Newranus
08.01.10 - 12:58pm
Hung out with Phil at the Moonbase last night and he YouTube jockeyed the night away. First person I ever saw do that was Ariel Pink at the Bad Timing house in about 2005 I guess. Hip!
DRUGSTEP
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Mugged! My Story By Man From Uranus
Um "Holy Fire" Strawberry Fair 2004
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The Cowboy & The Bear
05.16.10 - 01:57pm
Not the greatest of Um gigs on Friday. Not going to do that live looping thing again in hurry. I practiced it about 5 times with varying results but the performance version was at least 500% worse than the worst of the run-throughs. Also I was actually going to just use a sports whistle as a sound source, rather than vocals, but some reason, possibly beer, I threw that idea out the window. The other fuck-up, and this is a mistake I’ve made several times, was that I had a kind of prepared joke intro and the trouble with prepared texts is that they often rely on certain prerequisites such as an audience and so on. I remember I was asked to compere for a Broken Family Band (remember them?) gig once and I wrote this loose spurt of improvised mind jazz on the train on the way down and then in the context of a very big and empty Cargo it just did not work at all. I think I got up and sang “Like a Rhinestone Cowboy… touched for a the very first time…” and a few souls just stared blankly back at me. But yeah, seeing Jo and Bobby and Dave looking at me empathically the other night just made my stupid prepared joke about the size of the bosom of my community seem stupid so I dived into the loop section without my mojo and boy it showed/sounded. And then of course for the rest of the gig I was stuck in that fucked frame of mind. Still, it’s possible that that’s the kind of gig that feels awful on the inside and then looks kind of intense on video because a couple of random strangers said nice things. The first was this well-preserved dude who asked if the songs were seperate entities or discrete parts of a complex whole, and when I informed him that they were the former he enquired whether they might be expanded, perhaps? The the second guy was a nice American who seemed shocked to discover that I was a Cambridge resident as he had lived here for five years and had never heard of me. Indeed his unknowingly squandered chances of catching the staggeringly local Pete Um phenomenon were now sadly all but at an end as his wife’s Phd was now finished and they were off back to the States in the next few weeks.
Volcano The Bear were very good though, as tends to be the case. They have a knack (it’s not really a knack) of doing very simple yet effective things that make most acts look like they haven’t got any imagination. They can be dry as in lacking heat and then imperceptibly shift into being dry as in obliquely funny. At one point Aaron made us laugh by simply moving slightly closer to Daniel at the end of a tune. You can’t Google how to do that kind of thing.
I Googled Rhinestone Cowboy just to check the spelling. Didn’t realise what the song was about.
Song history
Weiss wrote and recorded “Rhinestone Cowboy” in 1974, and it appeared on his 20th Century Records album Black and Blue Suite. Neither that version, nor a cover by Neil Diamond made much of an impression on audiences (although Diamond’s version did garner adult contemporary airplay).[citation needed] In late 1974, Campbell heard the song on the radio and, during a tour of Australia decided to learn the song. Soon after his return to the United States, Campbell went to Al Coury’s office at Capitol Records, where he was approached about “a great new song” — “Rhinestone Cowboy.”[1]
Several music writers noted that Campbell identified with the subject matter of “Rhinestone Cowboy” — survival and making it, particularly when the chips are down — very strongly. As Steven Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic put it, the song is about a veteran artist “who’s aware that he’s more than paid his dues during his career … but is still surviving, and someday, he’ll shine just like a rhinestone cowboy.”[2]
Bad Timing Nights and Eyjafjallajökull.
