SubVersion presents: Roger Eno & special guests - TBA

Half hour down the road. This could be a goer

Excellent news Wilshy. I saw you play at Technicality in November last year and it was a great performance all round.

Tickets Oxford, the agency I have previously sold passes through, will have my forms in their office by Wednesday next week. But if you want to snap up a ticket at £10 discount price and have Paypal, contacting mbucki07 at hotmail dot co dot uk is the way to go.

As an attendee of Max Richter’s “Infra” concert at Cadogan Hall last night, it validates to me that the ticket costs - £19.50 each – matched the grandeur of string sweeps in Richter’s string quintet. Nonetheless, value for money can be crucial to a decent reception - £10 or £12 in advance being a steal here, and no less expansive – with the palette of influences brought to the table by each act.

[denaris]

Half hour down the road. This could be a goer

Excellent news Wilshy. I saw you play at Technicality in November last year and it was a great performance all round.

Tickets Oxford, the agency I have previously sold passes through, will have my forms in their office by Wednesday next week. But if you want to snap up a ticket at £10 discount price and have Paypal, contacting mbucki07 at hotmail dot co dot uk is the way to go.

Thanks mate, appreciate the comment Someone pointed me out to you, but you were sat down eye closed and I'd assume enjoying the music. So didn't feel it appropriate to disturb

Will look into tickets soon. Cheers.

[subvert]

Half hour down the road. This could be a goer

Where are you living now?

[denaris]

Same place as always mate, Aylesbury.

[denaris]

Max Richter’s “Infra” concert at Cadogan Hall last night,

Really nice venue Cadogan Hall. In fact saw this advertised in their mailout last week.

Thanks mate, appreciate the comment Someone pointed me out to you, but you were sat down eye closed and I'd assume enjoying the music. So didn't feel it appropriate to disturb

Meditation crew inside!

I was pretty anxious due to a health disposition so had to withdraw for a bit. But I was up dancing when you dropped "Love Her (Version)"

Will look into tickets soon. Cheers.

Nice one The email given a few posts up is the one I use for Paypal, so if you know you or friends can make it, that notice should save time; and the more the merrier.

Really nice venue Cadogan Hall. In fact saw this advertised in their mailout last week.

The show was splendid. To compare, the Holywell is like a downsized Cadogan Hall - 200 seats, with no balconies - but no restricted views anywhere. Both are lovely places to spend an evening.

Mystery guest two revealed!

J Linton



Resident in Japan and guesting at the huge Yokohama passenger terminal, Linton woos audiences with an esoteric amalgam of piano, synth and tasteful vocal insertions.

Discover Jan’s Buddha Machine 1.3 and 1.5 remixes in "Embrace" and "Ship’s Close To Port", Muttley’s 48th and 40th 15 MOF mixtapes:

http://subvertcentral.blogspot.com/2010/...brace.html

http://subvertcentral.blogspot.com/2010/...close.html

Make object his contributions to Brian Eno’s session guitarist, Leo Abrahams:

http://www.emusic.com/album/Leo-Abrahams...70160.html

The wikipedia overview of Linton’s illustrious yet underexposed career:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Linton

intend to mingle in for auditive bliss

intend to mingle in for auditive bliss

You're coming?

Linton is currently "putting the finishing touches to the longest and most ambitious Buddha Machine remix yet, including live performances using classicial Chinese instruments". It will be premiered on the night, and preceded by a double CD's worth of material to be released in the UK by 2011.

intend to mingle in for auditive bliss

You're coming?

intend to mingle in for auditive bliss

You're coming?

Mystery guests three and four revealed!

droid & Zvuku



Organiser of the legendary weareie.com Blogariddims series, and runner of Ireland's The Fear label, which has received album of the week accolades from Warpmart and boomkat, droid, next to releasing dub, electronica and jungle, is a collagist of ambient with Zvuku, who has a track forthcoming on subscription based imprint Rural Colours, and will be joining him to punctuate entry and intervals with live multi-effected mash-ups and especially composed works.

Win interest in their Episode 4 Subvert Central podcast:

http://www.subvertcentral.com/podcast

Identify with The Fear's praise in online and hard copy print:

http://boomkat.com/cds/87442-naphta-long-time-burning

http://www.thewire.co.uk

Become knowledgeable of various styles through the weareie index:

http://www.weareie.com

Tickets are now on sale for a bargain £12 at Tickets Oxford:

http://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/ticketsox...vent=11820

But remember: it's even cheaper if you buy direct and have Paypal. If you do, I'm selling them at £10. Contact or payments should be sent to mbucki07@hotmail dot co dot uk. When liaisons are final, tickets will be posted as soon as they're printed.

