Posted 14-12-2017 at 12:32 The Edge of Time: Palaeolithic bone flutes from France & Germany [EMAP Vol 4]
Around 40,000 years ago, towards the end of the last Ice Age, the upper Danube region was settled by anatomically modern humans. Traces of their daily life have been found at several cave sites in the south of modern Germany, including fragments of perforated bird bones and mammoth ivory. Representing the oldest evidence of musical creation worldwide, these prehistoric flutes – two from caves at Geissenklösterle, one from Hohle Fels, and a slightly later, more fully preserved find from Isturitz cave in the French Pyrenees – have been reconstructed in the modern era.
Flautist Anna Friederike Potengowski has studied the instruments and their possible playing techniques, and together with percussionist Georg Wieland Wagner has created a compelling programme of music in which contemporary modes of expression absorb and are reshaped by echoes from the edge of time. Water splashing against rocks, rustling grasses, the eternal musical truth of breath on bone. The fourth volume in Delphian’s pioneering collaboration with the European Music Archaeology Project has the deepest roots – and the widest reach – yet.
Dragon Voices: the giant Celtic horns of ancient Europe [EMAP Vol 3]
People of Celtic culture all over ancient Europe were fascinated by lip reed instruments, and made great horns and trumpets in many forms – including the carnyx, a two-metre-long bronze trumpet surmounted by a stylised animal head. One of these was found at Deskford, Scotland, in 1816 and reconstructed in the early 1990s; it is joined here by the magnificent Tintignac carnyx, discovered in southern France in 2004 and reconstructed specially for the current project.
John Kenny has specialised in their performance for a quarter of a century, and his newly created music explores their uniquely expressive sounds in solo, duo and ensemble textures, drawing upon Celtic mythical characters, echoes of ancient ritual in modern society, and impressions of real places in Ireland, Scotland and France.
Posted 14-12-2017 at 12:40
Ancient Music reconstructed and recorded on location at Sculptor's Cave
These recordings were made at the site of Sculptor’s Cave in Covesea, near Lossiemouth in northern Scotland. Three caves on this part of the coast have extensive histories of human occupation. The caves has many signs of ritual activity, including a number of carvings on the wall, some of Pictish origin. There is evidence of decapitated heads being displayed, and of a large number of human heads being displayed. Ritual activities are usually accompanied by music, and since other Pictish carvings feature harps prominently, it was decided to record harps and lyres at this site.
The instruments are reconstructions based on archaeological evidence, played by Bill Taylor (1-3) and Simon Chadwick (4-5). The nearby bird colony, and the sounds of the sea are also clearly audible. The recordings were made by Rupert Till.
Posted 25-12-2017 at 19:49
A Palaeolithic Invocation at Barnfield Pit, Kent
LOCATION: Swanscombe, north-west Kent
MUSIC: Hand of Stabs
Unofficial Britain is delighted to share another site-specific performance by the experimental sound collective Hand of Stabs.
In Barnfield Pit, the bones of our ancestors groan and shift uneasily in the shadow of Bluewater shopping centre. Rhythms creep from the ancient gravels. Time creaks.
Here’s what the band has to say about the recording:
“This recording is an invocation of the Palaeolithic woman whose skull fragments were discovered by the amateur archaeologist Alvan T. Marston at Barnfield Pit, north-west Kent in 1935.
The excavation site is a stone’s throw from the Bluewater shopping complex and Hand of Stabs are fascinated that the area itself epitomises both the beginning and end of cultural life on this island.
While recording, we envisaged this 400,000 year-old spirit moving through the retail outlets and food halls, imagining the emotional collision or attraction that might occur between those opposing worlds.
The album ends on a rasping cello note that suggests a final breath and reminds us that in the far future, our shopping arcades and sandwich franchises will themselves be history.”
Posted 30-12-2017 at 10:55
Thanks and Happy New Year Sem!
