Little Other

Back of the Net

2012-01-28T02:55:00.000-08:00

All the tracks are now in and up to listen to at Soundcloud for the WIAIWYA compilation, It's The Taking Part That Counts. Contributions to this global pop sportsday come from St. Etienne, Darren Hayman, The Sunny Street, DJ Downfall, White Town, and many more - including, I might add, myself.

More details about the release, each individual artist and the tracks themselves will be posted up regularly at the dedicated blog, so do be sure to check in there regularly and see what's going on.

An Evening with A Little Orchestra

2012-01-25T02:39:00.000-08:00

How Does It Feel To Be Loved presents a whole evening in the company of Kilburn's favourite twelve-piece orchestral ensemble, A Little Orchestra.

The event will take place on the 26th of January, from half past seven until around eleven, at the Buffalo Bar, just outside Highbury & Islington tube station.

The orchestra will be set up and playing throughout the night and joined by several guest singers and other instrumentalists, including . . . Shirley Lee (of Spearmint), Haiku Salut, Simon from The Loves, and Matt and Sharon from A Fine Day for Sailing.

The evening will be topped off by a performance from The Madrigals, a five piece from London, influenced in equal parts by traditional English folk and Electrelane.

Tickets cost £4 in advance (link) or £5 on the door. Don't forget to tell the Big Other you will be coming.

Pipettes // Geneva // January 20th

2012-01-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

Join The Pipettes for our first gig of the new year at L'Usine, 4 Place des voluntaires, Geneva, Switzerland, on the 20th of January. Also performing live: Jakokoyak, Kid Chocolat, Plyci, Andres Garcia & the Ghost, plus DJ sets from Love Motel, Luz, Alain Weber, Bjorn Borg, Tanz/Tanz, Luluxpo AND MUCH MORE! This is a Poor Records night. Doors will open at 21:30. It will cost 15 CHF. See you there.

555 Was Right from Da Start

2012-01-05T04:34:00.000-08:00

<p>&amp;lt;a href="http://555recs.bandcamp.com/album/soon-all-this-will-be-picturesque-ruins"&amp;gt;Soon All This Will Be Picturesque Ruins by OTHER PEOPLES CHILDREN&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;</p>

When I was growing up in Brighton, the almost simultaneous purchase of two 7" singles, stumbled across in a local record shop at the age of about 16, had the most profound effect on my taste in music and my ideas about music generally. One of them was 'The Weight' by Hood, the other was 'The Last Wasps of Summer' by Steward. When I realised that both of these records had been put out by the same label, I immediately set about trying to collect everything this label put out. That label was called 555 Recordings - at that time 555 recordings of Leeds.

I was never once disappointed with a single purchase that bore the 555 tag, indeed I was consistently surprised, delighted and inspired. When I later discovered that these records rarely broke into sales figures with more than two digits, I was a little bit shocked. This, to me, was pop music. This was pretty much exactly what I wanted pop music to be. Why couldn't everyone else see that?

I mention this for two reasons, one being that Stewart and Jen are currently putting all the early 555 singles up on Bandcamp in a pay what you want kind of way in order to raise money to buy a trained autism service dog to help them look after their daughter, Tallulah. You can read more about the dog and what it would mean to Stewart, Jen and Tallulah on Jen's blog here. But even if you don't give a damn about the child of two people who are, after all, probably complete strangers to you, I can't recommend enough at the very least popping over to Bandcamp and having a listen to this stuff, and maybe checking back every now and then as Stewart puts more stuff up. I'd never heard the track I've embedded above before (and, believe me, I had a lot of 555 Records by the time I left Brighton) but as soon as I heard it I completely fell back in love with the label again.

The other reason I mention this is because the record shop in Brighton where I bought those two 7" singles - and most of the rest of my 555 collection - is closing down and holding a massive sale. Edgeworld Records is/was by far the best record shop in Brighton (and there's some fairly stiff competition) and the people who worked there and ran the place knew more and cared more about music than pretty well anyone else in town. All of their stock is being reduced by 10% every week, so get 'em while they're hot, basically. It's on Kensington Gardens, North Laine. Look up for this sign...

Santa's On His Way. . .

2011-12-21T03:20:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from The Pipettes!

The above track can be downloaded free from Fortuna Pop! here.

The Pipettes will be DJing tonight from 7 til 11 at the Snooty Fox in North London. It's free, so if you're in town, do pop in.

Merry Christmas from Darren Hayman, Fika Recordings, and Me.

2011-12-11T06:44:00.001-08:00

All this month, Fika Recordings have been giving away a track, or a few tracks, a day, in the form of a festive virtual advent calender in celebration of Darren Hayman's new Christmas in Hayworth ep. Today's picture behind the window includes an mp3 of my cover of 'Silent Night' plus tracks from Les Étoiles adn Petter Seander. So why not pop over to Darren and Fika's site for a listen. Best enjoyed with mince pie and sherry at the ready.

Monster Bobby! Live! in Brighton!

2011-11-29T03:16:00.001-08:00

Just confirmed, I shall be playing a Monster Bobby gig in Brighton on Sunday December 4th at the Green Door Store, just by the station. I'm on at 7:30, playing for about half an hour. It's free to get in. So do pop in and say hello. I'm quite excited, actually. It's ages since I've played on my own in Brighton.

Also playing will be Battant, who describe themselves as "lo-fi, electric" and the Guardian apparently describe as like "Adrian Mole on a narcotic comedown". Plus, Foreign Skin, who promise to be "ambient, electronic, dubstep". If you don't believe me, there's a Facebook event page here with all the details.

There is also talk of cheese and cake. So, worth it just for that, surely?

For those of you who have forgotten quite what it is like to watch me play live, the following clip is, if somewhat old, nonetheless fairly representative.

Shake! Twist! Stomp! New Pipettes Single and Tour Dates!

2011-11-28T11:15:00.001-08:00

The new single by The Pipettes is OUT NOW and available to buy from Fortuna Pop records. Watch the video (above). It features special guest stars The Actionettes and Amy Rushent.

By way of celebration we will be playing some shows.

Firstly, in Manchester, at Sound Control, on December the 14th, with support from the wonderful Projectionists. You can buy tickets here and tell the world you are attending on Facebook here.

Next off, London. Nambucca. December 21st. Tickets. Facebook. cat.

Finally, Geneva, yes, Geneva in Switzerland on the 20th of January... But I'm not sure if we've announced that yet. So don't tell anyone. You didn't hear it from me, get me?

A Little Orchestra at Totally Acoustic

2011-10-29T05:40:00.001-07:00

Coming up soon . . . A Little Orchestra will be performing at M.J. Hibbett's very own Totally Acoustic night on the 10th of November. ALO will also be collaborating with Mr. Hibbett on two special new collaborations.

Totally Acoustic takes place at The King & Queen, Foley Street, London, kicking off at around 7pm.

It's the taking part that counts. . .

2011-10-29T05:30:00.001-07:00

Next year, Mr. John Jervis's fine record label, WIAWYA, will be releasing a compilation album of 26 tracks - that's one for each Olympic game, sports fans! The record will feature tracks by White Town, St. Etienne, DJ Downfall, The Leaf Library and many other fine recording artistes, inluding yours truly. John's plopping the tracks up on SoundCloud as he gets them, and you can already here my contribution, 'Football Hero', featuring former archbishop The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu....

wiaiwya - It's The Taking Part That Counts by wiaiwya

All Aboard The Twee Train!

2011-08-05T00:29:00.000-07:00

An awfully good time was had by A Little Orchestra at last weekend's Indietracks festival at the Midlands Railway Centre in Derbyshire. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, all of our fond memories can now be regurgitated and replayed, over and over again. Forever. A recording of the whole set can be heard on SoundCloud. The photos are all cluttering up Flickr. And I've even selected a few highlights from YouTube for your pleasure: our collaborations with M.J. Hibbett and Haiku Salut. Enjoy . . .

The above photos cribbed from the respective photostreams of Johnkell and somebody called _light_*' (which must've gone down well with the vicar).

Last Night: A Little Orchestra perform with Shirley Lee

2011-06-24T02:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Ian from How Does It Feel, London's premier indie club, here is a video from last night's show featuring Shirley Lee of Spearmint backed by A Little Orchestra.

Monster Bobby's Heart is (also) a Drummer

2011-03-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I met up with Allo Darlin' as they breezed through Paris on their European mega-tour. You can read all about their trip here, on the band's website. Now, they're back home in London, setting about recording their second album, Europe. In the meantime, you can listen to my little cover of last year's hit single, 'My Heart is a Drummer' courtesy of Soundcloud:

My heart is a drummer by monster bobby

Play Wav Tennis!

2011-03-27T04:33:00.000-07:00

Wav Tennis is the new game that everyone's talking about!

All you need is two musicians, separated by space, and each in possession of some sort of sound recording software and an internet connection. In fact, the two players scarcely even need to be musicians.