Discogs speak very favourably of Roger in their archive description...

"Roger Eno is known primarily as an "ambient" composer through his collaborations with brother Brian Eno and producers Michael Brook and Daniel Lanois, but his depth as a musician defies categorization. A multi-instrumentalist, Eno has composed many memorable scores for film and TV including "Dune", "Nine And A Half Weeks" and "Warm Summer Rain". His love of classical piano is evident in his many critically acclaimed solo works which feature his unique ambient chamber music style. His piano also figured prominently in the group Channel Light Vessel, an ambient super-group featuring Kate St. John, Bill Nelson and Laraaji. In addition to those projects, Roger Eno has worked with an illustrious assortment of musicians including Michael Brook, John Cale and Lol Hammond."

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Roger+Eno

My choice LP of Roger's is "Swimming" from 1996. I discovered a fine review of it yesterday on CD Universe:

Roger Eno - Swimming

Roger Eno's Swimming is a rather drastic departure from his more classically oriented and purposely ambient work. Rather, it is a series of 14 songs, eight of which are vocal, and three of which are his versions of traditional tunes. The overtone of the entire proceeding is quiet, graced with a simple elegance illustrated with acoustic and electric guitars, basses, pianos, keyboards, vibes, other delicate percussion and subdued synthesizers emulating a skeletal string section.

What is striking -- in its own gentle way -- is his voice; it's unaffected, dignified, and allows lyrics to speak to sometimes deeply emotional subject matter -- without saccharine embellishing. It's very British, and yet hints toward the northwestern European song tradition of the 19th century as well. The album begins on an uptempo note with the "The Paddington Frisk." It's a strange opening bookend; composed by Eno yet related to the traditional "The Parting Glass," which ends the disc. The latter is an example of a lyric supposedly written as the last sentiment of a man before he is hung. Whether it was or not is open to speculation, and this practice -- the selling of these kinds of broadsides at executions -- was common. Eno's opening concertina and percussion ditty is a dance piece supposedly written for the entertainment of those who witnessed the "Paddington Frisk" itself -- the involuntary dance of the victim's legs after the bottom dropped out of the scaffold. Macabre, perhaps, but it's utterly delightful as music. It's the kind of tune one can hear Richard Thompson playing, yet it's out of character for the rest of the disc.

The very next tune, "The Whole Wide World," is far more indicative. With it's fingerpicked electric guitars, spare bass lines, and a concertina, it all shimmers together, slowly and serenely. It's the most dignified kind of love song, a lullaby that is memorable for how moving and unpretentious it is. There are two songs here, "Amukidi," and "Hewendeway," sung in invented a cappella island "folk" languages and perhaps backmasked tape assemblages, but one cannot be quite sure. "The Slow River" is utterly pastoral, unhurried, sounding like the slow movement of water itself. The title track is led by Eno's gorgeous piano work and almost whispered vocals, hovering there as if by afterthought, sung only for himself. "Over the Hills" was written by John Gay in 1728 as part of his Beggar's Opera and sounds right at home here, as does "The Boatman," another uncredited traditional song. They appear back to back, transporting the listener to some other time and space.

The other two love songs, "Where the Road Leads to Nowhere," and "How You Shone," offer glimpses of a timeless romanticism, envisioned by Lord Benjamin Britten or even Vaughan Williams if they had written adult pop songs. Swimming is a watermark for Eno. It points not only to his considerable ability and diversity as a composer, but to the depth of his heart and how well he listens to his muse.

Here's excerpts from another great piece on Roger and Harold Budd, written for the Boston Phoenix:

Roger Eno and Harold Budd are two of the most interesting composers of the ambient scene. After a long silence (perhaps a technique borrowed from one of their soundscapes), they've just re-emerged with new recordings ("Swimming" and "Luxa").

Brian Eno's brother Roger has often worked in the shadow of his brother, but hails from just as eclectic a background as Budd. He originally started as a more ambient composer, on Apollo (EG, 1983, collaborating with Brian and Daniel Lanois), and on his first solo album, Voices (Opal/EG, 1985), which showcased dreamy, Satie-influenced pianoscapes. Eno later became involved with former Dream Academy vocalist Kate St. John, and they formed the quirky pop ensemble Chennel Light Vessel with Bill Nelson and Laraaji.

