[SYRFox]

I don't think he's ever been mentioned on here. Which is a shame because he's probably one of the most fascinating artists I've ever discovered. What he does could basically be described as melting hauntology themes with instrumental hip hop beats. Obscure melodies, retrofuturistic atmospheres, lost TV transmissions, weird samples, etc. Kind of like if Boards of Canada melted with The Focus Group, or something. Fantastic music - I bought the 4 albums on the day I discovered him.

Now what makes him even more special is that he creates a whole fiction around his music. He basically created a whole fictional city, Clinkskell, and the booklets for his four records include fake ads for books, movies, sweets, etc from this city, descriptions of local games, etc, with fantastic pictures, etc. The sounds are supposed to have been "captured in the Curtain Draped Studio by Mr Paris Green and Dr Lettow-Vorbeck 1898-1981". The website follows this trend as well : http://www.blankworkshop.co.uk/ (check the "Reviews and Comments" section, there are even stains on the papers to make them look antiquated !).

So far he released a record a year since 2007 ("An Audience At Art Deco Eyes", 2007 ; "Shoes Off And Chairs Away", 2008 ; "Striped Paint For The Last Post", 2009 ; "A Spare Tabby At The Cat's Wedding", 2010), they all have a similar retro design, all include 22 tracks (the new one actually includes totally different music on CD and vinyl, so that's basically two new albums this year) and are released on his own label, Gecophonic, which only releases his records. They're all fantastic. I've been massively in love with this music for the past week or so and I believe he might become one of my favorite artists ever. Check it out, really, it's worth all your attention. Simply fascinating.

 

 

 

 

[SYRFox]

 

 

 

 

[SYRFox]

 

 

 

 

"Jass of Thun (BW011/84)

During the Autumn and Winter months, Clinkskell is often visited by the peculiar 'Jass of Thun'. His arrival coincides with particularly inclement weather, and it is mentioned that his footsteps have only been heard upon frozen ground."

[TheFoxBen]

You're right, it exactly sounds like a way more haunting version of Boards of Canada... I'm only one song into Striped Paint for the Last Post and I already find it amazing !

[SYRFox]

This is just incredible.

[kinn]

yes. one of the greatest bands of the past few years.

i dream of taking over the BBC and getting them to do a hauntology theme night, hiring ghost box and these guys to come up with a night of programming.

[SYRFox]

Originally Posted by kinn

yes. one of the greatest bands of the past few years.

i dream of taking over the BBC and getting them to do a hauntology theme night, hiring ghost box and these guys to come up with a night of programming.

now that would be great. do you like demdike stare ? i find them connected to this whole hauntology thing

[kinn]

havent heard demdike yet.

mrc are even better if you are actually british and you've grown up on ITV and BBC and the general aesthetics of british hauntology have been around you in your life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNbGX1AHWwM

Please take time to digest this information clearly by practising the dance routines you've learnt from the recent ITV summer season along with this deftly stimulating promotional clip: Slumberwick Dreams.

Selected dance styles include:

Somnambulist half-baked shuffle
Reverse Outpatients Boogie
The Hypnagogic Hop
The Narcoleptic Pop
Backwards sleepwalk style
Sepia Insanity
Confusional B/W two-step frugg.

We wish you every success with your routines.

ITV judges will be forming out of the furniture to judge you in your own home NOW.

This is Confusing English Electronic Music.

_______

brilliant!

[shabbray2.0]

aaaaaah!
I am on my first playthorugh of "A Sprare tabby..." and honestly I LOVE (Capital Letters) it.
best recommendation since, like forever.
I would rep you again if I could!
I will come back to this thread after some extended listening, which will maybe in a hour or so

Originally Posted by TheFoxBen

You're right, it exactly sounds like a way more haunting version of Boards of Canada... I'm only one song into Striped Paint for the Last Post and I already find it amazing !

some for me here. except the "more haunting then BoC" - thing I couldnt sign. but they are on their trail without ripping them off, and alone that makes it brilliant.

Edit:
I am going nuts, while listening to it I am researching bout them, and its just....perfect!!!
I am looking forward to go through some snowy streets & mountains and riding the train to even more mountains, while my mind is breakdancing in slow motion!
thanks again fox!

[Dr. Eugene Felikson]

Pretty cool stuff, I definitely see the BoC similarities. Clever name too.

[shabbray2.0]

Update:

Moon Wiring Club is already in my top 10 of my favourite music. and it doesnt seem to stop.
Its an almost perfect melange from all the stuff I love, damnit

[SYRFox]

Originally Posted by shabbray2.0

Update:

Moon Wiring Club is already in my top 10 of my favourite music. and it doesnt seem to stop.
Its an almost perfect melange from all the stuff I love, damnit

exactly what i think ! i keep on listening to the records and always discover new great elements everywhere. incredible.

[shabbray2.0]

and I checked the site. incredible hpw he builds a whole world around the records. its ot that it doesnt functions without it, but its a nice "bonus".

how you find out about?

[nicfit]

he touched him inappropriately.

[shabbray2.0]

that would be an honor, hahaha.
do you like MWC nicfit?
it might be right up your alley!

@fox: where did you buy the albums?

[SYRFox]

I found about him via the Ghost Box newsletter.

You can buy his records on his own website, in the "Online Giftshop" section

[shabbray2.0]

I recently saw that.
that site really is so full of details all around this "world". I wonder if he is doing all this as a full time job...
do you think the picture at the discogs site is the real one behind all that?
would be too funny I think.

[SYRFox]

I think it's really him indeed. And I don't know if he does this as a full job (unfortunately, I don't think he sells enough records to do this, which is a shame...), but he sure puts efforts into everything he does. The booklets of the four records are all incredible, really. They include fake documents and ads from Clinkshell, and describe movies, books, sweets, card games, etc etc etc. It's simply mad. This guy is a genius, really.

[jimbrim]

yeah, i've been a fan of this guys music for a while now. i recently purchased a belbury poly and moon wiring club 7" which is part of the ghost box study series, it's really worth tracking down.

also, have you heard this?

 

it's a mixtape of old british tv soundtracks and other oddities, there's some great stuff on it, particularly 15:00-18:00 on side 1, which is pure bliss! it can be downloaded here - http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/3623/

[kinn]

everyone needs to hear this belbury poly song too