Here's how:

Player One sends a sound file to Player Two - it could be something of his/her own creation, using whatever tools are at his/her disposal, or it could be some manner of 'found' sound.

Player Two boots said sound file up onto their sound recording software and adds another sound file to it (either found or created). Player Two must then find a way of 'artistically' linking the two together, making the beginnings of the first 'work'. The two conjoined files are then volleyed back to Player One who continues in like manner.

Any given serve or return shot can be as long or as short, as simple or as complex as desired, but should extend the work, either temporally or texturally or both. Either Player may also use their turn to edit, effect, manipulate any other section of the work (providing they have also added their own new sound to the mix).

The first 'set' ends when both Players are satisfied that they have some manner of completed 'work' that they would be happy to play to strangers and call their own.

Unlike real tennis, Wav Tennis is a non-competitive soundsport, however if after a volley of some length neither Player feels like they have anything resembling a finished 'work' then they have both, clearly, lost.

Anybody fancy a game?

Composition (2011): 'Test'

2011-02-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

For a solo performer or a small ensemble

Do as little as possible, in order to make the total level of sound in the room as low as possible.

If the volume starts to increase, either due to your own actions, those of other performers, the actions of the audience, or any external influence, you have lost.

Having lost, express your frustration by making as much noise as possible, and attempt, in doing so, to once more wrest control of the sound in the room and bring down the volume of any other noise-makers.

[Please contact me in the event of any public performance of this piece]

Composition (2011): 'Seriesism'

2011-02-12T07:20:00.000-08:00

For any ensemble (however at least seven performers are recommended, and a combination of strings and woodwind or similar sounding instruments is ideal)

There is a series of pitches: F / A / C' / E' / G' / B' / D'' / F#'' / A'' / C#''' / E''' / G#'''

* for groups of instruments in just intonation or capable of precise degrees of microtonal tuning adjustment, a pitch series based on the partials of the harmonic series may be substituted for a quite different effect.

There is also a series of durations: dotted minim / minim tied to dotted quaver / minim tied to quaver / mimim tied to semi quaver / minim / double dotted crotchet / dotted crotchet / crotchet tied to semi quaver / crotchet / dotted quaver / quaver / semi quaver

* for skilled players, a series of durations involving smaller and more complex note lengths - e.g. demi-semi-quavers and various kinds of tuplets - may be preferred

[It will be noticed that neither of these series are quite the same as those used by the mid-twentieth century serialists]

Pitches and durations should be distributed amongst the players as is felt to be appropriate.

Each player should consider four notes, whatever their length, to be their own 'bar' (so that each player conceives of a bar as of a different length to everyone else). Bars played and rested are then alternated following the pattern of the fibonacci sequence (starting with a 'bar' of rest), i.e. 1 bar rest, followed by 1 bar played, followed by 2 bars rest, followed by 3 bars played, followed by 5 bars rest, followed by 8 bars played, followed by 13 bars rest, etc.

As far as possible, each note should be played with a slow attack and a short (staccato) sustain.

If any one player finds him or herself the only sounding player for a period of 8 crotchet lengths, s/he should cease playing.

If any two players find themselves the only sounding players for a period of 16 crotchet lengths they should - on an agreed signal between them - simultaneously cease playing.

The piece ends when the whole group reaches a silence of at least four crotchet lengths.

[Please contact me in the event of any public performance of this piece]

Composition (2011): 'Duet'

2011-02-12T07:18:00.000-08:00

For a solo performer

Find a sound that is already audible in the room - the hum of the PA, the swoop of a fan, the noise from the air conditioner, or traffic sounds coming through the window, etc. - and accompany it.

As you play try to imagine that this sound you are accompanying is being made by another person. Imagine what this person looks like, aspects of their personality and temperament, and try to make the audience aware of your mental picture of this person through your performance.

When you are satisfied that you have successfully conveyed your image of this imaginary partner, stop playing.

[Please contact me in the event of any public performance of this piece]

Composition (2011): 'Meta'

2011-02-12T07:14:00.000-08:00

For two vari-speed turntables

Place two copies of the same composition by Steve Reich (any will do, though his earlier works will probably be best) onto the two different turntables. Adjust the speeds so that they are just fractionally different. Try and make them start, from the beginning, at exactly the same time.

[Please contact me in the event of any public performance of this piece]

Composition (2011): 'Apart'

2011-02-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

For a large ensemble

The group should be spread as far apart as possible throughout the room - sitting or standing amongst the audience, occupying the nooks and the corners, facing away from each other. Do not listen. Play repeated arpeggios from any chord in the scale of C Major, as slowly and as quietly as possible without paying attention to the playing of any other person in the group.

Gradually, increase your speed and volume, until you are playing as fast as possible.

Play even faster.

Allow your accuracy to decrease, let wrong notes slip in and gradually take over your performance, and let the noise element come to dominate the tone element of your playing.

Only then, start to listen to to the others.

When you are satisfied with what you can hear, and your listening has overtaken your ability to concentrate on your playing, stop.

[Please contact me in the event of any public performance of this piece]

Forthcoming Live Shows by A Little Orchestra

2011-01-30T02:31:00.000-08:00

Sunday 13 February – London

The Loves Retirement Party @ The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Road, London N1 9JB

The Loves + Comet Gain + The School + The Lovely Eggs + The Vinyl Stitches + Pocketbooks + + Micktravis + The Werewandas + DJs Paul Wright (Track & Field) + Dan Maier (13th Floor)

Tickets are £8.50 from We Got Tickets and more details are also available on Facebook

After eleven years as everyone's favourite rock'n'roll rah rah band, The Loves are withdrawing from active service - and celebrating the receipt of their metaphorical gold watch with a fine show off. For this, their last ever performance, they will be joined on stage by Claire, Jill, Matt, Nat and Rosie, the string section from A Little Orchestra.

Saturday 19 March – London

Save Our Libraries @ Nettlefold Hall, West Norwood Library, 1-5 Norwood High Street, SE27 9JX

Darren Hayman, Horowitz, Leaf Library, The Give it Ups, A Little Orchestra, Pete Green, A Fine Day for Sailing.

DJs: Scared to Dance and Big Pink Cake.

In protest against proposed cuts to over 1000 local libraries across the UK (including Lambeth's finest), A Little Orchestra will be performing a typically eclectic mix in the time honoured tradition of The Portsmouth Sinfonia and the Boston Pops, joined on guest vocals by a variety of illustrious friends.

Ticket details will be announced soon.

If you would like more information on A Little Orchestra, or might be interested in joining us, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

A January Song: Darren Hayman with Monster Bobby

2011-01-21T00:46:00.000-08:00

Throughout January, singer-songwriter Darren Hayman, formerly of Hefner, latterly of The Secondary Modern, has been writing a song a day and charting his progress on a specially constructed Tumblr blog, replete with embedded SoundCloud widgets and video diaries.

Along the way, he has been soliciting collaborations from friends and acquaintances; amongst them people I'm friends with, such as Elizabeth from Allo Darlin' (here, singing Darren's song for January 10th, 'I Know I Fucked Up'), and some people I hold in very high esteem, such as Higsons founder member and occasional Tom Waits/Robyn Hitchcock/Lydia Lunch collaborator, Terry Edwards (here, performing on January 8th's 'Old Man Hands').

What with this being exactly the kind of project that has always appealed to me, I decided to volunteer my humble assistance - albeit at a distance. And so, you wont find me hiding amongst the trains in the video below for yesterday's January song - a wistful paean to the Epping Ongar Railway entitled 'I Want to be a Volunteer' - but you will hear my trembling electronic soundscapes swelling up amidst the choruses and ebbing with the coda.

Follow Mr. Hayman's progress on Tumblr, download the songs from SoundCloud, and then - why not? - subsequently buy them all anyway on BandCamp.

I Want To Be A Volunteer from Darren Hayman on Vimeo.

Monster Bobby Live in London

2011-01-18T00:45:00.000-08:00

Reprobate WIG night (Dublin Castle and the X Kings) migrates south of the river, whilst Brighton's Murderdisco (The Hope) roams north for a scuffle beneath the Shard at London Bridge’s The Miller.

Live music from…

Monster Bobby

Mastermind of the Pipettes and “musical Swiss army knife” (Artrocker); Monster Bobby is paying The Miller a very special visit from Paris.

Evans the Death
“Lovely, graceful and sharp” (Artrocker); Evans the Death betray their youthfulness for sophisticated and seductive indie.

Warband
Electro/indie/pop from the three corners of the UK

Yeah and She has Red Lips Too
“Dark and twisted Lynchian atmosphere of the painting from which their name originates” (Canadian Music Week, Toronto)

DJ-ing from DJ Wig (WIG), Gatsby, GGDLUX and Creepy Tennis (Murderdisco)

£5 or £4 concessions
6.45 pm; first band 7 pm
Thai food served in the main bar

Tell the Big Other you will be coming.

