Soloman Tump
A great, varied compilation of experimental folk sounds. A whole new raft of artist for me to explore further.
Favorite track: Belle & the Woodland Sounds - Haunter of the Forest.
Since 2012 the Decimal Place art space in Lincoln has hosted Weird Garden – regular events of experimental sound, performance, spoken word and song – free to the public and welcoming artists from all over the UK, Europe and further afield, among them Bell Lungs, Thomas Ragsdale, Waterflower, Jon Collin, Valiska, Rotten Bliss, Daniel Voigt, Algis Fediajevas and Stereocilia.
Growing out of a collective interest in providing an open, exploratory environment for amateurs and touring professionals alike, the events have provided the setting for new musical ideas, collaborations and connections among an evolving network of performers. Dex, who started the events, says simply: “I put the nights on to promote the noise scene and give folk a chance to play.”
The idea stems from his The $ell story – the idea of the Weird Garden, or a ‘weed garden’, intended to suggest the possibility of personal creative projects growing actively within the familiar landscapes of commercial entertainment.
WEIRD HARVEST is a document of this ever-evolving, uncontainable project, a 13-track compilation which features many returning artists. These include:
Peter K. Rollings, whose costumed performances with his Experimental Sonic Machines – handmade and wired drone and rhythm devices – typically begin each Weird Garden event.
Tape Noise (Dex), owner of Decimal Place and originator of Weird Garden, who is also known for his poetry of sharp social and political commentary, and strange transmissions via discarded analogue technologies.
Lucy Morrow’s solo vocal project, Yumah, which summons the ghosts of lost highways, abandoned buildings and endless horizons.
Grey Frequency, who uses found sounds, field recordings and reinterpreted electronics to explore themes of memory, folklore, and the world of audio disintegration.
The compilation also features the hectic lo-fi psychedelic punk of Vacuus Otiosus, from Oldham; the intensely layered guitar soundscapes of Derby songwriter Diseasesofvenus; electronica by Modulator ESP and Plyci, both currently based in Nottingham; an original, enchanting folk ballad by Belle Woodland; and more.
Featuring artwork created by Gavin Morrow, who has collaged visual concepts and signature details associated with several of the artists closely associated with Weird Garden, WEIRD HARVEST captures the spirit and character of the event through those who have helped sustain it from its beginnings.
supported by 18 fans who also own “Weird Harvest - A Weird Garden Collection”
Ufology is archaic prose by way of sound. It is not unlike a collection of unfiltered Brothers Grim stories, which in this case, revolve around UFO mythoses. Each passage unfolds much like folk tales told around the summer camp fire in some dense alpine forest, wearing your sense of speculation down the further you listen, until you finally start to look around your dark surroundings and up to the sky for what may or may not be there. fran3000
Cooper Bowman’s hypnotic tape loops expand and disintegrate in real time, taking on new shapes & textures with each go-round. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 18, 2017
Canadian troubadour Konner Whitney expands his creative horizons with a vulnerable-yet-venomous record blending rock and folk. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 10, 2021