Hercules Remix

Made this remix recently for a project by David Blandy.

Catch Up With Ear Drums Pop

I have an old (never previously released – or even performed outside my own bedroom) Monster Bobby song on the new Ear Drums Pop five year anniversary compilation. Proud to snuggle up against such esteemed company as Lost Tapes, The Just Joans, Ralegh Long, Kids on Bikes, and Tiny Fireflies.

You can download the whole damn thing – for free! – from the Ear Drums website here. And/Or you give it a sneak preview from the Soundcloud player below (I'm track 24).
 

Space & Lights

Animation by Carolyn Tripp, music by Monster Bobby

Behold The Dancing, Sneaker-Wearing Egg People!

Totally proud that my old Monster Bobby song ‘I heard you moved away’ (off of Gaps) has been used in the back of this animation reel by the marvellous Carolyn Tripp. For more on her various projects click.

DJ Set at the Haggerston – Saturday 7th March 2015

Before and After (Rhythm) Science – A Mix for The Haggerston 7/3/2015 by Monster Bobby on Mixcloud

This is a little teaser for my DJ set at the Haggerston next Saturday. 10pm til 3am. Free entry. Expect disco, boogie, electro, italo, house, techno, big synth pads, 808 handclaps, four to the floor beats, people going wooo-oooh-ooh, etc. etc.

Cooking with Guards! Guards!

Check out this blogpost about Guards! Guards! over at Write Click Cook Listen, featuring recipes for curry and rårakor from m’self and Ms Bouvier.

Our first single, ‘That Spring’, is still available to buy from iTunes, Bandcamp, Amazon, etc. Don’t forget to check out the amazing video on YouTube.

Guards! Guards! release first single ‘That Spring’

Today is the official UK release date of ‘That Spring’ the first single by my new pop thing with Lisa Bouvier, Guards! Guards!

You can now stream the song on Deezer or Spotify, buy the digital download on Bandcamp or iTunes, and probably quite a few other places too. Please do.

In the meantime, feat your ears on this delightful remix by Records on Ribs artist Talk Less Say More.

Guards! Guards! release first single "That Spring"

The first single by Guards! Guards! is out today (officially only in Sweden, although, actually, between you and me, you can get it anywhere). Here is the video. You can find it on Spotify, and Amazon and iTunes and everything. But probably the best thing is if you get it off our Bandcamp. Either way, as you can see, a top tune. Composed, produced, and performed by me and Lisa. Mixed by Joe Harling.

We will be playing at the Birds Will Sing For You showcase party at 6071 in Stockholm on Saturday, onstage about 9pm. Full details here. Further gigs in the UK early next year, to be announced shortly.

A Little Orchestra at the Lexington

Unearthed some guy’s bootlegs from Sunday’s gig by A Little Orchestra at the Lexington.

Here, from last year’s album Clocks, is ‘Clocks (part three)’ arranged for several violins and a clarinet; and here, as captured mid-performance above, is me and Lisa singing ‘Pightie 21’.

Praise for The Dark Ages

From some online reviews of the forthcoming collaborative EP between A Little Orchestra and Plantagenet 3:

“Plantagenet 3′s minimalist widescreen projections are perfectly lit, with the added layer of A Little Orchestra adding a judicious touch of the epic. There’s a subtle emotional lilt the strings bring out that compliment Richard Lanyon’s knotty, chiming guitar injecting a different taste of tension to their wares.” 

— Sunrise Ocean Bender

“Imagine The Ventures playing chamber music to the clatteringly spare drum machine tracks of Young Marble Giants. Next, imagine all this happening in modern times inspired by the age of heraldry … slow burn guitar that brings to mind a seriously introspective Hank Marvin, whilst violins slice out severe string arrangements. It makes me think of what kind of effect would seawater have on a suit of armour. Stirring stuff.”  

— Louder Than War 

“appropriately dark twangingly cinematic” 

— Sweeping The Nation

“a desert-fried ode to the blistering heat … Morricone would be proud.” 

— Sonic Masala

The Dark Ages

A Little Orchestra and Plantagenet 3 are very happy to announce the release of our forthcoming collaborative ep, ‘The Dark Ages’. The 7" record will consist of two tracks, both composed by Richard Lanyon of Plantagenet 3 with strings arranged by myself. It’s coming out on Jitter on March 24th but you can already pre-order it from Norman Records and listen to a sneak preview below. 