In C, live at the George Tavern

2011-01-04T02:07:00.000-08:00

On December 5th, 2010, A Little Orchestra brought some friends together to perform Terry Riley's 'In C' for a second time, this time at the historic George Tavern in east London. The line-up on this occasion was: Alex Billig (bassoon); Dan Cameron (tabla); Catherine Carr (flute); Chris Cook (sitar); Nat Davies (violin); Jill Faure (viola); Rosie French (violin); Claire Hadidjenar (violin); Jon Ludvig Hansen (mandolin); Robbie Knight (synth); Chun-Ming Celia Lu (Vocals); Richard Sanderson (accordion); Nicola Burnett Smith (bass clarinet); Gabriel Stebbing (cello); Terry T-Toe (trombone); Matthew Walker (violin); Jerry Wigens (guitar); and Monster Bobby (the pulse, played on glockenspiel). The full recording can be downloaded here.

In c live at the george, 5 12 2010

Composition (2010) No. 6

2010-12-30T02:57:00.000-08:00

For a solo performer (any instrument)

Attach as many microphones, pickups, phonographic cartridges, and contact mics to your instrument as possible. Feed these transducers in turn to as many different amplifiers and speaker systems as possible.

Using screwdrivers, chisels, chainsaws and whatever other tools you might need, disassemble your instrument, deconstruct it into as many different component parts as possible.

Perform a brief cadenza on each distinct part.

To the best of your ability, re-assemble and reconstruct your instrument.

Perform a brief cadenza on the reconstructed instrument.

Switch off the power.

[Please contact me in the event of any public performance of this piece]

Composition (2010) No. 5

2010-12-28T04:12:00.000-08:00

For a trio of any three instruments

Imagine a labyrinth (the above will do, but any 2D or plan-view of a maze of sufficient complexity will suffice, providing it has a recognisable centre). It may help to place an image of the maze in front of you as you play, by way of a 'score'.

The first performer should imagine s/he must trace a continuous pencil-line through the maze from the entrance on the perimeter to the centre. The melodic 'line' that you play on your instrument should follow your imaginary pencil-line. If you must pause to think about where to turn, then you must pause. If you have gone the wrong way and must go back on yourself, then you must go back on yourself, retracing your steps the way you have come. But just as your pencil should not leave the page - neither should your fingers at any point leave your instrument.

Once the first performer has succeeded in going a sufficient distance into the labyrinth, the second performer should then give chase, following the line of the first performer into the maze. All the while, however, the second performer should be speeding up (accelerando) in order to try and 'catch' the first performer.

Once the first performer feels like the second performer has nearly caught up with them, they may 'jump', as it were, through one of the borders of the maze (it is up to the individual performer how this 'jump' is achieved through musical means, but the analogy must be sufficient for the audience, and especially the second performer, to recognise it). This leaves the second performer trapped in a loop, unable to go beyond the point at which the first performer 'jumped', unable to trace their path all the way to the exit, left to circle interminably. The first performer may then continue to the centre of the maze.

In the maze's centre, while the second performer continues to loop, the first performer now finds themselves forced to circle quite quickly around a small number (say, three or four) notes with fairly small intervals between them. For here, the first performer has encountered the 'minotaur' (our third performer).

Upon recognising the arrival of the first performer in the centre of the labyrinth, the third performer also begins to circle around the same number of notes - albeit with larger intervals between them and lasting for greater durations, as befits the minotaur's greater stature.

At an appropriate point, the first performer begins to 'flee', back through the labyrinth, and the third performer gives chase, following the line of the first performer, albeit slightly slower.

Finally, all three performers should meet at the point in the labyrinth where our second performer has been left in a loop. At which point they 'fight' - using repeated, stabbing single notes, of increasing force (crescendo) as 'weapons'. The 'fight' - and the composition - ends when all three players are dead.

[Please contact me in the event of any performance of this piece]

Getting Festive

2010-12-15T00:41:00.000-08:00

The above from David Shrigley.

The below from The Pipettes (can be downloaded free from here).

30 Pounds of Bone - Method

2010-12-07T05:27:00.001-08:00

In his (1637) Discourse on Method, Rene Descartes established doubt as the fundamental philosophical procedure. There is plenty of doubt to be found in the Method of 30 Pounds of Bone, but it is not, as Sergei Eisenstein would say, its dominant. The tenor here is rather a kind of yearning, delivered as much by the rising cadences of Jonny Lamb's voice as in any of the lyrics. This is a voice that, for all its gin-soaked weariness, belies a certain strange innocence, even naivete, that cannot help but be disarmingly winsome.

Though Jonny's ten songs are run through with a kind of haunted nostalgia for things that never quite were, laced with a repentance without rue or regret, the whole is far from sonic ludditism – even if ostensibly a folk record. This record is alive with the thrill of electricity and desiring machines. The Flying Dutchman reborn as the bastard child of Edison, Russolo and Deleuze.

A folk record perhaps, but a strangely rootless one, ten wanderer's tales with a jackdaw's approach to its multifarious traditions. Sea shanties lurch and swagger, upon melodies that sway and leap into flight, making this a record to sing along to, but not, as they, on the terraces. It is too fragile, too denuded for the mob. And not alone, either. This record is in good company and, for all its occasional cathartic melancholy, ultimately good cheer too. Rather, this is an album to which one imagines an entire pub full of people - somewhere in Cork perhaps - spontaneously bursting into and chanting 'til its end. It carries the beer-stained hall like a wave, taking tears and bruises alike in its tempestuous, maybe even slightly dangerous, path.

To discover oneself, suddenly, alarmingly, with no surer footing than sand and mud, and then to rebuild oneself through song, crafting one's principles as you go along, accepting nothing as given, and, finally, expelling all doubt through the careful avoidance of prejudice and precipitancy. It is not enough to have a good heart, one must bare it. And he does. With more wit and more soul than a thousand paper cowboys and cereal box balladeers. Don't be fooled by its swagger, these songs still need - and fully deserve - your deepest affections.

A Little Orchestra Christmas Shows

2010-11-07T15:29:00.000-08:00

A Little Orchestra are very excited to be playing two Christmas shows next month - do come along and helps us get in the festive mood!

Saturday December 4 - The School's Christmas party at The Luminaire, Kilburn
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136484899736182

Sunday December 5 - The Moose Factory, The George Tavern, Commerical Road

http://events.myspace.com/Event/6089318/Moose-Factory

For the latter, we will be reprising our all-hands-on-deck rendition of Terry Riley's 'In C', so if you would like to join us for that, please email me via the link above and to the right.

Composition (2010) No. 4

2010-11-07T14:39:00.001-08:00

For any ensemble (and a conductor)

The group must be assembled in a circle or semi-circle with the conductor in the middle.

Everybody plays from the same score (above) with transposing instruments using an appropriately transposed version (likewise instruments in higher of lower registers, with octaves adjusted accordingly).

Before commencing, a series of hand gestures should be agreed between the conductor and the musicians, in order that the conductor may signal to any player at any time to:

Begin playing passage 'One' (or 'Two', 'Three', 'Four', etc.);

Loop the bar s/he is currently playing;

Double the length of the phrase being looped;

Start improvising around the themes and phases included in the score;

Stop playing.

A further hand signal should be agreed which indicates all players should stop playing (and the group should agree beforehand whether this signal should bring about an abrupt stop or a more gentle easing out at the end of the current bar).

The piece begins when the conductor indicates a number from one to five to one of the players and counts in.

[Please contact me in the event of any performance of this piece - transposed versions of the score are available on request]

All Genres Are Generic (But Some Are More Generic Than Others)

2010-09-20T03:43:00.000-07:00

I have lost count of the number of reviews that have spoken of the new Pipettes album in terms along the lines of, "they have moved away from the individual sixties garage aesthetic of their first album to a more generic disco-with-synths sound". How can so many apparently intelligent music fans and critics write such a sentence without being immediately struck by its oxymoronic nature? How can one genre (eg sixties garage, or more properly, late fifties girl group pop) be more "individual" and thus less "generic" than another genre (disco, or synth pop)? Each are quite clearly just as bound by certain standard forms and conventions, each have their iconic signatures, stand-out classics and run of the mill standards, each have been through their various revivals and retrenchments and different points in history. So why might we think of one genre as being more generic than another?

Might it perhaps have something to do with the history of these respective genres? Each began representing a particularistic subset of the general public and later expanded to address a universal subject. However, whereas the particular audience of girl group pop was, specifically, the teenager, the subject of disco was, for the most part, gay and frequently black or hispanic. Whereas the specific concrete teenagers addressed by girl group pop in the late fifties and early sixties, what we now refer to as the Baby Boomer generation, have since grown-up to become the dominant class in the western world, taking their shared values with them; gays, blacks and hispanic remain, for the most part, marginalised communities. In the 70s and 80s, as critics from Robert Christgau to Ben Myers have pointed out, the anti-disco backlash ("disco sucks" and all that) was explicitly homophobic and frequently racist, and the taint of homophobia has never quite left disco's deriders alone.

