvet Underground, Elliot Smith and Teenage Fan Club. This Aberystwyth exile based these songs on hundreds of voice recordings collected over the previous four years. They reflect moments and ideas captured in a dream-like state in a twilight suburbia, where the ordinary and mundane become the extraordinary and magical. – Libertino Records

‘Caneuon’ (Songs) is the first material recorded and released by Dylan since his days in Race Horses and it’s been worth the wait. With an open and big chorus that envelopes the listener into his world; ‘Caneuon’ is inviting and unforgettable. It’s a hymn to the power of an ‘unexpected song’ saved from the past and it overflows with longing for the pure joy that music brings. Caneuon was recorded in Tŷ Drwg with renowned Cardiff producer Frank Naughton and mixed and mastered by Iwan Morgan (Gruff Rhys, Euros Childs, H Hawkline, Cate Le Bon, Meilyr Jones) in Liverpool.

CANEUON (Songs)

Verse

Like the friend, who’s gone away,
Lost, and far away.
Another year behind your eyes,
Still waiting for something to return
Like the key under the stone, waiting for the door
Another reason to meet, and run away

Chorus

I was listening to Gegin Nos,
When it all came back.
The old lost melodies, are always here for you.

Verse
It starts to happen, one day at a time,
The voice I’ve heard a thousand times.
Sometimes when you’re lost, and no one understands.

In another dream, I’ll hear you singing once again,
Another reason to meet, and run away

“Welsh Language emo heroes Breichiau Hir are one of the best kept secrets I reckon, combining urgency and melody and leaving you want to cry and learn Welsh” Huw Stephens

Welsh punk band  Breichiau Hir deliver an urgent call to arms with their new single, ‘Penblwydd Hapus Iawn ' (A Very Happy Birthday). An unflinching three minutes of punk aggression powered by a wall of three-pronged guitars and cathartic screams, underscored by brittle melodic interplay, reminiscent of the band’s early influences, Sunny Day Real Estate, At The Drive In and The Get Up Kids , it proves that Breichiau Hr's visceral prescient sound is primed for wider attention. Steffan Dafydd the band’s lyricist and vocalist explains: " the setting of the song is a catastrophic birthday party I attended a few years ago where I witnessed the worst in some of the best people”.

It's Breichiau Hir’s third release on West Wales imprint Libertino records, home to the most exciting emerging Welsh acts( Adwaith, Los Blancos, Silent Forum ). If ever a band was needed to soundtrack these unhinged times, where there is a lack of political and social responsibility and accountability, Breichiau Hir fill that void with passion and honesty.  

Breichiau Hir are a cult Welsh language six-piece with a rich history spanning over a decade that depicts just how committed they are to their cause. They met in 2008 when they were schoolmates in Cardiff, inspired by the post-hardcore, punk and emo bands of the 1990s. They released a handful of self-produced DIY singles and played numerous shows throughout their university years.   "In 2015 we recorded our EP Mae'r Angerdd Yma Yn Troi Yn Gas.”  Says Dafydd “We were still experimenting and seeing what fits.  This was the first time we had recorded a collection of songs all in one studio with Mei Gwynedd who also released it via his label Jigcal"  The singles  'Toddi'  and 'Ti A Dy Ffordd' both received airplay and critical acclaim. Ti A Dy Ffordd was picked out as 2015's song of the year in Golwg magazine.

In 2018, they signed to Libertino Records and released the dark melodic sound of double-a side,  'Halen'  and   'Mewn Darnau', rounding off the year with the speak/shouty punk single, 'Portread O Ddyn Yn Bwyta Ei Hun.'

  Translated Lyrics:

OK, I’d like to say that I have nothing better to say
I’ve already used these words
I don’t want to do anything
I’d say that’s worse for me than it is for you

Biting tongues and keeping things to yourselves
Someone here deserves anything better but being here
OK, she didn’t do anything
But here you are, staring, completely still.

And I have nothing more to say
So I’m getting out of here fast
A very happy birthday to you

Thank God, I have to leave now
Your face has turned white, your veins tight
You’re black magic that only works on me I hate every day
 I’m an overflowing glass of juice, and everyday sips away at me

 What a very happy birthday to you