Café Kaput

Playing 'live' (or not, as the case may be).

2012-01-26T08:24:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months, I've had quite a few emails asking me to play live. I thought that I'd address this briefly on the blog and maybe add it to some kind of FAQ in the future.

The short answer is: I don't actually play live. I don't DJ, either. Why not? Well, it's just not my thing - I don't enjoy it. Plus I'd rather spend my time creating something new for everyone to hear, rather than reproducing stuff I've already done.

So, if you have contacted me about doing a live gig, thanks for thinking of asking me, I'm genuinely flattered. Hopefully this will go some way to explaining the situation, though.

- Jb.

The Belbury Tales cometh.

2012-01-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

The Belbury Tales is now available to pre-order.

Rev. Jim has created his finest Belbury Poly album yet. The Belbury Sound is all there, but in a newly expanded form, with guest musicians Jim Musgrave and Christopher Budd taking very good care of drums, bass and guitars on many of the tracks.

There are certain melodies, certain motifs, certain touches that only Rev. Jim could come up with. I'm sure you know what I mean, but I'm forever entertained by the playfulness and lightness of touch within his melodies and arrangements. The Belbury Tales refines and distills these elements and the result is an album with a very cohesive overall feel. It's an album to play from start to finish every time; to be enjoyed as a whole.

Julian's artwork is stunning and there's a lot of detail in the inner sleeve / CD booklet; one of the highlights being this mandolin / amp combo. I can almost smell the beer in The Bury Bell from here, as the band sets up for the evening.

There are clips available on SoundCloud - have a listen...

Belbury Poly - The Belbury Tales by Ghost Box

A man and his parish - Rev. Jim.

You know the drill by now - go directly to the Ghost Box Shop to pre-order!

- Jb.

808 O'Clock.

2012-01-21T05:29:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to share this little electro / R&B / whatever thing that I did and uploaded to my SoundCloud recently. I have to say I really like having a SoundCloud there for putting random bits and pieces up.

- Jb.

Cassie - Long Way To Go (Jon Brooks Remix) by cafekaput

Pye Corner Audio: All Pathways Open

2012-01-19T08:06:00.000-08:00

2012 is already shaping up to be a great year for new music. Sometimes I feel absolutely spoiled because there's just so much creativity happening out there, tons of stray talent floating about and ideas that become interesting releases seemingly from nowhere.

Pye Corner Audio's previous album was my favourite release of 2011. I'm echoing << Rev. Jim >> here, but Black Mill Tapes Volume 3 is even better than Volume 2. I'll keep it at that.

For those interested in such things, there is an Advisory Circle remix of 'Electronic Rhythm Number Eighteen' on board this album - eloquently described by the Head Technician as a 're-transfer'. With my usual general abandon and idiotic glee, I will say that I had immense fun doing this remix.

Black Mill Tapes Volume 3: All Pathways Open is out on Monday 23rd January.

<< You won't want to miss out on this one. >>

- Jb.

F.C. Judd - Electronics Without Tears.

2012-01-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

This is a great record to start the journey into 2012. Alex from Public Information kindly sent over a promo copy of Electronics Without Tears - a collection of experimental electronic recordings by Fred Judd. I have long been an admirer of Fred's work; the Studio G library album Electronic Age (to which Fred contributed many tracks) is in my top 10 library albums.

Electronics Without Tears collects some material from Electronic Age but goes much further into his private archive. The result is a lovingly compiled hour of some of the finest early electronic music you will hear anywhere. For more information, have a look at the F.C. Judd website:

http://www.fcjudd.co.uk/

The album is released on Monday 16th. Anyone interested in historical electronic music should check this one out. I'm especially pleased that a collection of his inspiring work is at last being released to the public.

- Jb.

See you in January. Bye for now.

2011-12-16T03:04:00.000-08:00

The Advisory Circle present - 'Cold Wintersong' by Cafekaput on Mixcloud

It's time to put the chairs on the tables and declare the Café closed for Yule. It's been a creative year and quite a lot of good work has been done, so I'm thankful. If you bought any of the Café Kaput releases, or Advisory Circle stuff, said anything good about them, wrote anything good about them, or recommended them to someone in some way... thanks very much.

So much good music has been made by so many artists this year - it's been a vintage one for sure. And labels - Ghost Box, TriAngle, Pye Corner Audio Transcription Services, Gecophonic, First Fold, Clay Pipe, the list goes on.

I wouldn't want to leave you all without a Winter mixtape, would I? Certainly not, as my friend The Head Technician would probably start his menacing, now-almost-legendary *slow clapping* routine. So... whilst Rev. Jim was outside, directing the vicarage gardeners on how to fleece trees for the cold season, I came up with a special formula to help you keep warm, keep well this winter. I hope you enjoy it.

See you all in 2012. Blessed Yule.

- Jb.

Clutch It Like A Gonk!

2011-12-09T04:57:00.000-08:00

... "That's the trouble, it's *always* a party". A new album from the Moon Wiring Club is always an occasion, always a party. This time, the standard CD album comes with a beautiful little 3" CD of miniature (beatless) versions of the album tracks. As if that wasn't enough, Ian Hodgson has taken it upon himself to produce a veritable smörgåsbord of badges, as seen in the photo here. I think the idea is that you get a randomly-selected badge sent with your package... but when I opened the door to the postman, I was presented with a coal sack, full of the buggers. :-/

Pay a visit to Clinkskell and order your Gonk today.

- Jb.

Modular Minitronics

2011-11-30T03:25:00.000-08:00

As much as I enjoy taking my time on a project and working with all the options open to us now with computer technology, there's also a lot to be said for spontaneity. Working on things quickly, just seeing what happens and... basically... just making a noise for the sake of it. So, I've been recording a collection of miniatures called 'Modular Minitronics'; a set of spontaneous, all-electronic four-track recordings.

I won't get too technical here, but because it's all done in a very old-school way, there are no computers or advanced editing or any of that stuff. There was a lot of bouncing down of tracks and basically 'playing over the top of other stuff' in a very primitive way. Limited, yes, rough, yes, primitive... refreshing, definitely.

Have a listen. If you know of anyone who might want to issue these on vinyl, let me know. ;)) Or I might expand the set and do a release on Cafe Kaput if the interest is there.

Hope you enjoy.

- Jb.

Modular Minitronics by cafekaput

Look what I sneaked from the satchel...

2011-11-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about helping run the Belbury vicarage is that I get to pinch little bits of merchandise out of the Curious Brown Leather Satchel ™ when Rev. Jim isn't looking. Sometimes I'm caught red-handed (and subsequently reprimanded). This time, I got lucky (Rev. Jim had nipped out for some cat food, so he was quite some time).

These badges are beautiful little things and I can reveal they will be coming soon to the << Ghost Box shop >> as a set *. The perfect item for the Ghost Box fan who has everything.

And no, I'm not putting them back - these are definitely mine.

* Academic scarf not included.

- Jb.

Study Series 07 release day!

2011-11-18T02:20:00.000-08:00

Exciting! It's officially release day for the Pye Corner Audio / Advisory Circle single. The vinyl is thick and positively chewy. I've still got the teeth marks on my copy to prove it. Hope you all enjoy. Venture forth to the << Ghost Box shop >> whilst stocks last!

- Jb.

New Advisory Circle Mixtape.

2011-10-27T11:34:00.001-07:00

The Advisory Circle present 'Autumn Cycles' by Cafekaput on Mixcloud

To celebrate the imminent release of the Pye Corner Audio / Advisory Circle single 'Autumnal Activities', here's a bumper harvest for your soundtrack. With added autumn love! Hope you all enjoy.

- Jb.

Advisory Circle shirts now available from Ghost Box.

2011-10-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

Exciting times. Ghost Box have produced some beautiful Advisory Circle t-shirts in this season's most curious colours. Never before seen or sold. Get them at the << shop >>, while stocks last.

Jb.

Ghost Box Study Series 07 - Pye Corner Audio & The Advisory Circle.

2011-10-11T03:27:00.000-07:00

Together for the first time. Pye Corner Audio and The Advisory Circle explore "Autumnal Activities". And we get to have a nice brown sleeve. Rev. Jim and Julian have really done us proud.

I love working with people I admire. It's well documented that I really love the music of Pye Corner Audio. The Head Technician is a friend and his music an inspiration, so it seemed natural for us to work together for the b-side of his first single for Ghost Box. The A-side, by the way, is pure, unadulterated Pye (and a beautiful piece at that).

Soundclips are below and I believe the single will be released on the 18th of November.

As always, any questions relating to ordering, availability and so forth, please contact Ghost Box or visit Rev. Jim's Belbury Parish Mag.

Jb.

Pye Corner Audio - November Sequence (Clip) by Ghost Box

Pye Corner Audio and The Advisory Circle - Cloud Control (Clip) by Ghost Box

Steve Jobs.

2011-10-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life... Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Form magazine - Music For Dieter Rams.

2011-09-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

I was especially excited to receive this through the post - the latest edition of Form. Form is a german design magazine and this edition features an interview with me, on the subject of Music For Dieter Rams.

The magazine is a fine read indeed... and for those who don't read in german, the articles are also in english.

Form can be ordered directly from www.form.de

Thanks to editor-in-chief Gerrit Terstiege for the interview and for sending me a copy.

Jb.

Dieter Rams Portal for The Wire.

2011-09-06T03:48:00.001-07:00

The good people at The Wire recently asked me to compile a 'Dieter Rams primer', as part of their Portal section. Spanning over seven web links, starting today, you can learn more about this extraordinary man and his designs, at the rate of one link per day. Most regulars will know that Dieter Rams is a major Café Kaput icon, so I'm especially excited to hopefully inspire some of you to delve deeper into his world.