"Swimming" offers a more traditional slant, featuring folk songs of pastoral grace. Eno's soothing vocals and delicate acoustic guitar work still recall the tranquil atmospheres of his early material. You can hear it in the instrumental "In Water," in which fragile acoustic and electric guitar mingle amid a gentle, light keyboard cascade, and in the title track, with its gentle, melancholic piano melody slightly intruded upon by an oddly placed harmonica. Eno offers other instrumentation, such as Japanese koto, as well as lush multi-tracked a cappella vocal tunes like "Amukidi" and "Hewendaway."

You could call Swimming ambient folk, with its wisps of synthesizers often drifting in the background.

Mystery guests three and four revealed!

droid & Zvuku



Organiser of the legendary weareie.com Blogariddims series, and runner of Ireland's The Fear label, which has received album of the week accolades from Warpmart and boomkat, droid, next to releasing dub, electronica and jungle, is a collagist of ambient with Zvuku, who has a track forthcoming on subscription based imprint Rural Colours, and will be joining him to punctuate entry and intervals with live multi-effected mash-ups and especially composed works.

Win interest in their Episode 4 Subvert Central podcast:

http://www.subvertcentral.com/podcast

Identify with The Fear's praise in online and hard copy print:

http://boomkat.com/cds/87442-naphta-long-time-burning

http://www.thewire.co.uk

Become knowledgeable of various styles through the weareie index:

http://www.weareie.com

What got me to fall in love with Rameses III's music was "Night Of The Ankou", a collaboration with The North Sea. Boomkat, as ever hit the nail on the head:

The North Sea & Rameses III - Night Of The Ankou (Type)

Originally posted by boomkat

The aural equivalent of gazing across a stormy midnight ocean, the newest release on Type comes from The North Sea & Rameses III - with 'Night Of The Ankou' a long-distance collaboration that provokes unflinching comparisons with Slowdive, Deaf Center and all manner of soft-footed troubadours. Utterly vast in a manner that shows no embarrassment with the more epic end of prog, 'Night Of The Ankou' opens through the wheezing tones of 'Death Of The Ankou', wherein London's Rameses III and The North Sea (aka Digitalis boss Brad Rose) build an ambient masterpiece from an encroaching batch of elements that are simultaneously calming yet utterly beguiling. Recalling the work of Poppl Vuh and Stars of the Lid, 'Death...' lulls the spirit through Eastern elements that are hypnotic without ever losing their focus - sucking your attention in deep, then keeping it there through just the right amount of instrumental bliss. Like having your emotions moulded around a sweetly satisfying core, the next piece is just as arresting - with 'Night Blossoms Written In Sanskrit' changing its focus marginally, ushering in shoe-gaze comparisons through triumphant arrangements and blissful soundscapes. Despite both clocking in at nearly twenty-minutes each, neither stay a second past their welcome - coaxing filaments of rimy instrumental nourishment from the fibrous elements on show. If that weren't enough, Type boss Xela has also turned up for a friable remix, contributing 'Return Of The Ankou' and in doing so topping off an already affecting record with a batch of oven-fresh drones and couched harp. Psychedelic, epic and genuinely warming, 'Night Of The Ankou' is a gem that won't need polishing.

Listen and buy for just £3

The Wire's Tom Ridge has a lot of good things to say:

Rameses III - Honey Rose (Important)

Originally posted by Tom Ridge

As the soundtrack to a film, Suityman, this short collection of six instrumentals from Londoners Rameses III works independently on its own terms. But it also demonstrates a thematic consistency woven into its warm, Ambient lyricism, which gives it a powerful narrative impulse. Much of this music consists of softened tonalities and dappled guitar shades but its languor conceals a purposeful progression, which emerges as the music's individual themes slowly knit together into an identifiable, if mutable, whole. As an instrumental cycle it sounds fully realised, its brevity contributing to its dreamlike vividness.

