Kooky Records
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Visit product page →1. All Of The Stars Part 12. 7 Again Or Dust3. Alice In Clearwater4. Helicopter/Microbes5. The Ventriloquist6. Love Your Mother7. Arctic Winter8. Friendly Borders9. No Trubba!10. A Golden Age11. The Sun Will Rise12. All Of The Stars Part 2
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Heavy Forest Air' a live spontaneous musical collaboration between Eugene Skeef and Rae Howell (Sunwrae).Visit product page →
Recorded live by Jared Miller at The Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada, it was an impulsive venture in a hall filled with percussion instruments that began as an experiment following an intensive three-month winter music residency.
The three tracks are suitably bound by Eugene's stylish labyrinth of rhythms on all things percussive and Rae's minimalistic prowess on marimba and vibraphone.
Heavy Forest Air is a mellifluent sound world, unclassifiable, yet superbly ceremonious. Eugene serendipitously changes between udu, congas, gongs, water bowls and many other drums, providing solid, yet continuously surprising rhythmic backbones to Rae's creations on melodic percussion.
1. Heavy Forest Air
2. Ocean of Emptiness
3. Restless Woodland -
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Paean to Wilson is arguably Vini Reilly and the Durutti Columns most important and consistent piece of work since the demise of the original and seminal Factory Records in the early 1990's. It was commissioned MIF (Manchester International Festival of Music), July 2009. Vini had already composed pieces for Tony to listen to whilst he was ill in hospital and it was from here that the project developed. The opening night of the three sell-out festival shows formed part of the BBC2 'Culture Show' coverage on the event. Dave Simpson ' MIF Review ' The Guardian 20/7/09 4 out of 5 '
Near the beginning of the final night of the Durutti Column's 70-minute international festival tribute to Tony Wilson, A Paean to Wilson, guitarist Vini Reilly announced that he wouldn't be singing: "So you won't have to put up with my awful voice and schoolboy lyrics." If Wilson was with us, he would have chuckled.
The Granada presenter-turned-Factory Records boss spent years urging his first signing to stop singing, and concentrate on the virtuosity that led Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante to call Reilly "the greatest guitarist in the world". Two years after his death, Wilson got his way, one of many lovely touches in a very personal, emotional and often warmly funny musical tribute.
Wilson signed Joy Division and Happy Mondays, yet never gave up on this cult band he adored, working with them even after his legendary label went bankrupt.
(Repress in limited coloured vinyl of 2013 RSD release DOES NOT include Festival Programme, Postcard Certificate or DL)
Tracklisting:
Vinyl 2xLP:
I. Or Are You Just A TechnicianII. ChantIII. QuatroIV. RequiemV. StukiVI. Along Came PoppyVII. BrotherVIII. Duet With PianoIX. Darkness HereX. Catos RevisitedXI. The TruthXII. How Unbelievable
2CD
A Paean To Wilson - MovementI. Or Are You Just A TechnicianII. ChantIII. QuatroIV. RequiemV. StukiVI. Along Came PoppyVII. BrotherVIII. Duet With PianoIX. Darkness HereX. Catos RevisitedXI. The TruthXII. How Unbelievable
CD Bonus Disc: Heaven Sent(It Was Called Digital. It Was Heaven Sent)1. Bruce2. Keir3. Neil4. Mike5. Alan6. Anthony -
The partly autobiographical album was first commissioned for a performance in April 2011 at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. During this period, Vini and Poppy (his girlfriend of 9 years) parted company and it was a heartbroken Vini that went on to complete the production.Visit product page →
Despite the breakup, Poppy had agreed to perform on piano that evening for two of the songs that she had written with Vini accompanying on guitar. Over the following three years, the artist has battled serious illness and has not played a full show since. It was ' and still is ' a very difficult time physically, mentally and emotionally for Vini Reilly. The compositions reflect a particular stage in Vini's recent life.
At the Bridgewater Hall show, a pre-release limited edition CD was available exclusively for that show, with a note by Vini explaining the background to the new work. Whilst Chronicle began as an autobiographical project, events in his life during recording the album brought a new twist to the project.
Chronicle 1 and LX: Chronicle 2 ' The Music.
