OCHRE BANDS - STYLUS
STYLUS is the project of Dafydd Morgan


LATEST NEWS:

Ochre Records have scheduled for release in 2003 the ‘Stylus re-mixed by Experimental Audio Research’ CD Album. Experimental Audio Research is the experimental project of Sonic Boom. As many of you are aware Sonic was a founder member of the legendary Spaceman 3 and also of Spectrum.

Sonic states about the remix CD “It’s about 10 or 12 of Dafydd’s tracks made into a 40+ min soundpiece with me doing extra sounds & processing alongside & joining tracks . I think you'll dig it . It's mainly using the electronic pieces (only 1 has the trademark minimal guitar lick thru-out ). I also included both versions of the "zero Z-E-R-O " track w/ the french vocalist”. Sonic has only used tracks taken from the Ochre releases. It is intended by Ochre that the first 500 copies of the CD will come with a limited edition CD that will feature the Stylus session that Dafydd recorded for the Welsh Internet Radio station, Radio Amgen. The track listing for the bonus disc is: 01: Angle 02: Mynydd Preseli 03: Gwawr 04: Ffa Dringo 05: Pili-Pala 06: Gwymon 07: Migration 08: Wooden Milk Part 4 09: Storm Over Skomer 10: Solfach. Tracks 1 to 6 were recorded on August 6th 2002 at the live rehearsal for the Stylus performance at the Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire on August 8th. Track 7 was a live re-recording on September 9th 2002of the last track in the Eisteddfod set. Tracks 8 to 10 were specifically recorded for Radio Amgen in the Stiwdio Stylus, Llanbadoc.

Dafydd has recorded four Stylus tracks for the forthcoming Ochre Records compilation release based on the Seasons of the year. Other artists on the Seasons release are The Land Of Nod, Longstone, 90° South and Lakescene. The cover artwork of the CD will be from leading Japanese artist Kensei Yabuno otherwise known as mitsuru326. The Stylus tracks are titled: ‘Summer Has A Spring In It’s Step’, ‘Icicle Tricycle’ and ‘Dreaming Of The Sun’.

A new recording of ‘Angle’, titled ‘Angle - Haf 2002’ will appear on the front cover CD of the next issue of the Adverse Effect publication. You can obtain more details from Adverse effect, PO Box 63, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 6YU. E-mail: richo@adverse-effect.com

A Stylus interview was featured in the December 2002 issue (Issue 21) of the Welsh Music Foundation Publication ‘Honk’. To obtain a free copy of Honk send a A4 SAE into Honk, Welsh Music Foundation, Ty Cefn, Rectory Road, Canton, Cardiff, CF5 1QL.


A LOOK BACK AT 2002:

2002 turned out be quite a prolific year release wise for Stylus. Three albums were released, ‘Mynydd Preseli’ on Mar//ino Records in January, ‘Pedwar’ on Fourth Dimension in May whilst the ‘Archif:01’ compilation which was originally available by mail-order only from Ochre Records since November 2001 was distributed nationally by Cargo in October. (Note Stylus has released five albums in total. The first two were both released on Ochre. ‘The Last Seaweed Collecting Hut At Freshwater West’ in September 1999 and ‘Skomargraph’ in October 2000).

Live > 2002 saw Dafydd peform only the second Stylus live performance, which was at the National Eisteddfod at St David’s in Pembrokeshire on August 8th. The performance was in the Cyngor Sir Benfro Arts Pavilion. The Pavilion exhibited work by artists who promote and are influenced by Pembrokeshire in their art.

Radio Sessions > Stylus recorded 3 Radio Sessions in 2002.
1) The first was at the beginning of May when a Session featuring the tracks ‘Little Dafydd Needs To Fly Part One’, ‘Little Dafydd Needs To Fly Part Two’ & ‘Finistere RIP’ was broadcast on Radio Torino Poploare (May 3rd) and Radio Capodistria (May 4th) in Italy.
2) The second Session featuring the three tracks ‘Wooden Milk’ Parts 1 to 3 was broadcast as part of the Ochre Records Special on Slobodan Vujanovic’s ‘Power Of The Witches’ Show on the B-92 Station in Serbia.
3) The third Session was recorded for Radio Amgen, the Welsh Internet Station and broadcast on 25th September 2002. See above ‘Stylus Latest News’ for the track listing.

