Author: NerveJam

BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend Review. Better late than never.

Posted on by NerveJam

Yes, I know it’s a bit after the event, but it’s not often I get out and about these days.

My son (now 15) wanted to go to this event, which was only a few miles away from where we live. being under 16, someone had to go with him. That’d be me..

It was originally billed as a two-day event (Sat/Sun) with separate tickets for each. We got priority tickets as we were “local”, which was a good job as they sold out instantly. They later added a “dance” night on the Friday as well.

We went for the Sunday tickets, as Catfish and the Bottlemen were on the bill – on the main stage, a few hours after the dreadful Little Mix. Dancing cucumbers?

They later added 21 Pilots to the Sunday bill, as well, but managed to clash that with the 1975..

It was so rammed that the only way to see Catfish was to “infiltrate” the crowd before the previous act.. so we ended up watching Jax Jones before Catfish.  Surprisingly entertaining, with lots of guests and mad inflatables on stage.

I have to say that Catfish and the Bottlemen were the highlight for me. Never seen them before, but they were well-rehearsed and slick, and the audience were obviously well into them. I can see why.

Then off to the McDonald’s “free” nuggets experience. Weird. But hey, free nuggets. And a queue.

Lots of face-stuffing later (noodles, and a footlong chilli dog. Jeez. Expensive. AT least the water was free.

Had a go on the big wheel. Lots of photos (*)

Toilets were a hassle, but could have been far worse. Not keen on pissing against a wall in an open bit of field..

Ok, moving on, we had to do the infiltrating thing again in the indoor stage to get a decent view of 21 Pilots. That meant enduring Dave’s Set (nightmare), and 2 Door Cinema Club (Excellent). The crowd was crammed in, and they were throwing beer (I hope it was beer). How that didn’t erupt into violence, I have no idea.

I’d seen 2 Door Cinema Club on TV before, but they were really good live. But 21 Pilots were amazing (My son’s favourite band). The “Drum-surfing” was crazy, and right next to us, too. (He surfed the drumkit and himself into the crowd, and started playing IN the crowd. WOW!

By the time they finished, we were way too late to watch “The 1975“, but hey, you can’t have everything.

On the shuttle-bus (no parking on-site), I realised that my phone SD Card was corrupt. No photos. Bollocks. But memories, yes!

 

 

 

 

Electronic Sound Issue 53 – Where’s Dave?

Posted on by NerveJam

As usual, I get to read it in WH Smith’s before my subscription bundle copy arrives at home.

Surely that’s not right?

Anyway, where is Synthesiser Dave? Not here, that’s where. No mention of him.

And why are all the images missing in the article starting on page 64? Blank white space looks crap.
The 7″ vinyl is by some obscure Euro band from 1980.. again.. hopefully something better next month?

Dave: “Who turned out the lights”?

Electronic Sound Edition 52 is just around the corner. [Amon Tobin] [updated]

Posted on by NerveJam

I know this because I got an e-mail saying my subscription has been taken for it.

I have no idea what’s in this one as there doesn’t seem to be a slip in the previous package to tell me..

I just hacked the ES website and found this:

 

I did notice that there are still copies of Edition 51 (Deux Single) and Edition 50 (Karl Bartos single), both with and without the vinyl.

The Bartos one did sell out, but additional copies were printed)..

Get in quick if you want them..

 

** UPDATE: They are taking orders now. Delivery is 11.4.2019. **

 

 

 

Heads up: Karl Bartos Vinyl with Electronic Sound issue 50!

Posted on by NerveJam

Yup. THAT Karl Bartos. Ex-Kraftwerk.Two tracks on 7" vinyl.
You heard it here first.
Hopefully NOT stuff from "Communication", cos I’ve played that to death. I AM the message..

This will be in (almost) as much demand as the John Foxx vinyl with ES-48, so I’d advise you to get a subscription.
I missed out on the "The Normal" single a few issues back and I am still kicking myself..

This message was sent from my phone. Please excuse the brevity and any typos. Thanks

Moogtastic! – Electronic Sound Issue 49

Posted on by NerveJam

Here’s the info on Electronic Sound Issue 49:

Issue 49

In our Moogtastic new issue we take a look at how Dr Bob’s famous early machines defined the sound of the 1970s. The tale of how Moog took hold in the States has been well told on our pages via the adventures of Paul Beaver and Bernie Krause, less known is the story of the British invasion. In our cover feature, we meet Mike Vickers, formerly of Manfred Mann, the proud owner of one of the first Moog IIIC’s to arrive on UK shores. Vickers was hired by The Beatles to help with the making of ‘Abbey Road’ following which the synth genie was well and truly out of the bottle.

Elsewhere in our cover feature, we examine the influence of Moog and chart the under-the-radar connections that shaped the sound world of an entire generation. We take a trip from those first Moog adventures with Mike Vickers as our guide, we talk to KPM composers Alan Hawkshaw and Brian Bennett about the heyday of library music and discuss the lasting legacy of their work with Matt Berry who celebrates the classic TV theme tune.

Elsewhere, we meet Sheffield’s rather excellent International Teachers Of Pop, who does what their name promises, we tell the unheard story of Scottish synthpop almost-rans Secession and catch up with the trailblazing Ultramarine as they prepare to release an excellent new album.

More? You’ll find Stephen Mallinder telling us the tale behind Cabaret Voltaire’s epic ‘Nag Nag Nag’, Hacienda legend Graeme Park talks us through some of his favourite things in Under The Influence and we relive the birth of Pan Sonic in a Brixton backstreet club in the early 1990s in Time Machine.

We start the year as we mean to go on by packing our Back section with reviews of the essential releases coming your way this month and filling up our Front section with all manner of synths, hi-fi, books, toys, gadgets and events that’ll have you wondering how we do it. How do we do it? That would be telling.

Limited edition seven-inch single

Taken from 1972’s ‘A Moog For All Reasons’ album recorded for the KPM music library, our limited edition seven-inch single features two tracks by Mike Vickers. Formerly of Manfred Mann, Vickers was transfixed by the idea of Robert Moog’s magical machines and, without even having been near one, ordered a monstrously pricey IIIc modular, figured out what it could do and quickly became the go-to producer for your more adventurous artistes, working with The Beatles on ‘Abbey Road’.

“I did a lot of library music,” says Vickers, “but I became someone who went out for hire with the Moog. The next thing I knew I was in some studio or other, with someone wanting it to sound like strings or a French horn, which wasn’t the way I wanted to think, I just wanted to play around with it.”

And play around he most certainly did. On the two extraordinary KPM tracks featured on our seven-inch, Vickers really was able to let his imagination run riot with the Moog. Example? The lead track on our seven-inch is ‘The Adding Machine’, an intense five minute Moog workout.

“I remember that,” says Vickers. “It was just one note and I gradually add more and more until it’s a huge jumble at the end. I was quite impressed with that one!”

Here’s the link..