To return briefly to these criticisms of The Pipettes' disco turn, another old saw frequently trotted out as truism is that the move towards "disco-with-synths" inevitably indicates some intention to market the group more towards "13 year old girls". As though the girl groups of the fifties and sixties would never have stooped so low as to appeal to young teenage girls. Actually, disco may have been the first proper 'pop' genre (in terms of a perhaps slightly spurious opposition to 'rock' genres) that came from an adult subculture as opposed to a teenage one, and if disco now appeals equally to "13 year old girls" this is surely only a mark of its success in establishing a hegemonic claim to the universality of 'pop'. So, from whence this accusation that the audience of disco today must inevitably, by definition, be teenage girls? Might there perhaps be a whiff of the suspicion that those male adult fans of the genre have something somehow weak and effeminate about them, ie precisely the charge of the old macho disco sucks brigade?

Synchronised Bodies

2010-09-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

"It was amazing. I closed my eyes and I could imagine myself in a hotel room in East Berlin in 1986. Really, it was like listening to the hotel band playing disco tunes in communist Germany in the mid-eighties. "

Andy Freiberger, of Little Teddy Recordings, on The Pipettes show in Munich, September 15th, 2010.

Pipettes Album Two Released

2010-09-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

In the first days of 2008, after three years of fairly relentless touring, The Pipettes found ourselves back in London. Three key members had decided to leave the band in order to pursue solo projects. By the end of the year, we had been dropped by our American label, and a year later our manager likewise decided that he wasn't having sufficient 'fun' with the group anymore. In those days, with a seemingly unceasing torrent of abuse coming from our own 'fan' forum, it would have been all too easy to give up, cut our losses, call it a day. In the meantime, however, we had been writing songs, and we had started to get very excited about these songs we were writing. And besides, the project was not finished yet.

The idea of a 'project' has always been central to The Pipettes. Like latter-day modernists, The Pipettes wrote manifestos, made sometimes willfully obscure public pronouncements, deliberately mythologised our own past. I have little doubt that everybody (that is, everybody else, everybody outside the group) would have much preferred us to just keep on doing the same thing as we had done before. Make cute early 60s girl pop about school boys and school girls and kissing behind the bike shed. Perhaps, had we done so, we might even still be on that big American label that financed much of our touring in the years immediately following the release of the first album. But this would have been, aside from any personal feelings of restlessness and sonic wanderlust, a betrayal of the project. We had to make at least one more album in order to make sure that The Pipettes was not just some novelty group that put out one record in the style of the 60's girl groups (at a time, let's recall, when the influence of the 60's on British music was almost entirely confined to The Beatles and other mid-late sixties beat groups - a foreign country now, post-Winehouse/Ronson/Duffy, et al).

It might be seen as ironic that the album we made in order to belie any novelty band status, was precisely the album in which we began to fully embrace the idea of novelty music and music as novelty. It had always been there, in a way. Covers of one hit wonders, like Tommy James/ Tiffany's 'I Think We're Alone Now', and so forth. But at a certain point in the promotion of We Are The Pipettes, we started to talk less about Spector and Motown, and more about Joe Meek, more about Ohio Express and the Banana Splits. For our last American tour we made a mixtape to play before we went on stage featuring bits of 50s space age pop and cold war paranoia, mixed with BBC Radiophonic Workshop sound effects and samples from old alien invasion films. There had always been an element of historiography and the writing of alter-destinies to The Pipettes - explicit in our first manifesto. It was perhaps this mixtape that made clear to us the future path we were to take.

On the 29th October, 2007, in the midst of that last American tour, I sent the following email to the rest of the band, based on certain things we'd all been talking about together:

To return brielfy to this 'space age' tip that we're on - it may star to provide a partial answer to that perennial question: where do we go next?

Well, where did space go? And where did the bomb go? Funnily enough, it seems that during the period of actual space exploration & moon landings (ie the mid to late 1960s), pop music about space was comparatively rare but made a huge come back in the 70s with disco, which was full of outer space references (I lost my heart to a star ship trooper, springs immediately to mind but i'm sure a bit of digging could reveal countless other examples, a lot of artwork on disco records seems to feature space, aliens and other planets, and of course at the same period we had the astral jazz of Sun Ra who claimed he came from saturn and is most famous for the track, space is the place (later the name of a film about Sun Ra). For Sun Ra and the disco generation, space and alien life seems to be less about cold war paranoia than some concept of the post-human, a reaction to the touchy-feely sentimentalism of the hippies and the singer-songwriter movement (as well as a direct political attack on the subhuman political status of black people in America). Fear of the cold war and the atomic bomb really returns in a big way at the end of the 70s and the early 80s (think O Superman, a more terrifying, bleak no.2 record there has surely never been) but this time, derailed from the imaginary fantasy of outer space and confined to a kind of poetic realism. Outer space then rears its head once more in a big way with rave at the end of the 80s and early 90s but I don't think we should even consider dabbling in rave until everyone has completely forgotten about the klaxons (which i reckon should take somewhere between six months and a year, judging by the post-prize careers of other mercury winners and the deliberately faddish way they have positioned themselves in the market). the way these ideas keep coming back, never entirely free of the associations of their former usages is, of course, highly hauntological...

Of course, nothing is ever planned perfectly. Contingent, uncontrollable events get in the way, and people are far too interesting to be do anything precisely as planned. The Pipettes is now - in terms of its personnel - an almost entirely different band to the one we started back in 2003. But then The Pipettes has never really worked like other bands. The ontology of The Pipettes has less to do with a particular group of people (as in, say, The Beatles, who one can hardly imagine being "The Beatles" unless it was John, Paul, George, and Ringo), or even a particular sound (as in many more mainstream pop groups who change their line-up frequently but maintain a distinct and identifiable sound), but rather a sort of method, a particular way of doing things, and a particular way of thinking. A major part of that method has always involved subsuming one's own personality to a fairly large degree. I feel fairly confident in saying that no-one who has ever written songs for The Pipettes would ever have written those songs had they not been in The Pipettes. And as soon as they had written them, they ceased to be their songs, and immediately became, indissociably, Pipettes songs.

Having said that, my own personal delight in the continuation of The Pipettes has a great deal to do with the people in it. It's always been a thrill for me to write songs with Jon, who I feel has been something of a secret weapon for this band from the very beginning. And it's been a real joy to watch Gwenno and Seb, who were relatively new members when we made the first album, emerge as first rank songwriters for the band. But perhaps the biggest revelation over the past few years has been Gwenno's sister, Ani. Ani joining the band, the unique talent and enthusiasm she has brought to the project, has probably been the best thing that has happened to us since starting work on this second phase of the project. Without her, I really don't think we could have done it.

Other names deserving of mention surely include Martin Rushent, the legendary producer of The Buzzcocks, The Human League, and Altered Images, who we coaxed back into the world of (fizzy) pop with the promise that we were going to be the new Abba, and proved to have as great an enthusiasm for new technologies and earworm counter melodies, as he demonstrated so ably on Dare. And Sean Price, El Presidente of Fortuna Pop! records, who we talked into releasing the album - when no-one else seemed interested - over the course of an evening laden with over-priced margaritas and bad jokes. Sean has been something of a saint since getting on board, ever faithful. Much as I still really like Matt and Olly at Memphis, and Alastair at Unpopular is obviously deserving of some sort of OBE for services to indiepop, I'd still say Fortuna Pop is my favourite label that The Pipettes has worked with.

At the end of the day though, crucial though Martin and Sean have been in their different ways, Earth Vs. The Pipettes is very much our album. The band have project managed and effectively A&R'd the record from the start. We wrote all the songs, we plotted our own path in defiance of all advice, we chose all the people who have worked with us (from temporary stand-in bassists to press agents, video directors, and label bosses), we designed our own outfits - we even did our own book-keeping (thanks Seb!). I don' t think there are many bands around today who would call themselves a pop band and really mean it who could say the same thing.

So, now, finally, our second album is out. There were times when we thought it would never happen and I must admit it feels like a tremendous relief to know that it actually has. It's been really nice to read a few good reviews. Actually, I must admit that I rather enjoy reading the bad reviews. Coke Machine Glow slagged us off for sounding like the Venga Boys, and I was like, really? But Great! God knows how anyone could possibly think sounding like the Venga Boys is a bad thing. Of course, in a sense, none of these reviews - good or bad - really matter or make any difference. What seems like an almost impossibly great achievement at this point is the simple fact that it is out and in the shops and people can buy it. It exists. It is real. And therein lies a satisfaction, a pride in production, that will never be matched by the little *ding* that announces you have successfully uploaded something onto the internet.

Damn it, Thanet! I'm in love...