05.10.10 - 09:09am
Playing at Bad Timing on Friday, just to be different. In fact I was just looking at this list of gigs they’ve put on:
bad timing: 8 years, 90 nights, 10 venues and 1 world record since 21/11/01
courtis/moore // local radio // gary war // les adventures sous la mer // um // volcano the bear // sculpture // um // hair police // family battlesnake // temperatures // team brick // circuit breaker // local radio // part wild horses mane on both sides // motherfucking // prurient // cold cave // circuit breaker // mi ami // gyratory system // rock with electronics // dj nochexxx // damo suzuki // drum eyes // the resistance // future islands // jellica // max tundra // ben butler and mouse pad // um // rock with electronics // um // canaveral // dj scotch egg // ove-naxx // bogulta // maruosa // melt-banana // bearsuit // ian helliwell // cockland // man from uranus/jellica // moha! // elapse-o // sunshine republic // gay against you // kevin blechdom/barnwave // dj solid gold // felix kubin // um // man from uranus/jellica // a-musik dj // fuck buttons // alexander tucker // atp djs // latahs // john maus // um // cockland // pram // xylitol // man from uranus // the chap // agaskodo teliverek // um // cockland // white mice // pleasurehorse // duracell // sunshine republic // jellica // gay against you // house mouse // jellica // death sentence: panda! // aotea // man from uranus // disinformation vs strange attractor // bugbrand audio // andrew coleman // // wolf eyes // consumer electronics // birds of delay // trencher // dj scotch egg // transitional // max tundra // um // jellica // white label music:large number // man from uranus // sunset people // the resistance // bugbrand audio // haeti // andrew coleman // the chap // man from uranus // um // pita vs z’ev // disinformation vs strange attractor // pda // volt // destructo swarmbots // k.laska/dave cochrane // men of unitus // noxagt // hunting lodge // fuck buttons // esquilax // cutting pink with knives // gay against you // ariel pink // belong // man from uranus // venetian snares // dj scotch egg // animals on wheels // chav and dave // dj damo // agaskodo teliverek // ommm // um // um // the vichy government // usedtobecool // dÿse // ommm // aotea // dj scotch egg // ove-naxx // doddodo // germlin // gulpepsh // maruosa // kosmische djs // romvelope // man from uranus // sculpture // um // dj scotch egg // chav and dave // um // kevin blechdom // planningtorock // um // noxagt // volt // def metal machine music // keith fullerton whitman // keith fullerton whitman // andrew coleman // haeti // ommm // the accountant // man from uranus // um // ariel pink // john maus // um // gary war // the chap // man from uranus // the resistance // panda bear // ariel pink // signer // um // dj/rupture // ove-naxx // ascoltare // printed circuit // random number // um // venetian snares // datach’i // accelra // john callaghan // man from uranus // leafcutter john // goodiepal // ascoltare // pda // greg davis // andrew coleman // bad timing djs // dat politics // kevin blechdom // um // ergo phizmiz // um // vert // animals on wheels // bad timing djs // bogdan raczynski // astrobotnia // cylob dj // steveseviltwin // janek schaefer (world record) // dale berning // pda // bad timing djs // felix kubin // um // man from uranus // a-musik dj // venetian snares // steveseviltwin // damo // man from uranus electrical music show // um // dj cos // // kid606 // dj/rupture // random number // ulrich schnauss // animals on wheels // damo // chris clark // mira calix // ascoltare // knifehandchop // steveseviltwin // dj boom blast // eu // animals on wheels // ascoltare // the chap // um // man from uranus // isan // man from uranus // ascoltare // charlie don’t surf/bad timing djs // marlowe/coleman // man from uranus // dj zero // v/vm // um // dj chuck schuldiner // kirk leatham // um // philip joseph/cos // ascoltare/zooplankton // kirk leatham // venetian snares // fanny // steveseviltwin // kid606 // dwayne sodahberk // um // ascoltare // um // andrew coleman // ascoltare // charlottefield // lien // the chap // richard thomas // al brooker playback // john callaghan // um // jon tye/dj spykid (invisible college djs) // man from uranus // neil suddes dj // n.e.d. (nes.co/edmundez/drenching)/sonic pleasure // um dj // cos dj // philip joseph (gentleman’s radio hour) // dj kirk leatham // djs // dans mon salon // cocktail waitress // bad timing djs // andrew coleman // um // mouse finding the key // bad timing djs //
Looking forward to playing with Volcano The Bear again. Last time we played it was with Sculpture and to me it felt like a perfectly seasoned dish, if I may say so myself. I hope irony itself does not require that Aaron Moore can’t make it because of Eyjafjallajökull. Probably there’ll be some band called Eyjafjallajökull second on the bill at some gig soon. Maybe Daniel should perform as Eyjafjallajökull if Aaron can’t make it.
Background Noise.
03.05.10 - 05:27pm
Venue: Kettle’s Yard
Category: Gigs & Live Music
One Liner: Improv/inventions
Price Info: FREE
Time Info: 12noon-1pm
Improvisation and inventions from local artists working with sound, noise and mixing instrumentation with environmental and mechnical sound sources.
C Joynes (Bo’ Weavil Records) Innovative Cambridge guitarist now getting deservedly wider attention. Presenting new work using tapes/soundtrack techniques.
http://www.boweavilrecordings.com/joynes.html
Cambridge Free Improvisation Society
Cambridge improv collective formed a few years ago and now putting out their first releases.
Previously seen at Crushing Death supporting Eric Chenaux at The Shop, as well as elsewhere in Cambridge.
http://cambridgeimprovisation.wordpress.com/
Babygrand Norwich duo who use field recordings, musical saws, bowed metal, music boxes, mechanical birds, endless loops to create beautiful sound and music for close listening.
http://babygrand.bandcamp.com
Pete Um Tapes and processing
http://www.umbusiness.co.uk/
Local Radio Cambridge-based sound and drone project using localised radio transmissions and exploring lo-fi sounds and spaces which began with a temporary installation at Kettle’s Yard in 2008.
http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk/music/new.html
Indie Bands Blog Um Review
01.28.10 - 10:50pm
Ha, that’s funny. Just got this.
