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Our second release of the week is a fantastic early-days (79-81) collection from Normil Hawaiians called 'Dark World'.
‘Dark World’ collects together choice material from the Hawaiians’
formative years. Tagging along with the band from their peppy post-punk
origins (so brilliantly debuted on ‘The Beat Goes On’) into the looser,
dubbier territories that laid the foundations for the group’s landmark
album ‘More Wealth Than Money’. ‘Dark World’ gathers the group’s
energetic 7” singles on Dining Out and Illuminated Records, their
metamorphic ‘Gala Failed’ EP (Red Rhino) and a lively last-minute Peel
session from 1980, alongside outtakes, rarities and demos.
‘Dark World’ is a snapshot of a band in flux, finding their feet,
stretching their limbs. Normil Hawaiians cover an awful amount of ground
in such a short time-frame on this record and these tracks document all
the glittering debris from their magpie’s nest. Emergent, hopeful and
resistant in sound and ethic.
'Dark World' is out now digitally and on CD. An LP version is expected soon.
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 Upset The Rhythm presents…
NIGHTSHIFT
THE PHEROMOANS
Friday 29 October
New River Studios, 199 Eade Rd, Harringay, London, N4 1DN
7.30pm | £7 | Tickets: https://link.dice.fm/ZGB7YNg89gb
* Please be responsible and test yourself before coming this show and please do not attend if you are feeling unwell.
NIGHTSHIFT formed in 2019 in the ecosystem of Glasgow's
current indie scene. The city's fertile & creative group of
musicians have been committed to pushing the boundaries of and
blurring the lines between DIY, punk, experimentalism and indie pop for
decades now. Nightshift fit right in, featuring members from current
indie stalwarts Spinning Coin, 2 Ply and Robert Sotelo. The band was
formed by David Campbell (guitar), Andrew Doig (bass), Eothen Stearn
(keyboards/vocals) & Chris White (drums) as a "No Wave/No
New York/early Sonic Youth/This Heat-esque" group, but their sound
quickly evolved once guitarist/vocalist/clarinetist Georgia Harris
joined (as the band was writing ‘Zöe’). Nightshift self-released a
full-length cassette on CUSP Recordings in early 2020, laying the
foundation of their sound; hypnotic, melodic, understated indie
post-punk with hooks that stick around long after you've heard them.
Unlike the band's previous album, the songs on ‘Zöe’ weren't
conceived live in the band's practice space, but rather pieced together
and recorded remotely during quarantine lockdown. The isolation actually
allowed for an openness and creativity to flow and many of the songs
took on radically different forms from when they were originally
envisioned. Vocalist & primary lyricist Eothen Stearn says "The
process of writing these songs separately during lockdown was a kind of
exquisite corpse - I liked this gesticulation of reaching out to one
another and responding. Building up the next layer and passing it
on." Stearn says "poetic restraints" to writing & Eno &
Schmidt’s Oblique Strategies concepts were on their mind when composing
the words to the songs, and highlights the influence of author Rosi
Bradiotti's book ‘The Posthuman’. ‘Zöe’ kicks off with ‘Piece Together’,
a mesmeric song anchored by the band's chanted vocals and serpentine
guitar licks. ‘Spraypaint the Bridge’ showcases Harris' clarinet in an
unexpected & delightful melodic shift during the song's anti-chorus.
Elsewhere tunes like the swooning ‘Infinity Winner’ and ‘Outta Space’s
minimalist, slinky rhythm swirl in a late-night vibe, while ‘Make Kin’
ruminates on "Looking to kinship as a way of engaging with entangled
environmental and reproductive issues... how a band is a
bond" and lurches forward with kinetic guitar strangling & staccato
rhythmic percussion from White & Doig. ‘Power Cut’ is the album's
centerpiece, luring the listener into involuntary movement with its
waves of harmonies, synth drones and metronomic pulse, until they all
come crashing down in the song's dissonant midsection.
The band
acknowledges the whiffs of nostalgia prevalent in ‘Zöe’s songs, and the
nature of writing & recording the album is soaked in the self-work,
reflection & reevaluations involved not only personally but
creatively in each member's lives. Consequently, ‘Zöe’ has become a
collection of sketches of hope, growth, awareness of the power of the
world & the power of self and possibility.
