(no subject)
BLUESANCT winter 2010 newsletter
1. PROLOGUE
2. NEW DREKKA RELEASES
3. A NEW YEARS GIFT FROM DREKKA
4. UPCOMING BLUESANCT/ORPHANOLOGY RELEASES
5. EPILOGUE
1. PROLOGUE
2010 is here... a new decade and there is always that built in pressure to 'make this one count' or some sort of nonsense.
Here at Bluesanct HQ, we are going to simply keep on keeping on... and we hope you will come along.
2009 ended with a lot of exciting travel for me... first was the MATTERS OF TONE tour to celebrate the 13th Annivesary re-issue of my first two cassettes from 1996 (SEE#2)... then came a two week vacation in Jamaica to relax and listen to dancehall (photos of the trip can be seen HERE)
There were not one, but TWO new full-lengths from Drekka in late 2009 (SEE#2)... both AVAILABLE NOW at the Bluesanct Mail Order site.
2009 also saw another other exciting new release I was involved with... the second full-length album by ANNELIES MONSERE! It took almost as long as a Drekka album to make (ALMOST), but it was worth the wait... and it features all sort of guests, from Drekka to Vollmar and rivulets to Jessica Bailiff, Circle Brothers and Puddle Parade! A Day2 Alliance all-star ensemble! It is also AVAILABLE NOW at the Bluesanct Mail Order site.
2010 should be a good one, as well... as my mind and mood allows, I have some goals for this year which I think should be reasonable and achievable:
• Finish the new DREKKA album, entitled 'TARWESTRAAT' (which I began over two years ago).
• Finish second collected works set, with everything recorded in 1997.
• Tours...
• a small east coast tour in March
• a tour of Iceland in early summer
• a full tour of Europe in autumn, hopefully incl Scandinavia.
I also wish, as Wim put it, to have some sort of life outside Bluesanct/Drekka... that always seems to be the hardest to pull off.
There are also LOTS of other possibile things, plus a few BLuesanct releases from our ORPHANOLOGY ALPHABET SERIES... but, more on those later, okay?
For now, welcome in 2010 and I'll be in touch soon.
Mkl, 30 JAN 10
2. NEW DREKKA RELEASES and a NEW SHIRT
COLLECTED WORKS - VOL.1 (2009, MORC RECORDS,. BELGIUM, MORC53)
2009 marked the 13th Anniversary of the first recordings of Drekka. 13 winters since then, Drekka's European label, MORC RECORDS out of Belgium, issues a 2CD set with the lofty title:
"Someday I will be called upon regarding matters of tone: Collected Works - Volume One (1996)".
A hushed, cinematic, ambient, ethereal-folk; at times discordant and menacing, more often communicative and inviting. Collects EVERYTHING recorded by Drekka in 1996, the year of Drekka's birth... 3EPs plus an additional 30min+ unreleased material, all remastered... over 2hrs of music on 2CDs.
The set comes in a beautiful printed cardboard 3-panel sleeve, w/ a hand-made 24pg book, printed and bound by me. The book contains the original cassette artwork, handwritten lyrics, photos and more.
It is limited to 250 copies and mail order copies bought from Bluesanct come with some of the actual original cassette covers, buttons and other unearthed ephemera, while supplied last.
ORDER NOW
ANCESTRAL CAVE SEQUENCE (2009, DIGITALIS LTD, LTD113)
Last January, Drekka did a multimedia performance with my friends Nathan Vollmar and Andrew Perry Davis... a sculpture exhibit with an accompanying film, I did a series of live improvised soundtracks to the film on the opening night.
Digitalis Industries, LTD issued this cassette entitled 'Ancestral Cave Sequence'. This release is limited to 80 copies, and contains 42min of sound collage from the exhibition. The concept behind the pieces were to use tapes of friends performing Drekka songs and create a stream-of-conciousness dream poetry. The results produced one of the most focused and emotional sets by Drekka to date.
This came out less than a month ago and it's already sold out from Digitalis. We've only got 12 copies to sell. First come, first serve.
ORDER NOW
MATTERS OF TONE TOUR SHIRT
It's been a LONG time since I made a new Drekka tshirt. Doug Tesnow bought and destroyed most of the Bluesanctfest shirts back a few years ago... so, it was time to make a new one.
Printed on high quality Alstyle and American Apparel navy blue or black shirts w/ grey ink. Available in many sizes.
For a closer look, go HERE and HERE
ORDER NOW
3. A NEW YEARS GIFT FROM DREKKA
I want to thank everyone who helped me with the MATTERS OF TONE tour and to everyone who came out to a show and listened... esp Wim and Annelies, Fred, Fra, Onga and Stefano.
Everyone made me feel so welcome, and it was so great to hear people ask about not only Drekka, but also other Day2 artists like Vollmar, Elephant Micah, Annelies, Pillars & Tongues... It means the world to me... and I promise I've been working on Justin Vollmar to go back over and play for you soon... and Pillars & Tongues have a NEW ALBUM OUT and are going on a BIG EUROPEAN TOUR starting TOMORROW!
One of the highlights of the tour for myself and many I've spoken with were the shows in Belgium where Annelies Monsere sat in with me and lent me her voie to collage.
I am in the process of reviewing and editing live recordings of the tour, and I would love to share this stunning track feat Annelies with you:
DREKKA feat. ANNELIES MONSERE - Go from My Window
--------------------------------------------
Annelies Monsere - vocals
Michael Anderson - harmonium, transmitter, live production
recorded live in Namur and Gent, Belgium, 21/23 Dec 09
melody and words from an anonymous old English folk song, as popularized by Shirley Collins.
FILE LINK:
http://www.bluesanct.com/mp3/drekka_go_from_my_window.mp3
4. UPCOMING BLUESANCT/ORPHANOLOGY RELEASES
I will post a seperate newsletter in a couple months regarding these, but there are four new Bluesanct releases in the works.
First up will be finally see the release of the 'TWELVE-FOOT WIZE' compilation, featuring exclusive and rare tracks by most of the bands on Bluesanct, incl CINDYTALK, CAETHUA, VOLLMAR, DREKKA, BRONZE FLOAT, RIVULETS, ANNELIES MONSERE and many more... now, the catch with this comp is that it is ONLY AVAIABLE with the purchase of ANYTHING ELSE from the mail order... 300 copies total... coming soon.
Right after that, we have the next three releases from ORPHANOLOGY, a side label of BLUESANCT... we are in the process of releasing 26 CDRs, one for each letter of the alphabet... this batch will include CIRCLE BROS (ORPHAN00C), ROB FUNKHOUSER (ORPHAN00F) and LATHER (ORPHAN00L)... these three will be sold as a set, for a cheap price... coming soon.
More info on these four releases will be available soon... stay tuned!
5. EPILOGUE
Thanks for reading our newsletter.
If you have any questions, help to offer or anything you want to say, write me at: figurehead [at] bluesanct [dot] com, and we can chat.
To read the previous newsletter, 'AUTUMN 2009 DREKKA TOUR NEWSLETTER', go HERE.
Until soon... be well.
Mkl.