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Jono McCleery talks to Smorgasbord UK about his forthcoming album on Ninja Tune, ‘There Is’. Includes live clips from his performance at The Elgin, London on 03.03.11.
Interview by Rob Lamont for Smorgasbord UK, production/editing by Calum R.Lattimer for CRL Media.
Song clips: ‘It’s All’, ‘Soldier in the Sound’, ‘Reaching Out’ and ‘Garden’. Features Matt Kelly on synth bass/electronics and Dan See on drums.
Smorgasbord Music Industry Podcast With Jhon Cosgrove by Smorgasborduk on Mixcloud
Rob Lamont, Jhon Cosgrove
Mike TV’s promotional robot Jhon Cosgrove joins Smorgasbord for a decidedly tongue-in-cheek music industry seminar. My highlights include Jhon’s random outbursts of insults directed at fellow musos and the unfortunate story of me forgetting to bring my guitar to a gig.
Accompanying music is taken from Nihon Kizuna (www.nihonkizuna.com), a charity album in aid of Japan. Intro music © Rob Lamont 2009
Rob Lamont
I have started writing weekly music reviews for the good folks over at Phuture Frequency Radio. Normally you would have to visit their site to read said pieces but I’m making an exception for this especially important release:
Compiled speedily after the catastrophic events in Japan, Nihon Kizuna (in English, ‘bond of friendship with Japan’) is the work of a small group of creators in Tokyo and a host of artists worldwide who donated their tracks to the project. The album costs £10 from its BandCamp site (or more if you elect to make a larger donation), with all funds going directly to the Japanese Red Cross.
I thought that to review the album would be to rather miss the point, so this is really more of a plug for Nihon Kizuna, although it certainly is a superb collection of electronica - the team (including the ‘spiritually Japanese’ Laurent Fintoni, a music connoisseur and journo), should be commended for their taste as well as their initiative.
The album is a whopping 49 tracks long, its tone ranging from dark downtempo (Himuro Yoshiteru, Mus.sck) to vocal folktronica (Fink, Jono McCleery) to wonky hip hop (Darkhouse Family, Onra) to atmospheric dubstep (Kode 9, Slugabed, Doshy). But the sheer breadth of the genres and nationalities on board never overshadows the very specific cause - there are many Japanese artists involved, many tracks with titles referencing the country, and many that are exclusive to or recorded especially for this release.
For these reasons N.K. is an expertly and sensitively compiled album, especially considering how quickly it was arranged. Passionate and compassionate.
The project raised $15000 in the first four days of its release, and if donations reach a total of $20000, a second album of bonus tracks will compiled and given away for free. Go to www.nihonkizuna.com for more information.
First appeared on www.pfradio.com, March 2011
The 2011 awards season came and went with the same predictable fuss and controversies one has come to expect over the years. The denouement has taken its familiar form: the fashion world working itself into its annual frenzy regarding Who Wore Whom; the media flooding with both professional and amateur critiques of the variously contentious and nauseating selection of hosts; industry buffs gathering to grumble that geniuses had as usual been overlooked in favour of someone less worthy of the coveted prizes.
This year’s Academy Awards, I am pleased to say, gave more than a passing nod to British talent. The work of British directors, actors and actresses, technicians, musicians, costume designers and artists featured heavily amongst the nominees and winners of these highly sought after prizes. Surprisingly or not, the much debated The King’s Speech came out on top at the Oscars, picking up four of the, dare I say it, biggest awards of the night, for which it fought off competition from box office blockbusters such as Inception and The Social Network.
Much has been made of the success of The King’s Speech, mainly because it grossed three and a half times its predicted box office revenues and also because it could quite easily never have been made. Turned down for funding from both the BBC and Film4, producers eventually secured a £1 million investment from the publicly funded UK Film Council, to make what has turned out to be the most commercially successful independent British film ever made. Incidentally, as many of you are no doubt aware, that same UK Film Council has fallen victim to the inexorable axe of government spending cuts, and as of April 1st will dissolve into nothing, leaving behind it a legacy of success stories too little too late.
