Autumn Rain, Swans, Joxfield & Ornette

Just an ordinary Friday, a day off duty, an indoor day because the autumn rain in this Godforsaken city showers like it use to this time of the year. A good ol' Gothenburg Autumn Rainy Day.
Taking a slow, long breakfast, reading the morning paper, sipping the coffee, listening to music; the first CD of Swans' "The Seer", the 27+ minutes Joxfield ProjeX track "Mah No 1" from "Shimmering Mah No 1" (yes, download for free here: http://archive.org/details/ca310_jp), Ornette Coleman's evocative "The Shape of Jazz to Come" from 1959 - one of the first free jazz albums. And next to come... well, no idea yet.
Bring the umbrella!

O'

Joxfield ProjeX & colonel XS - Promo Mix

 Joxfield ProjeX & colonel XS - promo mix by colonel XS

the long awaited Joxfield ProjeX & colonel XS collaboration is finally here!!!

c'mon labels, get in touch!

conceived and realized by Joxfield ProjeX & colonel XS
mastered by Marco Paschke at andereBaustelle tonstudio, Berlin
C + P 2012 all rights reserved

Lost Track # 5 - Gharbzadegi - Robert Wyatt

Who? Robert Wyatt
Where? Old Rottenhat (Rough Trade)
When? 1985
Why? Are we too old having idols? No, definitely not, especially not when one of them is the great RW, one of our most consisitng idols for over 40 years. The singing, the songmaking, the playing, the enviroment, in no specific order. So very much inspiring over the years, has always been, still is, will always be, as long as he and we lives.
Some of mid/late-eighties albums (Old Rottenhat, Dondestan, some EPs) are a bit over-looked today, in my personal opinion. It's just like "me 'n' my voice 'n' my simple keyboard 'n' some simple persussion, recorded or programmed". But, there's nothing simple about it, no matter it's not a full orchestra involved. It's the EXPRESSION, close to your heart and your mind, that matters
"Gharbzadegi" is the second last song of the album, and the longest, lasting for almost 8 minutes. Just Robert singing solo or in harmony with himself, and the keyboard and the percussion. Just that. And it's magic, it's big music, a very beauitiful hymn.
What does the title mean? Well, it's Persian and Robert's singing it: "Gharbzadegi means nothing to me Westernitis to you".
And regarding Robert, there are millions of reason coming back to him, be sure I will.
O'

The Secret of Behaviour

Yan and Oax doing.... yes, what?
There's always a reason not to tell a story. The less you know the better.
But if you could hear them saying anything they would have said:

Yan: This is where it happened!
Oax: I deny everything. It's just slander.

Picture by TC3

O'

"Wake Up" by Craig Linke

Wake Up from Craig Linke on Vimeo.


Once Craig Linke, an Australian experimental film maker, made a request to us about using one of our tunes for a film. Of course we said Yes to it.
Then I realised after a couple of years I'd forgotten about it and wrote a mail about what happened.
He answered quickly: 


Hi,

I did make the film and I'm quite proud of it! I entered it into a
festival but wasn't selected.
After that it kind of got left which is a bit of a shame. But your
email prompted me to upload it to Vimeo. You can see it here:
https://vimeo.com/44452703
Enjoy and thanks again.  


And I just agree, enjoy. It reminds me of some short film I once saw that was made in the early 20th century by people such as Man Ray and Jean Cocteau.


O' 

And don't forget...

...Yep, don't forget, today's Bloomsday!

JJ & The 1st Edition of THE Book.

Bloomsday is the day on which James Joyce mighty masterpiece Ulysses is set in Dublin, on 16th of June 1904.
So, all of you (or the few of you?) who haven't been there, in the book, just go get it, read it, the avant garde of bookishness. Once there you'll never come back again...
O'

NOW some time for vacation (see previous post)

Memories on Vacation - Goes Underground

Time for some vacation! Let's go underground, or more precisely, let's go under ground; digging deep in the soil in the garden, cutting the grass, reading, eating, drinking, socialize, etc, etc.
So, there will be a couple of weeks of staying away from this blog.
But don't worry we'll  be back sooner than you wish.
Meanwhile, don't forget your daily dose of Joxfield ProjeX - a couple of tunes a day keeps the bad temper away. That's a well-known truth.