2010-09-02T05:04:00.000-07:00

Two reports on last weekend's delightful On Margate Sounds event, first off from the organisers themselves....

Thanks so much to everyone who joined us for On Margate Sounds last Sunday! A lovely day of incredible performances, made even lovelier by the company of a wonderful audience. Special thanks goes to Eoin, Tom and everyone at the Tom Thumb Theatre.

Monster Bobby stopped in to play the first set of the day, en route to his new home in Paris. An inventive, playful set that won him new fans in Thanet. Next up were Panther Society, who formed on a day trip to Margate at Christmas - a tale told in their ditty, 'Isle of Thanet'. The wonderful Liz Green and her shadow puppets joined us next on the only known day trip from Manchester to Margate. Or it would have been, until we convinced her that staying in the 1930's period museum / hotel with us for a night would be more fun. Then Thomas White treated us to a medley of original songs and covers - bought together by a salty seaside quality - including Nick Drake's 'Time Has Told Me', Smog's 'Vessels' and Elbow's 'Powder Blue'. In the penultimate set of the day, Eaten By Children wowed the audience with a deconstructive sonic and visual feast of witty noise. Finally Two Wings charmed us with a mesmeric performance, off-setting ethereal vocal harmonies with bluesy bass and guitar. Gloriously toe-tapping.

The photos are up so check them out! Looking forward to seeing everyone else's photos and videos too.

http://www.facebook.com/sian.haestier#!/album.php?aid=484668&id=703910410

Okay so it's fingers crossed for an Indian Summer . . . We'll have news of a sequel to On Margate Sounds soon, but for now here's our first review of the day http://edenontheline.co.uk/reviews/

Lots of love,

Jess & Sian

xxx

And also from the Eden on the Line weblog...

On Margate Sounds

Tom Thumb Theatre, Margate

29 August 2010

Well, there was some sun, amid some sharp showers – and a gale that by evening was whipping tin cans down Eastern Esplanade like scrapyard tumbleweed…

What a splendid day: a wide range of different styles, some great performances, and a mellow and friendly mood. A shame the theatre wasn't fuller - but the select band were very satisfied customers and word will surely spread for more next time.

Monster Bobby’s quirky songs and samples made a strong start before he rushed off to emigrate, sidestepping encore requests and any risk of being mobbed by the steadily growing audience. (‘Elvis has now left the country…’)

We fortified ourselves with custard pies and doughnuts and watched some films before being inducted into Panther Society’s distinctive sound world.

Liz Green’s beguiling mix of songs, story-telling and shadow-puppetry followed. Fenist the Falcon shook a tail feather, with the shade of Jake Thackray lurking approvingly somewhere in the house. Liz deserves some award for travelling down from Manchester for her slot and being ready to go straight back, before being persuaded to stay over. And she deserves a plug for her beautifully packaged ‘Crow Cries’ EP.

Next up, Tom White played a mellow set of acoustic songs, including a fine cover of Nick Drake’s ‘Time Has Told Me’ – which is not one for the faint-hearted.

Rob Hart shook things up completely with a strong and compelling Eaten By Children set, mixing in found cine images and winning over audience members who’d normally run a mile from anything labelled noise.

Finally four fifths of Two Wings (sounds like the start of a maths puzzle…) blended Hanna Tuulikki’s otherworldly vocals with fine guitar, melodic bass and solid, anchoring harmonies. The band sometimes seemed tentative and may have been missing their drummer, but it was a lovely set and full of promise.

Well done, Jess and Sian for pulling it all together and Eoin for making it sound so good. More, please.

On Margate Sounds

2010-07-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

I shall be taking part in this event at the end of August at the Tom Thumb Theatre, at Dreamland, Margate. Yes, the same Dreamland rhapsodised in Lindsay Anderson's short film, O Dreamland. You can buy tickets here - but be quick, they are very limited.

Composition (2010) No. 3

2010-07-16T17:56:00.001-07:00

For any ensemble

Before the performance, a number of motifs taken from birdsong should be recorded and notated on manuscript paper, sufficient to assign one to each player.

All musicians should be sat in a circle, with each player having only their own birdsong motif notated on the score before them.

When you feel like it, play the motif in front of you.

Certain things should make you more inclined to play:

the sound of others playing;

any other sound in the room;

catching sight of someone you like;

a pang of hunger;

the sudden recollection of a fond memory, or a joke;

noticing someone else smiling;

an urge to go to the toilet;

feeling sunlight, or any other light, strike you, or suddenly noticing a shiny object somewhere in the room;

but you may always choose not to play.

When others play, even if you are yourself playing at that time, you must listen.

After the first performance of your own motif, you may start to incorporate material - be it pitches, rhythmic patterns or melodic shape - from any other motif you have heard since the beginning of the performance. Through this method, your own motif-string gradually extends and transforms. The longer, the more different from itself, your motif-string becomes, the more often you should want to play it and the faster it should become.

As the piece becomes more and more frantic, more and more crowded, any member of the group may give an agreed signal (which should be silent). At which point everyone should play one long note, choosing the highest note from their current (now presumably quite transformed) motif-string, lasting one long breath, after which the piece ends.

[Please contact me in the event of any performance of this piece]

Composition (2010) No. 2

2010-07-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

For any ensemble of roughly equal numbers of each sex

All players should sit in a circle and look around the room.

Upon catching the eyes of any other player, take a deep breath and release it, playing a single note for the time it takes to release your breath.

If the person who catches your eye is female, the note you play should be a major third higher than the last note you played. If the person who catches your eye is male, it should be a perfect fifth higher.

Feel free to change octave whenever you please.

At the beginning of the piece, your hypothetical 'previous note' is a low C. If the rules dictate that your next note should be C, stop playing.When everyone has stopped playing, the piece ends.

[Please contact me in the event of any public performance of this piece]

Composition (2010) No. 1

2010-07-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

For any ensemble of strings (and / or trombones, crumhorns, etc.)

The players should all be sat in a circle, each should imagine before him the letters

C, D, E, F, G, A, B,

in other words, the scale of C major. These are the only notes you are allowed to play throughout the piece and, excluding the opening chord, you are only allowed to play each note once.

To begin with, starting notes are:

G above that C,

E above that G,

D above that G,

F above that D,

B above that F, and

A above that B.

[using only the first few lines for smaller groups, and repeating notes in the same order for larger groups]

String players will never leave their starting string, so try and pick one that gives you the greatest chance of bumping into your neighbours.

All musicians play a sustained chord on their starting notes for 7 beats, after the 8th beat, all players begin sliding up or down their chosen string in contrary motion, ceasing your glissando and holding a note only if:

You cross notes with another player, then keep sliding to the next note in C which you have not yet played and hold that note;

If you realise that to continue sliding would make it impossible to land on a note from C which you have not yet played due to the approaching extremes of the string, then simply find the next usable note and hold it;

Or, If you hear any other players have stopped sliding.

Once all four players are holding any given note they should look at each other, count for 6 beats, and then repeat, sliding in the opposite direction, pausing for consecutively fewer beats on each held chord, until finally, having reached, as it were, zero beats, the last note of the scale is held for 8 beats and the piece comes to an end.

[Please contact me in the event of any public performance of this piece]

'In C' at The Lexington, Sunday July 11th.

2010-07-15T03:13:00.000-07:00

Sunday last at The Lexington, A Little Orchestra and friends performed Terry Riley's minimalist classic 'In C' for John Jervis's delightful Hangover Lounge afternoon. The result was so entrancing that Mr. Sean "Fortuna Pop" Price assures me he was not once tempted to return to his newspaper. The full roll call on the day was (from left to right, see above), Robbie Knight on the synthesizer, Catherine Carr on the flute, Alex Billig on the bassoon, Paul Mosley on the euphonium, Kit Mason on percussion, Nicola Burnett Smith on the bass clarinet, Daniel Trilling on the Casio ToneBank, Dan Spanner also on the bass clarinet, Chris Guy on clarinet, Melanie Powell on viola, Dominic Simpson on another Casio keyboard, Chris Cook aka Same Actor on sitar, Greg Taylor aka Foxtrot Echo on a Casio Pt-30, and (regrettably, beyond the frame) Anne-Marie Kirby on melodica. Oh, and that's me in the middle relentlessly striking quavers on a C-note hanging from a wire coathanger and gaffa-taped to a bin. A complete recording can be heard below (I should point out that the "by" below is intended merely to express who uploaded the piece and by no means its author):

'In C' (live at the lexington: 11/7/2010) by monster bobby

Upcoming

2010-07-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

In about one hour, that's 16:30 BST, I will be appearing on Jonny Trunk's Resonance FM show to talk about film soundtracks and things.

Tomorrow afternoon at approximately three o'clock, A Little Orchestra and friends will be performing 'In C' by Terry Riley at the Lexington, Pentonville Road, London. It's free to get in and Bob Stanley will be DJing (and, yes, they will be showing the football later). In fact, don't just come along, download the score, bring an instrument and join in! We'll be having a quick run though at about one o'clock before anyone gets in so if you want to join in, do try and make it to that - in fact, ideally, email me first.

