The Black Serpent Choir

from a photo by Mei Lewis

I met Akira the Don in 1995 and ever since then we have talked about making a record together. Somewhere between writing and recording the 2005 Singles Club and making ‘Distractions’, I recorded these bits of music with this in mind. They’re not perfect and I would do much of it different now but I think it works as a collection and historical document. That’s right, I used the phrase ‘historical document’ within the context of my own self. I am a twat. Anyway, we still haven’t got around to making a record together and the songs here were filed in a dusty corner of my computer’s hard drive until the beginning of 1996.

One night in early 2006 Mary had gone off to work and I was wondering what to do with myself when I had the notion of inventing a band on myspace. I called myself The Black Serpent Choir, uploaded a few tracks and sent invites off to all my mates. About three people guessed it was me straight away buy I denied it of course. Adam Walton and Bethan Elfyn played the tracks on their respective radio shows and I think I even did a BSC Mix for Adam’s show? I was offered a gig at the Buffalo Bar in Cardiff which I accepted thinking it would be a good way to prolong my anonymity if I were to somehow persuade a couple of people to do the gig for me.

I asked two friends, John and Richard, If they fancied dressing up as monks and learning to play a laptop set. Being consummate artists (show offs) they of course agreed and we spent a week rehearsing. I bought a couple of ace latex old men masks and I really thought I was going to get away from it. The week before the gig they did a couple of interviews and had their photo taken, hilarious. I was more nervous during their soundcheck than I’ve ever been for one of mine (I wasn’t even there) and sure enough when we met back at the house we had a problem synching up the laptops. After a while I thought I had solved the problem and they left for the gig and I went to the pub. I intended to be late so that everyone could see me arrive. By this time most people were convinced that I was The Black Serpent Choir, that I was underneath one of the masks on stage and I thought it would be funny to show up while the band were on stage. But stage time came and went and I received a text whilst in the pub opposite from Richard telling me that the two laptops wouldn’t synch. Ah nuts.

So I had to go in and edge up to the stage (hidden away from the main seating area so not many people saw me up there) and try to sort it out. We decided just to wing it in the end, they would just have to keep time with one another. In the end I don’t think anybody cared that much although I thought the gig was brilliant and it was the nearest I’ll ever get to seeing myself live. After that I forgot about the Black Serpent Choir again until I decided to keep my electronic and my song shit separate, at least for the time being. The next Black Serpent Choir album will blow this one away but that’s for next year, until that glorious day there is this. Press Play.

Wake up, be bright, be golden and light.

At some point in the past I wasn’t actually sure that this would ever come out but here it is, yo. I could write something moving about the relationship between the artist and his/her audience, the symbiotic line we each have one end of etc But really this is

YOU - ‘We like music’
Me - ‘I’ve made a music you might like, would you like to buy one?
You - Hmm, I dunno, what if it’s crap..?

It’s not crap. It’s me doing what it is that I do nowadays but maybe not next time and after that who can really say?

I should never have given records away, I should be proud of what I do. Besides, baby needs records, I mean, clothes.

Much more to come this year. The soundtrack to this fine Monday is ‘Brand New Day’ by The Staple Singers

THANK YOU! x

Deep, High, Ocean Wide

So the album is out next Monday. It’s all happening so fast and I can’t keep up. There have been some ace reviews, notably in Mojo and Pitchfork and a bit of radio play. Weird for a bunch of songs that have been on on Myspace for well over a year (I’ve taken them down now but they’ll be up again soon) but it feels good to know that people are hearing what I’m doing, it’s been a while since I felt that, ace.

So, if you register at my shop (nothing there yet but have a look anyway, go frolic in the orangicity of it all) you win yourself a Sonny Boy Sampler, ‘Deep, High, Ocean Wide’ which is the title of a song I wrote that is lost forever to the winds and the shadows that gather where once memory basked etc Anyway it features the custard of the Sonny Boy stable. Martin Carr, The Black Serpent Choir and mr bravecaptain himself who may not be making any more records for the foreseeable but who has kindly donated his back catalogue for us to enjoy all over again.

I know that you know that all these bands are just me but this is only the beginning…

Ok, stay on this frequency….

Flow Machines Remix

Flow Machines have a FREE remix ep available from their site featuring remixes by Akira The Don, Cian SFA, Mark West (ex Fanfarlo), Three Men in A Dub and Me, yours truly, mememememe.

It’s ace actually. GO GET IT!

WE ARE STARLIGHT EP