signalsunderstests - mecca (awesome electronica)

I shared a bill with signalsundertests (Ricky Graham on guitar and John King on processing) at the Antwerp Live Looping Festival earlier in the year. They were excellent, so I was looking forward to hearing the album... 

It's fabulous - just the kind of electronic music that works for me. Reminds me in some ways of David Torn's Splattercell project - the intersection of avant-guitar and electronics. There's enough that sounds like a guitar for you not to be left wondering what the hell's going on, but it's suitably far from the 'shredding over loops' approach to 'modern music' that plagues the computer experiments of so many guitar wizards. (For proof of Ricky's guitar-wizardry, have a rummage on youtube, there's some awesome shredding going on ;) ) 

Anyway, it's a really great record. The sound design is especially magical - stick it on on headphones, and concentrate. This is too good to be background music: 

http://signalsundertests.bandcamp.com/album/mecca-released-on-30-09-10">mecca (released on 30/09/10) by signalsundertests http://signalsundertests.bandcamp.com/album/mecca-released-on-30-09-10">mecca (released on 30/09/10) by signalsundertests

Is This What Constitutes A Reissue In The Digital Age?

I've just redone the artwork for the first two 'Lessons Learned From An Aged Feline' albums (the 3rd one isn't yet online, for reasons of file quality... more on that some other time)

So, I guess that means I'm reissuing them, repackaged, for your delectation and delight. 

Here they are: 

http://music.stevelawson.net/album/lessons-learnt-from-an-aged-feline-pt-i">Lessons Learnt From An Aged Feline Pt I by Steve Lawson http://music.stevelawson.net/album/lessons-learnt-from-an-aged-feline-pt-i">Lessons Learnt From An Aged Feline Pt I by Steve Lawson

http://music.stevelawson.net/album/lessons-learned-from-an-aged-feline-pt-ii">Lessons Learned From An Aged Feline, Pt II by Steve Lawson http://music.stevelawson.net/album/lessons-learned-from-an-aged-feline-pt-ii">Lessons Learned From An Aged Feline, Pt II by Steve Lawson

In case you don't already know, The Aged Feline albums came as the bonus material with my 2nd, 3rd and 4th solo albums - in each case I recorded way more material than I needed. These two both came out on a VERY limited edition CD - the first 100 preorders got the CD - and we then not available for a few years til they got a digital only release. 

Some people actually prefer these to the albums they came with - there are certainly some gems in there. On the whole, Vol 1 has a lot of big, ambient stuff and experimental weirdness. Vol II has a lot of pop tunes. 

I hope you enjoy them - please feel free to download them and pay whatever you think they are worth. 

Gary Dunne - Simple Truth

Gary Dunne's an excellent singer/songwriter, who live does some cool looping things - he played at one of the early Recycle Collective shows (before the 3 musicians/3 sets format had become the norm) and was fantastic. 

here's his latest album: 

His previous album's also there, and is well worth a listen, particularly his 'Amerikan Folk Song', which is one of those tunes that you're SURE you've heard before, it's just too catchy not to have been a hit... 

Both albums are a fiver, so well worth picking up both of 'em :) 

Mike Outram's Gorgeous Bikini

There, that heading should lead to some interesting Google traffic... 

Bikini is, in fact, the name of the first tune to be released from Mike Outram's forthcoming solo album. 

If you've been following my online stuffs for a while, you'll be all to familiar with my love of Mike's playing - he is without doubt one of the finest musicians I've ever heard, let alone played with, and the experience of recording our forthcoming duo album was wonderful. Never having played together before, we clicked faster than I think I ever have with anyone. Loads of great music still to come from that.

Anyway, here's Bikini - it's a quid if you want to download it. Listen, then give the man a quid. It's so beautiful. 

http://theelectriccampfire.bandcamp.com/track/bikini">Bikini by Mike Outram http://theelectriccampfire.bandcamp.com/track/bikini">Bikini by Mike Outram

And if you haven't yet heard the unmastered duo choonz we've put up so far, here's those too: 

Enjoy - then go and tell him how fabulous he is, on Twitter or Facebook

Sunna Gunnlaugs - The Dream

I've been a fan of Sunna's music for a year or so now, since first finding out about her through Twitter. I bought a few of her albums, and noticed a really interesting reaction from Lobelia whenever I put one on - she'd stop whatever she was doing and say, "who's that? it's awesome!" 

Which pretty much sums up her music - this is her latest album, which she funded the recording of via Kickstarter, and which features her hugely talented husband Scott McLemore on drums. They have a remarkable synergy. 

Feel free to listen here, and if you like it, buy it - $10US is about 6 or 7 squidz UK, so about the same as what you'd have put in if she was selling it pay-what-you-think-it's-worth anyway :) 

(sorry for the lack of recommendations of late - will get back in the saddle, I promise :) )