My name is Barrowclough. Once I wrote a song about the unfairness of the penalty shoot out system. People loved it; it was a joke. A bit later I wrote a song about beards and their relationship to terrorism. It was also a joke and most people loved it although I am informed that some people found it very offensive. I have written loads of songs about how the vast majority of my listenership are blinded to reality, enslaved by their evil desires and destined for disaster unless they helplessly call out for rescue. Strangely nobody found these very offensive. Maybe they thought I was joking.
In response to this I intended to bring a little clarity to my bi-polar tendencies by separating my next two releases into easily classifiable volumes. The plan was to release two EPs- firstly a light weight knockabout jaunty compilation (think: ‘People’s instinctive travels…’/UMCs first album/Alan Partridge), secondly a more ominous philosophical affair (Hijack fronted by Soren Kierkegaard). I suppose I have succeeded to a degree in executing these intentions.
I am releasing two EPs. The first is a mixture of personal reflections, apocalyptic prophecies and lounge singing. It should make you smile at least twice. The second is a mixture of emo soul searching, impassioned diatribes and Denby plates. It’s a bit more sombre but features some good rhymes involving Wayne Rooney and Bill Gates.
I have also managed to round up a good number of collaborators to assist me. Greybeard, Saccage, Benjamin Blower, Nightstalker 5000, Joel the Custodian, DJ Mylz, Reflex the Architect, Chris Carter and Selina Blakeney embellish proceedings with some panache.
The first release will be called ‘Zang Zero’ and is a free download. It will be worth every penny. It is called Zang Zero and will be released on 27th June.
The second release will be called ‘Although we claimed to be wise…’ and will be released in the winter. Yes yes y’all.
Props for ‘Life on the Ground’ by Barrowclough: ‘The album ‘Life on the Ground’ is a humble portrayal of life, love, religion, politics and beards! Barrowclough’s amazing, and sometimes hilarious story-telling ability and tight lyrical flows keep the listener hooked throughout the journey. Leftfield hip hop without an ego.’ (Fused Magazine)
‘A Celestial Charmer’ (Hip Hop Connection)
‘Barrowclough… sounds like a very interesting fellow indeed.’ (thelineofbestfit.com)
Somewhere in either my loft or in Joel’s house (or possibly in that mysterious netherworld where lost things go) there is a minidisc. It is dark red/purple and has something scrawled on it- possibly ‘Irwin Maxx’ or ‘beats for Jonny’ or something like that. There may be a green one as well. Anyway, it/they feature/s a whole load of Ian Murphy’s finest beats and I fear they are lost forever. He doesn’t have them anymore. He spilt a cup of tea on the original disc. Ian has been a mate since we were young’uns and is primarily remarkable for growing a beard before anyone else I knew (by about 4 years). I first became acquainted with his musical skills on New Year’s Eve 1999, when I spent the evening freestyling to the seemingly unending selection of bangers emanating from his MPC. A couple of Michaelis tracks resulted (one is, like the minidiscs, lost forever), but his two tracks on ‘Life on the Ground’- ‘Photophobia’ and ‘Blue lights’ are two of my favourite all time beats.
Ian is now releasing music as Hobo Sonn. I have very few reference points at all to help me describe his sound. The best I can do is: Hobo Sonn sounds like the soundtrack to an early David Lynch movie. Its intriguing and oddly compelling. I like listening to it but I'm not sure I totally get it. Then again, since I met him, he’s always been about three steps ahead of me, so I’m sure one day I’ll catch up.
Favourite collaboration: ‘Blue Lights’
(listen on the music player on the Barrowclough page- http://www.zangproductions.co.uk/roster/barrowclough/ )
Other listening: Wary the mind/swarm EP (you can listen to tracks on http://www.rottenslushy.co.uk/available.html )
2001. DJ Log’s bedroom. Michaelis Constant band practice. Joel tells us something about some bloke from West Heath who just won a competition remixing a track for Ty or something. He sticks on a cassette. The first track is really just a dirty, distorted double bassline. Maybe some drums are in there somewhere. Funny thing is that it literally compels you to rap. ‘Who’s this dude?’ someone asks. Eliot Best.
Eliot has gone by a number of nom de plumes over the years but Nightstalker 5000 seems to have stuck. Some people simply loop some instruments and cobble them together like that’s a major feat. Eliot crafts beats. His love for 80s electro pop and horror movie soundtracks seem to be appropriate reference points, but really its just hiphop how it should be done.