O'

Oax Pick - Don Ellis - Indian Lady (1968 footage)

I'm not much of a big band guy, but when hearing Don Ellis' band in the very early 70's, the "Tears of Joy" album, I was stuck. His albums from the late 60's, early 70's are some of the best and pointing forward big band albums from that era in my opinion. And Don Ellis electrified his trumpet and modulated it years before Miles did. And Miles is a huge personal hero!
There are very few vids from that time. Here's a wonderful piece recorded live in 1968, "Indian Lady", from the "Autumn" album.
And the time signatures are as always - odd.
Enjoy!
O'

Joxfield ProjeX – Insult on the Dance Floor

A new release on Tin Can Music net label ! ! !

Joxfield ProjeX - Insult on the Dance Floor (Tin Can Music IOTDF 2012)

With music still keeping some heavy rough and dark moods the intention of this album is to offer some uplifting lightness and joy to the listeners, bring them loads of swirling sounds that even might bring them up on the dance floor for some horror moves in a futuristic dance exercise. 

The music is as intense, electric and beautiful as ever.

This is Joxfield ProjeX’ 15th release and the second on own netlabel imprint Tin Can Music.

Joxfield ProjeX is a Swedish duo.
Yan plays keyboard, program heavy drums, add great sounds and samples here and there.
Oax plays guitar, ebow, gliss, add sampled percussion and sound effects where needed.
All music is recorded at Camp Batang, Stockholm and at Camp Anna, Gothenburg 2011-2012.

Cover art photographs by Henrik Schyffert – All rights reserved (Thanks a lot, Henrik!)
Production, sounds & visions by Joxfield ProjeX
This music should be played with full attention at any volume you like. 

You’re allowed to dance to it


Download for free from:


http://archive.org/details/JoxfieldProjexInsultOnTheDanceFloortinCanMusicIotdf2012


Enjoy!!!


O'

What's Up, John?

- I have no sponsorship at all, not backed up by some record companies and are therefore forced to personally ensure that the economic part circuit, which is a heavier work than you might think. But if you refuse to sell your soul the long way is the only way to go.


From a John Lydon interview on PiL in Nya Upplagan (New Issue), May 7th 2012.
Could have been about Joxfield, as well as many other Hard working "free" artists

O'

Oceans 11, 12, 13 and.......... 52

Yesterday when I took a walk along the river shore I did pass a bench on which a guy was sitting, holding a big, home-made kite in his hands. It was windy, a bit too windy for a big kite to fly. I saw it was mounted some kind of camera in the middle of the kite.
I stoped for a couple of seconds, nodded a "Hi!" to him, he nodded back.
"A bit too windy for this?" I said and pointed at the kite.
"Yeah", he said, "I'm waiting for it to calm a bit".
"Taking photos?" I said, looking in the direction of the camera.
"Do you have a computer?" he asked.
"Yes, of course"
"Check on You Tube, I'm Oceans52" he said.
His origin was from Crete, Greece, and that's why the Swedish and Greece flag are on the kite.
And I did. Nothing spectacular, but a bit funny to see the result of his work. It seems like the video shown here is taken about 5 km south from where we met, but, I'm not all sure.
O'

Oax Pick - Fire! with Oren Ambarchi - In The Mouth-A Hand

Fire! with Oren Ambarchi - In The Mouth-A Hand (2 LP 2012)

Four side-long blasters of vivid kraut-punk - Fantastic!!!!!!!

O'