The first link is available here: http://thewire.co.uk/articles/7366/

Second link: http://thewire.co.uk/articles/7373/

Third link: http://thewire.co.uk/articles/7377/

Fourth Link: http://thewire.co.uk/articles/7379/

Fifth Link: http://thewire.co.uk/articles/7381/

Sixth Link: http://thewire.co.uk/articles/7388/

Seventh Link: http://thewire.co.uk/articles/7390/

The Portal is an excellent idea and worth exploring; recently, Ian Hodgson (Moon Wiring Club / Café Kaput's graphic designer) contributed some excellent links. Lots of hidden treasures.

Jb.

Langwelle.

2011-08-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Here's one you may not have heard. Another kosmische jam and very much a companion piece to those in the 'Four Days, Four Recordings' set. Written and recorded on a rainy weekday afternoon. Still a demo version... I must get round to mixing these pieces properly and releasing them somewhere.

- Jb.

Langwelle (demo version) by cafekaput

Return To Nuclear Substation.

2011-07-25T05:11:00.000-07:00

Here's an insight into the world of The Advisory Circle; something you won't come across very often. If you'll assemble behind me, I'll lead you all down to the infamous Nuclear Substation.

This is one of the key places where it all started for The Advisory Circle. It was always known as the 'Nuclear Substation' to me and my friends, when I was about six or seven years of age. This looming structure seemed to watch our every move, as we swung from tree branches over the river.

Although it wasn't filmed here, fans of the 'Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water' public information film will definitely recognise a certain similarity. At the time, playing by the river really felt like being part of a public information film.

Returning there very recently, after about twenty-five years, I'm glad to report that absolutely nothing has changed. The substation is still comprised of the same components that I remember and just as importantly, the air around it is still filled with the characteristic and evocative 50hz buzzing sound that seemed to change phase as I would would walk alongside the site and the river bank. The sound had remained in my brain for years and forms an Advisory Circle building block, in and of itself.

Thankfully, today's technology allows me to capture the humming sound, using a portable recorder. No doubt my field recording will make it into a future Advisory Circle piece.

It is safe to say that without this particular substation, there would be no Advisory Circle.

- Jb.

The Crow Is Flying!

2011-07-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Release day. 'As The Crow Flies' by The Advisory Circle is out there today and I am very proud indeed to be typing this. Please visit the Ghost Box Shop for your copy.

To celebrate, I've got a new mixtape for you all, called 'Summer Gathering Sequence'. It's available to stream at Mixcloud. Enjoy!

Jb.

http://twitter.com/cafekaput

The Advisory Circle - Summer Gathering Sequence by Cafekaput on Mixcloud

The Advisory Circle - As The Crow Flies. Ghost Box, 8th July.

2011-06-29T02:47:00.000-07:00

"We make the decisions; so you don't have to. This time we're advising on how to safely enjoy the seasons, festivals and rituals of the year".

Regular readers and stalwart supporters of Café Kaput will know all about Rev. Jim's Curious Brown Leather Satchel ™. Without it, life would be rather less interesting. It's the satchel that never goes out of style and in fact only gets better as it becomes further weathered by the Belbury winds.

In the satchel this time is the new album by The Advisory Circle. It's released on July 8th, although you can pre-order it in the usual manner, of course. Please refer to the Ghost Box shop for all matters 'pertaining to procurement', as the Rev. himself might say (or not, depending on his daily tea intake). There is vinyl, there are downloads and also CDs. As you can see in the photo below, I have my vinyl copy out on the blue velvet - it's quite a marvel:

In many ways, The Advisory Circle is my life's work. A large part of it delves into my upbringing, but it's also a snapshot of where I am now and it always keeps a weather eye on the future.

Julian's artwork is, as per, absolutely stunning (whichever format you choose). I'm even happier with this sleeve than I was with Mind How You Go. Professor Ronald Hutton has provided some very interesting and informative sleevenotes and I thoroughly recommend his book 'Stations Of The Sun' as essential further reading.

Thanks, as always, for listening and supporting. Hope you enjoy the new album and please remember to tidy up after yourselves. Always follow the country code.

- Jb.

Four days, four recordings.

2011-06-10T05:32:00.000-07:00

This week, I set myself a challenge to write and record a new piece of music every day from Monday until Thursday. They're 8-track demos and mainly improvised, just using a guitar, a keyboard and a few pedals. Nothing is mixed, it's all as raw as it was tracked, using a pair of particularly crappy (but trusty enough) headphones.

I like working this way, as it makes me think differently about approaching the song. In fact, it helps me concentrate on the song, rather than get caught up in technical detail or worse, aimless knob-twiddling. It's a case of laying the part down and moving on.

I will mix these pieces, but I probably won't develop the arrangements any further as I feel the strength is in their simplicity somehow. As much as I love a big production number, I don't think it's appropriate here. Some parts need tidying slightly...

As an experiment, it's something I will return to again, as soon as I get time. It's a refreshing way to work. All four pieces are on the SoundCloud link, below.

Four days, four recordings. by cafekaput

RIP Martin Rushent.

2011-06-06T03:52:00.000-07:00

Sampling pioneer, genius producer of Human League, Synclavier wizard and Linn Drum fiend Martin Rushent has died. A major influence of mine. Rest in peace.

- Jb.

My approach to mixing: an overview.

2011-05-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

It’s been some time since I posted an article on the music tech / record production side of things. As Cafe Kaput is as much about my hastily-written, incoherent dribblings on just about anything music-related, it’s nice to indulge that side sometimes. Also, I realise that some readers of this blog are interested in record production, many actively so.

It seems appropriate at the moment, anyway, since I have had some really nice comments and contact about the production and engineering on Music For Dieter Rams and also the Hintermass single on Ghost Box. This is great for me, as I take a fair bit of pride in that side of any record I’m involved with, so it’s good to know that those efforts are not wasted.

I’ve had a few emails asking specifically about how I got the Dieter Rams record to sound the way it does. I’ve heard the words airy, round, warm, dynamic and tight being used, which is great - those are attributes that I like in any record, whether it’s mine or not. I’ve been reading some questions about which EQ and compression I used on the record, which reverbs and so on, so I thought I would share some comments in response to this. I’m not saying I’m right, but for what it’s worth, this is how I approach it.

What did I do, production and engineering-wise?

Most of the ‘production’ is attributable to the tracking and arrangement stages. I would say that this accounts for at least 80% of the ‘sound’ of the record. Production, in my world at least, is not the same thing as engineering; in fact it’s much more closely tied in with arrangement. Production is decision making, it’s working out which sounds work together (or not) in an arrangement, which direction the record should be going in. The bigger picture. If you have a good song / idea in the first place, then get this part of the record right, the rest is just gravy.

To illustrate this, if you listen critically to the kick and the bass on Zukunft Als Konzept, you’ll notice that the bass line doesn’t play when the kick is sounding. That’s a conscious production / arrangement decision. This means the kick and bass sound play nicely together and are completely uncluttered in the arrangement. Between them, they anchor the entire low end of the track.

With regard to individual sounds, I place the importance on the source sound and getting that right (or at least, the way I want it), rather than trying to force a sound into a different sphere after the fact. Returning to that bass sound on Zukunft, I wanted it to cut through, even on small speakers, so whilst creating the sound within the sampler, I listened through a small speaker to make sure I could hear it, rather than thinking ‘ah, I’ll just fix it in the mix’, because ‘fixing it in the mix’ doesn’t work nearly as well, if at all. The source sound and the way it is used in the arrangement is all-important. Trying to make it work by over-processing in the mix won’t bring you results, just a whole load of frustration.

In terms of the engineering of the record, it’s more about what I didn’t do, than what I did. For those asking about EQ and compression specifics, I feel almost like I’m disappointing you by saying this, but the answer is ‘very little indeed’. Much like Dieter Rams’ design philosophy, my mixing maxim is also ‘less, but better’. I will do as little as possible to get the job done.

I think it partly comes down to confidence. Some mixers feel like they have to pile on plugin after plugin, processor after processor and twisting EQs like mad in order to feel like they’re achieving something that sounds ‘professional’. I do things a little differently.

I mix in Logic. Nothing special about it. I’ve been mixing this way since the 1990s, back in college. I’ve used other platforms and I’m not saying that Logic is any better than any of the others - I just know it well and can work fluently with it, to the point that it doesn’t get in the way. Knowing the system well lets me concentrate on the important stuff, i.e. the sounds I’m listening to.

When I approach a mix, I spend most of my time on the static balance; in other words I place the importance on getting the fader levels of each element in a position that sounds right. A surprising number of stems in my arrangements won’t contain any EQ adjustments. It’s a confidence thing again, but I can’t stress this enough - you have to know when to Leave Stuff Alone. When I use EQ, it is primarily subtractive and usually very gentle, as my main reason for using it is to help the sounds sit together. I will carve away at what I don’t need, rather than adding what I think I want to hear. I treat it like sculpture. It’s the same thing with compression; sometimes I use it subjectively as an audible effect, but mostly I’ll use it to help sit a sound in the mix. It’s a tool; control it, don’t fetishise it. Again, taking the kick sound in Zukunft as an example, I didn’t use any compression on it in the mix. The sound was as I wanted it to be in the first place, so I didn’t feel the need to mess with it for the sake of it.

I won’t even switch on a reverb or stick a whatever on my cowbell until I have a strong foundation mix balance. It has to sound 90% ‘there’ before I apply any sweetening, otherwise it becomes an exercise in ‘papering over the cracks’ and the end result is compromised.

