Where do you come from? Where is home?
Spent a weekend in the lovely grey slate and rain of Manchester- met by musicians proud to be Mancunian and keen to make me as welcome as possible. The city finally pieced itself together as a cohesion of streets, shops, pubs and performance spaces, including the stunning Islington Mill, the Sacred Trinity Church, the beautiful (but acoustically challenged) People's History Museum and the seductively sweaty Attick - and the local music scenes thrives. The Ruskins blew me away - exciting, energetic, seat of your pants music which teeters on the edge of control and punk... and the lovely and understated Mat Gray, whose song about crocodiles has been on repeat at my house since I returned. Do peruse.
My purpose in Manchester was Un-Convention. Jayne Casey was one of the interesting panelists, hailing from Liverpool. "I do not stay in my city because I love it, I stay in my city because I hate it and I want to change it." Likewise, if you're looking for words of wisdom and bass-ic inspiration I would track down Steve Lawson, a quirky fellow with an inquisitive mind, gentle manner and a solo bass career. Oh yes.
I just recorded a track with the uber talented Bandish Projekt; having exchanged ideas via the tinterweb for a while, myself and Mayur finally met face to face. I have a secret obsession with all things Indian (at night when I can't sleep I imagine myself rushing through the streets of Bombay, in all its squalor and glory) so it was a great opportunity to learn about indian classical composition and how Mayur uses some of these structures and rules within his own electronic music. Not unlike jazz in many ways.While I wanted to sound cool and a bit like Kylie, we ended up recording Indian influenced melodies, but sung in a western classical style. Mayur has the files so I look forward to hearing how he comps and mixes! Off to London Friday for Bandish Projekt at Rich Mix with Radio 1's Bobby Friction.
Things to google: Islington Mill, The Ruskins, Un-Convention, Steve Lawson, Bandisk Projekt, Jazz.
