SEASONAL BROADCAST

I'm at Barrow Library on Dec 17th as guest of Hugs Bison (thanks chaps) to read my short story PO BOX 24/Lid as part of a very groovy bill of Spectral Stories. This is the third of my  seasonal ghost story readings,and it's a new version of a story broadcast last Christmas  on Octopus Collective's FON AIR Radio Programme from Barrow Park.  If you heard that, or were at "Field Trip" in Ulverston 2012 (or at Fran and Matt's the other week) you'll know what to expect..
The story is part of "Foregrounding", my current project looking at archives and libraries. The wider project  involves schools workshops, music and hopefully some theatre. Its been going very well , and so a big thanks to Kate Davis ,the staff of Barrow Library and the Local Studies Library for all their help with it so far.
More information on Spectral Stories from Hugs Bison here
https://www.facebook.com/events/420532848094692/

THE STATE FUNERAL OF JOE MEEK. LIVE RADIO PIECE

Performed live on 5 cassette machines, 2 record players, guitar and voice for Hannah Radio, June 2014 from Octopus HQ at Piel View House, Barrow and featuring my late Auntie Gladys.

https://soundcloud.com/the-cardboard-lung/the-state-funeral-of-joe-meek

RADIO FREE OCTOPUS

So, that Jennie Dennet of Radio Cumbria says they're having a big gathering of local musicians on saturday morning at Dowdales school in Dalton, with the idea of introducing or re-introducing people to instruments and the social side of music making, and would we like to come along with some sound sources and do our thing live on the wireless?
So, here's the interview with Octopode Andrew Deakin, ( above right) and me, 
 https://soundcloud.com/johnny-octopus/rdaio-cumbria-bandstand

and a snatch of me playing Swan Lake on squishy hacked transistor radio with the Dalton Band.

https://soundcloud.com/johnny-octopus/octopus-on-radio-cumbria

PO BOX 25/4 LID a short story for FON AIR, Christmas 2013

A short story for FON AIR's seasonal broadcast, featuring Glenn Boulter on live Breadboard Lutes with  me reading and on fx from Octopus's studio at Piel View in Barrow.

 The video is largely unedited, here too is  the edited audio version, with added sound,  for broadcast . (it's shorter..less pauses.)

https://soundcloud.com/the-cardboard-lung/po-box-25-stroke-4-lid-new

Merry Christmas.

PAPER CONE MUSIC with Mark Vernon and the Octopus Collectives Hack Group

A live radio performance devised and led by Mark Vernon and featuring members of the Octopus Hack lab including me, Fiona Ogilvie and Steve Povey ( below). Broadcast live on Fon Air from our hq at PVH in Barrow Park. 

Marks notes read: "A group performance for paper cones, turntables, contact mics and sound effects records. Ideally up to 4 performers with 4 turntables  and up to 12 mics with stands. Using rolled up paper cones and sewing needles or scalpel blades as a stylus the performers play the records attempting to play each record simultaneously from as may different points as they can. The mechanism of the turntables is also miked up using contact mics. Each performer is in control of their own mix.  Gradually they build up a live soundscape from dead recordings of locations and events that were captured and imprinted on vinyl decades ago.
This version is a post-considered edit that blends a number of advance rehearsals and experiments with a live performance  of the piece by the Piel View Hackers Group."

There's more great work  from Mark Vernon and information about his many activities here:  http://meagreresource.com/

https://archive.org/details/PaperConeMusic

HOW TO GIVE YOURSELF. A 2 channel piece for radio.

The 2 halves of a 2 channel piece recorded for the Dubbel Radio weekend in Stockholm in August 2013 , and broadcast simultaneously on frequencies loaned by 2 of the city's radio stations. Thanks to Knut and Sarah at Mobile Radio.

https://soundcloud.com/artspacebarrow/how-to-give-yourself-right

https://soundcloud.com/artspacebarrow/how-to-give-yourself-left

And both halves together, because life's too short..

IMPROMPTU FOR 2 HOMEMADE VIOLINS AND RADIO 4

Ingredients: wood, plastic rulers, drawing pins, pie case, tinfoil pie case, tinfoil, Slim Whitman lp cover.