Video-time!!! - Jerry Lewis Makes You Exhausted

Words for the karaoke sessions: I'm a little busy body though I know it's very shoddy, I insist on knowing what is going on with everybody, Cause I'm such a busy body Always prying always spying I'm defying anyone to try to hide the fact from me-- --Now Mrs. Jones is with the doctor and her pulse he's finally clocked her Suddenly she sees me peeking and to all her friends I'm shrieking, "Mrs. Jones' valve is leaking! a mechanic she is seeking cause the clutch needs overhauling and her motor's always stalling." Mrs. Jones, you lonesome gal, you finally lost your trade in value. Now we come to Mr. Clunk, He thinks that I'm a little punk! He's always keeping up with Jones, and while I tapped his telephone, I learned that they will disconnect if soon the bill they don't collect, the sheriff's gonna take it back-- his brand new shiny Cadillac. So now I pass the news around that "Mr. Clunk is bankrupt bound!" I'm ruining his credit and I know he won't forget it Though he thought I was a little punk that cabbage headed Mr. Clunk I got the bank to fume and fret! They took his home, and better yet they grabbed his television set because I'm such a busy body! I'm a little busy body! If you drink an extra Toddy I will spot it long before you thought it, I'll be pointing to your house and tellin' folks that you're a souse! So I admit I am a louse. It's so much fun to tell the neighbors that you're underneath the weather And they ought a get together Using you as an example to their kids of what a tramp'll do if he is off the wagon, now your reputation's draggin' Cause you took an extra Toddy. And I'm tellin' everybody that you're more than slightly dizzy Now I've got you in the tizzy Cause I'm such a very busy little busy body! I'm the death of every party. You should hear the things I say when Truth or Consequence we play! I state the age of Mrs. Done! I tell 'em she is sixty-one and that her face is lifted, and her cargo's slightly shifted. There are couples kissing in the dark. I use my flashlight for a lark. And Joan is hugging Mortimer, and she's engaged to Mr. Shore. I'm hiding in the cuspidor and flash the light upon their face while they are locked in fond embrace and Mr. Shore then wrecks the place. I'm such a busy body breaking up a lovely party! Mabel Smith is on the scale, and suddenly she's growing pale! For in a chorus, so endearing, I have got the neighbors cheering, "Darling what a lovely weight! You weigh One-hundred Eighty-Eight!" You lick the pattern off the plate And then you bleed for more to eat! You look just like a strange falloon that drifted to us from the moon And scientists much watch their step an' see if you're a secret weapon. That is how the gossip goes and all because I stick my nose in other peoples' dirty clothes a heavy winded guy am-- I don't need a breath to say good bye because I'm such a busy little busy bodyyy..... busy booody-- buuuuusy bodyyyy!!! Booody buss--- Gah--I haven't got any breath left!! I'm so-- BUsy bo-- Busy BOOOoodyyyyyy!!! I'm choking I *gags*..... *HUGE BREATH* I'm a little busy bodyyyyy!!!! *** *********** Heard this song some 30 or 40 years ago and it hasn't left me since. Say what you want about these all American guys (and there's a lot to say), but it's great entertainment. O'

Oax Pick - Depeche Mode's "Songs of faith and devotion"

This is not a fantastic album. Or maybe it is. In the beginning, in the early 80's, I thought this band was ridiculous, something that would last a year or two, until the kids got tired of it and chose another pop band to adore, like kids do. Bay City Rollers of 1980. AAAAWWWW Mah God!!! How wrong I was! A couple of years later one great tune after another showed up and I feld a bit annoyed, I don't like being wrong, at least not in my opinion of music. Then great albums showed up, one after another and now, after all these years it's time to come out of the cave and ask for forgiveness. I'M SORRY, GUYS - I WAS WRONG!!! But, now that's history. This is a magnificent band, doing magnificent music (oh, no, not ALL of it, but very very much). Today, when listening to their "Songs of faith and devotion" I feld it was time to focus them in one Oax Pick. The opening, "I feel you" is a monster of a kind almost no-one creates in an entire career, it has enough power for a whole album (but, it would have been a short album). Then it goes on, strong tunes, mostly low tempo (the early 90's was filled with down-tempo). It's a strong band, Dave's voice is one of the best in rock, a lot of Martin's tunes are some of the best in modern rock music and the playing from all of them is nothing but...... I bow my head in deep respect. Well, now it's said, let's go back into the cave, start reject the genius of the future, go back to normal, noise and freeform, drone and ambient, psych and space, jazz and...... pop music and rock music... Shit! I'll never get away from this as long as I live... O'

Oax Pick - Burning Spear's "Marcus Garvey"

I'm not much of a raggae guy, but when it works it works fine. There are some great stuff from about 1970, plus/minus 5 years. This is one of them. Mostly I use to like the dub versions of whatever much better than the original ones. This is an exception. Burning Spear's "Marcus Garvey" is filled with two of the most important components in music: strong, hypnotic melodies and a hell of a voice. You lean back and fall into the grooves of the now classic music, melt into another Universe, hearing Winston Rodney's voice, like a distorted Roebuck "Pops" Staples, yelling his message. No, I'm not much of a rastafari guy either, but when hearing this album things happens with hair, at least what's left of it. O'

Neneh Cherry & The Thing - New Vid

This is really bloody great! Pop music we're not used to hear. From forthcoming album, The Cherry Thing. Ticky tacky tickyyy!!! O'

Shit Bloody Shit ! ! ! - Thomas is Dead ! ! !

