Ben Bell talks Patchwork Cacophony, Gandalf’s Fist and new album with Broken Parachute

Hello everyone,

It’s been a bit quiet on the Patchwork Cacophony front since the release of Five of Cups. Have I hung up my keyboards and retired? Hardly! As some of you may already know I’ve been busy with two other things recently.

The first is that I’ve joined festival favorites and deranged master storytellers Gandalf’s Fist on keyboards. We’ve got a new album coming out on the first of July, which will be my first full release with them. Visit the website for more information on that one — we’re really proud of how the new line-up is working out.

Secondly, and more pertinent, Marcus Taylor (who played the guitars on “Maybe” from Five of Cups) and I have reformed our Broken Parachute band, albeit it in quite a different and much proggier guise from its 2013 incarnation. Our new album Living Dangerously is officially out now, but visitors to our Bandcamp site can stream (and indeed buy) the whole thing. Please do check it out if you have time and let us know what you think!

On the subject of Patchwork Cacophony: people have been asking whether my involvement with these projects marks the end of that band. Well, the good news is that although I’ve no timescale for the next release I do have plenty of material, so you can be reasonably confident that a third album will materialise at some point.

Finally, I don’t send these emails very often so I’d like to take the chance to thank everyone for your support for my music in all its forms.

Ben

Pat Ganger Sanders Assembles Supergroup for Charity EP

With Christmas fast approaching, a bunch of us have teamed up to concoct a festive song entitled ‘Wake Up’ which was released as part of an EP on December 1st.

Wake Up features Colin Tench (Corvus Stone), Gareth Cole (Mike Kershaw, Tom Slatter), Ben Bell (Patchwork Cacophony, Gandalf’s Fist), Stefan Hepe (Gandalf’s Fist), Peter Falconer, Pat Sanders and Manu Michael (Drifting Sun).

The song was mixed and mastered by Jon Huxtable at Smallfish Studios, Scotland.

Also included in the EP are 7 songs previously recorded by the musicians who contributed to the making of ‘Wake Up’.
Available Here https://tierhilfe-sauerland.bandcamp.com/album/wake-up

All the profits from the sales will go to TIERHILFE SAUERLAND E. V.

Barbara Hellekes, CEO of the animal welfare organization said “We’re over the moon about this! Winter is coming, and it’s really hard to get the poor souls through the winter, especially in Hungary and Greece, where we support and help privately organized shelters in keeping the streets free of stray dogs, trying to find them a forever home”

We, Shits ‘n’ Giggles, take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken up their valuable time to bring their contribution to this EP to help make this release possible, and we hope that the charity organization we have chosen will benefit greatly from the generosity of the people who donate to their cause, cheers everyone and Merry Christmas to all!