Dinner

The recording session that we did yesterday was intended to involve as many people as possible, and this is why it was also a big meal.

 

There’s a thing I was told, about the relationship between food and music, and I’ve encountered cooking and creativity combos domestically before. But even apart from this, the way we behave as people depends on the quality of our company, and so then will be our performance, in music and poetry.

So, we got scores of people together to be there, at the recording, and in return we fed them.

 

It was done using an old-style tape machine, (the recording, not the food) and this was partly to limit us. It means it’s harder to change things afterwards. If you can’t edit, then what you play in the first place matters more. At the same time, though, we eliminated the idea of a ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ note, or performance. This was done by varying each performance with (occasionally arbitrary) positive directions, and encouraging the performers to listen to each other.

 

The fact that the 50-60 people present were hearing the same four pieces of material over ten hours demanded that we be wildly varied and creative in our performances. Occasionally the guests were personally giving directions.

The intention was partly to create a unique record, partly to gain from the influence of so many characters, partly to have many good people meet. But also we wished to have a large group of people take ownership, to some extent, of the work.

 

A person can’t be told to own something, or identify with it. It must be left out for them, and open to being distorted and coloured by whatever they choose for themselves, and even then, potentially rejected. The result in the music, if you ask me, was a frailty, and an urgency, and (I hope) a personality that all present could ascribe to, but none can claim as exclusively their own.
The material is part of a collection we’re preparing for release some time next year. More on here soon.

Thankyou, to all involved, in any sense whatsoever. It was a great thing to be doing.

Sam Buckley – CHEF

Will Calderbank – CELLO

Rioghnach Connolly – FLUTE

Ellis Davies – TELECASTER

Alabaster Deplume – SAX, VOCAL, COMPOSITION

Lorien Edwards – BASS GUITAR

John Ellis – KEYS

Phillip Howley – DRUMKIT, PERCUSSION

Antwerp Mansion – VENUE

Kirsty McGee – BASS FLUTE

Tim Vincent Smith – VIOLIN

Paddy Steer – PERCUSSION, PRODUCER

Karl Sveinsson – ENGINEER

Rick Weedon – PERCUSSION