I try and view my productions as a large, detailed piece of stained glass, made up of a mosaic of hundreds of tiny pieces. In other words, it’s the culmination of a lot of small mix changes that seem insignificant on their own, but together they are much greater than the sum of their parts.

Every time I mix, I learn something. Every mix is hopefully better than the last and I strive for better results. I study what other mixers are doing / have done; I listen to records that were engineered by Conny Plank or Rhett Davies and listen to how the sounds were balanced. The same goes for the work of my favourite current engineers; people like Michael Brauer, Phil Tan, Charles Dye and Dave Pensado. They would all tell me that there are no magic buttons. Getting the foundations of a good mix is all about objective, critical listening. I’m listening and learning all the time.

- Jb.

KAP003 - Jon Brooks - "Music For Dieter Rams" Now Available.

2011-05-16T01:21:00.000-07:00

Available from Bandcamp NOW. Get it << here! >>

The good people of The Wire magazine have presented a news piece on the record - have a read << here! >>

Alexis Madrigal at The Atlantic has posted a nice little news piece, also - << here >>.

Enjoy.

- Jb.

(KAP003) - Jon Brooks - Music For Dieter Rams.

2011-05-08T03:56:00.000-07:00

“Music For Dieter Rams mirrors Dieter Ramsʼ reductive process perfectly.” - Mason Wells (of Bibliothèque, designers of the Dieter Rams “Less and More” exhibition at the Design Museum, London)

A mini-album. A study on limited resources. The space between a second. A dedication to one of the most important figures in modern domestic design - Dieter Rams. No more, no less. Less and More.

It's also an experiment to discover what I could coax from my favourite alarm clock.

(from the sleevenotes)

"Every sound on this record, from the melodic sounds to the percussion, the atmospheric effects to the bass lines originates from the Braun AB-30 alarm clock.

Using inexpensive contact microphones (which in this case act effectively as microscopes for sound) I recorded the alarm sound, the various ʻticksʼ of the second hand as it made itʼs way around the clock face, and usually-unheard noises such as the cogs whirring and the harmonics of the spring-loaded ʻsnoozeʼ button. Short, cyclic waveform samples were edited from these recordings, which became the ʻoscillatorsʼ (oscillators are the fundamental building blocks on which all electronic sounds are based)".

The raw sounds were then treated and shaped using envelopes, filters, phasing, delay and reverberation.

If you're interested in the creative process behind the sounds, have a listen to a short explanation on SoundCloud:

Jon Brooks - Music For Dieter Rams - An explanation of techniques. by cafekaput

Dieter Rams has inspired many artists (visual artists, musicians, product designers) to release tributes to his work. This is just my personal take. It's an experiment to produce a record which reflects the design ethos of Dieter Rams and his products; that the music should be engaging, fresh, without clutter... and ultimately satisfying in use. Hope you enjoy.

The Bandcamp release will be available on 16th May, priced £5.99.

Downloads from iTunes, Amazon & Boomkat will be available on 23rd May.

In the meantime, grab the sleevenotes.

- Jb.

Mr Denham has been in touch...

2011-05-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

Whilst partaking my morning coffee, I noticed an email from D.D. Denham. It's been a while since he was last in touch, but he's always a welcome sight in the CaféK inbox when he shows up. He writes:

"Dear Jon Brooks,

Just a swift letter to let you know of a small discovery I've made recently. I was searching through a box of various old tapes in my loft recently and this little curio made itself known. It's a 5" tape reel, labelled 'The Railway Orphanage'. There is nothing else written on the box, but I remember this piece was composed by an Open University student of mine, in 1978.

As you may remember, we took the 'Electronic Music In The Classroom' concept to various polytechnics and universities after it's initial success in schools. This allowed older students (many of which had a basic background in recording already) to experiment with slightly more advanced compositional techniques; still using the same, primitive equipment.

As for the title 'The Railway Orphanage' - I don't know what it means, or who thought of it! I am absolutely sure of it's origin, though, as the track is in stereo. All the tracks composed in schools were, of course, in mono. Taking the course to the Open University allowed us access to stereo tape machines for the first time.

You may wish to pass this rather unusual find on to all Café Kaput followers, with my regards.

Yours Sincerely,

D.D. Denham. "

So there you have it.

I am making 'The Railway Orphanage' available to everyone, via Bandcamp, at no charge. Free. There is one catch, however. To download it, I'm asking you to sign up for the all-new Café Kaput Newsletter email. The track is an exclusive 'thank you!' to all those who are willing to join. The Newsletter will only ever be sent out when there is a new release on Café Kaput. Thankfully, it is not there to let you know about general blog postings or twitterings. Newsletter readers will be notified of new releases slightly ahead of everyone else and who knows, perhaps we can arrange the odd freebie curio here and there in the future.

So, you can expect to get an email maybe two or three times per year.

Consideration and discretion are key. I won't disclose your email address with anyone else. It also goes without saying that if you want to unsubscribe at any point, just shoot me an email and you'll be removed immediately.

Anyway, hope you all enjoy the track.

<< Join the Newsletter at Bandcamp >>

- Jb.

I've got that Foxy Feeling.

2011-05-03T07:09:00.001-07:00

A wise man called Giorgio once told me “Jon... we no longer have seasons, only weather”. Giorgio was absolutely on the money, as per usual. Just witnessing this past weekends’ blowing a gale / cracking the flags combo is enough to cement his words into fine wisdom. Similarly, if you have glorious sunshine on your wedding day, with incongruous showers of rain, tradition has the phrase ‘somewhere a fox is getting married’ put aside specially for you.

In my own (admittedly slightly warped) world, a fox marrying a cat is expected and quite natural. It’s heartwarming to know that in the world of Moon Wiring Club, such unions are also perfectly acceptable and perhaps as inevitable as cod liver oil. Er...

I always find vinyl souvenirs of royal weddings rather chilling. They have always seemed such awkward items, with their forced conviviality and sentiment. They also serve to remind us that the royals haven’t exactly got a great track record for staying together, either.

The BBC have left behind special vinyl royal wedding recordings long ago, of course, but in some ways they’re missing a trick. Think about it; royalism has become part of the all-dominant celebrity culture, with royals falling out of high-profile nightclubs at 7am with their massive sunglasses on the wrong way round (for example), aping the celebs in much the same way as those spewing up outside Ritzy’s on a Saturday night in just about any town. So, never before has there been a more fitting time for a properly lavish royal wedding release, with all the ghastly pomp and circumstance in tow. A 12” vinyl sleeve would be the perfect format to showcase the airbrushed-but-emaciated bride hanging on to the rugged groom, all fish-finger teeth and gelled-up sharp haircut. You can just see it, can’t you?

The BBC won’t go there these days, but thankfully Moon Wiring Club are only too pleased to present their version. The front cover may be starkly different to the image I alluded to just now, but in many ways it’s actually spot-on. Check out the fox’s teeth and thousand yard stare, for one thing. Or two things. The cover gives me the same chilling feeling I get from looking at Charles & Di’s version, or the Andrew and Fergie release, but a layer of skin has been lifted from it, to show the reality underneath. The reality speaks volumes.

If you’re a fan of Moon Wiring Club’s previous offerings, you’re not going to be disappointed. Top drawer Edwardian reggae sits next to slo-mo germano-italo disco and stodgy synth samples infest the rigid gothic electro grooves, worthy of any Dr Luke fan’s attention. All this and a gas leak.

The whole package screams ‘information overload’ in the best way. There are thousands of layers to this particular onion (spread across the music, the sleeve, inner sleeve, labels, press release, sickeningly resplendent poster... argh) and no-one will ever tie everything together, no matter how hard they try.

Above all this, though, the album is all about fun. And humour. For those two reasons alone, it deserves a place in your record collection. Try it.

<< Blank Workshop >>

- Jb.

New Study Series singles at Ghost Box.

2011-04-11T02:43:00.000-07:00

Just noting that the new Study Series singles are on sale at Ghost Box. Rev. Jim has copies for you all; one featuring Jonny Trunk and the other featuring myself and Tim Felton (of top pop groop Seeland) as Hintermass. We're currently working on more material, but these two songs should give you a flavour of what we're up to.

As always, direct your browsers to the Belbury Parish Magazine for more details (and answers to your questions).

- Jb.

Steampunk Radiophonics.

2011-03-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a good and interesting read; a review of 'Music For Thomas Carnacki' from the latest edition of The Wire. Click on the image to reveal all.

Thanks to Kynaston Mass for the scan.

- Jb.

Cafe Kaput releases now available at Boomkat.

2011-03-14T03:24:00.000-07:00

Of course, both albums are still available at their original, respective Bandcamp sites, but Cafe Kaput has teamed up with the very wonderful Boomkat, offering a further outlet for the label's output. If you still need either of these albums for your collection, there's no time like the present.

(KAP001) - D.D. Denham - "Electronic Music In The Classroom".

(KAP002) - Jon Brooks - "Music For Thomas Carnacki (Radiophonic Themes & Abstracts)".

- Jb.

Belbury Youth Club to run riot in Brighton.

2011-03-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

Where could you possibly find so much talent in one place? The Outer Church in Brighton, of course. On April 14th, for one night only, there will be live sets from Moon Wiring Club and Pye Corner Audio, with guest DJs Jim and Julian from Ghost Box alongside The Outer Church regular DJs. A veritable smörgåsbord of aural and visual delights.

For more information, visit the Belbury Parish Magazine.

For even more information, keep an eye on the Outer Church blog.

- Jb.

Rev. Jim & Brother Julian scuttle into the Freak Zone.

