Thursday 28 October 2010

ONE MORE STORY: THE OC HALLOWEEN MIXTAPE


Seeing as how you'll have to wait until November 10th for the relaunch of The Outer Church... and the hour of darkness is almost upon us... here's a mixtape to see you through the Season Of The Witch... and by the way... do have nightmares...


"One More Story..."
Graham Reznick Today In New York City
Forest Graveyard
Kultivator Smafolket
Fabio Frizzi Fatti Misteriosi
"As though I had no place in the world..."
Goblin Strive After Dark (Alternative Version)
DD Denham The Way The Vicar Smiles
Archaia La Roue
"I don't belong in the world..."
Fresh Maggots Who's To Die
John Carpenter Midnight
Pendle Coven Aged Drone
Melissa Nadler Bird On Your Grave
Mount Vernon Arts Lab Broadcasting
Mellow Candle The Poet And The Witch
Zombi Sequence 2
"Footprints... then nothing."
John Carpenter & Alan Howarth Halloween Montage

Thursday 7 October 2010

THE OUTER CHURCH REBORN


Yes, tis true. The Outer Church has flown the old coop and settled at a new address, that of Komedia on Gardner Street, Brighton. The OC will take place monthly in the Studio and regularly feature live performances and films as well as the (very) odd disc spun by DJs Joseph Stannard and Kemper Norton.

In order to go some way towards covering costs for the night, we have found it necessary to ask a small admission fee. However, we fully intend to give every congregation their geld's worth and make good on our promise of spectral sounds, uncanny visions and electronic folklore, every month.

As you can see from the marvellous affiche above, the first edition of the relaunched Church commences on November 10th and is produced in association with Mordant Music, one of the finest outlets for bent sounds in our unfair land, having released music by Shackleton, Vindicatrix, Cosmic Dennis Greenridge and Mr Maxted among others. Top level spore Baron Mordant will be revolving specially selected platters and screening exclusive films from the MM editing suite while Vindicatrix will be playing a live set, giving an indication as to why he is being hailed as a startlingly original new voice - literally, as his inimitable vocals are a key element - in British electronic music.

And there's more where that came from...

Sunday 3 October 2010

LOVE UNDER WIL


I first came across this song on a rather scrappy freak rock compilation bought in a sale at Rough Trade. Despite its shoddy sleeve graphics the CD was loaded with gems, and this song was the most lustrous of them all. 'House Of Many Windows' was incorrectly credited to Motherlight on the compilation, further research revealing that Motherlight was actually the title of a 1969 album, the work of a three-piece by the name of Bobak, Jons, Malone. Engineer Mike Bobak, producer Andy 'brother of Glyn' Johns (renamed Jons for the purposes of this release) and singer-songwriter Wil Malone were sessioneers working under the auspices of Monty Babson, owner of Morgan Studios and the similarly named record label. The project was instigated by Babson, who required a suitably 'progressive' album for his Morgan Blue Town offshoot.

On hearing the full album, I was gratified to find that the song I'd been so impressed by was not a fluke. Motherlight is a fantastic record, dominated by Malone's cool, airy vocals and churning post-psych organ, creating a style one might call 'progressive freakbeat' and allied to some highly memorable tunes, such as this one. It's a perfect autumn album, wistful yet biting, with an undercurrent of manic - and very English - surrealism.

Since then, Wil Malone has maintained something of a spectral presence in rock and pop. He immediately followed Motherlight with a self-titled solo album of pastoral psychedelia and an effort with short-lived Fickle Pickle. He composed the groundbreaking soundtrack to 1972 Brit horror film Death Line and has arranged strings for Black Sabbath ('Spiral Architect'), Massive Attack ('Unfinished Sympathy') and The Verve ('Bittersweet Symphony'). Prior to all of this he had been a member of the obscure but splendid psych outfit Orange Bicycle. Needless to say, given his services to supranatural sonics, Malone is guaranteed a place of honour in The Outer Church's pantheon of shady greats.

Friday 1 October 2010

SLUMBERWICK DREAMS



What's this? Brand new sounds from Moon Wiring Club, just as autumn emerges from the ashes of summer, shaking the leaves off its big brown overcoat? Apparently so. Clinkskell is a town built on tradition, so for the season to begin without a murmur from its most celebrated musical institution would be somewhat... unusual. Hark!