Well, these are tough times for the arts. Tough for professional creators, venues, promoters and everyone connected with the arts, financially at least. But the bright side of isolation and abundant spare time has been a flourishing of virtual or remote creative collaborations, online performances and a deluge of home studio experiments. We thought we’d post a few bits and bobs out of our native Brighton, some involving 1BTN DJs. If you’d like to submit anything for future postings send it through to mrianlaton@yahoo.com
Brighton sax player Leroy Horns of the Resonators and Barnacles responds to a sketch from artist Andi Craz. Caribbean flavoured uplifting sax with baritone bassline, shakers and a tongue in cheek mime green screen video. Give him a follow on YouTube.
Borges Machado is an experimental duo (André Borges and Fernando Machado) that works with improvisation and field recordings. Lockdown has provided the opportunity to put the finishing touches to their debut album, consisting of sound art pieces inspired by urban soundscapes. Their recording process consists of discovering and recording a soundscape in the field, taking it into the studio, interacting with it and building a dialogue through free improvisation.
James David Smith is a Brighton based guitar and mandolin player. He has been posting a series of online jams on his website and YouTube channel under the name Lockdown Sessions. The latest is a mandolin-off (a Métis fiddle tune by Andy de Jarlis) with fellow Brightonian Heather McAslan who plays with three-piece Understory and is part of the Brighton Ceilidh Collective.
Champion Fever is an alias of Brighton producer/musician/remixer Steve Baker. This is a set of studio experiments capturing his changing moods during lockdown. Recorded onto four-track cassette on his bedroom floor. One track also features Leroy Horns.
Eone is a Brighton based producer who hosts a show on 1BTN. All money made from sales of this lockdown collaboration with fellow Brighton producer Bowden will go to Crisis to help homeless people during the pandemic.
Stan Boogie knocked up and edit of Candi Staton’s Nights on Broadway.
Another 1BTN DJ who has been busy in the studio is Don Dayglow. Building on a series of notable re-edits, his debut album sees him broaden his scope, mixing up elements of boogie, soul, and synth pop. Heavy 80s vibes.
Brighton outfit Night House put out a new album during lockdown, co-produced and mixed by Dan Brown (Massive Attack). Sophisticated pop with electronic beats, strings and clarinet, and lyric-driven song-writing. Think James Blake or Sufjan territory.
Paco Diago has been mucking around with chip tune, conjuring up the spirit of old arcade games with isolation ear worms.
Here’s a preview of an as yet unreleased track from Heroes of Limbo, mixed during lockdown. An afrobeat version of Aaliyah’s RnB classic Try Again, arranged by Gram Treldavs and produced by 1BTN’s Glenn Fallows.
Nigerian 1BTN DJ and musician Giwha knocked up a single in lockdown- “Taylor Mcferrin is an artist I look up to, he is the original writer of Florasia. The lyrics of this song tell a story of a failing relationship with his wife and how he wants her to know how much he loves her and would want to mend the emotional distance between them, this resonated with me a lot as I went through similar situation with my ex partner so, I decided to team up with my band to create my own version of it.”
‘Subtle‘ is the alter ego of experimental, ambient and neo-classical composer, and 1BTN DJ Nick Boon (Orok, CryStar). Nick has been producing music since 1998, initially very heavily influenced by the trip hop sound of Mo Wax records. This is the first of a series of new creations made during lockdown.
Brighton based music composer and producer Rob Savage, who is also a guest contributor to 1BTN’s Love is the Message show, has a new lockdown release featuring Sophie Barker, whose distinctive voice will be recognisable to many from her successful collaborations with Zero 7. Uplifting, cinematic dub influenced business.
Also out of the Love is the Message camp: Tim Walker teams up again with Rob Savage under their Slick Brutus moniker. Their latest release, Monterey Slipstream, is out on the 29th May on Stephane Deschezeaux’s Springbok Records and will be available exclusively on Traxsource. A whirling funk storm of Bootsy-esque bass (courtesy of Allan Penford) over Moog arps, delay heavy stabs and marimba licks.
And last but not least, this tasty acid tinged offering from Brighton producer Perry Granville.