Linus: Linus + Skarbø/Leroux

Linus is the duo:
Ruben Machtelinckx - banjo, guitar, acoustic baritone guitar
Thomas Jillings - tenor & C-melody saxophone, alto clarinet, synthesizers

On their album "Linus + Skarbø/Leroux" (el NEGOCITO Records 2015) they are joined by:
Frederik Leroux - banjo, guitar, baritone guitar
Øyvind Skarbø - drums, hammond organ

This is a highly enjoyable album, varied and interesting all the way. Some americana-jazz (sorry, but listen to "Down"), with a touch of noise ("Vlaag") and some spooky soundscapes too ("Vraag).

Have a listen, and buy download, CD or vinyl on Bandcamp.

Artaud Beats

The first studio recording album CD by The Artaud Beats, "Logos", is out 5 June 2015.
Including brand new mix by Bob Drack of E=mc2 (original mix over).

The Artaud Beats is Geoff Leigh, Yumi Hara, Chris Cutler and John Greaves.

You may buy a copy right here.

Shiny Men

I don´t believe I have ever held this record in my hands before, but thanks to eBay I got it a couple of days ago.

Shiny Men: "Again!" (Experimental 1981).

- Robert Wyatt - singing, "scat gurgling" on the track "Dream Pussy"
- Chris Lavelle - vocal, guitar
- Chris O'Neill - keyboards
- Jerry Soffe - bass
- Frank Hockney - drums, percussion

Jim Stuttart plays clarinet on "Dream Pussy".

Cover art: Mick Clack.

The Wyatt-track is on no sampler or any other versions of this release, is it?

Never heard it before? Listen on YouTube.

And it´s still for sale on eBay, but one seller wants 400 GBPs for it. I got it for around 20 GBPs (postage included).

There's a Turtle in my Soup

Duke Special performs Ivor Cutler's "There's a Turtle in my Soup" (Islington Assembly Hall, London 13 May 2015).

The song was originally released on Ivor Cutler´s "Get Away From The Wall" EP (Decca 1961).
I have it on "An Elpee And Two Epees" (Decca 2005).

Maja S.K.Ratkje at Ring Ring Festival 2015

Maja S.K. Ratkje – “In Dialogue with Eugeniusz Rudnik” at Ring Ring Festival (Belgrade) 20 May 2015.

Needle and thread

Going offline for a week or so, but before I go - here is how we repair our houses in Bergen.

At least according to street artist Vest.

Tagubu

I found this one via Hibou, Anemone & Bear: Tagubu covers "Little Red Riding Hood" from an album/collection called "Miss Elianus" (Bandcamp 2014).

"A cover of a song by Robert Wyatt: I wanted to make a "flat" version: the original is so powerful...".

Aurora Aksnes

A shout-out to young Bergen singer Aurora Aksnes! The next big Nordic indie/pop voice?

First "Runaway" from her first EP "Running with the wolves" (Petroleum Records 2015) and then a cover of "Nature Boy".

Finland

The band Finland´s first album "Rainy Omen" will be released by Hubro in June 2015.

Finland is guitarist Ivar Grydeland (Huntsville), drummer Pål Hausken (In the Country, Ida Jenshus), keyboard player Morten Qvenild (In the Country, sPaceMonkey, Susanna & the Magical Orchestra), and the bass player Jo Berger Myhre (Splashgirl, Nils Petter Molvær, Mariam the Believer).

Have a listen to "No low voices", I bet it does not sound like what you would expect from this gang. Or?

Renaud Monfourny

An exhibition of Renaud Monfourny´s photos is happening at Le Café De La Dance (Paris) 22 April - 22 June 2015.

Great Robert Wyatt portrait, as seen on the cover of the "Different every time" compilations.

Renaud Monfourny´s web site here.

The Official Robert Wyatt Fan Club Song

How about a young orchestra doing a sweet version of The Official Robert Wyatt Fan Club Song?

It comes as an encore (or final number) after CIM Bar le Duc (CIM being Centre d’Initiation Musicale) have played Pink Floyd´s Atom Heart Mother.

Listen here on YouTube.

Karen Mantler and company´s original right over here.

