Anworth Kirk 2

Something wicked this way comes. Another unsolicited, dark and spectral missive drops through the Sound Awareness letterbox in the form of a new Anworth Kirk release.  Packaged in a rat chewed, hand pasted sleeve, this release is a much more caliginous and sage affair than its sister record. Like all good records, musically, it is difficult to pin down, part spirit rapping improv, part dim and eerie soundtrack, intense folk musique elides into Victorian grand parlour room Giallo schlock then dissipates in sound weaving patterns of lecture hall mesmerism. This is music of the ether, dark, nebulous and with many voices. Digital layering creates a seamless and complex atemporality, the folkloric becomes entwined with the technological present creating an utterly compelling and spellbinding new form of avant garde shadow electronica. This is a record to seek out and communicate with.

Anworth Kirk

Strange things have been coming through my letterbox of late.  This morning, I received a whole batch of mail related to the blog, a recording of sub aquatic exotica by Dolphins Into The Future, a book on rubber fetish wear and a collection of films made by the artist John Latham.  Also amongst the mail, was an anonymous parcel with scant information as to the identity of the sender.  Slightly anxious that I was being stalked, I set about finding out who had sent it.  It took a while, but eventually, after a little research, I twigged who was responsible. This particular package contained a record, and a very interesting one at that.  At times, the recording sounds like a soundtrack, albeit of the vaguely oddball and twisted kind.  It's a strange mixture of spectral electronics and cunning folk musique concrete.  The disc is immersed in an ill distempered paganism with shimmering moments of intense haunting fragility. The record graphics impart very little information apart from a photograph of Anworth Kirk (a location used in the The Wicker Man film) and a page of a book (which I think relates to the Pendle witchcraft trial of 1612) which was glued onto the back of the hand stitched cover.  I found the music contained spellbinding and for those who enjoyed the recent Broadcast and Focus Group collaboration, they will find much to love about this record. As to when it's actually released, I'll keep you posted.

Hurlers Stone Circles

These stones were located on Bodmin Moor, around 4 miles north of the town of Liskeard.  It took us a while to find them but the walk across the moor and the sound of the wind made it all worthwhile.