Equinox

Weeeellll, it's happened. Against all odds, despite all our expectations, much to our surprise, the spring is here. Hats off to The Ancient Ones, the dolmen and passage tomb builders, the astronomers and heavenly worshippers.

Labbycally (Leaba an Chailligh - The Witch's Bed) dolmen tomb in Co. Cork is positioned in such a way that on the 22nd of March and (vague! I dunno me equinoxes!) its autumnal counterpart, the central spine is lit up by the sun's setting rays.

Stuck up a rough version of a track off the new EP on Soundcloud. It'll be streaming for a week or so. Preview shtylez!

ECHO release!!

Well, kids, it's finally happening. "Echo" has found a home, on the excellent Alphabet Set. A long-standing (ten years old this year!), well-respected, electronic label of consistently high quality, I was bleedin delirah that they had room/time/yaknowwhaddImean for me and my thang.

Now all the admin begins. I'm getting records made, with big, beautiful, artwork, courtesy of Barry and Chris. For that (and for the cash moneys needed), I'm going to go the crowd-funding route - Fundit or Pledge or one a them crowds. Well, "pre-order" is closer to the mark. Gotta get my pro-active pants on now. If only I could find them.....

Cello stuffs

Cello lesson in Amsterdam again today, trying to loosen up that bowing arm. It has a tendency to tense up trying to stop the bow from tipping over or falling altogether. Gravity, innit! Seán Bergin put me in touch with Harald Austbø, a cellist and improviser who lives in Amsterdam.
He's a student of Ernst Reijsiger, the composer and cellist who's written music for a good few of Werner Herzog's films (including "Wide Blue Yonder" and "Cave of Forgotten Dreams"). Beeeyyooootiful!

In the course of the lesson, talk of portability came up. I started playing the cello eight years ago for many reasons, but its portability (compared to a piano anyway) was one of them. Hundreds of bus journeys later -"Would you not play the tin-whistle?"; "I'd say you have some trouble getting that under your chin!", cue gales of laughter - I realise it's maybe not the most portable.

Still and all, hats off to those who try. Here's Harald on mini-cello with the Bakfiets Band. This clip from a concert of Werner Herzog film music is beautiful, and round 8 minutes in you can see Ernst Reijsiger playing the cello standing up. Apparently he walks around with it sometimes too.

And, a bit less successfully by Woody Allen in "Take the money and run".

The brilliant Herv released "Portable Music, Vol. 1" last year, made with Nintendo DS, Korg Monontron and (I think) an Ipad - a practical solution to having a very long bus commute to and from work. Get that show on the road, as they say!

Gig tonight in Zaal 100

Come on down! It starts at 9 p.m., all details are here.

Zaal 100, De Wittenstraat 100, 1052 BA Amsterdam.

Amsterjam

Headed up to Amsterdam yesterday for a jam with Tobias Klein and Raphael Vanoli. Tobias plays clarinet, bass clarinet and saxophone, Raphael is a guitarist, and both of them use electronics along with their respective instruments. Yesterday was wonderful, that flotation tank feeling from abstract improv, and the bass clarinet is a big velvetty swoon-machine. Plus, the studio had a window, so we could see snow falling outside (minus 23 centigrade last night in Eindhoven - winter came late, but it's here now!). Just beautiful.

They're amazing musicians, wildly prolific and proactive, involved in loads of other projects, including Lackritz, Knalpot and Spinifex. I've come into contact with a lot of (for want of a better word) jazz musicians over here, and technical ability and prolific collaboration is a big part of (let's call it) jazz circles. Left to my own devices, I'd write and write, acquiring the technique necessary to play my own music, but not stretching myself any further.

With that in mind, I'm getting a cello lesson next week in The Dam. It's been three years since my last one, time to get back on the horse. Tis a life's work, eh.

ACTA gway ourah tha!

Last Friday, the EU countries (with the exception of Germany,The Netherlands, Cyprus and Estonia), signed ACTA, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. In the same vein as SOPA and its hangers-on, ACTA is far more scary and far-reaching. Vague and open-ended (of course!), it provides a low threshold for criminal sanctions; 'to “acts” which are for direct commercial advantage but also for, also undefined, “economic advantage” or “aiding and abetting” (also undefined).' (http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number10.1/whats-wrong-with-ACTA - Part 2)

It puts the onus on ISPs (internet service providers) to police their customers' internet usage and offers bland assurances that it'll protect "fundamental principles such as freedom of expression, fair process, and privacy". Soooo, not fundamental rights, not a fair trial, not due process.

Ostensibly on grounds of public health, it goes beyond the digital realm as regards intellectual property. This has implications for generic drugs(drugs whose patent has expired, can be sold without a licence from the original company, much cheaper than brand-name drugs), and seeds.

Negotiations have been shrouded in secrecy since they started three years ago.

In fact, the EU rapporteur on ACTA quit in disgust on Thursday over the process by which the whole thing has been negotiated.

European Digital Rights have a good summary of ACTA on their site, five one-page documents on different aspects.

And then, what to do? La Quadrature du Net have some suggestions -
https://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/How_to_act_against_ACTA

If you haven't already...

This is an online petition opposing what's been(or being) called SOPA Ireland, or "S.I. No. of 2011 European Communities (Copyright and Related Rights) Regulations 2011.”

Dear Minister Sherlock:

I call on you to abandon your proposed enactment of “S.I. No. of 2011 European Communities (Copyright and Related Rights) Regulations 2011.” This legislation subverts the democratic process, favours the special interests of corporations over the rights of individual citizens, will destroy the largest growth sector in the Irish economy, and will subject the citizens of Ireland to unwarranted and unintended censorship.

Here to sign:

http://stopsopaireland.com/