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Described as “Lively, entertaining, and valuable – a real gem” by the journalist, presenter and newsreader Huw Edwards, the book considers the influences of key figures such as William Williams Pantycelyn and Ira Sankey also examines rhythmic elements in Welsh preaching.
Author, Ronald Rees, said:
“Two particular incidents led to the writing of this book. The most recent was my reading of Barbara Ehrenreich’s Dancing in the Street . Her book is about the need, manifested throughout human history, for communal expressions of feeling – in dance, parade and song. The other incident was a combined concert and cymanfa ganu held at St David’s Hall, Cardiff about forty years ago. The concert performers were members of Rhondda’s peerless Pendyrus Choir, led by the late Glynne Jones. The singing was hair-raising. As the final repeated chorus died, a deeply moved Glynne Jones let the hall grow silent and said quietly and reverently: ‘This is who we are.’”
Painstakingly researched in libraries and archives in both Wales and America, and encompassing information from emigrant letters and diaries and local newspapers of the period, this definitive history tells how hymns and the religious movements and revivals spread via Welsh emigrants to religious communities of the USA. For example, it was a group of Welsh migrants to Utah, led by John Parry, who formed the nucleus of the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
“To engage their audiences, Welsh preachers at home and in America often delivered their sermons with a discernible cadence or rhythm in which sound could be as important as meaning. By combining the persuasive power of the word with the emotive power of music, assemblies could be brought to states ranging from spiritual readiness to hysteria. In our own times there are echoes of the mesmerizing, cadenced style in the recorded speeches of Dr Martin Luther King and the poetry readings of Dylan Thomas. Thomas’s great-uncle, Gwilym Marles Thomas, was a Welsh Congregationalist minister.”
“My objective was to explore how hymns, and the religious movements and Revivals of which they were part, fired the Welsh imagination. The chapels may have emptied but hymns remain our tribal songs,” said Ronald Rees.
Quiet Marauder Feat. Kadesha Drija - 'Let's Run Into The Flames Together' Single | Out Friday 19.03.21
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-03-18
Following swiftly on from last year’s Tiny Men Parts EP, Quiet Marauder re-enter the sonic fray with their latest Bubblewrap Collective long-player, The Gift, on 9th April 2021. Taking a strong divergence from the bombastic pop-punk of its predecessor, The Gift sees backing vocalist Kadesha Drija step to the foreground for the majority of the album, standing afront a richly crafted, multi-instrumental acoustic-folk backdrop.
Recorded pre-pandemic, January 2020, in The Burning Hell’s (Canada) pop-up Snowbird Studios, aka an art deco villa in Riofreddo, near Rome (Italy), this release marks another chapter in the ongoing international collaboration between the bands. For this album, Quiet Marauder’s (Wales) contributions of acoustic guitar, bass, trumpet and layered lead and backing vocals are granted further textural depth from their Canadian counterparts. These include minimalist harmonic splashes of flute, piano, organ (Jake Nicoll), electric guitar, bouzouki (Darren Browne) and bass clarinet (Ariel Sharratt).
Returning to the conceptual songwriting approach of previous releases MEN and The Crack And What It Meant, The Gift charts the narrative of a troubled teenage girl (Willow) haunted by visions of a mysterious house fire. Willow’s path is traced through well-meaning foster parents, teenage love interests, time-bending superpowers, distrust of domestic appliances and, ultimately, her own memories; covering themes of self-identity and the fallibility of human recall. Though the album marks a more overtly serious tone for the band, the sensitive subject matter is delicately handled through their trademark low-key, observational and, sometimes, darkly humorous lyrics.
The Gift will mark the second Quiet Marauder vinyl release via Bubblewrap Collective and will come on a heavyweight 180gm, purple marble 12-inch adorned within bespoke, Sims-based artwork designed by Carlota Nobrega. Each vinyl also comes with a lyric fold-out and sew-on ‘house fire’ patch. Alongside the vinyl release, The Gift will also be available to stream and download via all standard digital retailers and streaming services.