He is ½ of the Custodians and provided about half of the beats on ‘Life on the Ground.’ He’s a generous fellow as well, so if you’re dope and want a beat, you may be in luck. The perfect match, for me, though would be if a certain Daniel Dumile would give him a call. A DoomStalker 5000 album would be ridiculous.
Favourite collaboration: ‘Centre of the Universe’
(listen on the music player on the Barrowclough page- http://www.zangproductions.co.uk/roster/barrowclough/ )
Other listening: Eliot’s soundcloud page (start with ‘banger 101’)
http://soundcloud.com/eliotbest
In 1999, while I was DJing at some dirty basement venue at Birmingham University, Joel told me that DJ Pelt had agreed to work with us to make the first Michaelis album. He might have well have said that Michael Jackson would be doing it. I can honestly remember few moments of such intense delight.
Just to explain: in my mind at that time there were only two types of music in existence- American hiphop and British hiphop. American hiphop generally sounded better, but had the distinct disadvantage of being more popular. Its British cousin was my favoured variety. Perpetually overlooked as a result of a total lack of airplay and the awkwardness of the majority of British regional accents, British hiphop was the plucky underdog, the upcoming challenger, the Bolton Wanderers of world music. And Pelt WAS British hiphop. Sitting proudly next to my Cash Crew, Gunshot and NSO Force 12”s was 499’s ‘Still Waiting’ EP featuring the classic ‘499 is here’. The MC was nice, but it was the rasping drum breaks and urgent horns that made it. And the producer was one DJ Pelt. And I got to make the best part of 2 albums with him.
A quiet, thoughtful chap, with an encyclopedic knowledge of hip hop history, Pelt is an artist who deserves much more recognition for his skill. He has continued to work with 499’s MC, Logic, particularly with Section 13, and my best bet would be that at this very moment he is poring over dusty jazz records looking for that perfect break. I hope he finds it.
Favourite collaboration: Michaelis Constant- Parasites in Paradise
(listen on the music player on the Barrowclough page- http://www.zangproductions.co.uk/roster/barrowclough/ )
Other listening: 499- ‘499 is here’
http://youtu.be/meFQjsarrIQ
Happy New Year peeps. 2012 promises to be Zang-tastic. I’ve heard rumours of a Selina Blakeney free download album out shortly and my ‘Although we claimed to be wise’ EP will be out late Feb. Before that though I thought I’d kick off the New Year with a little backwards glance.
It dawned on me the other day that I have released music in 3 consecutive decades. Two words spring to mind: ‘veteran’ (to my mind) and ‘old’ (to most other people’s). Anyway, not one song I have recorded has been a solo effort. Every one has involved beat makers, DJs, vocalists or other musicians. Not one of them has ever been paid for their skill. This is a major regret and will be rectified when ‘Not Tame’ features as the soundtrack to next year’s Coca Cola advertising campaign and ‘Don’t despair’ becomes the national anthem of a newly formed Middle Eastern state. Until then I thought I’d simply do a little blogging series on the friends I’ve made beautiful music with. Unfortunately I won’t be able to include everyone and I’m going to focus on artists that aren’t my Zang buddies as most of you will probably be familiar with their awesomeness. Anyway, I’ll start with the beat makers and go from there. The first one will be out later in the week.
Please check them out, buy all of their stuff and say nice things about them. It really has been a privilege to work with so many talented people. Cheers amigos.
Almost finished my Francis Schaeffer trilogy. Provocative quote about the Christian origins of modern science:
"...modern science could not have been born except in the milieu of Christianity. Why? In the area of biblical Chrisitianity, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, Francis Bacon - all these men, up to Newton and Faraday - understood that there was a universe there because God made it. And they believed, as Whitehead has so beautifully said, that because God was a reasonable God one could discover the truth of the universe by reason. So modern science was born. The Greeks had almost all the facts that the early scientists had, but it never turned into a science like modern science. This came, as Whitehead said, out of the fact that these men really were sure that the truth of the universe could be pursued in reason because it had been made by a reasonable God."
If modern science, the weapon most commonly wielded against the Christian faith, needs the Christian God to operate, the fight should be pretty one sided! Good work Francis!
By the way, I promise that my next blog post will be more hiphop related. Apologies. I am very easily distracted.
On rare occasions, I am stirred beyond my normal level of sarcasm and frivolity. This quote is simply too good...