Ever busy, A Little Orchestra are also all over the forthcoming album by The Understudies. Due out one week later, The Understudies will be launching their record, Let Desire Guide Your Hand, with a live performance at The Lexington on Pentonville Road, London, on March 30th. A Little Orchestra will also be playing (along with special guests). Tickets here.

With a bit of luck, copies of both records will be on sale at the gig.

Kuduro Furioso

Monster Bobby DJ Set. Tonight. The Lock Tavern, Chalk Farm. 8pm – 1am.

Orlando Kuduro Furioso by Monster Bobby on Mixcloud

Dandelion Ident

This is a little jingle I made for Dandelion Radio I can't even remember how many years ago. I think they had put out some sort of open call on Myspace or whatever and I sent them three or four of which this is the only one that I can still find on my hard drive. Made using a dictaphone and a Casio keyboard by the sound of it. I have no idea if they ever used it.

Monster Bobby At The Edge of the Sea

I have just been added to the bill of The Wedding Present / Cinerama's excellent annual Brighton-based knees-up, At The Edge of the Sea Festival. It takes place across two stages at the Concorde2 down on the seafront on the weekend of August 23rd/24th. I will be playing as the doors open, at 3pm on Sunday so get down early and try not to make too much noise as you order your first pint. 

Also playing: The Flatmates, Marlin, Dog in the Snow, The Missing Season, Tensheds, Flying Wing, The Twilight Sad, No Middle Name, Sivu, Terry de Castro, The Fireworks, plus of course The Wedding Present and Cinerama. More details here.

Traces of Coincidence: Batumi and Not Before on Random Time Radio

My piece ‘Batumi and Not Before’ will be broadcast, along with a short interview, on the temporary Random Time Radio, part of the Addicted 2 Random Festival in Halle an der Saale, Germany. 

According to the website, “Addicted2Random (A2R) seeks traces of coincidence in European music-scapes. Together with sound-artists from across Europe, the festival Addicted2Random examines how the composition of classical European music and the artistic work with coincidence can influence each other in sound installations, radio-art, exhibition and performances.” 

You can livestream the broadcast tomorrow (Thursday July 11th) between 10 am and 1 pm (German time, that is) here. Or you can listen to the track below: 

Pightie 21

Me and Lisa Bouvier singing Pightie 21 with A Little Orchestra at the launch party for the album Clocks by A Little Orchestra at the Union Chapel last Saturday.

A Little Orchestra in The Quietus

"A Little Orchestra is a classical ensemble formed by Pipettes creator 'Monster' Bobby Barry. The repertoire of the 10-piece group includes compositions by Terry Riley, Michael Nyman and Angelo Badalamenti, although they're most active live and as an orchestra for hire within the UK indie-pop scene. 

The group's concerts have seen them joined by singers including MJ Hibbett, Shirley Lee of Spearmint and Elizabeth Morris of Allo Darlin', or swelling the ranks of bands such as Pocketbooks and Haiku Salut. Guests on A Little Orchestra's debut album Clocks, set for release on June 10th, include Darren Hayman, Gordon McIntyre (Ballboy), Simon Love (The Loves) and Lisa Bouvier (The Proctors)."

Read the full article by Stuart Huggett here.

A Spector is Haunting Europe

A Spector is Haunting Europe: Female-Fronted Pop From The EEC by Monster Bobby on Mixcloud

For all DJ bookings, email. To follow me on Mixcloud click here.

Mechanics of the Dance Machine Kickstarter

Earlier this year, my remix (along with other remixes by Richard Lannoy, Kreepa, Medasyn, Cerebral Productions, Parsley Sounds, G. Prokofiev, and Heavy Deviance) of Gabriel Prokofiev's Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra was used by renowned choreographer, Karole Armitage for her Mechanics of the Dance Machine at New York Live Arts. 

A former member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Armitage became known as the "punk ballerina" in the 80s as she forged a distinctive career, creating original works for Baryshnikov's American Ballet Theatre, the Paris Opera Ballet, and the video for Madonna's ‘Vogue’. 

Rehearsals for Mechanics of the Dance Machine – which the Huffington Post called "red hot" – were filmed by Eli Schmidt who is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter to complete the short documentary about the process. You can pledge your support at their fundraising page here. Meanwhile, a short extract (which does not, incidentally, feature my remix) can be viewed below.

and here's my remix …

mmm, go back to the chorus // break this shit up

Back home now.

Writing, writing, writing.

Found this rather charming video of some people dancing to my song 'Details, Details' in the audience of the gig I played at the Caboose Cafe in Ramsgate last weekend.