Some Robert Wyatt EPs

Now that you have read the 2014 Robert Wyatt biography and bought the great samplers on Domino, it might be a fine time to start getting some slabs of old vinyl too?

I have had a 12" EP day today, and did a quick check on eBay for the items. It should be possible to get most of these for a reasonable price if you don´t start outbidding one another.

- The Peel Sessions (Strange Fruit 1987)
- The Last Nightinggale (Wyatt on two tracks) (Recommended Rec 1984)
- 4 Track Ep (Virgin 1975)
- Work in Progress (Rough Trade 1984)
- 1982 - 1984 (Rough Trade 1984)
- Robert Wyatt (Base Records 1981)

The three last ones with cover by Alfreda Benge.
The Last Nightingale cover: Ralph Steadman.

Title links get you to track lists and other info.

Lana Trio

Lana Trio is:
Andreas Wildhagen - drums
Henrik Munkeby Nørstebø - trombone
Kjetil Jerve - piano

Here is a video from Jazzspot Candy, Chiba (Japan) 04.11.14.

"Live in Japan" album over at Va Fongool.

Crab is Crap feat. Ståle Storløkken

Check out "Miradouro" (viewpoint in Portuguese), the new digital album from Crab is Crap feat. Ståle Storløkken (PlayDate Records 2015).

Crab is Crap is the two Bergen drummers Øyvind Skarbø and Øyvind Hegg-Lunde, and they have played live with Ståle Storløkken several times (Nattjazz and Finsejazz festivals in Norway).

The music on this album is a mix of both studio recordings and live recordings from Nattjazz 2014.

"Trying to avoid the pitfalls of the standard meet-greet-and-play way of doing improvised music, we have tried hard to give you an album that actually sounds nice on repeated listening. We've chosen parts that has the melodic, rhythmic, emotional and collaborative content you'd expect from composed material. It is all improvised, and the energy is clearly different from pre-planned music, but we strive to not use that as an excuse to do whatever. We hope you appreciate our effort."
Thanks, I do.

Mixing: Randall Dunn.

Mette Rasmussen & Chris Corsano

Mette Rasmussen and Chris Corsano at Mir (Oslo) May 5th, 2015 and at Brötz (Gothenburg) May 6th 2015.

New album "All the Ghosts..." coming up 19th May 2015 on Relative Pitch Records.

The Canterbury Scene In Prog Magazine

Prog magazine (Issue 55 April 2015) is focusing on the Canterbury Scene.

What you get is:

- "The Sound Of The Underground" - A canterbury guide by Sid Smith.
- "A Life Less Ordinary" - A piece on Robert Wyatt by Rob Hughes.
- "Second Bundle" - The new canterburians by JK.
- A tribute to Daevid Allen written by Sid Smith, with interviews with Steve Hillage and Mike Howlett, and Robert Wyatt´s last e-mail to Daevid.

The Daevid Allen tribute is a fold-out with a poster of the cover of Gong´s "Camembert Electrique" on the back.

There are also pieces on Camel (only almost Canterbury??) and the record label Deram (and a huge amount of more prog of course).

And please note:

Aymeric Leroy (visit Calyx) will publish the first volume of his Canterbury history "Legends In Their Own Lunchtime" later this year.

Wyatt and Barrett Stencils

We already posted some street art images of Robert Wyatt by Argentinian artist M, and here are some new ones recently added to Flickr.

And for company: Syd Barrett!

The Unthanks - Magpie

The Unthanks perform "Magpie" from their new album "Mount the Air" on Later… with Jools Holland, BBC Two (5 May 2015).

Ah! Beautiful!

Tusmørke vs Spectral Haze

Here is another blog post in the on going series on record covers made by Norwegian artist Thore Hansen.

This month Duplicate Records is releasing Tusmørke vs Spectral Haze: "Elektriske Skrekkøgler og Forhistoriske Framtidsfabler" (Google Translate: "Electric Horror Lizards and Prehistoric Future Fables").
Duplicate says: "An exclusive collaboration between two sonically contrasting yet equally mind expanding Norwegian acts on Duplicate.
Occult prog minstrels TUSMØRKE and space travelling shamans SPECTRAL HAZE gather in a 41 minute ritual.
Available as a fabulous gatefold LP adorned with specially commissioned artwork by legendary Norwegian artist Thore Hansen!"