The ensuing arguments for and against this move were predictable. The cuts need to come in order to fill the fiscal hole, and everyone is feeling the pinch. But an industry that produces some of the genuinely finest talents in the world in this sector should be encouraged to flourish, not be restricted.
Whatever one’s view on whether cutting the UKFC is an affordable sacrifice for the long term benefit of the nation, it is fair to say that the arts sector in Britain has suffered as a result of government cuts.
Arts Council England, the body responsible for funding and supporting hundreds of galleries, museums and arts venues in the country, has had its budget slashed by almost 30 percent in the government Spending Review outlined last autumn, and is required to cut its own administrative costs by 50 percent. National museums have been given a 15 percent cut, though will remain free to enter. The British Film Institute, as well as being delegated the UKFC’s responsibilities, will also take a 15 percent cut in funding. In addition to the UKFC, 18 other quangos will be scrapped or reformed. Councils’ budgets have been cut, putting hundreds of local libraries in danger of closure. I could go on.
Perhaps the most dangerous prospect of these cuts is the knock-on effects they will have to the quality of the arts in this country. But while it is impossible to scrap bankers’ bonuses because it could prevent the British financial services sector from attracting the best global talent, the arts, it seems, are not worthy of this protection. At the end of this month Arts Council England will announce exactly which bodies and authorities will suffer the most. Last weekend’s Olivier Awards were clouded with uncertainty for the future of regional and subsidised theatre in Britain. Actor Adrian Lester, along with some 45 of his contemporaries, wrote a letter to the Observer ahead of the ceremony stating:
‘It’s not just about securing jobs, it’s about the continued invention and preservation of culture, as that is what our artists take care of.’
As is often the way in times of austerity, those controlling the purse strings are keen only to value something on its tangible financial merit. And indeed, financial investment in the arts is a risk, as anyone working this competitive and challenging sector will vouch for. But ignoring for a moment that the British film industry alone contributes around £4 billion to UK GDP, long term fallout of these cuts on the industry are less readily quantifiable. Take, for instance, that next generation Tom Hooper, now considerably less likely to gamble his life and future on a career in an industry on its arse. Or the regional theatre-goer, who now probably won’t be spending her £20 on a ticket to see a local production of King Lear, since the theatre can no longer afford to employ professional actors.
Ironically, another key to the success of The King’s Speech was its ability to generate box office revenue from largely untapped markets. Unprecedented numbers of Baby Boomers journeyed to the cinema to enjoy a nice film about the Royals with Mr. Darcy and her off of the Harry Potter movies. Considering they are not the target demographic for movies that tend to fill Britain’s increasingly pricey cinema screens (think Big Momma’s House 3 or World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles) it is a considerable feat that in times of austerity, this film has been able to encourage this audience and draw on pounds that would ordinarily never have gone near the British film industry. But unfortunately it was all too little, too late.
The fate of the British arts industries still hangs in the balance, but one thing’s for sure: across the country lies the next generation of great British, artistic, acting, musical and writing talent. Let’s make sure we have the resources to let them shine.
© Lucy Douglas 2011
Smorgasbord Film Podcast With Black Dave by Smorgasborduk on Mixcloud
Rob Lamont, Black Dave
Illustrator Black Dave and I get together to chat about some of our favourite films. My highlights would include our Smorgasbord shout-out to Steven Speilberg and how resplendent our ending sounds courtesy of Hans Zimmer’s score. Intro music © Rob Lamont 2009
Joymask Live Sampler 29.01.11 by Smorgasborduk on Mixcloud
Rob Lamont
A few clips taken from a basic recording of our recent Joymask gig in Falmouth! Soloists: Make the Choice, Michael Jackson - Rory Harvey; Hooligan - Jonny Griffiths; Tow the Line - Tim Ower. All songs © Joymask 2009-2010. www.joymask.co.uk