2011-02-25T05:24:00.000-08:00

I believe they were rushed into the BBC studios under blankets. Anyway, Jim and Julian from Ghost Box will be special guests on Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone this Sunday at 6pm. They will be discussing all matters ecumenical; the recent re-issued albums, as well as all things related to the new Jonny Trunk single and forthcoming Belbury Poly material.

The Freak Zone web page, you can find << here >>.

- Jb.

Ghost Box classics suddenly materialise on vinyl.

2011-02-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

Whilst the Rev. Jim's back was turned (*shudder*), I managed to nab a copy of both The Willows and Sketches And Spells, all for the purpose of showing you all what they look like (those of you who haven't already got your copies, anyway). One day, someone will award me some kind of medal for bravery in the face of Rev. Jim's Curious Brown Leather Satchel ™ , but that's by the by... you know, sometimes I think he has eyes in the back of his head. Anyway, I digress.

These are essential, classic Ghost Box records. Masterpieces. Brother Julian's artwork was made for vinyl and these two sleeves have never before looked this good. The spines are nice and thick and the whole package feels very solid. The op-art inner sleeves will make you feel quite disoriented if the wind is blowing from the North, which is reason enough to invest.

It's a dream come true (literally) for me to start to see a seam of Ghost Box vinyl emerging on my shelf; to be part of it in the shape of MHYG and the Study Series singles is wonderful, but I'm every bit as excited about seeing classic Belbury and Focus Group titles materialise.

If you haven't already put your orders in for both of these, do so now, while stocks last. I'd better go back to being quiet now, as Rev. Jim has already warned me he'll be checking this blog post with a fine-toothed comb for any "libellous accusations". I'll say no more. Enjoy the records. There are more to come, so keep watching the skies.

Jb.

(KAP002) Jon Brooks - "Music For Thomas Carnacki" Now available.

2011-02-04T09:06:00.001-08:00

I am happy to announce that (KAP002) Jon Brooks - "Music For Thomas Carnacki (Radiophonic Themes & Abstracts) has gone live on Bandcamp. Please follow this link to the store page:

http://jonbrooks.bandcamp.com/

£6.99 in just about any digital format you could need. Each copy comes with sleevenotes as a PDF and a hi-res graphic of the front cover.

In the unlikely event that you have any problems downloading, please contact Bandcamp support. Their email is support@bandcamp.com

iTunes and Amazon will follow in a few weeks, but I have yet to find someone who doesn't prefer Bandcamp. :))

I hope you all enjoy this one.

Jb.

Exciting news from Rev. Jim.

2011-02-04T07:27:00.001-08:00

Two absolute classic masterpieces are now available on vinyl. I need say no more about either of these albums, you know them well and you will no doubt need them on vinyl! ;)) CDs are back in stock also.

Head over to visit the Rev. Jim and put your orders in, while stocks last (or something).

<< The Belbury Parish Rag >>

Jb.

(KAP002) Jon Brooks - 'Music For Thomas Carnacki (Radiophonic Themes & Abstracts)'

2011-01-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

Release Date: Saturday 5th Feb 2011.

Available from Bandcamp, iTunes & Amazon.

Well, here it is. I'm proud to announce KAP002. This release ties in directly with Weird Tales For Winter (see below post), as it's the radiophonic soundtrack composed specially for the 'Gateway Of The Monster' episode. The material is directly inspired by all of William Hope Hodgson's 'Carnacki The Ghost Finder' short stories.

The tracks on this release are mastered directly from the original tapes and presented in their entirety; in the Weird Tales programme, some tracks are edited or used as excerpts.

The material was composed between March and November 2010 and covers a lot of sonic ground. There are grand electronic themes, little melodies which crop up throughout, contrasted with dark, abstract musique concrête textures composed directly on tape recorders (with the inherent hiss and hum artifacts being a celebrated part of the composition). Horgan, treated cello, theremin and prepared xylophone all make an appearance, too.

The release will of course feature a lavish, hi-res graphic sleeve by Ian Hodgson and accompanying sleeve notes as a PDF, as part of the download.

As usual, the release will be available from Bandcamp for £6.99 from Saturday 5th February, with iTunes and Amazon following a couple of weeks later, for £7.99.

Really hope you all enjoy this one.

- Jb.

Weird Tales For Winter.

2011-01-25T12:25:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, 29/01/11 - 22:30 UK time! - www.resonancefm.com

In an attempt to get things back on the creative track, I will point out that myself and Moon Wiring Club have recorded a Weird Tale For Winter, as part of a series on Resonance FM. Ian chose the story ('The Gateway Of The Monster' by William Hope Hodgson) and narrated it; I composed the radiophonic soundtrack and produced the episode.

It's a two-parter, about an hour's worth of entertainment in all. The first part will be broadcast 29/01/11 at 22:30 UK time, the second part on 31/01/11 at midnight.

As if that wasn't enough, the launch mix is by none other than Pye Corner Audio, who just about every reader of this blog knows, I think are rather wonderful. A perfect start to the series. Tune in for that at 21:30. Again, stream it at www.resonancefm.com if you're outside the London area.

The entire series will be superb. I believe the running order and more details will be available on the Weird Tales website shortly, if not by the time you read this.

The Weird Tales For Winter website is << here >>.

Jb.

Trish.

2011-01-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

The Belbury Parish Magazine.

I'm finding it really difficult to come up with anything to say, without it being trite or irrelevant. Jim has spoken well for all of us at Ghost Box, about the loss of Trish. Our world is literally torn apart; Trish has been central to our influences and, more directly, she has been there for us as an encouraging ear and keen supporter of all we do at Ghost Box and CafeK. It's only really just beginning to sink in that she's gone and I'm struggling to make any sense of it.

The most constructive thing I can do is perhaps share a couple of thoughts which are currently whirling round my head.

One thing that sticks in my mind is the time I was driving home with Mrs Jb, having been out shopping. We were blaring out Tender Buttons in the car (it happens often) and I had an idea of writing an Advisory Circle track called The Patchwork Explains, a direct beam of inspiration from Trish's lyric in Tears In The Typing Pool. Anyway, I made a note of it on my phone and immediately emailed Trish to tell her about the idea. Ten minutes later I got a reply saying 'Ah, that's a brilliant idea Jon, can't wait to hear it! Oh, by the way me and Jam have been listening to your podcast from last week again'. I was beaming. It makes so much difference to get encouragement from your fellow artists and friends, but to receive inspiration into the bargain is even better. It took me until December to finish the track, so regrettably Trish didn't hear the finished article. It saddens me deeply to think that I won't be able to let her hear it.

Jam and Trish have always been great at swapping Broadcast records for Advisory Circle ones. So I made sure I sent them a copy of the Denham LP on day of release. I got a lovely email from Trish, enthusing about the project. Up to that point, I was unsure how the whole thing would be perceived, but her words of encouragement made a load of difference that day.

We had a lot in common besides music and quite often would mail each other about interesting books we'd come across or films, or whatever. Trish would scan pages from some obscure book and send them over. I still haven't found a lot of the books she has recommended to me, nor used all the amazing titles I drew from her general chatting.

Losing someone like this, someone who has been part of your day to day life (even if it's just an email or whatever) is the strangest feeling. It's horrible and Trish is going to be terribly missed here, I can tell you that much. Again, I can't find the right words.

If anyone's bothering to read this, just have a think about those you love and your friends and family. Make sure in some way that they know you love them. If you're unable to say it, show it some other way.

Going forward, all we can do from here on is to appreciate what we have in our friends, family and loved ones, for however long we have it.

My thoughts are with Jam and Trish's family and friends right now. I will carry the inspiration Trish has given me over the relatively short time I knew her; and try to use it wisely and creatively. I'm pretty sure that's exactly what she'd want me to do.

xx

The Resource Centre and First Fold.

2011-01-07T01:40:00.000-08:00

I'll start the 2011 proceedings with a strong recommendation. The Resource Centre is a new project from John Hanson of Magnetophone and his EP1 on First Fold is a triumph. Elegant, cyclical melodies fashioned from electronically processed mallet-based instruments, with beautifully simple arrangements - "All Automatic Parts 1 & 2" is a real favourite around here, although the entire EP has been on repeat all week so far. Such an evocative piece of work.

Read more about The Resource Centre << here >>.

It is available on CD from First Fold, also available as a download from iTunes.

In a related event, First Fold are about to release "Tomorrow Curves", an album by The Assembled Minds, which is Matt Saunders' project, John Hanson's writing partner in Magnetophone. I'm excited by this, too, as Matt played me some work-in-progress versions of these tracks a while ago and I was blown away by them.

Read more about The Assembled Minds << here >>.

- Jb.

Stop Press - Rev. Jim is Live to air!

2010-12-17T15:55:00.000-08:00

Programme 1 : "Holidays & Hintermass" by Ghost Box on Mixcloud

Yes, I know I'm meant to be away from the blog until 2011, but this is an advisory for you all. Rev. Jim has only gone and started his own podcast / downloadable radio programme / uptempo fiasco! Wonderful stuff. He shows us all (in his inimitible 'authoritative' tone) how it's done. Properly.

Every track a gem and good banter. What more could you want?

Ok, I really am going now.

Jb.

See you all again in 2011. Bye for now!

2010-12-10T03:15:00.000-08:00

Well, that's it from Café Kaput for 2010. I'm having a (fairly) well-deserved break for Yule, starting now. I just want to take the opportunity to thank anyone who has bought the < D.D. Denham album >, also those who have written or spoken good things of the label this year. It's all very much appreciated.

I wouldn't leave you all without a winter gift, so here's a brand new mixtape for you all:

Soft Sounds For Winter.

