by Kev Rowland | Jun 2, 2018 | Reviews
by Kev Rowland
‘Reformat’ evolved from a collection of songs written by Luke Pajak and produced by his friend and long-suffering collaborator, Russ Russell (Napalm Death, Dimmu Borgir, At the Gates, The Wildhearts, The Exploited, Evile, The Haunted, Lock Up, Defecation, Meathook Seed, The Berzerker, The Rotted, Space Ritual and many, many more). They were then joined by Jay Russell on drums and electronics and the result is this their debut album. I’ve been playing this album a great deal, and I am still at a loss as to how to describe it. The keyboard sounds are right out of the early Eighties, with strong guitars (sometimes), weird electronic noises (sometimes), a feeling of electro which is way more melodic than it should be (sometimes), and rock-based jazz drummer. Confused? I am, and I’m listening to it! I know, let’s go to their FB site and see how they describe it themselves “The sound has been compared to an obsolete games console recalling chiptunes sung by their factory siblings before they were separated and packaged for sale. Others have described it as the sound of a 56k modem dialing directly into their psyche. The album is also a soundtrack to a cross-media concept that features an interactive adventure inspired by 1980s sci-fi films.” Yes, that all makes sense… not!
I really have no idea what is going on, except that it is incredibly infectious, and when I am playing it I am taken to some sort of happy place and I am smiling (although not drooling, drooling is bad). It is an intriguing album, from the artwork through the different instrumentals, and while some songs could be termed as neo-prog, crossover prog or even electronic prog, one of the delights of this album is an apparent refusal to sit within any particular genre. What I do know is that it isn’t nearly as heavy as Russ Russell’s CV would suggest, but he does know how to generate interesting sounds. Definitely worth investigating.
8/10
by Nick | Apr 28, 2018 | New Releases, News
We are proud to announce that the vinyl release of The Fierce & The Dead‘s upcoming third album ‘The Euphoric’ will be released in this stylish gatefold sleeve, marrying the design talents of Brian Mitchell with Mark Buckingham’s stunning artwork. Feel free to click on the image for a closer look – we think it’s really rather pretty, perfect for the design-conscious vinyl fan.
If you’d like a copy of this impressive piece of design, you can pre-order ‘The Euphoric’ here:
https://tfatd.bandcamp.com/album/the-euphoric
by Nick | Jul 26, 2017 | Uncategorized
Hello, You!
I’m typing this on a Sunday, after the most epic home-cooked curry. There are bound to be typos as most of my energy is currently being put into digestion. I’ll do my best to type something coherent through the paneer induced fug. My brain is currently secondary to my stomach.
Talking of curry, I visited David Elephant, founder of my record label, in his office The Spice Inn, Stratford last week. Among other things we discussed the next new music, I’ll be releasing. Yes, the mythical ‘secret project’ will be unleashed upon an unsuspecting and indifferent world in just a matter of months. Tremble ye mighty, for it shall humble your ears.
But not yet. Patience, patience.
Anyway, gigs have started! Gigs!
Yes, that’s right, the first Tom Slatter Duo gig (we’re not calling it the Tom Slatter Duo, that’s an awful name) has taken place. It was a lovely gig in Darlington, UK. I have written a blog post about it in which i explain exactly how rock n roll Gareth and I are (hint: not very):
I first worked with Gareth when we both played on a track called Wounds from Mike Kershaw’s last album. When I mentioned online that I was gearing up to get gigging again, Gareth offered his services, which I thought sounded grand. I have a lot of songs, particularly on Happy People, that just can’t work as a solo song. …Read more
As I mention in the blog, the gig has also been reviewed, so there’s another write-up to read over here.
What’s more, Emma the promoter has sent me a live recording. It’s just the unedited feed from the sound desk, and being an acoustic gig that means it isn’t a perfect recreation of the sound. You can hear both guitars and the vocal, however, so here is a link to the mp3 of the opening track:
Happy People Live in Darlington (MP3)
A great night, and yes I did glare at Gareth once or twice.
Anyway, the next gigs are:
1st August Supporting The Far Meadow at the Horns in Watford
5th August The Surrey Steampunk Convivial in New Malden
All the links to tickets and so on are at this link.
Midsummer Madness
Last weekend I went to see Mothertongue, and to do away with ‘fan’ Tony, who had been going far too far with bad puns over on The Tom Slatter Immoral Support Group. Alas, I was not as successful as I hope:
Tony claims he’s a fan of my music. That might be the case, though if you can decipher this sub-Joycean melange of a review you more clever than I. He is, however, guilty of the most egregious, violent punning on the internet….Read more
Still Happy
Happy People is selling quite nicely, but of course, there are still copies. You can get your mitts on a copy, or stream the whole thing over here.
Thanks for listening!
Tom Slatter
www.tomslatter.co.uk
by Nick | Sep 28, 2016 | New Releases, News
The Far Meadow is the product of several previous collaborations, combining influences from bands past and genres from metal to jazz with a healthy dose of innovation that has produced a distinctive, free-flowing sound. This new album – the first with the current lineup – is a full-blooded expression of this sound, developing many years of musical experience and experimentation into one harmonious whole that encapsulates the intensity of their explosive live performances.
David Elliott of BEM says: “Since seeing them at Resonance, I’ve been looking forward to seeing what The Far Meadow have to offer, and suffice it to say I haven’t been disappointed. This is a wholly unique album with a brilliant sound and I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!”
‘Given The Impossible’ releases on 4th November 2016. Order your copy now from the BEM Music store and you get an immediate download of the track ‘Dinosaurs’:
Follow The Far Meadow
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thefarmeadow/
Official Website http://www.thefarmeadow.com/
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=68100456 size=large bgcol=333333 linkcol=0f91ff tracklist=false artwork=small]
by Nick | Sep 19, 2016 | News
Bad Elephant Music is proud to announce that they will be releasing ‘Why The Sea Is Salt’, the third album from London progressive rock band The Gift on 28th October 2016.
‘Why The Sea Is Salt’ consists of six superbly crafted songs, including one bona-fide epic in ‘All These Things’. As always the emphasis is on melody and lyricism, with the core writing team now bolstered by the return of founder member Leroy James and by classical pianist Gabriele Baldocci. Mike Morton’s heartfelt lyrics are at the fore, with themes including love, loss, rampant materialism and the nature of the sea.
The album is also graced by stellar guest performances from ex-Genesis guitarists Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips, and by Tiger Moth Tales and Red Bazar multi-instrumentalist Peter Jones. The album was mixed by Dave Lloyd, and mastered by Daniel Bowles at Seren Sounds. The sumptuous design is the work of internationally renowned artist Mark Buckingham.
1. At Sea
2. Sweeper Of Dreams
3. Tuesday’s Child
4. The Tallest Tree
5. All These Things
6. At Sea – Reprise (Ondine’s Song)
Mike Morton – lead vocals
Dave Lloyd – guitars and backing vocals
Leroy James – guitars and backing vocals
Gabriele Baldocci – keyboards
Neil Hayman – drums and percussion
Guest musicians on ‘The Tallest Tree’:
Anthony Phillips – 12-string guitar
Steve Hackett – lead guitar
Peter Jones – Irish whistle
All songs written, arranged and produced by The Gift
Recorded at The Facilty, May-July 2016
Mastered by Daniel Bowles at Seren Sound Suite
Cover paintings, illustrations and band logo © Mark Buckingham
All pre-orders of the compact disc will come with an exclusive postcard featuring the album cover design, and signed by the band on the reverse. You also get ‘Sweeper of Dreams’ to download immediately.