Mynydd Preseli > (the Preseli Mountains) is a continuation on a theme and is the final part of the Pembrokeshire influenced trilogy. Pembrokeshire is an inspirational place and on admiring and exploring the beautiful landscape, it is not long before the creative juices are flowing. The air is so clean, healthy and invogorating in this part of West Wales in which lush countryside gives way to the coast. A calmness, indeed a slower pace of life is so evident in this part of the world, a land steeped in history going back to the day of Neolithic man and long before. Mynydd Preseli is at times isolated desolate and eerie, this album attempts to portray the feel of the mountains at their highest point, the anicent tracks, the wildlife, igneous rock outcrops, raw material through to the vegetation. The musical influences have been sought not from musicians but from the elements themselves - the wind, rain, sun etc. and I have also attempted to conjure up sounds of Neolithic man at work with his tools. Minimalist and experimental, the music is hopefully as thought-provoking and challenging to the listener as it was intended. The Stylus Mynydd Preseli CD Album, which is released on Mar/ino Records, is available from the mail-order department, price £10 (includes p & p).

Stewart Lee gave the ‘Mynydd Preseli’ album ** out of *** in the Sunday Times February 24th 2002 writing "To say that Mynydd Preseli is more involving than other concept albums about the geography of the Preseli Mountains offers little purchasing incentive. So here are the facts. Mynydd Preseli arrives in a cardboard sleeve stuffed with blurred photos of mountains and contour lines and titbits of information that direct the listener through Morgan's wordless sonic whorls. The undulating rythym of Preseli approximates journeys along prehistoric trade routes: the scratching sounds of Twrch Trwyth suggest the wild boar of the same name, hunted by King Arthur; the glacial hum of Carn Menyn reflects the blue stones exported to build Stonehenge. But this isn't some Eno-style excercise in ambient moods. Morgan's minimal music demands to be heard".
Careless Talk Costs Lives stayted “If this was the soundtrack to all the slow-motioned sequences in Apocalypse Now, it could’ve been a good movie”. The wire added “This is not standard pastoral fare, but hard edged post-minimalism with various sonic odds and ends cast into a shimmering electronic flux”.

Archif:01 > compilation pulls together all of the non-album Stylus material that has been released to date on various labels since the debut Stylus release in April 1997 through to the 'Pluen Eira' Ochre Christmas 7" in December 2000. The majority of the tracks appear here for the first time on CD. The running time of 'Archif:01' is 73 minutes 59 seconds. The 'Archif:01' CD Album which is first Volume in the Ochre Archive Series is now available from the Ochre Records mail-order department price £10 (includes p & p).

The full track-listing is: 01: Kinski 02: R3-643 03: Whitesides Peak 04: Paradise Ranch 05: The View From Tikaboo 06: Groom Lake 07: Freedom Ridge 08: R4-644 09: Lights Around Pylon X 10: Hopeless Diamond 11: Glass Dream One 12: As The World Crumbles 13: Grinding #8 14: Zero 15: Kinski 2000 16: Pwllcrochan 17: Pluen Eira 18: Pluen Eira (Live) 19: Kinski (Longstone Remix)

Pedwar > is the fifth Stylus album and was released in May 2002 on the Fourth Dimension label. . ‘Pedwar’ saw Dafydd being influenced from a number of subjects including ‘Patagonia’ where Welsh settlers had arrived and set up home in South America in the mid 1800’s.

“This is Dafydd Morgan’s third release this year. His two previous albums are so fourth-dimensional, they make your body an astral projection. Pedwar is more introverted, colder. Not ideal for summer, but in the winter, it will melt the ice or herald a new age”. Careless Talk Costs Lives review Issue 8

‘Pedwar’ is available priced £10 including postage from the Ochre Records Mail-Order.


STYLUS DISCOGRAPHY:

01) Kinski > split 10" with Longstone (Ochre - OCH012) Released 28/4/97 Limited to 523.

