Touch now has an official Twitter account. From there, we will be updating you with info on new editions in the TouchShop, TouchRadio broadcasts, and more… Follow us @touchmusic
Tone 7P – a poster for New Order – limited availability
A2 Poster, gloss stock
Designed by Jon Wozencroft
…discovered in the depths of the Touch archive, this poster advertises the long-deleted Tone 7 and Tone 7.1 from 1997 – New Order’s “Video 5-8-6”, which was recorded in 1982, initially as soundtrack to the opening of The Haçienda in Manchester, England.
These copies are from the original 1997 poster print-run. As such, they have minor blemishes (small crease marks to the edges) which, we believe, will be obscured when framed-up. Be quick! We only have a handful of these A2 Posters available…
Now sold out
Jana Winderen – Heated: Live in Japan on BBC Radio 3 | 27th May 2009
A lengthy extract of Jana Winderen‘s CD ‘Heated’ [Touch # Tone 36] was played by Fiona Talkington on Late Junction on BBC Radio 3 last night. You can hear the episode here for 7 days. The live recording, along with a 7″ vinyl and cassette release, is available in the TouchShop here.
Touch Presents: Live in London – Two Reviews and a Reminder
Many thanks to all who attended Touch Presents, live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. A fine review of the evening has been posted over at the Mapsadasical blog, and Drowned in Sound acclaim the “triumphant performance” with a 9/10 review.
The next Touch Presents… in London is now only a week away.
Touch Presents, live at The Roundhouse
16th May 2009, as part of The Short Circuit Festival.
Philip Jeck [UK] and the Gavin Bryars Ensemble [UK/FR] – “The Sinking of the Titanic”
Biosphere [NO]
Hildur Gudnadóttir [IS] & BJNilsen [SE]
+ an installation by Chris Watson
+ in the bar, Sheikh Ahmed selecting sounds from the Touch catalogue
Further information at www.roundhouse.org.uk
Book tickets online
Philip Jeck on “The Sinking of the Titanic” in The Guardian
Visit www.guardian.co.uk to read “Sinking of the Titanic: the watery sound meditation returns”, an article previewing the Gavin Bryars Ensemble / Philip Jeck performance next weekend at Touch Presents… at the Roundhouse.
“For his prologue, Jeck used a test tone record that had been lying around without a case for years. “What I’m trying to set up, it’s like an empty ocean, with bits that are like a premonition for things that are going to come,” he says. Amid the static from this battered record come foghorn-like tones and hisses like a diver’s air supply – this is a transmission being excavated from the past. “Philip is a genius, no doubt about that,” says Bryars.”
[nb: Jeck is not a DJ!]
www.guardian.co.uk: Sinking of the Titanic: the watery sound meditation returns
Further information about Touch Presents… at www.roundhouse.org.uk
Purchase The Sinking of the Titanic in the TouchShop
Jon Wozencroft’s “Liquid Music” at Tate Britain | Friday 1st May 2009
This Friday May 1st sees a rare screening of “Liquid Music” at Tate Britain’s Late at the Tate event. Produced by Jon Wozencroft for Christian Fennesz’s live performances during 2001-2004, the film has so far been impossible to master onto DVD. The soundtrack is from one of Fennesz’s finest performances, in Brighton, from the Touch tour of 2001.
As part of the night’s theme, “Polish Connections”, artist Janek Simon will perform an “optical intervention” in parallel to the original footage. There will be two screenings, at 7.30pm and 8.30pm, in the Duffield Room. Anybody interested in attending is advised to get there early, as space is limited and admission is free.
Black Sea Film Notes at Ether 09
Film notes for “Black Sea” by Jon Wozencroft, premiered last night at Fennesz’s Ether 09 performance in London.
“Touch – Not a Record Label” T-Shirt, designed by Jon Wozencroft
Now available in the TouchShop:
“Touch – Not A Record Label” T-Shirt, designed by Jon Wozencroft.
Printed on a white Fruit of the Loom Super Premium T-Shirt.
Position of logo and type: Center Chest, 14cm wide.
Sizes available: S / M / L / XL / XXL / XXXL
Buy the “Touch – Not a Record Label” T-Shirt in the TouchShop
Fennesz at Ether Festival 2009 is The Guardian’s “Pick of the Week”
The Guardian newspaper have made next Tuesday’s performance by Fennesz at Ether 2009 one of their “Pick of the Week” recommendations.
They write: “…guitarist Christian Fennesz treats his instrument so it sounds like pretty much anything apart from a guitar. Fizzing, atmospheric stuff…”
Touch presents, live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, featuring Fennesz, Rosy Parlane and CM von Hausswolff will take place on Tuesday 21st April, 7.30pm, as part of the Ether Festival 2009.
A day before, at 6.30pm on Monday 20th April in the Purcell Room at the QEH, Touch’s Jon Wozencroft and Mike Harding will be hosting a Q&A session with the artists. Nb: the Monday event is FREE – so, if you are in London please do come!
RTE Radio 1: Mike Harding on “Ringtones”
In 2002, Touch invited a group of sound artists and composers to re-imagine the ringtone. On a recent visit to Dublin, Touch’s Mike Harding talked to Kevin Brew of RTÉ Radio 1’s “The Arts Show” about the miniature artworks that featured on the resulting CD, appropriately entitled “Ringtones”.