"It is hard to understand how an orthodox, evangelical, Bible-believing Christian can fail to be excited. The answers in the realm of the intellect should make us overwhelmingly excited. But more than this, we are returned to a personal relationship with the God who is there. If we are unexcited Christians, we should go back and see what is wrong. We are surrounded by a generation that can find 'no one home' in the universe. If anything marks our generation, it is this. In contrast to this, as a Christian I know who I am; and I know the personal God who is there. I speak, and he hears. I am not surrounded by mere mass, nor only energy particles, but he is there. And if I have accepted Christ as my Savior, then though it will not be perfect in this life, yet moment by moment, on the basis of the finished work of Christ, this person-to-person relationship with the God who is there can have reality to me." (The God Who is There [Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1998], p. 190)
Mr Harrington's lawyers contacted me last night to demand that I put up a proper link to his video, not the shoddy one that I (alegedly) added the other day.
Apologies, but this should be better...
Just before the release of Barrowclough’s ‘My Hyundai’ video, Mr Zang caught up with the video’s reclusive director, Knox Harrington (video artist). From ‘just a friend of Maudie’s’ to a major player in the fast expanding arthouse genre of ‘film sans image ou sons’, Knox proved quite forthcoming on everything from gangsta rap to Tranmere Rovers…
So, Mr Harrington, please introduce yourself to those unfamiliar with your oeuvre. (a high pitched, wheezy cackle followed for almost a minute that became a feature of our interview)… Well, I began my work with the medium of ‘film’ when I was asked to produce a series of music videos for the German electro-pop group, Autobahn. When was it? Late 80s I think. The video for "Technopop (Wie Glauben)" was particularly successful and led to a short documentary on the group before we fell out for ideological reasons. Since then its been mainly fruit commercials oh, and of course the movies. (More cackling) I almost forgot the movies.
How did you end up working with Barrowclough? I became familiar with Michaelis Constant when still living in LA. I mean, everyone was bumping Michaelis in 99/2000. They were particularly big with the gangs. Especially the Hispanic gangs. They loved those guys. There were rumours that MC Eiht and Kid Frost were in line to appear on a Michaelis remix, but it never materialised. Actually, not many people back home know this but ‘Gondwanaland’ was initially banned in most US states because the gang link was so strong. The track ‘lifeblood’ was seen as potentially incendiary. Once people cottoned on to the religious angle though, things sort of died down, but for a while, you know, it was kind of crazy. Anyway, I got a call last year from Jonny and at first I thought he was Tutall. When I found out he was the guy who used to be called Damaj I was a bit reluctant as I’d always thought he was the weak link in Michaelis, but when I heard his solo stuff, it all made sense. Now I listen back to Michaelis stuff and I’m like yeah, I hate penalties too. Not just football penalties, but any sort of negative consequence for things I’ve done. You’ve got to look beneath the surface with Barrowclough. He’s a visionary. A lyrical cantaloupe if you know what I mean. From there it all fell into place.
So how did the concept for the video come together? I feel that often the genre of the ‘video musique’ is damaged by an over concentration on the ‘musique’. I like to make the video without actually listening to the song and then edit it afterwards. My personal preference is then to eliminate all images and sounds from the final cut but Zang felt this would be a little radical for a first collaboration. Anyway, Barrowclough was a little (how can I put it?) reticent about my methods but went along with it and simply sent me some David Lynch and Jan Svankmajer shorts and said he wanted something like that. I felt that the final piece was true to the soul of both of those directors. And of course amazingly there is the car link which was fortuitous (more cackling. Then some more.)
You’re back living in your home town now, in Liverpool. Do you prefer life in England or America? Oh, England every time. The art scene in LA was frenetic and Iowa has some nice wildlife but I missed home for every moment when I was abroad. I mean, lots of Americans didn’t understand a word I said. I ended up hanging out with Europeans mostly over there. Liverpool is better in pretty much every way- the food, the pubs, the telly, the footy. I watch the Rovers (Tranmere) play most weeks. They’re the only real football club left in Liverpool. You know what I mean? Real football.
So finally what’s next for Knox Harrington? Well, obviously I’ve had to lie low for a little while after the furore over the release of ‘Yeti Girl’. I don’t think people were quite ready for that, but its opened a few minds and that’s what I intended. Now, lets see, I’ve been working on some idents for BBC 2. The Autobahn comeback album. Uli and I have made up. Its going to be good. Two new movies in production for 2012. Its busy.
Actually Mr Zang, it had to be re-sequenced twice. Two whole times. It would have taken me ages. Months in fact. That is if I'd actually made it. However under the watchful eye of Knox Harrington (video artist) I'm sure it only took a moment to copy/paste/autolevel/relayer every single one of the about a million frames. Twice. Anyway, fortunately you can find out for yourself as Mr Zang caught up with Knox (yes, the Knox Harrington) and the interview will be up in a matter of days.