The list of Thore Hansen record covers so far:

Sverre Anker Ousdal M/ Venner & Kjente - "Godnattsang For Jørgen Moes Vei Nr. 13"/ "Ruffens sang" (EMI/Odeon 1973)
Trygve Madsen/ Tor Åge Bringsværd: "Det blå folket" (EMI 1975)
Per Husby Septett: «Peacemaker» (1976)Various artists: Jeg har mitt hjerte i Oslo" (Talent 1979)
Frøydis Ree Wekre og Jens Harald Bratlie: "Contemporary music for horn and piano" (Varèse International (?) 1981).
Frode Thingnæs´ Quintet: "Samba karneval/Karneval i by'n" (7" 1983)
Frøydis Ree Wekre et al: "Songs of the Wolf" (Crystal 1996)
Various Artists: "Maiden Voyage" (Melodisc 2002)
Kiruna : "Irun" (Melodisc 2003)
Various Artists: "Aerien Voyage" (Melodisc 2004)
Various Artists: "Stellar Voyage"(Melodisc 2005).
Trygve Madsen: "Sketches from Norway" (Pro Musica 2005).
Various Artists: «Drunk In A Ditch - Tales From Rock Limbo 1969-1980» (Rhino/Warner) (2006).
Motorpsyho and Ståle Storløkken: "The Death Defying Unicorn" (Rune 2012) (på tekstheftet).
El Cuero: "Victors Justice" (EMI 2013).
Spectral Haze: "Elektriske Skrekkøgler og Forhistoriske Framtidsfabler" (Duplicate Records 2015).

Charles Gayle, Henry Grimes & William Parker

How about this trio?!

Charles Gayle (tenor saxophone), Henry Grimes (bass and violin) & William Parker (bass) -
Arts For Art, NYC - May 1 2015.

Visit Don Mount on youTube for more great videos.

Soft Machine: Spaced

Now here is an album you might not have heard, even if you are interested in Robert Wyatt and Soft Machine: Soft Machine - "Spaced" (Cuneiform 1996).

Cuneiform made me listen to this one again (it´s been a while I must admit), since they posted one of the tracks on Soundcloud. And it sounds pretty cool!

This version of Soft Machine is Robert Wyatt, Hugh Hopper and Mike Ratledge, and the music were (according to the CD liner notes) made to make "suitably deranged and doomy sounds" for Peter Dockley´s multimedia show at the Roundhouse in 1969.
The version on the CD has been "fairly radically edited".

"Spaced" is available (or is it downloadable?) over at Cuneiform´s Bandcamp and on iTunes.

Heidi Goodbye

Have a listen to "Run" by Heidi Goodbye (born Heidi Torsvik), and check out her eponymous album from 2013 (Goodbye Records). The record is on iTunes and Spotify and all those modern places.

Yes yes, I know I´m late with this one, but I recently realized how fine it was. Mostly self penned songs, a great voice and not too fancy guitar playing, all recorded in a couple of hours by Jørgen Træen in 2011. And she does a fine cover of Patsy Cline´s "I fall to pieces too".

You might recognize her voice from The Rune Grammofon band The Last Hurrah!!

Camembert Electrique

A re-issue of Gong´s "Camembert Electrique" (BYG 1971) is out again, remastered and restored from original BYG 1/4" master tapes.

More info on Planet Gong, and please note this: "The only way the musicians or their families will any benefit from the sale of this release in any way is if you buy it here. They will receive no royalties on sales or on publishing".

See list of different versions over at Discogs. My photos are from my Virgin 1974 issue.

Personnel (copied from Planet Gong):

Bert Camembert (daevid allen) {Guitars, Vocals}
Bloomdido Bad De Grass (Didier Malherbe) {Saxophones, Flute}
Pip Pyle {Drums}
Shakti Yoni (Gilli Smyth) {Vocals, Space Whisper}
Submarine Captain (Christian Tritsch) {Bass, Lead Guitar on 'Tried so Hard'}
Venux Du Luxe (Francis Lindon) {Switch Doctor and Mix Master}

And the smallest guy on the back cover is Robert Wyatt´s son Sam.