Test Transmission Archive Reel 53

 

Hi All. Its been quite some time since my last Test Transmission mix and a lot has gone on since then. My new EP Disjointed Oddities Vol 2 has been released and I have a new album on Castles in Space due for release in 2024. Have put together a Mix for Kate B over at Dark Train and have a live session for Zadagan Keep on Tak Tent Radio. So here we are with a new mix and what do I have for you all this time round? For your audio delight we have
Godley and Creme - Jack Harris (Butcher)
Crass - Sentiment
Warrington Runcorn - Rocksavage
Alex Harvey Band - Faith Healer
Andy Partridge - 10 Power (Rogue)
The Twelve Hour Foundation - Mole Cricket
Keith Mansfield - Teenage Villain
Bonzo Dog Doo Da Band - The Intro and The Outro
Flying Lizards - Summertime Blues
REVBJELDE -  REGRESS
Alien Sex Fiend - Ignore the Machine
Howlround - Paper Phantom
Lo Five - The Performance of Adulthood
Sandra Kerr & John Faulkner - The Old Woman Tossed Up In A Basket
The Shangri-las - Out In The Streets
Klara Lewis - Sell Art
John Baker - Man Alive UFO
Belbury Poly - Pixie-Led
Perrey and Kingsley - Winchester Cathedrel
Mount Vernon Arts Lab - Flames
Oloron - Shadow Pass and Air Move
Having less and less time to put these mixes together so really not sure when the next mix will be, so until then (who knows if and when) tata.

Test Transmission Archive Reel 48

After quite a long break, here is Archive Reel 48. Spring is here so I have a right old foot tapping collection to keep you going through the season. For your audio enjoyment we have Cate le Bon, Can, British Stereo Collective, Basil Kirchen, France Gall, Stavely Makepiece, Vince Guaraldi, Third Ear Band, Vic Mars, Billy Nomates, Unthanks, Pneumatic Tubes, Nathan Hall and the Sinister Locals and loads more. Do I know when there will be another Archive Reel.....have not got a clue???? might be a few changes to all this soon. So until then TATA

Test Transmission Archive Reel 45

 

Welcome to Test Transmission Archive Reel 45. The temperature is on the rise outside and getting very hot. So to keep you entertained here are some weird wonderful and footapping tunes to keep you all going throughout the long old summer.
Audio wonders from Billy Nomates, Television, Terry Thomas, ELO, Eccentronic Research Council, Drew Mullholland, Cyril Ornadel, The Inmates, Hattie Cooke, Altered Images, Maximilian, Concretism, Bellprover, Babe Ruth, Sandy Nelson, Beautify Junkyards & Belbury Poly a hint of Gregory's Girl and even Charlie and Lola.
As usual have no idea when the next one will be, so until then…all keep safe and look after yourself’s.

Broken Folk 10inch EP available now on Bandcamp

I am pleased to say that there is now a limited number of copies of the Seatman & Powell (featuring Belbury Poly) Broken Folk 10inch EP, available from Bandcamp. Previously only available from Ghostbox Records, Belbury Music Shop. A five track EP of collaborations with folk singer Douglas E. Powell /Bellprover selected from my albums, A Rest Before the Walk and all hold hands and off we go. It opens with a remix of the title track Broken Folk by Ghost Box veterans, Belbury Poly.
Melancholic and subtly psychedelic, these songs are redolent of supernatural short stories and winter afternoons out on English landscapes. In these dark rustic reveries, Seatman builds a dense collage of electronics, fragmented melody and found sound, around which Powell weaves his dreamlike lyrics. The 10” is pressed on translucent green vinyl with sleeve art by Belbury Poly's Jim Jupp. It’s released on Seatman’s own label KS Audio and is produced in association with Belbury Music. 
Broken Folk* (Belbury Poly Mix)
Boxes with Rhythms In
Broken Folk
Mr Metronome
My Morning Ritual

All instruments
Keith Seatman (& Jim Jupp on * ). Vocals Douglas E Powell
Produced by Keith Seatman & Jack Packer.
Except * produced by Jim Jupp
Written by Seatman & Powell.
Except * by Seatman, Powell & Jupp
Mastered by Jim Jupp
Cover design by Jim Jupp
(P) & (C) K S Audio 2018
Belbury Music

Broken Folk 10inch EP available now on Bandcamp

Keith Seatman · Broken Folk EP (Excerpts)Seatman & Powell featuring Belbury Poly

Beautify Junkyards & Belbury Poly 30th April

Released on 30th April on all digital channels and on heavyweight vinyl 7” with beautiful gatefold sleeve artwork is by Ghost Box Records in house designer, Julian House. The A side is a cover of The Incredible String Band’s Painting Box, originally written by Mike Heron. It’s a collaboration between Beautify Junkyards and Belbury Poly and produced by Jim Jupp. The flipside is an original by Beautify Junkyards, Ritual in Transfigured Time, produced by João Branco Kyron. Both have a delightfully disorientating sound. The artists complement each other perfectly with their through-the-looking-glass electronic psychedelia. Release Date 30th April 2021