Says stuff like:
Pete Um | Portland Arms Cambridge
Posted by Tim on January 28, 2010 ·
Pete Um at the Portland Arms in Cambridge, was a complete bonus. As readers of the website will know I took a trip last month to Cambridge to see Gary War, over from the USA for a tour. It was a wet and cold night, hey that is the current theme I guess.
After having a chat with the guys from Gary War, I headed back to the car for a cigarette, such is the state of the UK and racked up the volume to something by the Pistols, yes I know there should be some sex in front of it, but it all seems so pretentious hey Johnny – how is the TV advertising doing after some ridiculous appearance on ‘I am desperate for a break vote for me’. To give the man credit at least Mr. Lydon never pretended he was nothing other than a money grubber, which I guess is why the court case made history at the time. That kind of bull was the reason I left my band, they wanted to chase the dollar, I wanted to do what I wanted to do, perhaps Sid was a little more real, I digress, but as you will know, I am only interested in bands doing what they believe in.
We head back to Gary War, by the time I returned from my sojourn, they had all disappeared, so I headed in to the small back-room at The Portland Arms and facing me was a guy in the lotus position mumbling in to a mike. I thought to myself, how long before he gets off. Then he pressed his MP3 player, which was hooked to who knows what as I followed a series of connectors and I was just settling down to his vocal and it was all over.
Pete Um is perhaps one of the most understated on the site thus far. He delivers as though he is a bumbling incapable idiot and would in fact make a fantastic comedian with a monotone delivery many spend years getting wrong, never mind a superb experimental musician. The songs are introduced by a significant preamble, which for little apparent reason had the audience, myself included, laughing and we were led in to tracks which never lasted more than a minute and a half.
From his sedentary, leather pilot helmet clad and goggles visage, Pete Um delivered a half hour set, comprising songs of ever shorter duration, which must have taken hours of production. Pete is a consummate experimentalist, who doesn’t try too hard, yet has a superb appreciation of what he is delivering. His stage craft is supreme and his 50 second tracks reveal so much more than a double LP of asinine pop.
I was enthralled – a minimalist set – lets be fair, sitting in a lotus position, at the edge of a tiny stage is perhaps as minimalist as it may get, delivered humour, far reaching experimentation, which to the audience came from a basic MP3 player and some soul searching lyric, which was a tour de force.
Pete Um may not get the recognition he deserves in the UK, but this beats hands down most output from the global experimental scene.
Oh Pete the answer to Syd Barret.. cremated in Cambridge and there is a bench in commemoration.
Aaron Dilloway
05.26.09 - 11:31pm
Spent an evening drinking herbal tea and watching Aaron Dilloway and related on YouTube. Think this is the best thing I found:
Jo was trying to get him for Bad Timing. I would like to see that.
Transmission Zero Success!
01.11.09 - 08:22pm
My pal Gordon asked me to send him an MP3 of the old Um live favourite “Casiotone“, which I duly did whilst warning him it was pretty fucking awful on a great many levels, not least of which was the so-called production. He wanted it for his guest spot on a radio show, and happily he agreed with me about Casiotone and played something else.
Transmission Zero 24 : Gordon curates
January 09, 2009 11:15 AM PST
Track listing for podcast:
Dirty Three – Sirena
Taken from the Album “Ocean Songs” 1998 (Bella union)
Sinfonye – Mia Jrmana fremosa treides comigo
Taken from the Album “Bella Domna” 1988 (Hyperion)
Glissandro 70 – Portugal rua rua
Taken from the Album “Glissandro 70” 2006 (Constellation)
Dirty Projectors – Six pack
Taken from the Album “Rise above” 2007 (Dead oceans)
Boom bip and Doseone – The bird catcher
Taken from the Album “Circle” 2002 (leaf)
Um – Too old for sports (Ginners)
Taken from the Album “Giraffe” 2004
www.umbusiness.co.uk
www.myspace.com/peteum
Um – The mans got me beat
Taken from the Album “The new album” 2003
www.umbusiness.co.uk
www.myspace.com/peteum
Rudimentary peni – B ward
Taken from the Album “e.p’s of Rudimentary peni” 1981 (Corpus Christi)
Cutting Pink with knives – My head is full of teeth
Taken from the Album “Oh, wow!” 2006 (Adaadat)
Al Brooker – Cuterama
Taken from the Album “Quixotic” 2002 (Bella union)
Don Cherry – Brown rice
Taken from the Album “Brown Rice” 1975 (A & M records)
The Jesus lizard – If you had lips
Taken from the Album “Head” 1990 (Touch and go)
Blurt – Puppeteer
Taken from the Album “A factory quartet” 1980 (Factory)
Duke Ellington – Arabesque cookie
Taken from the Album “The nutcracker suit” 1960 (Columbia)
Listen with Sarah – Blue parsley
Taken from the Album “are you sitting comfortably” 2004 (womb)
Mahalia Jackson – Trouble of the world
Taken from the Album “The best of Mahalia Jackson” 1995 (sony)