THE PHEROMOANS
are a rock band from the South East of England who deal in a deadpan
DIY music. Married to the mundane yet surreal reportage of our lives,
their music manages to address the truly restless boredom and absurdity
of everyday life. The group have released albums on Alter, Upset The
Rhythm and Savoury Days. They would like this review from 2014 by Peter
Rea to best sum up their sound. “Akin to The Fall, someone who clearly
wants to be Mark E. Smith fronts a band of great sounding musicians.
Using his microphone stand to remain upright, the lead singer slurs
words with little coherence, occasionally managing to fit in nicely
with his exceptional band members – possibly by accident. He mentions
Jerry McGuire, swears loudly a lot, and then keeps saying “David
Lynch”. It’s an amusing spectacle, but I’d like to hear someone more
sober and poetic. The second to last tune is actually pretty great,
which goes some way to make up for some cringeworthy and laughable
moments.”
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 Upset The Rhythm presents…
BERTIE MARSHALL - ‘Exhibit’ album launch
LUVIA TISSUE - A screening of a short film by Nicola Tyson Saturday 30 October
Cafe OTO, 18-22 Ashwin St, London, E8 3DL 7.30pm | £10 | Tickets: https://link.dice.fm/xRG9evauYgb * NB - Cafe
OTO have asked attendees to provide proof of a negative covid test
(within 24 hours of the concert) for all their shows presently.
BERTIE MARSHALL
is a writer/ performer. He is also an acclaimed memoirist, most well
known for his book ‘Berlin Bromley’ (2006) about his transformation
from Bertie, an anxious, androgynous, depressed teenager, into Berlin, a
teenager who would reject suburban values and become a founding member
of punk’s “Bromley Contingent”, alongside Siouxsie Sioux, Steven
Severin, and Billy Idol. He’s currently working on ‘Looking: Backwards
To Go Forwards’, picking up from where ‘Berlin Bromley’ left off. His
other books include the debut novel ‘Psychoboys’ (1997), ‘Nowhere Slow’
(2014), ‘From Sleepwalking to Sleepwalking’ (2016), ‘Wild - re write’
(2017), ‘The Peeler’ (2018) and ‘Pete’s Underpants’ (2019). In 2015 the
British Library purchased his writing archive.
From 1980-83,
Bertie was the frontman for post-punk boundary-pushers Behaviour Red -
they released one single (favourably played by John Peel), did a
mini-tour and broke up. At various times Behaviour Red featured Noel
Blanden of Normil Hawaiians and fine artist Nicola Tyson. Their sound
was characterised by looseness and freedom, boasting at times tribal
drumming, streams of vocals, dazed guitars and feedback. Bertie
continued sketching out atmospheric compositions afterwards too,
walking a tightrope between bewildered pop and gothic folk. Central to
everything is Bertie’s commanding voice; heartfelt, impassioned and
masterfully leading you through the story.
Bertie became
interested in spoken word and performance poetry in the 90s, which
then led him into writing and performing in his own plays and devised
theatre pieces. He did regular readings and performances in NYC and
began writing books inspired by the visceral talents of Acker &
Burroughs. Having lived in Berlin, San Francisco, and Brittany, Bertie
now lives in London.
October 29th
sees Upset The Rhythm release ‘Exhibit’ by Bertie Marshall, collecting
for the first time his songs and spoken word tracks from this fertile
period of the 80s-90s. This show will be its timely album launch
featuring Bertie reunited with many original musical collaborators.
LUVIA
aka Maddie Vincent makes ethereal, melancholic pop. Luvia’s haunting
vocals and honest, emotive storytelling are based upon a dissociative
state. Inspired by cinematography and film, finding a muse in bold
characters and dreamscape visuals, her music has been described as an
escape.
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 Upset The Rhythm presents…
BUFFET LUNCH
ME LOST ME
SHAKE CHAIN
Saturday 6 November
Cafe OTO, 18-22 Ashwin St, London, E8 3DL
7.30pm | £7 | Tickets: https://link.dice.fm/v9oNFWFE7hb
* NB - Cafe OTO have asked attendees to provide proof of a negative
covid test (within 24 hours of the concert) for all their shows
presently.