Ghost Box · Painting Box (preview)

The Wonderful World of Quentin Smirhes

 I first became aware of Quentin's surreal and wonderful work via Jim Jupp at Ghostbox Records. Jim sent me a link to two of Quentin's Youtube Videos (Bird Box Orchestra and Picture Box extended ending) I became quite obsessed with watching these (last time I got like this was when I kept watching Salad Fingers)  I should point out that Quentin is the creation of writer, film-maker and performer Sean Reynard. Tap his name into Google and you get this wonderful description. Quentin Smirhes, created by writer and film maker Sean Reynard is the febrile re-imagining of children's school TV from the seventies cupboard. It's like 'Vision On' directed by Jan Svankmajer. Bob Fischer had a very in depth and lovely interview with Sean Reynard for his excellent Haunted Generation site.
For all Quentin's wonderful videos go here 
You can purchase Quentin some Luncheon Meat here.

Test Transmission Archive Reel 43

 

Its Feb so time for the 1st Test Transmission Archive Reel of 2021. This time round we have music from Mount Vernon Arts Lab, Sandra Kerr & John Faulkner, The Beutify Junkyards, Field Lines Cartographer, Wolfen, Brian Prothero, Wings, The Damned, Twelve Hour Foundation, Simon Heartfield, A Certain Ratio, The Precisions and Something from The Why Don't You. Loads of other Oddities and such lurking about in there as well. So sit back put your feet up (or maybe not...you just might want to have a dance) Until next time. Keep safe and please look after yourself.

Chactonbury Ring (Justin, Sharron and Belbury)

Due to my daytime employment I get the benefit of having most of the summer off (and 4 half terms) so at least once in the summer and Winter I take a walk up to the SouthDowns and onto Chactonbury Ring. The photo above was taken a couple of years ago in mid December. That day I never made it to the Ring, as the weather was so bad... and I mean really bad. The wind was vicious and the rain hurt; that was as close as I could get that day.
For those of you who might (and I mean might) not know, Chactombury Ring is situated on top of Chactonbury Hill in West Sussex. Originally it was a late Bronze Age Hill Fort. Legend has it that Chanctonbury Ring was created by The Devil and that he can be summoned by running around the clump of trees seven times anti-clockwise. If he appears he will then offer you a bowl of soup in exchange for your soul. I always take a flask of soup so I should be ok. There have been reports over the years of UFO sightings, Paranormal Activity and witchcraft. The Writer and Author Robert McFarlaine writes about a night spent at Chactonbury Ring in his book The Old Ways; were he is woken up in the night after hearing chilling cries outside his tent.
So imagine my excitement when Mr Jupp from Belbury sent me a copy of the new GhostBox release Chactonbury Rings by Justin Hopper Sharron Kraus with Belbury Poly (Release Date 21st June 2019)
A spoken word and music project by writer Justin Hopper and folk musician Sharron Kraus. It also features Ghost Box's own Belbury Poly. Based on live performances of Hopper's 2017 book The Old Weird Albion (publ. Penned in the Margins), it’s a poetical, autobiographical and psychogeographical account of his experiences at Chanctonbury Ring on the West Sussex Downs.
(Ghostbox Records)
At times reminiscent of the David Cain and Ronald Duncan’s The Seasons. This is a beautiful and perfect sounding album (All Music by Sharron Kraus except Chactonbury Rings by Jim Jupp and Slow Air by Sharron Kraus and Richard Heacock)  Sharron Kraus's voice/vocals on Wanderer are haunting and soothing while Justin Hoppers narration is composed calming and untroubled. He takes us on a wonderful spoken journey which we have to follow through from start to finish.

Test Transmission Archive Reel 36

Spring is here, and so is another mix (not really Spring related) This time round for your listening delight we have: Sexton Ming, DJ Shadow, Concretism, Wire, David Essex, Dukes of the Stratosphear, Family, The Twelve Hour Foundation, Talk Talk, Ashtoreth and Grey Malkin, Andy Partridge, Yuri Morozov and so much more lurking in the wobbly old mix.
Got to spend the next few months getting the new album ready for early 2020,
So until the next one...TATA

A bit of an update

There are now only 5 CD copies of Disjointed Oddities and Other Such Things left on my Bandcamp site
The Broken Folk 10inch EP is still available from the re-vamped and new looking
Belbury Music Shop.

