As tradition I use this blog to document each year based on what I achieved. It's normally a fun review of the year passed, and a time to briefly reflect through a pretty limited set of criteria (shows played, favourite reords, gigs etc..).
I don't need to tell you, as you're living through it too but 2020 just wasn't great. I really hope those who are reading this are safe and well. Personally, I have to view it through the frame that I'm healthy, and incredibly grateful it's meant I've spent more time with my family, and that's been priceless.
Putting it aside (if that's possible). For some it's been a very productive year, the volume of new recorded output, online streamed shows, collaborations, and creativity from others has been immense. I'm truely in awe of those who have been able to make the most of a situation. I guess it's one of the only ways to truely keep sane at the moment. Some people I know have chosen to drink through the pandemic, for me
the temptation has been there but it does feel like a waste. I guess we
do what we do to cope. I'm hoping that 2021 I'll be more productive and organised in my work and noisy output.
Gigs, I did play the one show, the day before the lockdown in
England was announced in March, this was a collaboration with Yoni
Silver and was later released on Beartown Records. It was great fun and really made me excited about the potential for gigging.. But for now that can wait. In reflection it was a bad idea to play that show, but none of us knew at the time.
Recordings, the previously posted The False Face Society release and releasing a mini album as a digital download was all that was newly released. I also uploaded some older eps to Bandcamp. I did finish off a couple new recordings this year but they are yet to be released. More information here when I have news.
Best of 2020, in comparison to the previous years I've not really consumed as much new music, but here is a list (and I'll probably review it 2-3 times more after posting)
Various Artists - Amplify 2020 (various tracks within this enormous compliation,)
Testicle Hazard - Fifty-Sixty
Duncan Harrison / Ian Murphy - Slow Lightning (and Duncan's Music From Amplified Flexible Discs)
Rust Ruus - IDEOLOGICAL BLUES APPARATIOUS
Alice Kemp - Songs in the Key of NO
Theo Gowans - Wresteling Spelt Wrong On The Flyer (and the Hiddeous Whining events)
AMK - 250 Years of AMK
Chocolate Monk (Just in general, tons of great output this year, the plague TV etc...)
Dust track - Reculver Towers
Chop Shop - Primer (Reissue of older material as a new release counts!)
Deathroes - Inhuman Comedy
Phil Maguire & Tim Olive - Invoer
John Wiese - Magnetic Stensil 1&2 (and Accessible World w/ Skin Graft)
David Gilden - Narcotic (Various Noise Works)
Joe McPhee & Lasse Marhaug - Harmonia Macrocosmica
Marja Ahti - The Current Inside
Vasco Alves - Gaita Contra Computador
Best wishes for 2021
Paul