02) R3-643 > split 7" with Longstone (spiFFing Records). 9/97.
The single never got past Test Pressing stage and only 5 Test Pressings exist! spiFFing were a label based in New York, USA. The track will appear on the forthcoming Blue-Flea compilation 'Through The Square Window'.

03) Groom Lake > 8" EP. (Ochre - OCH022). Limited to 104 copies on Hand Lathe Cut Clear Vinyl. Released 18/5/98 as part of the Ochre 8 x 8" Mail-Order Subscription Series.
Tracks: 'Whitesides Peak' / 'Paradise Ranch' / 'The View From Tikaboo' / 'Groom Lake' / 'Freedom Ridge' and 'R4-644'. Tracks recorded January / February 1998.

04) Hopeless Diamond > appeared on the 'Hope' Compilation CD Album. (Audio Research - ARE101).
Released 8/98. The album was made up of 68 one-minute tracks. Other artists included: Joe Banks, Reed Ghazala, Martin e Greil, The Groceries, id battery, in between noise, The Land Of Nod, Longstone, Project Dark, Keith Rowe, scanner, Janek Schaefer and Skyray.

04) Glass Dream One > appeared on 'Infrasonic Waves' Volume One 7" EP (Ochre - OCH026).
Released 2/11/98. Limited to 500. Other artists were: Avrocar / The Freed Unit and Brickwerk. The track featured the guest narration of Christine Vidoudez.

05) As The World Crumbles > appeared on the 10" Mini-Vinyl Album 'Decalogue' (Ochre - OCH033).
Released 1/3/99. The 10" was the tenth and final release in the Ochre 10" series and was pressed on clear vinyl with red, green and silver glitter housed within! Limited to 1040 copies. The 10" was a six track compilation and also featured: AMP / Magnog / UHR vs Grimble Grumble / 90º South and Môr. 06) The Last Seaweed Collecting Hut At Freshwater West > . CD Album (Ochre - OCH012LCD). Released 6/9/99. Limited to 500. Featured guest narration from Christine Vidoudez on 'Glass Dream Two' and 'Hop'. The album is split into two sections. The last four tracks written about the last remaining seaweed collecting hut at Freshwater West in Pembrokeshire, West Wales.
Tracks: 1. Deceleration 2. Edge Of Rotation 3. Hop 4. F-117A 5. Exe-Sty 6. Compartment 7. Glass Dream Two. The Last Seaweed Collecting Hut At Freshwater West: - 8. Part I - Angle 9. Part II - Haf 10. Part III - Desolation 11. Part IV - Gaeaf.

07) Grinding #8 > appears on the CD compilation album 'Trace' (Audio Research Editions ARE102).
Released 12/99. The Double CD Album was made up of two-minute tracks. Other artists include: Will Sergeant, The Groceries, Longstone, The Mindwinder, The Land Of Nod, Lee Ranaldo, Yoko Ono, ARPARP, Henry Priestman etc.

08) Angle > the track from the album 'The Last Seaweed Collecting Hut At Freshwater West', appeared on the 'The Wire Tapper 5' CD that was given out free to the 6000 subscribers of The Wire magazine in March 2000
.
09) Zero > the track appears on the CD compilation album 'Zero' (Audio Research Editions ARE103).
Released 4/00. The CD Album is made up of one-minute tracks. Other artists include: Will Sergeant, Lee Ranaldo, Skyray, Longstone, 90º South, The Groceries, ARPARP and The Land Of Nod amongst others.

10) Kinski 2000 > b/w 'Pwllcrochan' 7" Single on Bearos Records (Bearos 009). Released April 2000.
Limited to 500.

11) R3-643 > appears on the 'Through The Square Window' compilation CD Album. (Blue Flea Records Blue-Flea10). Released 5/00. The album is a compilation of Ochre artists released in the USA on the label run by Windy & Carl. Limited to 1000.