'The Gift' Tracklisting
1. Pilot: The Fire
2. Will I Remember To Remember?
3. My New Foster Parents
4. No Friends, Just Visions
5. Her Love Interest
6. His Love Interest
7. The Future Is Bright, The Future Is Orange 8. I, Robots
9. The Ballad Of Loss And Self-Doubt
10. The Domestic Accomplices
11. Mastering My Powers
12. Infinite Versions Of Myself, Same Old House Fire
13. Let’s Run Into The Flames Together
14. Epic Plot Twist: Extinguished
BEACONS LAUNCHES SUMMIT A MUSIC INDUSTRY CONFERENCE BY YOUNG PEOPLE BY YOUNG PEOPLE
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-03-15
FRIDAY 9 APRIL – SATURDAY 10 APRIL – SUNDAY 11 APRIL
Beacons has announced a brand-new free online Welsh music industry conference for young people by young people (16-25) called Summit which will take place online from Friday 9 April to Sunday 11 April. Tickets are free and available from www.beacons.cymru Beacons Summit is a digital Welsh music industry conference curated by young people, for young people. Its purpose is to get you started on your creative journey, to visualize your career and to offer you guidance through the thrilling labyrinth of the Welsh music industry. The weekend long event will provide diverse educational material surrounding the music industry and illuminate the journeys and stories of inspiring Welsh based professionals.
Summit will cover a wide range of subjects including songwriting with two of Wales’ leading young songwriters Violet Skies & Alex Stacey, Social Media tips from Hansh, starting up a record label with Rose Parade Recording Company and Libertino Records, becoming the next generation of tastemakers with Sophie Williams (NME/The Guardian/Dork) and Rebecca Llewellyn (Becky and the Bands), Side Hustling with Tumi Williams, Simon Parton, What is A&R with Lily Beau Conway and more to be announced which appear on www.beacons.cymru
Young people are the driving force behind Beacons, and a key strand within Beacons has been the establishment of a ‘Young Consultants’ team. Since November, our Young Consultants have been designing Beacons’ first public offer: an online music industry conference by young people for young people, called ‘Summit’.
Beacons Summit will aim to create a platform that unites the Welsh industry through inspiring talks, visual art, interviews, live performances and video content.
Over the past year, we’ve been developing Beacons - a new bilingual suite of online resources designed to empower the next generation of the music and creative industries in Wales. Beacons will be built and delivered by young people for young people seeking knowledge, opportunity and networks to illuminate future career paths.
There will be distinct areas of Summit to help young people:
1) DIY SERIES:
A bullet point video series of quick insights, hacks and top-tips. Video content delivered by industry professionals who have mastered effective ways to overcome challenges and get things done/achieve results. Ranging from ‘beginners’ videos for those who are new to the industry to ‘advanced’ videos for those who are looking to polish skill sets they already possess.
2) ‘HOW TO’ GUIDES:
A deeper dive into the world of the music industry. First-hand accounts from professionals who have been determined to carve careers in the sector they love. They will be guiding the listeners along their own professional experiences, and giving insights into the kind of challenges that will inevitably have to be faced within the industry, and how to overcome them, whilst also teaching which skills are essential to a career in this competitive sector and how to develop them.
3) WELLBEING / PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:
An area devoted to the promotion of wellbeing and mental health of young people.
Join us for the journey.