Next Tuesday, I will be DJing at the Lock Tavern, Chalk Farm, from about eight til about midnight. This is my Weird Music Night so you can expect bits of library music, avant-garde stuff, modern composition, horror and science fiction records and so on. This also free - and upstairs.

The following Monday, that's the 19th, The Pipettes release our new single, 'Call Me', on Fortuna Pop! To celebrate, we will be playing at The Lexington with support The School and A Little Orchestra - probably playing something other than 'In C' this time. Do come down and say hello, it would be lovely to see you.

2010-07-02T05:06:00.002-07:00

2010-07-02T05:06:00.001-07:00

2010-07-02T04:52:00.000-07:00

2010-06-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

2010-06-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

2010-06-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

Cut by Concrete: Robert Logan at Moose Factory

2010-06-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

I arrived at The George Tavern this afternoon just in time to catch Robert Logan performing to an almost empty room (people trickled in throughout the performance, by the end we had just about hit double figures). As I came in Logan was hunched over a Nord Lead 3 in a bright blue hoody, drawing from it sounds which reminded me of some of Karlheinz Stockhausen's later electronic pieces or the mid-80's Dr Who music of Dominic Glynn and Keff McCullough, though enriched with a post-rave palette of sounds and post-jazz rhythmic arsenal (Frank Byng of Snorkel accompanied on drums, using far more cymbals and far more ways of playing those cymbals than is usually thought necessary). Whilst the grinding ostinatos drew my mind towards the more industrial sounding tracks on Andrew Poppy's Beating of Wings album, the real time timbral shaping and throbbing low end led me to think of some of the spacier bits of dubstep on the Hyperdub label. As the set progressed, beats took over more and more and it became just that little bit more ... expected. Perhaps fewer people would get into Logan's music were he to reduce the dominance of these dance rhythms, but perhaps those that still did would listen closer.

2010-06-03T09:49:00.001-07:00

2010-06-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

2010-06-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Best of You? There's Much More Left Of It And You Know It

2010-05-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

This has probably been my favourite of Rose's songs ever since I saw her with the full band for the first time up at the Old Queen's Head. It makes me think of The Sundays, Broadcast, Francoise Hardy, torch songs from the 1930's, film noir. This recorded version has a very nice slur in the high string part at the end. The whole thing's very big. Which is very good. The video reminds me of old My Bloody Valentine videos except that, unlike most pop videos, or even most films these days, it does appear to have been directed by someone who actually watches films, and not just pop videos. Which is also very good. Buy the single here. Now.

I Can See Your Heart Beat

2010-04-19T03:16:00.001-07:00

The new Pipettes single, 'Stop the Music' is released today on Fortuna Pop! Do please go out and buy it instead of just ripping it off. The 7" vinyl also contains the b-side, 'Who Made You the Doctor', while the CD is a five track EP, also featuring, 'So I Say Goodbye', 'Our Love Was Saved by Spacemen' and a Kompakt Records' Justus Kohncke's remix of 'Stop the Music'. Some people have written some very nice things about it. You can also download an amazing remix of 'Stop the Music' by Kat!Heath! here. We are currently on the road, playing live across England and Wales. The tour looks something like this:

Tonight (Monday): Sheffield, 02 Academy 2 (tickets)
Tuesday (the 20th) : London, Hoxton Bar and Kitchen
Wednesday (21st) : Brighton, Audio (tickets)
Thursday (22nd) : Kingston, Hippodrome, (tickets)
25th April : Portsmouth, Wedgwood Rooms (tickets)
26th April : Southampton, Joiners (tickets)
7th May : York Fibbers (tickets)
8th May: Liverpool, 02 Academy (tickets)
14th May: Darlington, inside out (tickets)
15th May: Birmingham, 02 (tickets)
21st May: Crewe, The Box (tickets)
22nd May: Treorchy, South Wales, Parc Hall (tickets)

You may be interested to know that Parc Hall is a former miner's institute and working men's library, first built in 1892. Apparently, it was used in a recent episode of the BBC's abominable Dr Who revamp. Also, on Tuesday at around one pee em, we will be playing a free in-store gig at Pure Groove Records, just by Smithfield Market, London. I hope to see you there . . .

Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds

2010-04-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

Performed by "A Little Orchestra" at Jamm, Brixton. Part of the How Does it Feel Loves Rock 'n' Roll Circus, of which there are many photos here. A thoroughly enjoyable evening all round (tap dancing to The Smiths providing a particularly memorable moment).

It's not a star, it's a satellite

2010-03-26T05:57:00.000-07:00

Allo Darlin' release their new single, Dreaming, on monday featuring guest vocals from Monster Bobby. Several people have said some very nice things about it - including Jarvis Cocker and Huw Stephens on Radio One who seemed to believe Monster Bobby was "that bloke out of the Tindersticks." Allo Darlin' will be playing with The School at Bush Hall tomorrow night (that's Saturday the 27th) and no doubt a certain monster will be joining them for a little sing-song midway through. In the meantime, enjoy the video for dreaming, shot on Super8 by Niklas Vestberg ....

Rock'n'Roll Circus at Jammmmmmmm

2010-03-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow evening, Thursday March 25th, "a little orchestra" will be performing Michael Nyman's 'Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds' at around about eight pm, to kick off the following exciting event ....

HDIF Presents
Thursday 25th March
The Loves/The Mai 68s/King And The Olive Fields/Funsize Lions
Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, SW9 6LH, 7.30pm, FREE admission

Tonight features the world debut of The Loves' Rock'N'Roll Circus! A night of olympian wonders! Vaulting and unequalled somersaults! Dancing girls! Mime! Comedy! Theatrical performances to boggle both the mind and the eye. Plus musical turns from The Loves, The Mai 68s, King And The Olive Fields, and Funsize Lions. All under the watchful eye of ringmaster Simon Love, who will be the compere for the entire evening. We're making him wear a top hat.

The Loves
Legendary psych-pop collective from Cardiff, who fuse Nuggets-style garage pop, bubblegum fuzz, sugar sweet indiepop, and hand-clapping, hip-shaking rock'n'roll. Favourites of Marc Riley and John Peel, for whom they recorded four sessions, including one live at Peel Acres, the band are fronted by Simon Love, whose "did-he-really-just-say-that?" style of stagecraft is entertainment itself.
http://www.myspace.com/lovetheloves

The Mai 68s
Noise! Revolutionary chic! A stand up drummer! If Laetitia Sadier had fronted early Jesus And Mary Chain, they may have sounded a little like this Leicester foursome - ear-splitting yet full of poise, chaotic yet cool.
http://www.myspace.com/themai68s

King And The Olive Fields
Philip Serfaty and a rotating cast of friends play swoonsome, literate indie pop festooned with ukuleles, cellos, banjos and the like. For fans of early Magnetic Fields, The Wave Pictures and Herman Dune.
http://www.myspace.com/kingsongs

Funsize Lions
Influenced by the B52s, Stereo Total and Le Tigre, Funsize Lions perform crystalline keening electropop sounds, songs that yelp and yammer over the downdraft, songs for dark mornings and airport terminals everywhere... for ever. They feature China Carolina, who is Piney Gir's naughty cousin.
http://www.myspace.com/funsizelions

And here's the info for the other performers on the night:

* A Little Orchestra. Led by Monster Bobby of Pipettes-fame, this 12-strong orchestra will open the show.
* Lucienne Cole. Performance artist Lucienne Cole will perform "Dance To The Music", in which she tapdances to "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now".
* Mr Solo's Projector Of Graphical Wonderment. Mr Solo, of David Devant And His Spirit Wife, will be doing something or other with his projector of graphical wonderment. We're not entirely sure what this is, or what he plans to do with it.
* Matt Kaufman. The actor and performance artist Matt Kaufman will be our resident mime for the evening.
* DRA Dance Collective. The London based Contemporary Dance company will perform before The Loves close the show.

DJs: Tamla Tim and Phoenix Phil (Pop Art)

Doors 7.30pm
Funsize Lions 8pm-8.30pm
King And The Olive Fields 8.45pm-9.15pm
The Mai 68s 9.30pm-10pm
The Loves 10.15pm-11pm

Last Northern line tube northbound from Oval: 00.22
Last Victoria line tube northbound from Brixton: 00.26

Special Sounds in Camden

2010-03-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

So, I have been given "carte blanche" to play whatever I like at my four hour DJ set over at the Lock Tavern next week (Wednesday, the 10th of March). I have promised to play things you will not hear anywhere else in Camden. This is likely to include a lot of Moog novelty records, some modern composition, some sort of post-industrial weird noisy shit, drones, field recordings, horror film soundtracks, children's music and, of course, Ken Nordine's Colours.