BUFFET LUNCH are a Scottish group who make it their mission
to craft satisfyingly imperfect pop songs filled with imagery and
humour. The group's elementary parts are Perry O'Bray
(Vocals/Keys/Guitar), Neil Robinson (Bass), John Muir (Lead Guitar)
& Luke Moran (Drums), united by a shared love of music on the
ABBA-to-Beefheart axis. These four ricochet between Glasgow and
Edinburgh, creating music that bristles with DIY spirit and upbeat
wonkiness. Their tracks are vigorous excursions, meandering into
clattersome terrain as often as hiking up into the breezy, melodious
foothills. The desire to lead the listener along a curious tale helps
tie things together, showcasing a lyrical playfulness that pins down
their puzzle of sound. Following on from their excellent ‘The Power of
Rocks’ album (Upset The Rhythm), the band return this November with a
vigorous new 7” EP featuring the tracks ‘Mild Weather’ and ‘Cheeks’.
ME LOST ME is the electronic music project of Newcastle
based musician Jayne Dent. Described by BBC Radio 6's Tom Robinson as a
"brilliant peculiar noise", Me Lost Me delights in experimenting with
genre, taking influence from folk, electronica, art pop, ambient and
noise music to create a beguiling mix of soaring vocals, synth, field
recordings and hypnotic rhythms. Her live shows are atmospheric, dark
and playful, with a repertoire that explores storytelling through
original songs, improvisations and reworkings of traditional ballads.
She recently released her second album 'The Good Noise’, out November
2020, was described as 'stunning' and 'remarkable' by NARC Magazine
demonstrates a maturing of her sound and a deepening of her exploration
of site and experiments with genre.
SHAKE CHAIN are a 4-piece experimental group formed of
Artists Kate Mahony (Vocals), Jenna Finch (Drums), Robert Eyres
(Guitar/Synth) and Chris Hopkins (Bass Synth) hailing from Goldsmiths
College, Nottingham Trent and Wimbledon, University of the Arts. Formed
through a love of thought-provoking performance art and a yearning for
disruption, they recorded their debut EP ‘Neil Yonge and Bob Doylan Live
at Hyde Park’ in 2019 with sound artist David Carugo at Oxford Brookes
University, released by Permanent Slump. Shake Chain provide a fusion of
post-punk experimental sampled noise grooves and chaotic lamenting on
the current state of things.
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 Upset The Rhythm presents…
OLD TIME RELIJUN
ORDER OF THE TOAD
Thursday 11 November
New River Studios, 199 Eade Rd, Harringay, London, N4 1DN
7.30pm | £8.50 | Tickets: https://link.dice.fm/GNBlGK80Kgb
* NB. This event was originally planned at PinUps, it is now taking place at New River Studios.
OLD TIME RELIJUN are the rarest breed of band. Insatiable,
living raw, always on the margins and consistent as hell. You know what
to expect and yet never have any clue what's going to come next. Old
Time Relijun give sweaty, compulsively danceable performances that never
fail to inflame their audience. Their loose swagger belies years of
practice, fastidious arrangements and gut-level understanding of how
music hits you. Old Time Relijun was born on January 1st, 1995 in a dark
and moldy basement in Olympia, Washington. The band stole some popcorn
bags, talked a friend out of his inheritance and self-released “Songbook
Vol. I” in 1997. They then began their long association with Calvin
Johnson’s K Records. Between 1999 and 2007, Old Time Relijun toured like
monsters, averaging 150 shows a year in the U.S. and Europe, releasing
‘Uterus and Fire’, ‘La Sirena De Pecera’, ‘Witchcraft Rebellion’, ‘Lost
Light’, ‘2012’ and ‘Catharsis in Crisis’. The last three albums are
known collectively as “The Lost Light Trilogy;” a conceptual triptych
integrating poetry, painting, and myth through multiple lyrical and
musical threads. The band toured through 2008 and then quietly parted
ways. 2021 reunites Old Time Relijun with newfound level of passionate
indignation and a deeper musical vocabulary. The classic lineup
featuring bandleader Arrington de Dionyso and Aaron Hartman (upright
bass), joined by drummer Amanda Spring are primed to return to Europe.
Old Time Relijun continue to make music for the revolution from a
restless energy that has never settled down.
ORDER OF THE TOAD are a trio from Glasgow. Melodically,
Order of the Toad have something of a medieval fixation, filtered
through late 60s influences which end up sounding something like
Jefferson Airplane - not least in vocalist Gemma "The Wharves" Fleet's
powerful lung-force - mixed with British psyche heat.. think
Kaleidoscope or even Syd Barrett drug-damaged whimsy. There's no other
band doing this in the U.K. that we know of, a musically rich tapestry
woven from strands outside current trends. Music available now on Gringo
and Reckless Yes.
