Hello you. It’s an exciting week here at Fog Towers for a number of reasons. Partly because the latest episode of Fog Cast on Resonance FM is the first to feature exclusively brand new content from albums that are either newly released or imminently arriving, and a jolly fine lot they are too. Who says there’s no new music in 2020?
Correlations – Ixmacane / Och-Kan / Ixazaluoh [from Mayan Gods, Castles In Space, 2020]
Nad Spiro – Machinet / Espero / Foixarda [from forthcoming LP Pederes, 2020]
Li Yilei – Tracking a Smile of Familiarity / Sound Unbound / Flow Scale / Chirping Contemplation [from Unabled Form, LTR Records, 2020]
Cloud Diameter – Noise Floor / Sequence Of Blinking Instruments / Saturation Bell [from Cloud Diameter 2, Cloud Diameter, 2020]
Correlations – Ahau-Chamahez / Cit-Bolon-Tum [from Mayan Gods, Castles In Space, 2020]
I’m also delighted and proud to present the first of a series of videos from the Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project entitled Sounds From Home, in which we embark on an exciting journey into outer space and back in time – all without leaving the house! With so much of our outreach work postponed for the foreseeable future and with the vast majority of the population stuck in isolation, we thought it might be fun to set people the challenge of trying to unlock the sonic potential of their own homes – and all you need to join in are a few household items and a sense of adventure!
The inspiration from this video came from Creating Music In Class, a 1976 box set discovered in the archive of the Inner London Education Authority; containing several miniature spools of tape filled with strange sounds, a collection of graphic scores – and a certain John Baker listed as ‘Audio Editor / Producer’ in the credits, surely none other than the Radiophonic Workshop legend himself? Intrigued by such a forward-thinking approach – it’s easy to forget that this box set was originally aimed at children aged 10-13 – we’re how hoping to use it to inspire a new generation of music makers. For this video I’ve taken one of the graphic scores from the box entitled ‘The Space Journey’ and attempted to realise it using only items sourced from around my own home. Well, I ended up choosing only one item in the end, but it was so rich in sonic potential that little else was needed:
Of course this video is only intended as an introduction and the next stage is up to you, the audience. We’re really hoping that people will take this idea, run with it and then produce new works of their own – and as a chap with so many talented, musical friends I’m rather counting on you all help spread the word! Please share this video far and wide and help us carry the visionary spirit of Creating Music In Class forwards! Get your implements out! Get your kids involved! Follow this score or create one of your own. And when you’re finished, share them with the Unlocking Our Sound Heritage team, either by tagging us or using the hashtag #SaveOurSOunds. Let’s fill this lockdown with strange sonic adventures!
Finally, Howlround’s contribution to the recently launched Touch:Isolation dropped yesterday and is now available to all subscribers. I do so love using aeronautical terminology to describe the arrival of new music like this, don’t you? Really feels empowering. You’ll notice on this occasion I’ve used ‘dropped’ rather than the more conventional ‘landed’ because I wanted to make this event feel particularly seismic: ‘Insula Acid’ is one of Howlround’s heaviest works to date.
Described as ‘Quite Savage’ by non other than Ben Soundhog himself, its auditory audacity feels all the more remarkable when you consider that it was produced under lockdown, in two takes and without upsetting any neighbours or flatmates (well, none that I’m aware of, at least). So yeah, it dropped alright. Fell to Earth like a big sonic stone. If I was feeling really emphatic, I might talk of how the skies roared, the heavens opened and a shiny new digital file thundered into inboxes all over the planet. But that would be getting carried away. Regardless, for the bargain price of a mere £20 subscribers will receive this track and (at least) 19 others from a fantastic line-up including Unica Zürn, Yann Novak, Jana Winderen, Chris Watson – the list goes on. All proceeds will be split equally between the artists and as previously mentioned I’m donating the Howlround share to supporting imperilled London arts venue Iklectik. Subscribing is of course the only way to hear ‘Insula Acid’ in full, but there is a 30 second clip hidden in the middle of this project sampler. Have a listen and see if you can spot it:
Robin The Fog 