It's free to get in, it starts at eight and finishes at midnight. It will be most unsettling.

New Pipettes Video and Free Download

2010-02-11T16:20:00.000-08:00

Download the new song, 'Our Love Was Saved by Spacemen' from The Pipettes' forthcoming album, produced by Martin Rushent.

Join a Little Orchestra

2010-01-07T07:19:00.000-08:00

Little Other presents a Little Orchestra ... at the moment, it's actually a very little orchestra, but it's growing - and hopefully, growing in such a way as to include you. Ever learnt astring/brass/woodwind instrument and now don't know what to do with it? Well, come along and join us for a rehearsal, every other tuesday in London (starting the 12th of January). Our little orchestra will begin by playing Terry Riley's minimalist classic 'In C' and then ... who knows? The sky is the limit. Though for the time being, we will probably concentrate on those contemporary classical pieces written 'for any arrangement of instruments', ultimately the plan is that members of the ensemble will start composing pieces for the ensemble to play, that external composers will do the same, and that the ensemble will be available for performed or recorded arrangements of pop songs and so forth. If you would like to join, please email in via the address on the top right of this page (or through our Facebook group) - at the moment we are particularly looking for lower register string instruments (cello, double bass) and higher register brass (trumpet, cornet, french horn), but really any standard orchestral, big band, or brass band instruments are welcome.

Other Special Sounds Including Dipthongs

2010-01-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

It is now a little over a month since our last journey into the very bowels of Greenwich, the deep red underground interior of Oliver's Music Bar. Having lost its left output some time ago, my faithful Doctor Sample had finally decided to cease transmitting from its right side as well, so I was, alas, unable to perform as expected. I was, however, most proud to introduce our four acts of the evening.
Hanna Tuulikki of Nalle played sweet songs that soared through our heads with her resonator plate guitar.
Aisha Orazbayeva, surrounded by a veritable smorgasbord of music stands, entranced us with a mesmerising performance of Luciano Berio's Sequenza VIII ("Stop saying Sequenza Eight! Otto! Otto!" She hissed at me, with some justification, after my introduction).
Lost Robots swelled into grooves and diverse soundscapes, conjuring the ghosts of traditional English folk music, psychedelic rock, and the best of the British experimental tradition.
And finally, Ben's Pens sung us into the night with songs so sweet and moving, so hummable and musical, delivered with such warmth and humour, to make everyone in the room feel as though privileged friends, invited into the living room of some great songwriter for a sing-a-long.

All drawings by Mr Steve Reed of Club Silencio. Little Other will be presenting more Special Sounds at Oliver's soon. Watch, as they say, this space . . .

Rose cancels, Lost Robots replace

2009-11-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately Ms. Dougall has been forced, once again, to cancel due to circumstances beyond her control. However, all is not lost, for the mighty Lost Robots have agreed to step in as last minute replacements. Lost Robots are a free improvised group containing the considerable talents of Mark Braby, Richard Sanderson, Andy Coule and Clive Pearman, influenced by british and german experimental rock, non-idiomatic improvisation, free jazz, minimalism, post punk, and traditional music. more info can be found here and here. Th full rundown should, then, look something like this:

6 pm ::: everyone turns up for soundchecks
8pm ::: doors [£5 or £3 unwaged/on benefits - all takings split equally between acts]
8:30 - 8:45pm ::: monster bobby
8:55 - 9-20 ::: ben's pens
9:35 - 10:05 ::: lost robots
10:15 - 10:35 ::: aisha orazbayeva performs berio's sequenza viii
10: 45 - 11:15 ::: Nalle
11: 32 :::: last train from greenwich to central london [london bridge / charing cross]
00:00 ::: bar closes
00:16 ::: last westbound tube from north greenwich
00:26 ::: last northbound DLR from Greenwich Cutty Sark station
00:50 :::: last southbound DLR train from Greenwich Cutty Sark station
01:04 ::: last eastbound tube from north greenwich

anyone looking for something to eat before the show, i would recommend Moza 5-10 mins walk past the music college, down trafalgar road. From the outside it looks like a dreadful fried chicken place, but it has a remarkably good (not to mention remarkably cheap) selection of curries and indian vegetarian food.

November 25th: Special Sounds at Oliver's

2009-11-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

After a short break, Little Other returns with more Special Sounds at Oliver's, in Greenwich. This month, on November 25th, we have something of a bumper pack of goodies. Rose Dougall, who was forced to cancel a couple of months ago, promises she will in fact turn up this time (with Ralegh Long of Two Seat Bicycle and Patrick Hamilton tagging along to accompany her), Aisha Orazbayeva will be performing Luciano Berio's Sequenza VIII for Solo Violin, Nalle will be coming down from Glasgow, and Ben's Pens will be making the trip from Hemel Hempstead. It will start at eight and finish at twelve. It will cost five pounds to get in (unless you are in receipt of state benefits and able to prove so, in which case it will cost a mere three pounds). If you happen to be all Facebooked up, do tell the Big Other that you will be attending.

Last Week at Special Sounds . . .

2009-09-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

Last week at Special Sounds, we abandoned our usual pop quiz in favour of something a little more creatively stimulating. Kicking off the evening, I invited our assembled guests to write me a poem, with a prize on offer of this month's mixtape (lovingly compiled by the Spirit of Gravity's Señor Cheesemaster). I fully expected almost no-one to show an interest and a paltry smattering of half-arsed verse to follow, but I was pleasantly surprised by a plethora of fine poems. Please allow me to share with you some of our favourites . . . .

Once upon a man there was a time,
a fleshy construct born of rhyme,
and in his mind there was a pen,
the paper hopes and dreams of men.
L. Renshaw
   _______________________

Preconceptions poisoned a powerful statement
Laymens terms apply
This fool is hardly the apples of my eye
No tool to maintain this guy
M.O.T., D.O.A.,
somethign surely went astray,
ran away,
but not from home
sluts on the phone
you tut, i moan
seasonal sorry sad metronome
"Tiny, tone it down!"
Bassline buried frown
under some gorge of
other hims and hers
gospel hymns and church choir fur
oh father i pray to be
blessed with your sordid slur.
Powers that be, arguing
love motives assumingly.
Aggressive as it was so
light to touch but fear of
fumble - your tears will
crumble this establishment's walls.
T.M.
   _______________________

Intense?
Kissing you
Explosion!
As you walk up the stairs
I already miss you!
- Why haven't you answered?
Are you angry?
Are you sad?
Don't be - I'll call again later . . .
or send you the tenth text.

She: I'll never snog again!
   _______________________

In your ragged shirt
no style, no mode
five quid is too much
you said
for a t-shirt
And you were right.

No 'do' for you
clippers will suffice
oh how we laughed
at the slaves
How shallow, we said
and we were right

Without warning
No bell announced
In other words
I was surprised
When ragged became passé
and a grand
was not enough
clippers begone,
the hair it shone
How fabulous they said
and they were right.
   _______________________

Sitting here in Oliver's
Listening to Special Sounds
Pints are very expensive
Each one costing four pounds

Wailing accordians
Boxes full of beats
We all love it at Oliver's
Shame there's no spare seats
(except the ones down there. And over there.)
James Dale
   _______________________

Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
Refrigerator
   _______________________

Drawings of T-Toe and Laying on of Hands by Steve Reed of Club Silencio.

Because inexplicably I love in you something more than you - the Little Other - I mutilate you.

2009-09-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately Rose has had to cancel her performance at this month's night of Special Sounds in Greenwich - but fear not, for in her stead we have the marvelous Bearcraft. Solo project of Dicky Moore, guitarist with Scritti Politti and Frank Sidebottom's band, Bearcraft combines an electro sound with a folk mythos: spectral synths, machine rhythms, with occult imagery and rural mysticism. Bearcraft's new ep, The Werewolf, will be released on September 21st by Hottwerk Records.

Also performing on the 23rd will be klezmer-influenced drone folkies, Laying on of Hands; trombonist, T-Toe; and Monster Bobby. Plus, there will be a quiz, a short lecture on the philosophy of Spinoza, and interval music supplied by Geoff Cheesemaster of Brighton-based electronic music collective, the Spirit of Gravity and Noteherder & McCloud; plus music journalist extraordinaire, Everett True (NME, Careless Talk Costs Lives, Plan B), who has even been blogging about the mixtape he's going to send us.

Beyond the Clouds

2009-09-07T08:18:00.001-07:00

A new blog devoted to posting podcasts from the rather excellent MixCloud site is writing about a space age pop mix by Monster Bobby. Monster Bobby will be playing at the next night of Special Sounds at Oliver's, Greenwich, on September 23rd, and at Scaledown, upstairs at the King and Queen on Cleveland Street, on September 25th. Also, check out Monster Bobby's page on the new Drift Records website.

Frazzle

2009-09-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

More Sesame Street songs here and here.

Last Week at Special Sounds . . .