Café Kaput - Soft Sounds For Winter by Cafekaput on Mixcloud

Unashamedly romantic, it focuses on the velvety soft side of psychedelia, girl pop, chanson, soft pop and an electronic touch here and there. Optionally, you should have at your disposal a good log fire, some fine single malt (or a shot of Pussers if your name is Warren Ellis or The Head Technician). Some good company might enhance the experience too.

As usual, the cut out and keep download is < here >.

Keep warm, keep well and I'll see you all again in January.

- Jb x

Disturbances

2010-12-10T02:18:00.000-08:00

I realise this is very short notice, but still; this may interest those of you who are in the Nottingham area. If you are still deciding what to do this evening, make the right decision and attend the Annexinema event. Starting at 6pm and finishing at 11, this looks like a fascinating way to spend the evening. I love the idea of the optional dress code of 'the golden age of cinema', but I digress:

< Annexinema / Sideshow >

< Forthcoming / Annexinema >

The main reason I want to mention the event is that a friend of mine, the writer / poet / editor of Staple magazine, Wayne Burrows is doing a short performace piece called 'Disturbances'. He has created a fictional world out of some found colour slides, with a rich backstory and incredible detail, centred around a character called Robert Holcombe.

You can read all about Wayne Burrows' project through these links:

< Galllery >

< Robert Holcombe (1923 - 2003) >

I believe there are plans afoot, to expand this incredibly creative project in various ways. Watch this space.

- Jb.

Coming up in 2011.

2010-11-26T08:06:00.001-08:00

This is just a 'first tease' of what's coming up on CaféK in 2011. Sorry for the dreadful pixelated-quality of the photographs, but it's all we could manage at the moment. ^_^

KAP002 is at the top, followed by KAP003. What else can I say? Both releases are full albums and very different species. KAP002 is to be released in February and KAP003, in June or July. Both will be available through Bandcamp, in any digital format you like (just about).

Have a great weekend everyone.

- Jb.

RIP Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson.

2010-11-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

Like so many of us, the first thing I read on Twitter this morning was that Sleazy had passed away. Shock and disbelief doesn't really cover it. I'm just putting this post up here, as a small tribute.

Sleazy first got in touch in 2004. I received an email from him with the title 'Blatant Plagiarism!'. Sleazy explained that he had built a Coil song ('Wraiths & Strays') around a sample of one of my old tunes. To be honest, I was honoured but baffled that he'd even heard my music, let alone sampled it. He made it clear that he wanted to come to an agreement about the sample. We stayed in touch via email for about a year, until I left the label I was with at the time.

Recently we got in touch with each other again. As ever, he was full of compliments, kindness and wise words. I had an email from him two weeks ago, which contained some particularly good advice and inspiration; advice that I've thought about over and over, since.

I'm gutted to hear of his passing. RIP Sleazy.

- Jb.

Café Kaput & Moon Wiring Club in The Guardian.

2010-11-24T07:51:00.001-08:00

Just a quick heads-up to say that Simon Reynolds has done an insightful piece on Ian Hodgson (Moon Wiring Club / CaféK art director) and myself in The Guardian music blog.

You can have a read << here >>.

From the Archives.

2010-11-21T05:56:00.000-08:00

Those who follow me on Twitter will perhaps recall that a couple of weeks ago, the British Library got in touch, to ask if I would contribute the D.D. Denham LP to their Archive. The idea of someone possibly stumbling upon 'Electronic Music In The Classroom' in 300 years time and thinking 'what the devil is this?' appeals to me, I have to admit. It's also a great honour to be asked to contribute.

The fact that the British Library Archivists do extremely important work, really can't be overstated. As I was told, they preserve everything from wax cylinders to downloads and have highly-developed methods and techniques of archiving and storage. They have asked for all future Cafe Kaput releases to be part of the Archive and this makes me feel very good indeed about the future of the recorded output of the label. You see, archiving concerns me greatly; not just in terms of my own music, but generally. Archiving, or backing up data of all kinds is such an important issue, yet we don't really pay enough attention to it. There are pitfalls to be avoided, whether we are creating art or consuming it.

Recently, I dug out some multi-track recordings which I made for my first album, back in 2000. They were stored on the then-revolutionary DVD-R and reportedly the best quality available at that time. Some of these DVDs don't actually work any more, which is a bit concerning.

Compare this situation with the time when I transferred and re-mastered an archive of Oliver Postgate material, some of which was released as the Ivor The Engine / Pogles Wood soundtrack, on Trunk Records. I was dealing with open reel tapes, some of which were over 40 years old. Apart from the odd tape which suffered from the infamous Sticky Shed Syndrome (a chemical / manufacturing deficiency which affected some tapes during the early 1970s), the transfers went smoothly. Considering they had been stored in a cardboard box in Olver Postgate's cellar, they sounded very good indeed.

These days, I record all my music masters to 1/4" tape, partly because I like the sound, but also because it's a very reliable format to store music. If treated with some respect, modern tape formulations should last a lifetime.

That's not to say that digital backups can't be trusted or shouldn't be relied upon; they just require a different approach. This is why I like iDevices (pod, pad, phone etc). If you use one of these, any album you buy in mp3 format is automatically backed up. If your iDevice goes kaput, you've always got a backup on your hard drive... and vice versa. When you upgrade your computer or iPod, you take your music with you automatically, so the media is refreshed and data less likely to be lost. It may not be a perfect solution, but still; it's the antithesis of it sitting around on a slowly-decomposing CDR or DVD-R.

The key to keeping your data intact is to keep it moving.

(thanks to James Tugwell from the British Library for making contact).

- Jb.

Protect & Survive - Music For Your Domestic Nuclear Shelter.

2010-11-14T03:10:00.000-08:00

Every year, as the weather turns colder and the leaves have left most of the trees, my mind turns to 'comfort library' music. Music as warming as a big bowl of soup, with perhaps a chilling blob of crème fraiche in the middle. Or something.

So, this morning, quite by chance, I dug this out while the Jb household had breakfast (not soup). It's a compilation I put together in 2004 and was given to a handful of friends on CD. I think about 4 people have heard it so far. The object of the exercise was to think about the music the government would possibly provide in the event of a nuclear disaster, so it's all library music and a lot of it very 'comforting'. Think of this stuff being piped through stereo systems or on special governmental radio stations, in reassurance that 'everything will be fine, don't worry' and you're about there.

It's also quite a nice library compilation, outside of any context. I just thought I'd share it with everyone; seems like a good idea?

Hope you all enjoy it. Download link below:

<< Protect & Survive - Music For Your Domestic Nuclear Shelter >>

EDIT: For those having trouble with the SendSpace link, here's a mirror on Uploading.com - << HERE >>

- Jb.

You Fancy Magician.

2010-11-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Ah, happy days are here again. Today, I finally held in my hands the new Moon Wiring Club album... on vinyl. A moment of complete relief for Ian Hodgson, who has put months of hard work into the release (both artistically and logistically) and a proud moment for me, to see the fruits of the Blank Workshop labour finally manifest themselves on vinyl.

Amongst all this exciting talk of vinyl, I must point out that there is of course a CD version, lavishly illustrated and impeccably programmed for your listening pleasure… but this is where it gets very interesting (or confusing, or both, depending on how you like your onions).

The vinyl version may share some of the same track titles as the CD version, but the tracks are either completely different, or barely recognisable in comparison. Some other tracks may have completely different names, but may share certain sonic elements. You're probably thinking this sounds as confusing as some vintage MB Games instruction from 1974. 'A Spare Tabby At The Cat's Wedding' is apparently based on a 'game' of sorts, if the CD booklet is to be believed. Well that's what I arrived at, anyway. I thought I had it pretty much figured out, but then I read the press release (which sent me into a state of confusion and I had to sit down quietly with some hot tea afterwards; I'll say no more about that). Typically, one Moon Wiring Club release generally contains more detail and ideas than a lot of people's entire careers and with this release, it's completely off the scale.

This isn't a review as such; it's more of an 'advisory and notification', so I don't need to talk about the musical content in detail. It's a given that it's a fantastic record. Suffice to say, anyone who enjoys Confusing English Electronic Music ™ (© Warren Ellis) will luxuriate in the sheer lavishness of this album. It looks as though you'll need both the CD and vinyl versions, though.

I think it's all being released on Gecophonic within the next week or two, so keep an eye on the Blank Workshop website for details on availability and pricing.

- Jb.

New mixtape for everyone.

2010-10-27T02:33:00.000-07:00

Jon Brooks - Samhain Mixtape 2010 by Cafekaput on Mixcloud

The Cafe Kaput Samhain 2010 mixtape is now available for streaming at Mixcloud. This seasonal mix covers similar ground to the podcast series, but with a contemplative side (such is the season).

For those who prefer a 'cut out and keep' download version, it's here.

- Jb.

Pye Corner Audio

2010-10-13T05:44:00.001-07:00

News just in that Pye Corner Audio are to release their debut mini album on the 31st of this month, on their own Pye Corner Audio Transcription Services label.

Entitled 'Black Mill Tapes Volume 1', this release will appeal to a lot of people who appreciate Café Kaput or Ghost Box releases. I want to mention them here, as I love what they're up to over there. If you haven't already, please feel free to check out their Soundcloud page:

http://soundcloud.com/pye-corner-audio

For the whole story on Pye Corner Audio, visit their blog:

http://pyecorneraudio.wordpress.com/

Edit: Pricing has been announced at a very reasonable £4.99 and will be available from BandCamp, as long as the wind is blowing in the right direction and at the allotted speed (in knots).

- Jb.

Piano & Tape Miniature no.1

2010-10-01T03:10:00.000-07:00

Piano & Tape Miniature no.1 by cafekaput

If you're feeling autumnal, this might just do the trick. Happy October everyone.