Beacons Summit will take place between Friday 9 April – Sunday 11 April, online and free tickets are now available at www.beacons.cymru
Beacons is made possible by funding through Creative Wales, Youth Music and Anthem
viA fAntAsticA's debut album '2 any 1' a voyage of synths, loops, samples inspired by grassroots arts movements of Cardiff and Manchester
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-03-09
viA fAntAsticA release their new album '2 any 1' on the 29th of March. It is preceded by the lead single ‘Onstage, right now....’ a tapestry of percussive loops, synth waves and found sound samples that reassembles early 90s rave culture and echoes of 60s pop, and makes it vital, it's an intriguing introduction to the aural voyage viA fAntAsticA will take you on throughou t ‘2 any 1’. Watch the accompanying video here.
viA fAntAsticA is J.T. and Gaia de Voxx on a DIY synth pop journey. J.T. is Justin Toland, erstwhile purveyor of loops and found sound on Recordiau Peski and self-released cassettes under the name Location Baked. Gaia de Voxx is his droid vocalist.
2 any 1 is the debut album by viA fAntAsticA. It’s about songs, tunes, accessibility, reaching out. Influences range from mass market and under-the-radar 80s synth pop ( Yazoo, Human League, Fad Gadget ) to contemporary Puerto Rican electronic indie ( Los Wálters, Buscabulla ).
2 any 1 began as an imaginary soundtrack to a 21st century kitchen sink drama set in the faded seaside resort of Porthcawl. That was the inspiration for the Italo disco stylings of ‘Meet me at Sidoli’s', the electronic surf rock of ‘Never surf again’ , lover’s lament ‘Not waving but crying’ , and the incidental noir of ‘Fog and mirrors’ . When Covid scuppered those plans, the album began to take a different shape: less conceptual, more personal, more free-ranging.
So there are songs and tunes about Cardiff communities and community action, including ‘Row Town’ (Roath), ‘Rebuild the Poets’, and ‘Agents of Change’ , which nods to Toland’s found sound roots, with its field recording from a Save Guildford Crescent demo.
There are tracks based around loops and inspirations, including ‘Must be built’, which searches for the essence of the Hacienda nightclub, ‘Swim-up bar blues’, ‘Cowley’, and lead single ‘Onstage, right now…’.
And above all, there are things that just sound good and sound right, like ‘Gwawr' , like ‘Stomp stomp’ . So we’re releasing them, releasing this album – 2any1 – in '21. Are you listening?
"chuntering machine-driven backing somewhere between early 80s minimal synth and mid-80s electro...expansive array of semi-ambient keyboards and proto-techno rhythms." Buzz Magazine
Described as “Lively, entertaining, and valuable – a real gem” by the journalist, presenter and newsreader Huw Edwards, the book considers the influences of key figures such as William Williams Pantycelyn and Ira Sankey also examines rhythmic elements in Welsh preaching.
Author, Ronald Rees, said:
“Two particular incidents led to the writing of this book. The most recent was my reading of Barbara Ehrenreich’s Dancing in the Street . Her book is about the need, manifested throughout human history, for communal expressions of feeling – in dance, parade and song. The other incident was a combined concert and cymanfa ganu held at St David’s Hall, Cardiff about forty years ago. The concert performers were members of Rhondda’s peerless Pendyrus Choir, led by the late Glynne Jones. The singing was hair-raising. As the final repeated chorus died, a deeply moved Glynne Jones let the hall grow silent and said quietly and reverently: ‘This is who we are.’”
Painstakingly researched in libraries and archives in both Wales and America, and encompassing information from emigrant letters and diaries and local newspapers of the period, this definitive history tells how hymns and the religious movements and revivals spread via Welsh emigrants to religious communities of the USA. For example, it was a group of Welsh migrants to Utah, led by John Parry, who formed the nucleus of the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
“To engage their audiences, Welsh preachers at home and in America often delivered their sermons with a discernible cadence or rhythm in which sound could be as important as meaning. By combining the persuasive power of the word with the emotive power of music, assemblies could be brought to states ranging from spiritual readiness to hysteria. In our own times there are echoes of the mesmerizing, cadenced style in the recorded speeches of Dr Martin Luther King and the poetry readings of Dylan Thomas. Thomas’s great-uncle, Gwilym Marles Thomas, was a Welsh Congregationalist minister.”