12) Decelearation > appears on the front cover compilation CD of the Brazilian magazine 'Trip' in August 2000 (Ano 13). The track was originally intended for inclusion on the front cover of the December 1999 issue featuring 'Experimental & Electronic' music but although credited on the CD cover and in the magazine was left off and in it's place mistakingly was The Land Of Nod track 'The Land Of Nod (Sunrise)'. 'Deceleration' however finally made it on to the August 2000 issue (Issue 80) as a bonus track on the front cover CD which featured Brazilian Hip Hop!!!!!

13) Lights Around Pylon X > appears on the 'Yr Agog' compilation CD Album. (Oggum Records OG10). Released 9/00.
The compilation also features: Ectogram, Longstone, Flying Saucer Attack, Electroscope and Nimbus 2000 amongst others.

14) Deceleration > appears on the 'Interface' compilation CD album. (Space Age Recordings ORBIT 019CD). Released 25/09/00. Limited to 2000 in gatefold card sleeve. The compilation, a Space Age / Ochre / Earworm compilation, also features Experimental Audio Research, Spectrum, Longstone, Skyray, The Land Of Nod, Magnetophone, Octal, John Massoni and Sonic Boom and 121 Dials amongst others.

15) Skomargraph > CD Album (Ochre Records OCH023LCD). Released 02/10/00.
Tracks: 01: Little furznip #1 02: Flotsam 03: Coracle 04: Euphotic 05: (+1) / (-1) 06: Storm-Eye 07: Finistere 08: Little Furznip #2 09: Gwymon. The last track 'Gwymon' was recorded live inside the Seaweed Collecting Hut at Freshwater West on 23rd April 2000.

16) Storm Eye > Appears on the 'Art Rocker' compilation cassette that featured on one side, 30 minutes of Ochre acts. Free with 'Art Rocker #2' (11/00). 200 copies only.

17) Pluen Eira (Snowflake) / Pluen Eira (Live at the Seaweed Collecting Hut, Freshwater West 23/04/00) > One-sided 7" Single on Ochre Records. (OCH-PRO-005). Released 11/12/00

18) Kinski 2000 > appears on the Ochre 7 CD Programme (Ochre Records OCH030LCD). Limited to 500. Date Of release: 17/11/01. The CD Programme was made available for Ochre 7 Festival at Gloucester Guildhall on 17th November 2001. The track was from Bearos 7" also included on Stylus Ochre Archive CD Album 'Archif:01'

19) Archif:01 > CD Album. (Ochre Records OCH026LCD). Limited to 500. Date Of Release: Mail-Order Only 26/11/01. The compilation is Volume One in the Ochre Archive series and features previously released non-album Stylus material. Tracks: 01: Kinski 02: R3-643 03: Whitesides Peak 04: Paradise Ranch 05: The View From Tikaboo 06: Groom Lake 07: Freedom Ridge 08: R4-644 09: Lights Around Pylon X 10: Hopeless Diamond 11: Glass Dream One 12: As The World Crumbles 13: Grinding #8 14: Zero 15: Kinski 2000 16: Pwllcrochan 17: Pluen Eira 18: Pluen Eira (Live) 19: Kinski (Longstone Remix)

20) Mynydd Preseli > CD Album. (Mari/no Records m/i004). Limited to 400. Date Of Release: 01/02. Tracks: 01: A Mosaic of Hummocks 02: Foel Cwmcerwyn 03: Gors Fawr 04: Spotted Dolerite 05: Preselite 06: Twrch Treyth 07: Land Birds of the Bare Windswept Islands 08: Carn Menyn

21) Pedwar > CD Album. (Fourth Dimension Records. FDCD64). Pressing of 1000. Date Of Release: 05/02). Tracks: 01: Patagonia #1 02: The Cosmic Beekeeper 03: Muggy 04: Exposure 05: Innocent Transformations 06: Golden Glow 07: Stack Rock 08: Patagonia #2 09: Antenna 10: The Marbled White 11: Migration

22) Angle, The Cosmic Beekeeper and Migration > appear on the Ochre compilation album ‘Themes:Volume One’ (Ochre Records OCH:REEL001). 997 manufactured. August 2002. The compilation was aimed at the Film & TV Industry.

 


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