The Road Forward.

2010-09-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

Now that the label has been officially launched and KAP 001 is out there enjoying life, I thought I'd write a few words about upcoming activities on Cafe Kaput. At this point, KAP 002 and KAP 003 are scheduled for January and May 2011, respectively. Although I can't be any more specific at the moment about the nature of these releases, I can tell you that they're pretty much 'in the can' and ready to go.

As with the D.D.Denham album, the forthcoming releases have enjoyed a long gestation period; one project has been gently developed for most of this year and the other has been in production for four years. The label manifesto is founded on the fact that I simply refuse to release a project until it's ready; it serves no-one in the long term. Some albums take longer than others, but any given project is finished only when it's finished.

Thanks all of you, for the support so far. I hope you continue to enjoy the releases.

- Jb.

The Freak Zone, BBC 6 Music, This Sunday, 18:00 - 20:00.

2010-09-17T04:50:00.001-07:00

If anyone enjoyed my interview with Stuart Maconie on The Freak Zone back in March this year, you may be interested to know that I've returned as Mr Maconie's guest this week. Stuart will be playing a few tracks from the new D.D. Denham album and we'll be chatting about how Cafe Kaput came to exist, broken tape recorders and home made jam (possibly).

Other topics of conversation include The Advisory Circle, of course, and we'll be playing the brand new piece 'Warm Air', from the Revised Edition of Belbury Poly's 'Farmer's Angle'.

You can listen on your radio, or on the web. There's also a 'listen again' feature available all next week, for those who can't tune in on Sunday at 18:00.

More details (including a tracklisting) here.

EDIT: If you didn't manage to tune in at the time, you can Listen Again, all this week - here.

- Jb.

Cafe Kaput in print, for the first time...

2010-09-16T03:59:00.001-07:00

Alongside a smashing review of the Revised Edition of Farmer's Angle (hello Rev. Jim!), Joseph Stannard has fashioned a very favourable review of D.D. Denham's 'Electronic Music in the Classroom' for The Wire magazine. Very pleased. Click on the picture to read.

(many thanks to Kynaston Mass for formatting and jpeg'ing)

- Jb.

The New Delights from Ghost Box.

2010-09-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

Time again to snap a quick polaroid, before the Rev. Jim notices that I've removed the items from the Curious Brown Leather Satchel ™. Two new Study Series singles, one featuring Belbury poly / Mordant Music and the other featuring Broadcast and The Focus Group. The reissue of the undisputed classic Farmer's Angle is also here, in an incredibly beautiful 10" vinyl format. It's never looked better.

One little curio about the Farmer's Angle 10" is that The Advisory Circle supplied a companion piece to the original 'Cool Air' track, entitled 'Warm Air'. It couldn't be called anything else really, could it? Rev. Jim locked me in a room for a week and told me to stay in there until it was finished. I was fed a dozen escargot au beurre and a half bottle of Chablis. I wasn't allowed a full bottle because Rev. Jim didn't want it to interfere with The Work.

Hmm.

All available from Friday 10th. Pre-orders are being taken here.

- Jb.

All systems go...

2010-09-06T01:44:00.001-07:00

Today is official release day.

KAP001 - "Electronic Music in the Classroom" by D.D. Denham available on the iTunes store, Amazon and Bandcamp.

Between those three outlets, we've got all digital formats pretty much covered. If you prefer FLAC to MP3, head straight over to Bandcamp. In fact, after dealing with Bandcamp these last few days for the 'early adopter' pre-release sales, I would recommend them over any other outlet, on the strength of their ease of navigation, wide range of formats and... I just like the way the album looks up there.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has bought the early edition from Bandcamp, since the launch on Friday. Your support is really appreciated. It's not easy to run even a very small label these days, but I am encouraged by the response so far. Definitely. Thanks all.

- Jb.

D.D.Denham - 'Electronic Music in the Classroom' Now Available.

2010-09-03T00:44:00.000-07:00

The switch has been flicked; Cafe Kaput is open for business.

D.D.Denham - 'Electronic Music in the Classroom' (KAP001) is available now from BandCamp. Formats supplied are MP3, AAC, FLAC, OGG and ALAC.

http://dddenham.bandcamp.com/

The album will also be available from iTunes and Amazon on Monday 6th and I will post updates here.

Hope you all enjoy the very first release on Cafe Kaput. :))

EDIT: Just to reassure; buying from BandCamp is a safe, easy experience. Cafe Kaput doesn't receive any of your personal data, it's all handled at the BC site.

EDIT 2: The track 'The Way the Vicar Smiles' wasn't written about the Rev. Jim. It was inspired by an image of a vicar played by the actor Peter Vaughan.

- Jb.

'Electronic Music in the Classroom' will be available early, from BandCamp.

2010-08-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

As a 'blog exclusive', those who want to be early adopters of the Cafe Kaput label will be able to buy 'Electronic Music in the Classroom' a from BandCamp, from this coming Friday (3rd September). That's a couple days before the official release date (Monday 6th). I'm doing this as a special for those who follow the blog in some way, or follow the label on Twitter.

As someone who has bought from BandCamp before, I recommend it as it's very straightforward (or at least, that was my experience recently).

iTunes and Amazon links will follow on Monday 6th.

Finally! Cafe Kaput Podcast 6 is here!

2010-08-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's taken literally months to get the final podcast done, but hopefully you can see my reasoning. I've been super-busy with recording stuff for Ghost Box and getting all the behind-the-scenes stuff done for the launch of the Cafe Kaput label, that I just haven't had the time. I guess I could have thrown something together, but that would have probably ended up a bit half-arsed… and I'm not really a half-arsed kind of person. I decided to postpone it until I could spend a day giving the podcast my full attention and have a bit of fun with it.

As is now customary, you can download the mp3 here:

Cafe Kaput Podcast number 6!

Hope it was worth the wait! Enjoy. And yes, Bruce Forsyth is featured. Really.

- Jb.

D.D.Denham liner notes re-post.

2010-08-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry to anyone who has tried to download the Denham 'Electronic Music in the Classroom' liner notes and found a dead link. I've re-upped the notes here. Happy reading.

- Jb.

Found 0bjects

2010-08-16T02:35:00.000-07:00

Some Cafe Kaput followers will no doubt already know about the Found 0bjects blog. Last week, I was already spending too much time over there, reading interesting bits and pieces and then, suddenly, was asked to contribute.

It's turning into quite an archive over there, with new posts being added by the hour. Jim, Julian and myself from Ghost Box have all added stuff and there is so much more besides.

I thought I'd add a box to the sidebar of Cafe Kaput (have a look over on the right of the page) to link my own contributions on F0. I hope this doesn't come across as conceited; there are lots of interesting contributors over there. It's just that F0 moves quickly and it's good to keep a record of these things.

- Jb.

Twitterings...

2010-08-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to say that there is now a Cafe Kaput Twitter. I'll try and keep it as on-topic as possible, although that's not a promise. If you're into Twitter, feel free to join me on there.

http://twitter.com/cafekaput

- Jb.

The New Activity at Ghost Box...

2010-08-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

Remember The Rev. Jim Jupp's curious brown leather case I mentioned, when I showed you the first ever vinyl singles from GB? Well, he's opened it yet again (quickly) to reveal two more wonderful singles in the Study Series. Belbury Poly connect with Mordant Music on one record and on the other you've got The Focus Group and Broadcast. How can you go wrong? Lovely. Remember that the Revised Edition of Farmer's Angle is also out on 10" in September. You'll need that one for your end-of-year Ghost Box exam.

Rev. Jim also revealed a set of rather chic new Ghost Box t-shirts, which will also undoubtedly fly out of the door before I've had chance to nab one.

Hurry over to the Belbury Parish Magazine before The Rev. shuts the curious brown leather case again.

- Jb.

And the first release will be...

2010-08-05T03:05:00.001-07:00

KAP001: 'Electronic Music in the Classroom' by D.D.Denham.

Release date: 6th September 2010.

Format: Digital Download.

Availability: Worldwide - iTunes Store, Amazon, BandCamp.

Let me guide you into the fictitious, colourful world of academic composer D.D.Denham and his pupils. Close your eyes and imagine that the sounds you are listening to emerge from the minds of Mr Denham's class of budding composers. You can practically smell the tape loops as they whizz around jars and broom-handles in makeshift schoolroom studios. You can see the soft light as it chinks through the heavy, lined curtains covering the windows. You can experience the energy of concentration, as these young sonic experimenters work through practical recording techniques with their music teacher.

Simple sine-wave melodies glide through echoes and primitive reverb tanks. Slightly broken tape machines do their best to capture the sounds of educational instruments processed through filters. Voices re-dubbed at slower speeds create sinister undertones. Untamed, unstable oscillators are set to synthesise the characteristics of the operatic human voice.

It's all here, woven within the fabric of these 16 pieces.

- - - -

'Electronic Music in the Classroom' will be available to buy worldwide from the usual outlets: namely iTunes, Amazon and BandCamp, on Monday September 6th.

An accompanying PDF download of explanatory 'academic notes', is available here.

I hope you all enjoy the album.

Usefully, Amazon already have some short, 30-second previews up on their page, so if you would like a little taste, visit << here >> and have a listen, but remember the album is unavailable to buy until September 6th.

The success of the Cafe Kaput label will ultimately depend on your support. If you enjoy the album, tell others about it and direct them to buy a copy for themselves. Any earnings from the release will be ploughed back into the label, to allow further expansion and new releases. Your support is greatly appreciated.

- Jb.