Not only being legendary co-founder of Träd Gräs & Stenar, Thomas Mera Gartz was also a masterful wizzard with the rhythm sticks, one of our favourite psych-trance-space-rock percussionists ever. A couple of years ago TG & S unexpectedly lost their bass-player Torbjörn Abelli and today I did get the news that Thomas unexpectedly as well has past away, getting rapidly ill on Saturday, dying on Sunday. It's big loss not only for family and close relatives, but also to the music world, especially his band-mates who recently re-established TG & S, trying to get something together after the death of Torbjörn. There was music that had to be played. What will happen now? I saw the "new" band some months ago and I was stunned. With no disrespect, but they were better than ever. TMG & Joxfield? It's mentioned on this blog the 12th of April, the Self-Unit version featuring TMG's percussion constructions. http://oaxofjoxfield.blogspot.se/2012/04/unique-rarity-joxfield-projex-guested.html Less than three weeks ago I wrote him a mail regarding thoughts about re-establishing our collaboration. I knew he was busy with new TG&S music and didn't expect any quick answer, but nevertheless he had written some nice words about our music to me and I thought his playing to our music would be The Right Thing! This didn't happen, will never... R.I.P. Mighty Thomas! O & Y

Oax Pick - King Crimson's "Vrooom"

After the release of Three of a Perfect Pair there was a ten year intermission. To make the explanation a bit simple (= my version), Robert Fripp has said that Crimson never cease to exist, but it can take pauses. And the band is not even its members, the band is the music, so when there is King Crimson music that has to be played and recorded, well, up jump the band and who's in it... differs. After TOOPP the gap was for ten years before there was new music that had to be played and recorded, this time by what would become known as The Double Trio, Fripp & Belew on guitars, Gunn & Levin on basses, sticks, whatever you call their instruments with THICK strings and Mastelotto & Bruford drums and percussion of various kind. There was also some samples and electronics. The first sign that showed us fans that the new King Crimson was not only speculations was a 30 minutes EP in 1994, "Vrooom", which was to be followed by full-length "Thrak" following year plus various live sets later. "Vrooom" consists of 6 track (the title track was later split into two, Vrooom and Coda: Marine 475) Four of the six tracks showed up on "Thrak", but in slightly different, more pollished versions. Looking back at the double trio version of Crimson and all their releases, "Vrooom" has always been my favourite, despite its shortness (most Beatles' albums were about half an hour long). The songs are rougher and tougher than the later versions, not with demo sound quality, more like early versions played by a hungry band really enjoying playing together again in a time when no-one knows what will become of it. Will it be more? A full-length album? Tours? Now we know the answer is yes to all these questions, but during the recording of "Vrooom" it sounds like "We're having some great songs, ideas, structures, let's try them, let's just have fun". That's why I like it so much. It sounds like they are really having fun with the new material. O'

Lost Track # 4 - Fire - John Mayall's Bluesbreakers

Who? John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
Where? Bare Wires (Decca)
When? 1968
Why? There can't be said much enough about John Mayall's importance as an expander of the definition of blues. What he did in the late 60's and early 70's is nothing but avant garde, progressive, psychedelic and sometimes even touching free form elements as in this particular track, Fire. It's situated as the fourth part of the Bare Wires Suite on the album of the same title. It's non-rhythmic freely floating, Mayall's wailing voice over the instruments, creating moments that makes me wonder: Could possibly Mats Gustafsson's band Fire! have taken their name from this track? I don't think so, but they should have. It would have been fair. And great. Anyway, it's a marvellous tune, a hidden gem.

 O'

Unique Rarity - Joxfield ProjeX guested by legendary Thomas Mera Garz

Self-Unit - Version Zero feat. Thomas Mera Gartz

This is the orgininal work in progress version of "Kenji Self-Unit" which in another version finally ended up on Numbers & Letters album.
It features the rare one and only guest appearance by legendary Thomas Mera Garz on drums & percussion. For people who have spend the last 50 years or so in a cave: TMG is the legendary stable-as-a-rock-but-makes-the-music-fly-light-as-a-feather drummer & percussionist of some of the most important psychedelic trance rock bands in Sweden ever: Pärson Sound, International Harvest, Harvest, Träd Gräs & Stenar and countless numbers of others. Thomas nowadays also create excellent music and videos. Go for Meramorr on Youtube and you'll find some other treasures.

Heard on Self-Unit - Version Zero is:
Thomas Mera Garz - Drums, percussion
Kenji Siratori - Voice + author of words
Nikke Ström (Yes, another legend in Sweden, but you who have left the cave already knows that) - Bass
Yan - Spiritual Mind
Oax - Guitars
Music & Production by Oax & Yan 2007 - Powered by Tin Can Music

Self-Unit - Version Zero feat. Thomas Mera Gartz by joxfieldprojex

Enjoy!

O'