My last album was All Hold Hands and Off we Go in 2017 and I spent most of 2018 working on the 2 EPs and Tracks for A Year in the Country and Wyrd Kalendar

I do have plans to release another album sometime, tunes have been recorded and at present its lots of listening back and whittling the tracks down to maybe a dozen.
At present really not sure when or how it will be released.
I have recorded a track for A Year in the Country for relese later in the year.
When I do know what I am doing (do I ever ???)
I will post all info here and on Twitter

An Interesting Start to the Year

Its been an interesting start to the year. Arriving in my mail box the other day was the announcement of the next Buried Treasure Records Deleware Rd event. This time round its taking place in at an old Army base in Wiltshire on Sat 17th and Sun 18th Aug
LINE UP CONFIRMED so far is: PENNY RIMBAUD / DOMINIC LASH + SETH COOKE / PAUL WATSON / ANI KCAM / MARK VERNON / NATALIE SHARP / LONE TAXIDERMIST / ANDREA PARKER / LIA MICE / CATTLE / THE SEANCE / FRONT & FOLLOW / KEMPER NORTON / THE SLOWEST LIFT / EMBLA QUICKBEAM / ARC SOUNDTRACKS / DJ FOOD / SARAH ANGLISS / CLAY PIPE MUSIC / SIMON JAMES / REVBJELDE / CASTLES IN SPACE / THE TWELVE HOUR FOUNDATION / CONCRETISM / POLYPORES / PSYCHE TROPES / SCULPTURE / HOWLROUND + MERKABA MACABRE / A’BEAR / DOUG SHIPTON / NICK TAYLOR / ALISON COTTON / IAN HELLIWELL / RADIONICS RADIO + MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED.
The austere military complex of New Zealand Farm near West Lavington will act as the
venue for over 10 hours of live music, DJs, experimental films, talks, exhibitions, rituals & theatrics inspired by landscape, myth, broadcast propaganda & the transformative nature of sound.

Tickets available from here

Next up and arriving just before Christmas was the new one from Pye Corner Audio; Hollow Earth. Its PCA's 3rd album for Ghostbox and was conceived as a sequel to 2016's Stasis. Its a lovely sounding album, mastered by Dean Honer with artwork by Julian House. Stand out track for me is the wonderfully haunting The Seventh Labyrinth (makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand everytime I here it.
Hollow Earth is Released on 15th Feb 2019
as CD, LP and Download from State 51 Conspiracy

Back in 2016 at the Folk Horror event at the British Museum
Chris Lambert asked me to contribute a track to the Wyrd Kalender album....and here it is

WYRD KALENDAR

Released by Mega Dodo
Jan 1st 2019
Edited and curated by Chris LambertMastered by Chris Sharp
Book written by Chris Lambert
Illustrations and artwork by Andy Paciorek

 Following the success of “Songs from the Black Meadow” in 2016 Mega Dodo and Chris Lambert are proud to present Wyrd Kalendar, a new Book and CD release. This will be released on January 1^st the beginning of the next Wyrd year.
 
Wyrd Kalendar takes the year as its starting point weaving from dark and forgotten traditions stories and music to delight, disturb and escape into.
 
Artists from the England, Scotland, Ireland and Portugal were each given a month of the year and a story from the book (Wyrd Kalendar) as a starting point from which to create a vastly eclectic and evocative mix of genres that sweep from the worlds of Folk to Electronica via Psychedelic licks and lost Horror Soundtracks.
 
Each month is presented by a different artist.
January: Widow’s Weeds (lead by Grey Malkin formerly of The Hare and the Moon) give us their occult tinged hymn to that month in Song for January.
February: Electronic wizard Keith Seatman explores the strange world of the Three Day Girl forever doomed to experience the missing days of that truncated month.
March: Psych-Folk singer Emily Jones brings to life the words of her long dead ancestor in Waiting for Spring.
April: Psychedelic Queen of Spring - Crystal Jaqueline plays us all for fools as she goes Chasing the Gowk.
May: Ghost Box’s Beautify Junkyards charm us with their delicious and haunting May Day Eve.
June: Alison O’Donnell of Mellow Candle, Flibbertigibbet, Firefay and United Bible Studies teams up with David Colohan on her wasp celebration Deadly Nest.
July: Scarfolk collaborator and electronic ghost of Cold War Britain Concretismbrings to life A Fair by the Sea.
August: Icarus Peel explores lost love and yearning as he explores the words of the aching and humid The Weeping Will Walk.
September: Legendary Folk Rock duo Tir na nOg encourage us to raise a glass to Autumn with Columbine.
October: Wyrdstone explores the haunting rhythms of harvest in The Field.
November: The Soulless Party leave the Black Meadow to take us for a Dark November Drive.
December: The Rowan Amber Mill explore the darker side of Christmas with The Witch’s Lament.
The Year: The 13^th track of the album is called Wyrd Kalendar. The Mortlake Bookclub explore the world of the book and the year through their unusual aural game of Exquisite Corpse.
Available from Here

