music – Page 9 – I am Ashley Elsdon

A day at WOMAD

Posted by ashleyelsdonon July 26, 2015in Events, Festivals, Listening, MusicLeave a comment

I wasn’t able to spend the whole weekend at WOMAD this year, I was only able to go for the day this year. Which was ok. The weather was pretty awful on the Friday, so the Saturday was a good option in the end.

So as always here’s the obligatory photo of the flags. I think you have to take one as part of the terms and conditions of the ticket. I heard a few interesting things on Saturday. Possibly the most interesting was Hannah Peel, who I’ll be listening to some more of soon enough.

It was also good to see Hossam Ramsay doing a workshop at WOMAD this year. Quite a while ago I did a workshop where Hossam taught for a day, and that was excellent. I really enjoyed it.

So I’m glad I went. It was good to meet up with some old friends and see how the festival has come on in a year. I’ve been going for a long time now, not as long as some of my friends though, and it’s sort of become an annual tradition.

I like WOMAD, but this year it felt a little crowded. I’m not sure why. It was good to go for the day, this year that was enough for me.

Listened to this again recently

Posted by ashleyelsdonon July 2, 2015June 30, 2015in MusicLeave a comment

Fashion’s first album was so good, and this wasn’t. It was a disappointment although it did have a couple of good tracks on it. It’s a shame that they didn’t do anything like the first album again.

Unknown Public 2 in pictures

Posted by ashleyelsdonon June 26, 2015June 25, 2015in MusicLeave a comment

I put up some pictures of Unknown Public 1 and I thought I’d continue with that and show the next in the series. From issue two I moved from cassette to CD, as you can see.

Uncommon Deities … a work of incredible beauty

Posted by ashleyelsdonon June 17, 2015June 14, 2015in Listening, MusicLeave a comment

I’ve had this album for some time but never spent enough to really listen to it deeply, but I did that the other week and found it was a work of almost intense beauty and depth. The words and the concepts are unique and wonderful and executed in such a subtle way it has to be one of the most thought provoking albums I’ve heard in ages.

I really want to listen to it again, in the same sort of environment, with the same attention to listening. It isn’t always something that’s easy to do.

John Foxx, Ghost Harmonic: Codex

Posted by ashleyelsdonon June 2, 2015June 1, 2015in Listening, MusicLeave a comment

John Foxx's Ghost Harmonic, Codex album — John Foxx’s Ghost Harmonic, Codex album

I’ve been waiting for this for some time, and now it’s here. I think it requires some special listening though, not just a casual listen, not just on headphones and walking through the city, but a much more considered and deep experience.

Wishing that Unknown Public was still a thing

Posted by ashleyelsdonon May 30, 2015May 27, 2015in MusicLeave a comment

But it isn’t and hasn’t been for a long time now, which is such a shame. It was such an interesting idea and such a good package. Of course it was in a time before music discovery on the internet was a thing. Before Spotify was a thing. Back then, stuff like Unknown Public (although there wasn’t really anything like it) was a really good way to discover new music, new artists. It worked like that for me.

So in many ways it doesn’t have a place in terms of today’s music world, but I think we’re poorer for it. A lot of the enjoyment from Unknown public was in how it was put together. The beauty of the package and its contents. You can’t make that on the internet. Maybe someone should try.

Listening to Greg Haines

Posted by ashleyelsdonon May 25, 2015May 25, 2015in Listening, MusicLeave a comment

Since seeing him live at Denovali Festival at the weekend I’ve been interested to hear his recorded output. So I found him on Spotify and had a listen. Well, I’ve been really enjoying his album ‘Where we were’. I’m fairly sure that a lot of that is what he was playing at the Festival.

I think I could really get into this actually. It has nice way of evolving from one track to another and flowing subtly. It also has quite cinematic overtones too, which I enjoy a lot. So I think I may have to listen to some more of his back catalogue on Spotify and hear what else he’s done. So far so good.

I had to buy this when I saw it the other day

Posted by ashleyelsdonon May 24, 2015in MusicLeave a comment

When Errol Brown sadly died earlier this month I realised that I had no Hot Chocolate in my collection at all. So when I saw this in a local second hand record shop I had to buy it, and it’s great.

I think I probably need a bit more Hot Chocolate in my life now. In fact, I think probably everyone does.

Tik and Tok were awesome

Posted by ashleyelsdonon May 22, 2015May 19, 2015in Listening, MusicLeave a comment

Back in the 80’s when robot dancing was a really big thing I thought that they were amazing. Some of their old tracks still are. These were some of them, although my favourite stuff from them was ‘Crisis’ and ‘Summer in the City’.

This was the first (proper) single I ever bought

Posted by ashleyelsdonon May 21, 2015May 18, 2015in History, MusicLeave a comment

It made a huge impression on me and has influenced my musical choices ever since. I can remember playing it over and over again, both sides of course.

These days, when I find a 7″ copy of it, I feel an overwhelming urge to buy it. So when I found this one in a second hand record store for £1 I did buy it.

I’m sure that eventually I’ll end up with a stack of these. Not that that’s a huge problem of course.