Position Normal attend The Outer Church

2010-08-04T03:13:00.000-07:00

Just a quick mention that Position Normal will be appearing live at The Outer Church on the 11th of August. Entry is absolutely free, so if you're anywhere near Brighton, there's no excuse; you simply have to go. It's worth mentioning that The Outer Church has fairly recently hosted the DJ antics of Moon Wiring Club, which apparently went down a storm, especially since they mic'd up a 1930s Kimberly Clark hand-dryer as part of the set.

You can keep up-to-date with all things Outer Church by visiting the blog, too.

- Jb.

Listen Again: The Cafe Kaput Podcasts.

2010-07-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

In case any of you missed one or more of the podcasts I produced earlier in the year, I have re-uploaded them for you. Programmes one to five, all present and correct. If you're new to the podcast, it should hopefully keep you busy for a while. ;))

Click on the links to download:

Programme 1 of 5
Programme 2 of 5
Programme 3 of 5
Programme 4 of 5
Programme 5 of 5

- Jb.

Introducing: Cafe Kaput. The record label.

2010-07-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

Exciting news.

This has been a long time in the pipeline, but I am very pleased to announce today that Cafe Kaput is branching out and starting a record label. It will be run exclusively from the blog and you can keep up-to-date with all the activities by checking in here.

It will be a digital download label, with world-wide distribution through all the usual iTunes, Amazon and BandCamp music stores. There will be no CD's, but BandCamp will be providing formats such as FLAC and WAV if you like you prefer them to mp3.

The art direction is being conducted by Ian Hodgson, who I believe to be one of the most talented graphic artists in the UK. You may already know of Ian through his music and artwork as Moon Wiring Club and his label, Gecophonic.

Cafe Kaput will not affect any of my work with Ghost Box, as The Advisory Circle or otherwise. This venture fulfils a different purpose; ostensibly to focus on some of my other projects which may not quite 'fit' on another label.

I hope you'll all support Cafe Kaput and enjoy the music. Contact details for the label are in my profile.

The first release will be on September 6th. Check in regularly for details.

- Jb.

Freak Zone, BBC 6 music, Sunday 25th July, 18:00.

2010-07-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

Mr Maconie is going to be playing both of the new Ghost Box singles tomorrow evening on the Freak Zone show. Don't forget to listen in. :))

- Jb.

Marion - I Go To Sleep

2010-07-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love Marion's version of 'I Go To Sleep'. Easily in my top 5 of girl singers, Marion really knew how to create a certain 'tension' on camera. Larry Page produced this version of the song; listen to the arrangement, with that crashing piano... it sounds massive.

Not sure why DLT (aka the Hairy Cornflake) is lurking about in the background at the beginning (who let him into the studio?), but the wonderful Uschi Nerke makes up for that.

- Jb.

This is a curious one...

2010-07-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

"Electronic Music in the Classroom" by D. Denham. Beautiful melodies, sinister textures and otherworldly treasures. Amazing what you can find sometimes.

- Jb.

Georges has been at it again...

2010-06-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

Just a quick heads up about this new 12" by The Jellies on Trunk Records. I won't re-iterate what Mr Jonny already tells you here, but suffice to say it is a quality release. Among the tracks is the spaced-out Georges Vert Dub, but you also get glorious edits by Jonny Trunk himself (and his friend Mr Tommy Stupid), Fred Deakin and of course, the glorious original version from 1981.

If you Fancy a slice of clunky-but-completely-charming disco, you should be heading straight over to Trunk Records and haranguing Jonny for one of these before he sells out. As is usual with Trunk, the vinyl is limited to 500 copies.

It's a disco record, but it's not your mother's disco record.

- Jb.

Study Series Spotted...

2010-06-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

Yes... they have been sighted. I only had chance to take this quick Polaroid (before the Rev. Jim locked them away in a curious brown leather case), but you can get an idea of how they look. The only word to describe them is 'opulent'. Not since the 1920s, have we seen such decadence. The vinyl is of the heaviest grade available (and sounds amazing), the sleeves have been reverse board printed (so they have a tactile, almost peachy feel in the hands... and the ink soaks in beautifully) and Julian's designs look better than ever.

It goes without saying, but is worth repeating; the vinyl experience is something that no other format can replicate, or better, for unashamed luxury.

- Jb.

What's that sound?

2010-06-18T11:44:00.001-07:00

Some of you have obviously been listening to the clip of the new TAC piece 'New Dimensions In' on the lovingly-redesigned Ghost Box website, as I have been reading your letters; many asking me 'what on earth is that percussion sound, somewhere between a scrape, a howl and an echo?'. Well... it's what I've called the Eggofon. It's basically a mic'd-up egg slicer. It's plucked in a certain way and has an artificially-added tail, courtesy of a generous dollop of analogue echo. So there it is.

I request that everyone retreat to their kitchens, find weird objects that make a good racket and record them. Create!

- Jb.

Hero Wouters - To Be Expected (1974)

2010-05-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

This is just mind-blowing.

- Jb.

New Ghost Box 7" Vinyl!

2010-05-28T03:22:00.000-07:00

The rev. Jim reveals all, on his rather wonderful blog here:

http://jimjupp.blogspot.com/

The Advisory Circle single is called 'Cycles & Seasons' and features a brand new piece called 'New Dimensions In', as well as a B side collaboration between TAC and Hong Kong In The 60s called 'Seasons Change'. The other one, featuring Belbury Poly and Moon Wiring Club is ok, too.

;))

There will be a 6th podcast!

2010-05-18T07:09:00.001-07:00

Just to confirm that there will indeed be a 6th podcast, to round off the first series. It hasn't materialised yet, due to me being really busy with Other Stuff, but it will happen.

Just to keep you all informed. ;))

- Jb.

Interview with The Advisory Circle

2010-05-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

There is an Advisory Circle interview here if anyone would like a bit of an insight into the TAC corner of Ghost Box. The Quietus is a good read generally, definitely worth a visit.

- Jb.

Cafe Kaput Podcast - programme 5 of 5.

2010-04-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

This week's Cafe Kaput podcast is up! The final programme in the series. Fine music for all! This week, the selection ranges from Linda Perhacs to John Schroeder, all the way to Bonzo Dog and The Caretaker. Hope you all enjoy and please tell all your friends to grab a download and listen.

Download Here

Cafe Kaput Podcast - Programme 4 of 5.

2010-04-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

This weeks' Cafe Kaput podcast is up now. We have a packed programme for you! Hope you all enjoyed the library special last week. Back to the usual eclectic selection for the final two programmes (psych, girl group, wonky pop, library music, strange electronics, all manner of oddness).

Download Here!

Cafe Kaput Podcast - programme 3 of 5.

2010-04-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

Cafe Kaput Podcast no3 released! This week, we have a library music special for you. Focusing on more obscure tracks, but with a few classics thrown in. Hope you all enjoy! Download here.

Download Here

Cafe Kaput Podcast - programme 2 of 5.

2010-03-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

Another 45 minutes of psych, library, girl group, wonky pop and just about anything else I can cram in. Hope you all enjoy! Remember to check back next Sunday for programme 3.

Download Programme 2 - 28th March.

- Jb.

Cafe Kaput Podcast Episode 1 of 5.

2010-03-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, first episode of the Cafe Kaput podcast is ready for download. 45 minutes of music and... er... rambling! If you like it, tell others and get them to listen. Hope you all like it.

Download Here

- Jb.

The colour of sound...

2010-03-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

I was talking recently with a friend about the visual representation of sound. I was trying to get him to think about the fact that sound could be represented in colour, shape and texture. Many of us think about sound in an aural sense, of course; we can describe quite clearly in those terms (is it a loud sound? a high frequency sound? a quiet hiss?), but not everyone thinks visually. We all have the ability, but some of us don't nurture that side of our thinking. This is a shame, because there are many parallels to be found between the two worlds.

Here's an example. When I hear a plucked bass guitar, I hear it visually as a very 'liquid' sound (ok, bear with me here and try and think about what that sounds like... I guess we might think of late 1960s Lalo Schifrin soundtracks, or Herbie Flowers bass playing on Serge Gainsbourg's 'Sous Le Soliel Exactement', or 'You Can Fall' by Broadcast, or 'Torch' by the Sisters Of Mercy). i visualise a kind of tear-drop shape, on it's side, it's probably brown and it has a liquid appearance. That's the kind of thing I mean. The way I arrive at that shape is by thinking of the sounds' envelope (that is, it's attack phase, the decay, sustain and release), it's register on the musical stave and it's associated frequency range. The texture of the visual comes from the timbre of the sound, so in this case, I've gone for a kind of burnt umber liquid.

Similarly, high-hat cymbals sound very 'silver' to me. Thin slivers of silver foil, ribbon-like in appearance. They are thin, because of their place in the frequency spectrum and also because high-frequency sounds tend to carry a lot less energy in a mix.

When I'm mixing a piece of music in a recording studio, I rely mainly on my ears, the monitors and the room in order to make mixing decisions, but I invariably have a spectrum analyser on-screen. In one sense, this gives me a visual representation of the 'shape' of the entire mix, as it is happening in real-time. The overall shape of the mix is more often than not, a 'tapered log' shape. There is good reason for this; low frequencies (bass lines, kick drums etc) take up much more energy in the frequency spectrum than the high frequencies (cymbals, shakers, the 'esses' of the vocal etc). Because of their nature, high frequencies require far less energy to sound as subjectively loud as low frequencies. That's the foundation that most mixes are based on.

Oscilloscopes are another way of representing sound in a visual form. They are very useful tools for analysing the waveform of a sound (not to mention entertaining when connected to the output of an analogue synth), but the visual waveform only gives us part of the picture. The problem lies within the fact that, like the spectrum analyser I mentioned before, they are diagrammatic in their representation, rather than conveying the sound in an emotive sense.