The disc features 177 tracks by artists such as Ryoji Ikeda, Fennesz, New Order, Hecker, Gilbert & George, Mika Vainio, Mark Van Hoen, Phill Niblock, Simon Fisher Turner, People Like Us, Oren Ambarchi and Chris Watson.
You may listen again to the interview by visiting The Arts Show website.
“Ringtones” is available in the TouchShop.
Touch Presents, as Part of the Ether Festival 2009
Touch presents, live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
21st April 2009, as part of the Ether Festival 2009.
Fennesz [AT]
Rosy Parlane [NZ]
CM von Hausswolff [SE/KREV]
encore
also:
Monday 20th April
Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 6.30pm
Q&A with the artists and Mike and Jon from Touch
Ash 8.2 | www.ashinternational.com, v.3
The third revision of the Ash International website is now online.
Ash International – a haberdASHery audio project. R&D not A&R.
Touch Subscription Service
Back by popular demand!
We are offering a Subscription Service, whereby a lump-sum payment guarantees you all Touch releases at a 10% discount [until the subscription needs renewing, then the process starts all over again], a special free download or streaming service only open to subscribers, first option on other exclusive releases, a regular dedicated newsletter, discount on back catalogue items and more… You can top-up your account at any time.
We do hope you will take advantage of this service; not only does it offer you value for money, saves you having to repeatedly order new items in the TouchShop, but you also receive exclusive offers.
Buy purchasing this subscription you will receive editions in all formats by Touch.
Touch Live in Budapest | 21st February 2009
Saturday 21st February
Tráfo, Budapest, Hungary
with Hildur Gudnadottir & BJNilsen, Jon Wozencroft & Mike Harding
Fennesz Interview in The Wall Street Journal
Click here to read Paul Sharma’s interview with Fennesz in The Wall Street Journal.
An Epiphany Unearthed
Jon Wozencroft writes: “Came across this text whilst we were preparing a display of adverts made for The Wire. It was commissioned by Rob Young/Chris Bohn for the magazine’s Epiphanies column (at the back of the magazine) in March 2001. The text was a tiny bit too long so an important section got chopped.
Amazingly, I eventually met the man who had been sitting next to me, Duncan Haysom. We met up in Waterloo in the August of 2007 following an internet quest of dedicated JD fans. The master recording of Joy Division’s ULU concert became the bonus disc for the reissue of Closer by Warner Bros in November that year. There is thus a strange intertwining between this account and the outcomes of the two films, Control and Joy Division, six and seven years later, ie. 29 years after the fact.”
Text: Jon Wozencroft.
Couverture: J-F JAMOUL
“Sand” in Dusted Magazine’s best of 2008
Dusted managing editor Otis Hart has included Philip Jeck’s Sand among his 25 favourite albums of 2008.
Otis writes: “Mr. Jeck takes home the Robert Wyatt prize for oldest musician on a year-end list. The 56-year-old turntableplayer (emphasis mine) weaves a dense fog of samples and loops on his 10th album. No surprise there. But for one reason or another, Sand tugs at the heartstrings a little more than past excursions. It could just be the Emily Dickinson poem quoted in the liner notes. That’s the thing about Jeck’s nebulous compositions – they mold to our imagination.”
Touch Live at The Roundhouse | 16th May 2009
Touch presents, as part of The Short Circuit Festival:
Philip Jeck [UK] and the Gavin Bryars Ensemble [UK/FR] – The Sinking of the Titanic
Biosphere [NO] (Visuals by Jon Wozencroft)
Hildur Gudnadóttir [IS] & BJNilsen [SE]
In addition, works by Chris Watson and BJNilsen, with film by John Aitchison, will also be presented.
Touch Editions Featured in The Wire’s Records of the Year 2008
Touch have three editions, Philip Jeck, Jacob Kirkegaard and Lawrence English, featured in The Wire’s 2008 Records of the Year lists.
Number 2 overall in the Top 50 was Philip Jeck’s Sand.
The Wire say: “The Liverpool based soundscaper has honed his turntablist montages to a consistently fine art. His eighth solo album may have contained few surprises, but Sand displayed Jeck on peak form, mysteriously allusive and gorgeously melancholic.”
Also in the top 10 Outer Limits Albums of the Year was Jacob Kirkegaard’s Labyrinthitis and, in the top ten Electronica albums of the Year, Lawrence English’s Kiri No Oto.
More about Philip Jeck’s Sand.
More about Jacob Kirkegaard’s Labyrinthitis.
More about Lawrence English’s Kiri No Oto.
Fennesz Performing at Big Ears 09
Christian Fennesz will be performing live, alongside the likes of Philip Glass, Matmos and Michael Gira, at Big Ears 09. The festival, based in Knoxville, Tennessee, runs from February 6–8, 2009. Fennesz will be performing both solo and as part of a trio, Fennesz/Linkous/Minor.
Big Ears say: “For the first time, this collaboration between Christian Fennesz, Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) and Scott Minor (Sparklehorse) will occur on US soil. Originally sprouted from mutual admiration, the three began collaborating in the early 2000’s while Sparklehorse was touring in Europe. Sparklehorse’s damaged pop songs and Fennesz’s guitar and laptop explorations might at first seem strange bedfellows, though upon further listen each artists interest in melody and aesthetic starts to seem much less distant. Lying dormant for years – this not to be missed live event will occur only at Big Ears 09.”