“My objective was to explore how hymns, and the religious movements and Revivals of which they were part, fired the Welsh imagination. The chapels may have emptied but hymns remain our tribal songs,” said Ronald Rees.
Born in Skewen and educated at Neath Grammar School, Ronald Rees taught historical geography at the University of Saskatchewan and, as adjunct professor, at Mount Allison University, New Brunswick. He has written books on the Canadian prairies, the Maritime provinces of Canada, garden history, and on science and industry in south Wales. He lives in St Andrews, an historic resort on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick.
A Nation of Singing Birds: Sermon and Song in Wales and Among the Welsh in America by Ronald Rees (£12.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Have you ever stared into an adit or dark mine shaft on a hillside and wished you could explore further? Or perhaps you would prefer to send somebody else down with a camera and enjoy the experience vicariously? Well the good news is. that thanks to the growing number of intrepid mine explorers on Youtube this is now possible.
My personal favorite ( of the American channels ) is Abandoned and Forgotten Places . With nearly 100 videos to their credit your guides, 'Gly' and 'Mister M' have established a reputation for fearless exploration and high quality video production. Together they reveal the lost wonders and perils of the multitude of abandoned mines in Nevada, Arizona and Calfornia Their videos are graced with frequent touches of humor and you could do worse than lay in a supply of popcorn and a sixpack and binge watch the lot. Of course you'll need a day or two to spare but what better way to spend, what are hopefully, the last, lingering days of 'lockdown'?
And the Welsh connection? Linked from the above channel is Lost Mines a Welsh mine exploration channel which concentrates on the lost metal mines of Wales. here is the channel description:
" A bit about myself (Al), I love Exploring abandoned mines with my good friend Ioan, when I get spare time from my day job which is a crematorium technician, and also do a bit of metal detecting and out on my boat. Ioan Lord has been researching and exploring the metal mines of Wales since the age of 9, and published his first book in 2018 which can be found at https://shop.rheidolrailway.co.uk/products/rich-mountains-of-lead-ioan-lord. He is now on his second and third books, and runs public guided tours of the mines in mid-Wales at https://www.midwalesminetours.com. He is writing a PhD in Welsh History at Cardiff University, and is a Director of the Cambrian Mines and Welsh Mines Preservation Trusts. When he isn’t underground he works on a heritage steam railway as a locomotive fireman. We both enjoy showing the world what's underground and how they did it. "
We thought we would embed an appetizer before you head on over to the channel/s and subscribe. So here it is (see above).... Exploring the Abandoned ALIEN lost mine ~ Underground Repel! pt 1
MINAS begins 2021 with ‘BURNER’ - a low key protest anthem brooding with resentment and an undercurrent of dissent.
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-02-26
2020 saw two releases from Minas - ‘Drinker’ released in July was a precursor to the upcoming debut album ‘All My Love Has Failed Me’ (releasing later this year) whilst the EP ‘Nudge’ captured the energy (or lack thereof) brought about by lockdown.
‘Burner’ , the next release ahead of the debut album, again stands alone. The track exudes a cool yet angsty vocal that simmers over the top of a steady rhythm and intensely humming bass. Not afraid to spit indignantly at authority Minas questions “How could you call that man there a president?” and as the beat fades away slowly in the second verse he simply states “Fuck the government” before the chorus drops back in again.
Minas is the mononym for James Minas, Greek/Welsh artist and producer based between Cardiff & St David’s in South Wales. When not creating his own music he works as a producer for artists like Welsh Music Prize nominated rapper Luke RV and internationally touring folk artist Dan Bettridge.
Lyrics
Two steps back put your shit down
Two men fled when they hit town
Wise crackers, you’d need half an army to kick out these wise crackers
Two steps back put your shit down
Who let the snakes decide who’s an immigrant
Wise crackers, you’d need half an army to kick out these wise crackers
It’s breaking news
Louder, it’ll work in time
It’s breaking news
Round up, we’re out of time
Two steps back put your shit down
How could you call that man there a president?