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 Upset The Rhythm presents…
SHANNON LAY NAIMA BOCK Monday 15 November St Pancras Old Church, Pancras Road, King's Cross, NW1 1UL 7.30pm | £12.50 | Tickets: https://link.dice.fm/LWiCXICpNib SHANNON LAY is a L.A. singer-songwriter whose work is of a plainspoken mysticism that goes to the small, bright truth of things, showcasing her unusual songwriting and quietly commanding voice. Shannon has been dominating the local scene in Los Angeles over the past few years, leaving everyone who witnesses completely breathless. Shannon’s new album, 'Geist', is tender intensity, placeless and ethereal. It exists in the chasms of the present - a world populated by shadow selves, spiritual awakenings, déjà vu, and past lives. “Something sleeps inside us,” Lay insists on the opening track, and that’s the guiding philosophy throughout. A winding, golden, delicate thread of intuition that explores the unknown, the possibility. Lay tracked vocals and guitar at Jarvis Tavinere of Woods’s studio, then sent the songs out to multi-instrumentalists Ben Boye (Bonnie Prince Billy, Ty Segall) in Los Angeles and Devin Hoff (Sharon Van Etten, Cibo Matto) in New York; trusting their musical instincts and intuition. She then sent those recordings to Sofia Arreguin (Wand) and Aaron Otheim (Heatwarmer, Mega Bog) for additional keys, while Ty Segall contributed a guitar solo on “Shores.” As a whole, 'Geist' is both esoteric and accessible. There’s the concise, pared-back cover of Syd Barrett’s tilt-a-whirl-esque 'Late Night', while 'Rare to Wake', inspired by Dune, is existential and meditative, a circular guitar riff looping at the core of it. 'Awaken and Allow', is ancient-feeling and mainly a cappella, its melody channels her deep Irish roots, a moment of reflection, before a drop happens - its intensity mirroring the anticipation and anxiety that come with taking the first step to accepting change. 'Geist' is released on October 8th through Sub Pop. https://shannonlay.bandcamp.com/ NAIMA BOCK co-founded Goat Girl with friends at age 15, and after releasing their debut album on Rough Trade Records she left the band to explore other musical avenues. Her music now combines folk influenced songwriting with jazzy instrumentation, partially inspired by Naima's childhood growing up in Brazil. https://soundcloud.com/naimabock |
 Upset The Rhythm presents…
ASTRID SONNE
NEXCYIA
Tuesday 16 November
IKLECTIK, Old Paradise Yard, 20 Carlisle Lane, London, SE1 7LG
7.30pm | £11 | Tickets: https://link.dice.fm/VcvM72ssNib
ASTRID SONNE is a Copenhagen-based composer and viola player, using playing and listening as the foundation of her compositional practice. Her third album “outside of your lifetime” (September 2021) is a precisely created record that Sonne arrived at via improvisation, trimming and reassembly. It is made with keys, strings, voice and buttons. Many of the instruments and inputs on the record are carefully processed to efface their personality, so their origins are never exactly clear. One may follow seamless transitions between pure generated oscillating waves and true ten-finger choral organ work. Other tracks present fierce waveforms through a shimmery rotary pulse, heated and perfectly suited for live experience of the music. Hands-on and hands-off effects bleed into each other, and one often can’t tell the difference. The compositions appear like sculptures. With “outside of your lifetime”, Astrid Sonne presents physical music, further developing an expression formed through previous releases. Melodies and deliveries that conjures a clear image of movement, like a sound that has and is humanity. A computer can coat that sound, beautifully, but it cannot make it. And physical music sounds different. It doesn’t sound like music built from yesterday’s ghosts and memories in the machine; it doesn’t sound like a forecasting of the future as we worship the tomorrow that technology will bring us. It sounds like today, in the space around us. https://astridsonne.bandcamp.com/ NEXCYIA is an African-American/French sound artist and experimental ambient musician based in London and Paris. Working with found sound, Nexcyia weaves together harsh sound design and swooping soundscapes into works that bridge many moods, emotions and places through noise, granular synthesis, textures and rhythms. https://linktr.ee/nexcyia |
Have a great weekend, thanks for reading and we'll see you next week!
Upset The Rhythm
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UPSET THE RHYTHM
UPCOMING SHOWS
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