I just wish there was some kind of software out there that would represent the images in our heads, on screen. In the meantime, I'll try and think about sound visually, just a little, just sometimes. Try it sometimes, too. It will alter the way you perceive sound, hopefully for the better.

- Jb.

The Maconie Tapes...

2010-03-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

If anyone would like to hear the Advisory Circle / Ghost Box chat between myself and Stuart Maconie, broadcast last night on BBC 6music, it is available on the 'listen again' service (this week only), or you can download and keep the 30 minute segment here:

Download Link

- Jb.

Moon Wiring Club descend on Resonance FM, Saturday 6th, 4pm

2010-03-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

I am positively thrilled to announce that the inevitable Mr Ian Hodgson from Moon Wiring Club will be Jonny Trunk's special guest on the Resonance FM OST show, this Saturday at 4:30pm. Expect all manner of weirdness, banter and good music. Resonance FM broadcasts all across London Town. If you're out of town, you can listen at http://resonancefm.com/

Silence is (not) golden.

2010-03-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

I had an interesting discussion with a friend of mine the other night (it happens, on occasion). She was telling me that her environment was 'suddenly sounding very different', due to road works going on around her house. Not so much the sound of the drilling equipment, more the sounds she was used to hearing, which were no longer there due to the road being closed. Evenings were especially quiet. She had been used to hearing sirens and traffic and all kinds of other peripheral noises for so long, the sounds had become normalised and as soon as they were no longer there, it all felt a bit odd.

It led me to thinking about the habituation of certain sounds and how we perceive them (or don't, as the case may be). Our brains have a built in automatic gain control system (a bit like a compressor / expander in audio circles) which adjusts itself to it's environment. This explains the phenomena of everything sounding much louder at night, when you nip outside to listen to owls in the woodland or your own footsteps on the gravel. Because the environment is generally a lot quieter at night, sounds are amplified. It's a natural part of the 'fight / flight' system. Really quiet situations are generally perceived by our autonomic nervous systems as 'dangerous' and our bodies are on the alert from thereon, basically.

So, generally, silence is not golden at all. We like a bit of background noise, as it helps our bodies to relax and calms our nerves a bit; it enhances our environment in much the same way as Eno envisaged the purpose of ambient music. 'It should be as ignorable as it is interesting', said Eno. He was talking about habituation of sound in exactly the same way as my friend was when she referred to the traffic noise she was used to hearing (and comfortable with). You don't necessarily need to be actively listening to enjoy it, or feel the benefits. Hands up who likes the sound of their washing machine, or dishwasher whirring away in the background? Many of us. It's a comforting sound.

Audiologists Heller and Bergman conducted an experiment, where they lined up and cajoled a group of people into an anechoic chamber, way back in 1953. These were people with generally good hearing, healthy ears, etc. Within minutes of experiencing relative silence, every single one of them started to experience symptoms of tinnitus. Their nervous systems had reacted to the silent anechoic chamber environment, turned up the volume control on their ears (well, actually their brain) and they began 'hearing' what are known as somato-sounds (i.e. electrical pulses and other sounds originating in and around the brain). This, in turn, felt really uncomfortable and most of them couldn't wait to get out of there and back into a relatively noisy environment.

It's much the same situation with recorded music. Personally, I'm uncomfortable with the sound of 'digital black' in recordings (i.e. no background noise at all in quiet stages). I like a bit of tape hiss. To me, it just sounds more natural. Not necessarily more 'analogue', but it helps glue the sounds together so much more and makes things sound more like 'a record' to my ears. I'm not talking about really obvious 'tape effects' either, I literally mean a subtle, but comforting hiss in the background. If you're in the habit of listening to music recorded in times before the digital revolution, you will have certainly experienced that effect, without even thinking about it. Some of us add these sounds to our records now, in order to create the same feeling (and it doesn't matter how you go about it, as long as it works).

So as you go around your environment (and listen to your favourite records), listen to the background sometimes, instead of just the foreground. There are details in there which may make you think a little, or raise questions about your environment, the sounds around you and how you react to them.

- Jb.

Ok, we'll try again.

2010-03-01T03:57:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I got it completely and utterly wrong about the timing of last night's Freak Zone. So...

The Freak Zone, Sunday March 7th, 5:30pm. I will be chatting to Stuart Maconie about Ghost Box, playing a few tunes from the revised edition of Mind How You Go and playing a brand new exclusive TAC track that no-one has ever heard. Ever. Apart from myself and Stuart Maconie, anyway.

The BBC 6music website has been updated and it does indeed mention The Advisory Circle as a feature on the March 7th show.

The Freak Zone...

- Jb.

The Freak Zone, BBC 6Music, this Sunday evening, 5:30 pm.

2010-02-24T11:39:00.001-08:00

Went into the BBC today, to talk with Stuart Maconie about all things Ghost Box and MHYG. Had a great chat, played a few tracks (including a new one you haven't heard) and all went quite well, I reckon. I think the show goes out this Sunday at 5:30 pm on BBC 6music.

It's all about the arrangement...

2010-02-21T08:48:00.000-08:00

I have to arrange (obviously) my own music, but also the music of others. It's part of my job. I also listen to a varied platter of stuff when I'm not working. So, there's no getting away from it. What have I been listening to recently? Early electronic music from the '50s, cloudy '70s library music, '80s Italo disco, '20s hot jazz, '60s cool jazz, R&B and various forms of Pop from 2010. That's just for starters.

What do they all have in common? The best examples all have wonderfully strong arrangements. Good arrangement is the key element which sets apart a good piece of music from an exceptional one. It's all contextual, of course; what works for one piece won't necessarily work for another.

When scoring for an orchestra, the focus of arrangement comes from the selection of instruments and where and when they will play. Space is created in a piece of music, not only from left to right in a stereo sense, it is also created from front to back. Have a listen to this piece by Tammy St John - "Dark Shadows & Empty Hallways". It's a classic '60s production, but listen to the way it's arranged, just once (don't always do this, just enjoy it for what it is).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nCMfoefQBY

It sounds absolutely massive. Why? Well, ok, there is a good amount of reverb on the recording (especially the vocal) but the real reason is that nothing is out of place in the arrangement. The strings are epic, but they play around the vocal, which is the main focus of the song. If you really listen, you will notice that the strings (and other instrumental elements) aren't nearly as full-on as you first think. The vocal is allowed to breathe and become the centre of attention. The whole thing is a big illusion.

Let's try a wildly different example. This is an electronic arrangement by producer Ryan Leslie for the R&B artist Cassie. Listen to the way the synth elements and minimal drums play around the vocal. All elements in the song live quite symbiotically and although the arrangement is far more minimal than the Tammy St John example, there is enough going on throughout the song to carry it along and form a cohesive piece of music.

http://www.last.fm/music/Cassie/_/Me%2B%2526%2BU%2B%2528Main%2529

I've been reading a lot about and listening to music from Northern India recently. If ever there was a music which relies on impeccable arrangement, it is found in the ragas of Kolkata. What is even more interesting, is that the majority of the music is improvised. Therefore, it takes a huge amount of skill and taste to control the arrangement, completely on the fly. Quite often, there will only be three performers; a tabla player, a string instrument player (the instrument varies) and a drone player (or electronic drone machine, such as a Shruti box). Remember too, that this music isn't based on the western tradition of using chord changes as a device to inject interest into a piece. So, every note that is played counts. Subhasis and Debashish Bhattacharya know all about this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r_mRktR-68

The best arrangements are always uncluttered. It makes for satisfying listening. Quite often, it's more about the notes you don't play than the ones you do. It's not immediately obvious, that one. It took me a number of years to really get it, but I'm there now, I think. I'm certainly not saying that you should always listen to music in this way, but sometimes it's interesting to give these things a bit of thought and come to your own conclusions.

- Jb.

The Advisory Circle on Twitter.

2010-02-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

Just a quick mention that there is an Advisory Circle Twitter feed:

http://twitter.com/advisorycircle

- Jb.

It's time for Tristram Cary.

2010-02-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

If you're at all interested in the history of electronic music, you are going to need this forthcoming release from Trunk Records. It's absolutely essential. Tristram Cary was one of three men (alongside Peter Zinovieff and electronics genius David Cockerell) who developed the EMS VCS3 (which was the first British synthesizer aimed at recording musicians, rather than being strictly the preserve of academics). He was also an extremely prolific composer, both in the electronic music / musique concrete / electroacoustic sphere and also the orchestral world.

The music presented on the Trunk release concentrates mainly on the electronic side, but also includes some delightful orchestral pieces peppered throughout. The interesting thing (and something to think about) is that it all hangs together so well. Every piece bears the hallmark of TC's exceptionally fluid compositional style, thus illustrating that the means by which you create and deliver a piece of music is unimportant; it's the ideas that matter.

Something I liked in the sleevenotes (written by his son, John Cary); we learn that after a hard day's composing, TC was very partial to unwinding with a large glass of scotch in front of a sitcom or old gangster film. For that alone, he deserves to be in your record collection. And not before time.

- Jb.

Through the Green Lens...

2010-02-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

Well... it's appropriate that Café Kaput should start with a post about The New Record. It's here and it looks amazing.

Julian's artwork for Ghost Box is perfect for the format and the whole thing just feels 'right' somehow. Seeland and The Belbury Poly have contributed their re-interpretations of 'Osprey' and 'Cuckoo', respectively. Both amazing to my ears.

I included a new recording of 'Mind How You Go' and also a new track, 'Seasons', which I started writing during the MHYG sessions, but not finished and mixed until now.

It'll be available from March 5th. You can pre-order it here.

- Jb.