Next - Nick Jonah Davis is an ace finger-picking guitarist from Nottingham who is a favourite of Stephen McCauley from Radio Foyle. Regular readers of this thread will know I keep going on about his programme Soundscapes. Anyway I've heard him play Nick Jonah Davis several times but not this one - which Steven announced as Nine Stones Close (as in 'close the door'). I immediately realised what it must be inspired by - especially with Derbyshire being pretty close to Nottingham. So I'll have to put Steven right on the pronunciation - I'm pretty sure it's Close as in 'that was close!')
Nick Jonah Davis's album also has a track called Cold Wind on the Long Mynd - which is thick with archaeology too. Of which more here and nearby sites:
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=8396
Posted 13-01-2018 at 23:04
With thanks to Nathan Brown on Twitter for this one: Armoured Flu Unit - The Ruin (2017)
Featuring video of the Battle of the Beanfield, marvel as they rhyme English Heritage with pigs and tricks!
Posted 19-01-2018 at 11:02
On their web site The Hare and Hoofe promise: Tales of the dawn of the Bronze Age, of fabled, neighing creatures, and simple crustaceans. Your feet will move in mysterious ways, your hands will clap, your brains will be frazzled.
I had to find out more... It turns out the first song was inspired by seeing the The Amesbury Archer in Salisbury museum. And although they play it live, the recorded version is still being finished off. Tom from the band - who is a Megalithic Portal user incidentally - says "...hopefully soon the new version will be out there.....really out there." I can't wait!
Posted 19-01-2018 at 12:54
Tom from The Hare and Hoofe has suggested the album Standing Stone by Oliver - Oliver Chaplin and his brother Chris
"1974 acid folk LP which I'm a big fan of"
It was recorded mostly on a farm in Wales during early 1974, within shouting distance of the Standing Stone - presumably the one pictured. Everything was recorded by Oliver directly onto a Teac 4 channel tape machine using one microphone and/or direct injection guitar
"über-rare psychedelic folk-blues opus" - they're not kidding there - £46 for an LP on Discogs - "and that's just the 90's re-issue. The original is anything from 500 to 2000 easy!" Fortunately CDs are available. Thanks Tom.
[ This message was edited by: Andy B on 2018-01-19 20:43 ]
Posted 19-01-2018 at 21:19
...plus their Ford Timelord car across the top of the 'tryptychs' (as Spinal Tap wrongly call them) inspired by Carhenge - I've never seen that! I think I saw the back of an Easter Island head just after as well. Amazing model making - somewhat reminiscent of Jimmy Caulty's model village in a container that's been featured earlier in this thread.
I think we've done this one before but to put them together: The KLF also made Doctorin' the Tardis by The Timelords - the video for this has some nice aerial shots of Avebury with the famous car from 0.43 and 1:58, plus the Westbury white horse earlier on - they must have hired a helicopter - not cheap again.
Posted 20-01-2018 at 14:31
aye i met Jimmy Cauty at the riot tour shipping container tour. i think they have a distinct feel for what makes up britain-from ancient to modern.
do you know what the massive stately home in the video is?
Posted 25-01-2018 at 19:42
Bas Jan are a band named after the Dutch performance artist Bas Jan Ader, who was lost at sea in 1975 while attempting to cross the Atlantic single-handed for an art project.
The project is the latest recording incarnation (I would say 'brainchild' but I violently hate that word) of harpist Serafina Steer, but on vocals and electric bass this time.
The reason I am telling you this is the album includes the thoughtful track Anglo Saxon Burial Ground - which we featured earlier in the year - about a pagan-leaning visit to Sutton Hoo. Other places namechecked are Walton on the Naze and the Holloway Road in London so there's a bit of a wry Essex/Suffolk feel to it.
The album Yes I Jan is now out for download / streaming below - Anglo Saxon Burial Ground is track 3.
Posted 19-02-2018 at 22:05
I could wait until the Summer Solstice for this but then you'd be missing out on hearing about Adrian's excellent show. Last summer he did an entire 2 hour show talking and playing music from the Stonehenge Free Festival, at which he was a regular. Music from Roy Harper, Boris And His Bolshie Balalaika, Poisoned Electrick Head, Hawkwind, Cardiacs etc. One interesting one being 1989 by Daevid Allen's Gongmaison about the events that summer which I'd never heard before.
OFF-Line
Posted 12-11-2017 at 23:16 