Bruce Mitchell (Drums and Percussion) "So there are two versions of Chronicle. We did a special edition for the gig at the Bridgewater Hall, where people could get the album as part of a premium ticket deal. In 2011, we premiered the music there, with all Vini's photographs up on the screen.
That was the last gig really. The following day, Phil Cleaver from Kooky said he'd got back home to find his emails full of requests from the audience to buy one. So they all sold out, immediately. But soon afterwards Vin became really ill." "It was a big, expensive recording, Chronicle. And Vin, despite being ill, did this further version, taking all aspects of musical life.
So there's Chronicle 1 and Chronicle 2. What I wanted Vini to do as a composer was something similar to Elgar's Enigma Variations. A piece of music about certain people in a life. I wanted him to do this and link the music to photographs he'd taken over the years. Vin's a great photographer."
However, Reilly remains the Durutti Column's indisputable leader, and had the last say. Bruce continues: "I didn't quite get what I wanted, because in the end, Vini wanted the album to be about his life at this point in time. We couldn't finish it for a while because Vin was in such a bad way. But now it's there. And we've got some very interesting, very powerful music on this. Vini doesn't think show business. To him, it's all about a musical imperative."
Chronicle LX - The Package This package continues the Durutti Column's tradition of the innovative.
This special packaging contains personal images from the artist's camera and photographic collection. Continuing the autobiographical theme, the packaging will acknowledge previous releases through parts of its design and materials used herein. A foil blocked burgundy textured clamshell box will contain: A full colour saddle stitched booklet with an introduction by Bruce Mitchell and a collage of photographs from Vini's own personal collection:
A map (randomly selected one of six designs) redrawn in 'Obey the Time' purple and yellow showing a place of importance to the artist.
A grey foil blocked certificate.
Two compact discs in wallets.
Chronicle One:1. 'Fanfare'2. 'Embattled Heart And Rattling'3. 'Synergetic'4. 'Poppy & Pancho'5. 'The Rest Of A Life '6. 'The Water Colour Class' Featuring Jill Taylor7. 'Nine Years'8. 'Party' (The Version)9. 'Mello'10. 'Mercy In The Cathedral'11. 'To Raise A Gentle Smile'12. 'Pancho & Poppy'13. 'Fanfare Reprise'Chronicle Two:1. 'Free From All The Chaos' Feat. Caoilfhionn Rose Birley2. 'Electrostatic' Feat. Caoilfhionn Rose Birley3. 'Follow' Feat. Caoilfhionn Rose Birley4. 'Misery' Feat. Caoilfhionn Rose Birley5. Big Bill Rance'6. 'The Tabla Bong Guitar7. 'Hotel Calderon'8. 'Dry On The Rocks'9. 'Sharrock's Tune'10. 'The Changes Go Up And The Changes Go Down'11. 'For Jammer James'12. 'Juan Montero & The Drum'
Chronicle Online Bonus Material
An additional third black wallet contains a sandpaper insert c/w unique access code to further content.Music ' Full original version previously commercially unreleasedLive versions of tracks with Poppy MorganStems from A Paean to Wilson Images ' Further images taken by the artist to complement the bookletRare unseen press shots and film proofs from archive material Gigography ' The definitive list of Durutti shows up to the present day. -
Sunlight to blue - ¦ Blue to blackness' - This was one of the more upbeat title suggestions for this very bare, back to basics, reflective album from The Durutti Column.Visit product page →
Many of the pieces are simply instrumentals played on his Juan Montero flamenco guitar, and he returns to 'Without Mercy' for the last track 'Grief' and reinvents 'Never Known' from LC.
For the uninitiated, Vini was the first artist signed to Manchester's influential Factory Records, co-wrote and played on Morrissey's first solo album Viva Hate'.
Tracklisting:
1. Glimpse
2. Contact
3. Messages
4. Ged
5. Ananda
6. Never Known Version
7. So Many Crumbs And Monkeys!
8. Head Glue
9. Demo For Gathering Dust
10. Cup A Soup Romance
11. Grief
Release Date: 07/12/2018 -
Some of the songs here are improvisations, reworkings of art-installation soundtracks, and snippets of lyrics and musical passages from the past.Visit product page →
Gone are most of the drum machines and much of the sampling, and in their place is more focused and intense guitar strumming.