Rameses III - Basicila (Important)

Originally posted by Tom Ridge

This collection of live recordings from London trio Rameses III attempts to both manipulate and document the group's live sound. So the first part of this divergent two disc set consists of a series of remixes of four live tracks by Robert Horton, Keith Berry, Greg Kowalsky and Neil Campbell (aka Astral Social Club). The Horton track is a remix of a remix, with Rameses III adding to Horton's own interpretation of a track originally performed at London's Red Rose club. What each of these versions does is reshape the group's sound, shifting the emphasis away from its more sedate elements and focusing instead on amorphous, freestyle drones - the most extreme being Campbell's taut, buzzing "Tiger In The Snake Pit".

The result is an impressive but rather daunting succession of abstract pieces, moving from the mesmerising shimmer of "After The Red Rose", through the murky, Ambient fog of "Basilica" and the piercing tonalities of "Rose Blood" to the aforementioned shimmering tension of Campbell's remix. The companion disc of straight live recordings, entitled Origins I-V, is an altogether smoother ride, even grandiose at times, with glacial, slo-mo guitar melodies to the fore and gentle, elegaic waterfalls of sound washing over the tidal ebb and flow of pulsating keyboards. If, in contrast to the remixes, it casts Rameses III as a less adventurous proposition, there's still enough here to justify the inclusion of these unadorned tracks, particularly the distorted, reverb organ and penetrating bass sonorities of "Origins IV".

Zvuku's Rural Colours debut has been introduced to the public this month, and sold out almost instantly. Interesting review excerpts from three sources:

RC013 - Zvuku - Half Full

Originally posted by Whatever Takes Your Fancy

I feel very lucky, for many reasons, to be reviewing this extremely beautiful and elegantly presented subscription pack by Rural Colours. Subscription pack 4, released this October in a run of 48 hand crafted packages contains three glistening pieces of music created for the discerning ear and presented with a whole lot of care. Visually the package is of high standard, the three 3″cdrs are housed in their own artwork cases which are protected by plastic slip envelopes, these are found within a hand stitched fabric case and fit snug inside. In addition to the three cdr’s is a small Rural Colours Sticker and an accompanying photograph with release details on the reverse stating the artists, EP titles and the numbered, personally addressed note.

From a package this visually appealing you would expect nothing less from the sounds contained within.

Closing subscription pack 4 is Zvuku’s Half Full, an almost 20 minute stretch of ambient classical music swelling on dense piano chords, sweeping strings and enveloping textures. While the build takes some time it is worth it right to the very end, when deep bass notes intertwine with the preceding themes creating a pleasurable close to this stellar release. Rural Colours subscription pack 4, released in a limited run of 48 could not be more special, and one can only look forward to in the coming months.

Zvuku’s “Half Full” is a dark soundtrack-esque classical piece combing layered strings and piano melodies. It maintains a similar pace and texture throughout its near 20 minute duration, creating a tense feeling of unease and dread. The best parts of this piece are when the piano melodies are allowed to float towards the front of the sonic pool of strings.

The track opens with a minute or so of noisy ambience before beginning to build and adding a deceptively simple keyboard riff. An exercise in minimalism, this riff repeats and rarely strays from the main melody but never outstays its welcome. By mid point, the track has a slow but powerful momentum before Half Full ends with synthesisers and drones slowly looping and fading away.

In these three works, Rural Colours have once again created a subscription pack with genuine value. Each release is lovingly packaged and essential in its own right and will provide the listener with much enjoyment, whether by download or as a physical copy.

The briefer demo version:

http://soundcloud.com/zvuku/half-full-demo-21june10

Tickets were starting to sell, then I got some bad news. Roger Eno is touring with Marianne Faithfull's band in Hong Kong starting 7th March 2011, and financially he has no choice but to at best get the gig rearranged for either February, April or later on. This isn't a major problem, as the Holywell haven't invoiced me yet, and it's only Tickets Oxford and the print service I use that have taken any money from me. Obviously I'm saddened, but it's better this happened well in advance, so people have a chance of checking their schedules. I don't intend to replace any of the line-up as they are what I wanted from the beginning.

I'll see what dates the Holywell have free for the surrounding months and make a widespread public announcement in due course. The promotion threads won't be deleted, as from my knowledge the concert is still on, just at a different time. I'll keep everyone updated anyhow.

[Statto]

yaaaaarrrghh

You're telling me, but it can't be helped. I'll be editing every entry tonight before IChiOne tomorrow. One ticket buyer has been a fan of the Enos for over 35 years and is used to disappointment with live show non-appearances. Nevertheless he's told me to keep his money as he has faith it'll work out. Tickets Oxford have taken the event offline.

Lucky I didn't send your ticket out!