Half cut, broke and a let down
But I still show the ropes to my fellow man
GB’s a mess no union
Call it a kingdom I’d say a shithole
5 foot snakes in a green room
They don’t talk like us 'cause they’ve never been down here
Fuck the government
Breaking news
Louder, it’ll work in time
It’s breaking news
Round up, we’re out of time
Reviews for the ‘Nudge’ EP
‘...his music captures an array of sound, intertwining both rap and electronic. Each tune takes us on a voyage through his state of mind, from frustrations to anger and the inevitable self-reflection afterwards.’ - God Is In The TV Zine
On ‘As It Goes’: ‘a subtle tone throughout this track, with a simple guitar melody that creates the groundwork for the vocal delivery to flourish with emotional content. With a flatline vibe it allows the listener to take in every word on this track - showing off the full creative lyrical form from Minas’ - When The Horn Blows
Reviews for ‘Drinker’
‘Drinker is ruthlessly grounded in the realities of the day to day. It’s this authenticity that cuts through.’ - Right Chord Music
‘a fantastic hip-hop inspired electronic track, it has a gorgeously chilled dreamlike melody to it, which catches your interest from the opening beats’ - Alive and Gigging
‘a captivatingly electric track with synthy, feel-good rhythms and modern vocals … thought provoking lyrics that explore the fight with his thoughts ... an unexpected, passionate piece‘ - Rockstate
Wales’ Tom Auton has announced his brand new single blues-rock single Victim of the Groove will be released on Friday 26 February on all major streaming/download platforms. You can pre-save/listen to the track HERE
Victim of the Groove is a delicious slice of rock that’s infused with disco, to create an unstoppable deep groovy blues sound. The track is about the thoughts that rage inside you when you have a mental block. As Tom eloquently puts it “As a chef, you’d feel incredibly useless if you couldn’t cook anything. The same applies to songwriters when they can’t write songs.”
The track is short, sharp and incredibly catchy with a low-slung monster bass riff in the chorus, which is comprised of 9 different layers. Victim of the Groove is self-produced by Tom at Long wave Studios and mastered by Robin Schmitd (Liam Gallagher, The 1975, Nothing But Thieves).
“Victim of The Groove ironically explores the hatred I have towards myself, when I can’t write a new song. I explore this hatred... by writing a new song. Throughout the verses I frivolously wallow in a pool of self-pity, tearing myself down at every line. Then get to the pre chorus, I explain that self-doubt is part and parcel of being a musician.” says Tom.Victim of the Groove is an ode to self-success, battling with your mental health as you think you can’t reach your own previous successes. It’s one of Tom’s most personal tracks, as he further explains: “I invite people into the world of being an independent artist, cycling between two main emotions; thinking your god’s gift, when you write a good song and feeling worthless, when you can’t. I sum up the song with the title - “I’m a Victim of The Groove”.
The addiction to the groove started in 2016 when Tom received a dreadful mix of a previous single. The control freak within him spiraled out of control and started aggressively buying microphones, mixing plug ins and a laptop. Fast forward 4 years to the present day and Tom is living the true rock and roll dream; producing his own Rock and Blues records at the age of 21 from his own studio ‘The Syncopation Station’ (his parent’s living room). Tom’s produces and co-writes with a number of artists including Dan Owen, John Adams, Amber Leigh Irish and The Voice’s Chanel Yates & Jake O’Neil.
He’s received critical success on his previous records with Mother Mary being added to one of the most prestigious playlists on Spotify All New Rock, BBC Introducing’s Adam Walton calling him “An Incredible Talent” and David Owens, South Wales Echo claiming “Everything Tom touches turns to Gold” Victim of the Groove will be released on Friday 26 February on all major streaming/ download platforms. You can pre-save/listen to the track HERE