2009-09-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

Illustrations by Steve Reed.

Next Special Sounds - Wednesday 23rd September at Oliver's, Nevada Street, Greenwich.

"The aggressive character of primitive competition leaves its mark on every type of discourse about the Little Other."

2009-08-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

The above is a picture of David and Joachim from Montt Mardié performing 'Paraply', their Swedish language cover of Rhianna's 'Umbrella', at Little Other's evening of Special Sounds, last night at Oliver's, Greenwich. The 'cathedral' reverb setting on David's voice rendered every word a wave washing interminably through the crowd, with the piano keys like pebbles washed up in the surf. Earlier in the evening, Same Actor worked up a maelstrom of digitally manipulated sounds from his sitar and dulcimer, Moustache of Insanity charmed us with their sing-along Casio pop, and Monster Bobby belched, mid-song, into the microphone, by way of a tribute to Brian Wilson's performance at Glastonbury 2005. Interval music came in the form of mixtapes made by Steve Reed and Niklas Vestberg, later to be given away as prizes for our Dr Who-themed quiz. As only two teams entered the quiz, and one of them was disqualified for mentioning David Tennant, the cds, hispanophone sounds from Steve and a tasty cocktail of Helen Love, The Shaggs and much more from Nik, were won by a certain mr. Timothy C. Holehouse. Little Other will return to Oliver's, with more Special Sounds, on September the 23rd. I trust I will see you there. . .

"He practises it with the help of a small bobbin, that is to say, with the LIttle Other."

2009-08-25T05:32:00.000-07:00

Whoops! Tomorrow at Oliver's Music Bar, Nevada Street, Greenwich, Little Other presents... Special Sounds! This month there will be swoonsome balladeering from Stockholm's favourite son, Montt Mardié, Casio pop, fumbling and facial hair from Moustache of Insanity, avant-garde instrumental electronic soundscapes wrung from a sitar and MaxMSP software from Same Actor, and the usual bobbins from me, Monster Bobby. Doors open around 8, interval music will be in the form of mixtapes specially selected and segues by our special guests - this month, Mrs. Reed and Nik of Moustache of Insanity and Records Make Great Pets. There will also be a short lecture on the philosophy of Spinoza and a fiendishly difficult quiz. You know full well you'd be a fool to miss it.

"I'll be as solemn as nine owls. But you must excuse a momentary excitement."

2009-08-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

Nine Owls in a Baguette at Oliver's Music Bar, Greenwich, Wednesday the 29th of July.

Rod Hull 3000
Monsieur Hibou
Dr Sandfax
The Seal of Approval
What now indeed? To find out more . . .

Steve's Special Sounds Sketches

2009-08-01T09:39:00.001-07:00

Sketches from Steve at Club Silencio (aka Mrs Reed) of the various performers at the last night of Special Sounds at Oliver's Music Bar, on Wednesday July 29th. Steve would like to apologise for his apparent inability to "make pretty girls look pretty" and hopes it doesn't cause any offence.Dave, from Nine Owls in a Baguette (and Nervous Squirrel, custom electronic instruments), emailed me the day after the show:

"We had a fantastic time, and the other artists were amazing - Kaz Simmons especially (I think that must be the name of the singer who sang about sitting on the garden wall etc). It was a bit worrying playing after such good people.

We just about managed to cope even though the power supply to one synth cabinet shorted out at the beginning of the evening (meaning no synth drums or spaceship noise!) - a wisp of smoke showed that either the synth needs more work to make it road worthy, or that I should learn to play the harmonica instead."

Our next night of Special Sounds at Oliver's will be on Wednesday the 26th of August.

We are, on occasion, that which can occupy that place, and allow what to reign there? The Little Other.

2009-07-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

Next Wednesday, Special Sounds returns to Oliver's Music Bar, Nevada Street, Greenwich. Featuring live music from performance-based, electronic experimentalists, Nine Owls in a Baguette; effervescent electro-pop from The Pipettes' very own Gwenno; sweet and tender acoustic lullabies with just a smoke-tinged whiff of jazz and bossa nova, from Greenwich's very own, Kaz Simmons; and kicking things off, a short set of glitches and crooning from Monster Bobby. There will also be a short lecture on Spinoza from Infinite Thought, interval music provided by The Impostume and Owen Hatherley, plus a chance to win exclusive mix cds from Owen and Mr. Impostume in our delightful quiz (so do try and bring a pen and some paper!)

He calls earth and life heavy: and so will the Spirit of Gravity have it!

2009-07-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Brief report on the last Spirit of Gravity show in Brighton featuring Hoofus, Animal Magic Tricks and Monster Bobby.

Steve Reed's Drawings From Last Month's Special Sounds Night at Oliver's

2009-07-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

Slightly too embarrassed to fully play the part of 'artist in residence', our very own Mrs. Reed sketched these images rather furtively under the table at last month's Special Sounds night at Oliver's.
Steve would like to apologise for spelling Xylitol wrong.
Details of this month's night of Special Sounds to follow shortly.

2009-07-03T18:40:00.001-07:00

Some chat and pics about monster bobby's last gig at The Lexington here.

2009-06-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came along to Oliver's last night. Write up and photos over at Records Make Great Pets. The next evening of Special Sounds will be on the last Wednesday of July, the 29th.

2009-06-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

2009-05-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

By Steve Reed

Xylitol

2009-05-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

I am Xylitol. There are some cocksure little twerps who would think nothing of swaggering onstage, waving their dick around, thumbs through their beltloops to a retarded sleazebag glitterbeat thud they'd knocked up in five minutes on a DX7 drum machine and a broken 'Soul Preacher' FX pedal. I, however, am seldom asked to perform gigs, galleries, clubs or any other kind of social occasion, so when Monster Bobby requested I break my protracted silence on the occasion of the inaugural night of his 'Little Other' club in Greenwich, SE London, I naturally leapt at the chance. I hope my decision to perform in public (and by 'perform' I mean, more specifically, to press 'play' on a backing tape, jab at a synthesizer, talk and shuffle nervously) will not prove too acutely embarrasing for either me or the few who may choose to pay witness to such a spectacle.

Here follows a sample song for those yet unfamiliar with my musical endeavours, entitled 'Ghost Office' in hommage
to both Beyond The Implode RIP and Delia Derbyshire (RIP).

2009-05-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

by Steve Reed

New Botcast and Competition

2009-05-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

The following comes courtesy of our dear friends at Happy Robots Records. . .

Monster Bobby of course contributed an awesome track, 'Say F*ck Me' to our Botpop compilation which came out last year. He seems to be playing loads of shows at the moment, check his myspace for more details and go see!

The mix has none other than 106 (lordy!) tracks on it. To make things more fun we're running a competition, the person that can name the most tracks on the mix will get a prize bought back from the robots from sunny California (and probably some cds and stuff we have lying about too). Please email your entries to info(at)happyrobots.co.uk with the subject "Botting all over the world"

As people have been asking us about this I thought it best to announce that we're planning on doing a repress of the Botpop compilation cd, we should receive the new cds in a month or so so hang tight! The stunning Arthur and Martha album, 'Navigation' will now be released on the 6th July however we do have copies to sell ourselves now, pick it up from the Botshop now.

You can listen to the mix in the player on this page and download it from here (right click link to download the mp3).

Subscribe to the podcast by clicking on http://happyrobots.libsyn.com/rss

2009-05-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

by Steve Reed

2009-05-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

The Noughts and Crosses Band support Pocketbooks and The Good Gods! at Goo Nite, The Buffalo Bar, Highbury & Islington, London.

Dear, Dear Britch. . .

2009-05-21T05:36:00.000-07:00

Stuart Flynn’s Dear Britch (1st Lady of the Ghetto) is substitute to a nervous breakdown on a summer-sonic holiday. Someone screwed up the admin and instead of electrocuting him electrified him. The shock waves still continue like vocal seas eroding highfalutin moral shorelines.

“People often ask me, and I often answer. Dialogue is such a gift. If a song can paint a thousand words with a medical swab then I’ll sing it.
I’ve been known to wander with wonder, passing shops with no rainbow flag sticker displayed in their window. Do these shops hate me? Are they homophobic? Do they hate Judy Garland? Can you not like Judy Garland and still be gay? Can you not be gay and still like Judy Garland? Can I be Judy Garland? Could I be gay? Perhaps those who are ‘gay and display’ with their can’t-quite-pick-a-colour stickers, just wish to attract the militant homosexual contingent, or the nervous, shy, not out yet but yet out and about, as a feast/snack for their peering, leering, lascivious eyes as the punters (in low slung jeans and pencil pot butt cleavage) browse but fail to buy. That’s the trouble with blurred sexual types and the current economic upending: everyone’s becoming buy-curious.“

Stuart Flynn's Dear Britch will be performing at Little Other's first night of 'Special Sounds' at Oliver's Music Bar, Greenwich, on June 24th.