Tempus Fugit is an emotional, vibrant musical masterstroke from an artist who seems to never release anything less. ALLMUSIC
Tracklisting:
1. Counting...
2. Shooting
3. Lullaby 4 Nina
4. Mystery
5. Guitar-Woman
6. Violence
7. Bollywood
8. Love song on Quattro
9. Tempus Fugit
10. The man who knows
11. Slipping away
12. Trip for an Opera
13. Untitled for You
14. Salford Harmonics
15. ...
Release Date: 07/12/2018 -
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Arguably the seminal Durutti Column album, the ironically titled ‘Vini Reilly’ is now available remastered and expanded to a two-disc set. First released in1989 – the album Vini Reilly, features the extensive use of sampling, with looped samples of vocalists as the basis for several tracks. As his peers wrestled with Akai Sampler engineered rare groove or break beats, these voices blended well for an artist - combining Viola, Chinese vocals and his trademark guitars.
Ending on ‘My Country’, which dolefully reflects on the state of Manchester, the lyrics seem apt again today…Disc two was curated from a TDK tape which was found in a storage box recently. It was marked ‘Sampler tunes’ and contained all the material released. Much of this has not been heard for several years, being the demos and sketches, which were used by Vini during the making of the record in London.
Ever the re-inventor, the artist chose a mixture of Opera - Dame Joan Sutherland (his fathers favourite) Soul Ballads - Otis Redding and Folk/Pop - Tracy Chapman and Annie Lennox. The album flows from classical-based flamenco and operatic voices, to the soul of Otis, either side of a rockier drum led Peoples Pleasure Park.
Bruce Mitchell recalls that the recording was not a particularly easy time. The artist was unwell and had to be wheeled in and out to get the material together with Stephen Street. ‘I could not bring myself to even listen to the finished article until a couple of months had passed’ recalls the drummer, ‘…but when I heard it I knew what a great record we had made’. Currently Vini is recovering from a stroke and busy writing for his next project.
A new biographical musical commission is to be premiered in Manchester at the Bridgewater Hall on 30th April 2011, which will be an audiovisual product and a CD will be released following. Finally, ‘Requiem Again’ was used within the first half of the Tom Cruise film Jerry Maguire Reilly is still looking for someone to show him the money
Tracklisting:
1. Love No More2. Pol In G3. Opera I4. People's Pleasure Park5. Red Square6. Finding The Sea7. Otis8. William B9. They Work Every Day10. Opera II11. Homage To Catalonea12. Requiem Again13. My CountryKOOKYDISC 30 / 21. Opera II / Demo2. Finding The Sea / 13. PPP / Demo4. Juxqan Montero / Sketch 15. Sample Tune6. Finding The Sea / 27. Juan Montero / Sketch 28. William B / Demo9. Sketches On Stratocaster -
Nightingale Versions will be released on 24 November 2014 as a limited edition CD from Kooky Records. Ten artists have each provided a track; with their individual interpretation of a field recording of Nightingale bird song made by Phil Cleaver at Glapthorn Cow Pastures.Visit product page →
The same source was offered to all the artists to use however they wished in some part.
This recording of male Nightingales was recorded during the early spring when the unpaired male Nightingale shows off its loud, melodic and percussive song as it looks to attract a mate and define territory. The song of the Nightingale has been described as one of the most beautiful sounds in nature. Loud, with an impressive range of whistles, trills and gurgles; it has been inspiring songs, fairy tales, opera, books, and a great deal of poetry over many years.
The compilation has electronic and ambient contributions from John Foxx, Micronormous (aka Matthew Eaton from Pram) and Laurie Laptop (Durutti Column); through to the cinematic Mark Tranmer (gnac) and darker more industrial Andrew Liles (Current 93, Faust, Nurse With Wound) and Windy and Carl. Slipstream and Oliver Cherer (Dollboy) offer two beautiful pop gems to complete patchwork of offerings.
Tracklisting:
1. John Foxx - A Small Wood In A Big World
2. Michael Tanner - Apollyan in D
3. Slipstream - Fly
4. Micronormous - Migration
5. Mark Tranmer - uguisubari
6. Woodcraft Folk - Glass Bells
7. Windy and Carl - Night
8. Andrew Liles - Annie
9. Laurie Laptop - Silva Pslamus
10. Oliver Cherer - Judy Makes Three