November 2018 10inch EP Release

k s audio & Belbury Music Present

Seatman and Powell

Featuring Belbury Poly
The Broken Folk 10 inch EP

Artwork/Design by Jim Jupp (Ghostbox Records, Belbury Poly)

Side 1
Broken Folk (Belbury Poly Mix)
Boxes with Rhythms in 

Side 2
Broken Folk

Mr Metronome

My Morning Ritual 

Track 1 Remixed by Belbury Poly
Tracks 2-5 Reworked and Remastered from the Albums

A Rest Before the Walk
All Hold Hands and off we Go 

Release Date November 2018

Also Full Digi Discography can now be purchased from Bandcamp
for the super low price of £14

26th October Cafe Oto

Later in the Year 10inch ep and colour

Something for later in the year, and def on its way.
Seatman & Powell 10 inch ep on fancy colour vinyl.
k.s.audio & Belbury Music Publishing
More info and release date to come.

Test Transmission Archive Reel 33 !!!!!!!

This ones taken a while to do because I got sidetracked with other things. The house is filling up with all these Archive Reels, might store them in the shed. This time round to keep you merry and joyous in the summer we have Vaughan Williams, Julian Cope, Renaldo and the Loaf, Mike Oldfield, Beautify Junkyards, Don Partridge, Causa Sui, Revbjelde, A Year In The Country, Shirley Collins & Davy Graham, Carya Amara, Rolling Stones and so much more.

Outward Journeys/Belbury Circle/John Foxx

 The rather superb Synth Pop sounds of The Belbury Circle (Plus John Foxx on 2 tracks) release their 1st album. The last Belbury Circle and John Foxx release was Empty Avenues back in 2013. If you are a fan of 80s synth/library music, then this is going to be right up your street. With Track titles like Transports, Heading Home, Light Industry and Cloudburst Five  (my personal fav at the mo) you really can't go wrong. The Haunting Forgotten Town is classic Quiet Man/John Foxx.

A joyfully re-imagined soundworld that draws heavily on
late 70s and early 80s synth pop and library music. 

 

Some nice things said about the new one

 Some rather nice things said about the new album: 

all hold hands and off we go

Album excerpts

Surreal retro analogue visions slide in and out of haunted fever dreams in this woozy, uniquely psychedelic, Radiophonic-flavored concoction that's suffused with ambivalent subconscious.
Carl Griffin Electronic Sound Magazine 28 (April 2017) 

Unsettling pastoral electronica on this 5th CD album from Keith Seatman.
He’s joined on two tracks by vocalist Douglas Powell.

Jim Jupp (Ghost Box Records)

Odd In A Nightcap And Cup’ and ‘Please, Is It You’ very much recall Broadcast, ‘Tap Tap’ could be The Human League Mark One doing incidental music for Blake’s Seven and once again, Devon-based folky Douglas E Powell contributes some Syd-esque vocals on the haunting ‘Mr Metronome.
Jon Mojo Mills Shindig Issue 67 (May 2017)

The mixing and seamlessly combining and bringing together of atmospheres that you would not normally connect with one another is probably one of the defining aspects of the album; this is an unsettling, playful, warm, comforting, distant, familiar, experimental work with an intriguing pop edge.
A Year in the Country (April 2017)

Strange exotica, repeated samples and a sense of quiet adventure are found on Keith Seatman‘s all hold hands and off we go.
A Closer Listen (April 2017)

An album length sonic journey into the surreal, the strange and the sinister, a psychedelic pseance populated by waking dreams, nocturnal nightmares and supernatural forbearance, a melodic map of discovered Barrett-esque continents and hitherto beyond the eye magick lands. Trippy stuff.
The Sunday Experience (Jan 2017) 

all hold hands in the Ghost Box Guests shop

As from today a limited number of all hold hands an off we go will be available to purchase from the Ghost Box Records Guests shop. Digital and CD copies of all hold hands, and previous albums can also be purchased from Bandcamp.

Pattern Forms. Peel Away The Ivy Oct 21st 2016

The Pattern Forms is a collaborative project between Ed Macfarlane and Edd Gibson of Friendly Fires and Jon Brooks of The Advisory Circle. Peel Away the Ivy is the culmination of a fruitful collaboration that followed on from a debut single for Ghost Box’s Other Voices singles series in 2015. Release date Oct 21st 2016.