Quietism (2024)
E-drum, bass and electric guitar – layered solo improvisations for virtual trio.
2023
Electric (yang) / Acoustic (yin)
– 2CD compilation 1998-2023
“Double disc collection of more than two decades’ worth of live and studio-recorded tunes by Dave Edwards, who you may have heard recently as part of The Troubled Times with Antony Milton. It’s quite a diverse listen!
You get some concise and catchy pop songs, some full-on rockers, banjo excursions, improv freak-out, poetry, acoustic blues, folk songs, scrambled noise… there’s something here for everybody. A good intro to Dave’s dauntingly deep discography.”
– Howard Stelzer, Noisy Bandcamp.
A collection of short tracks by Dave Edwards and collaborators.
Celebrating 25 years of fiffdimension!
2CD double album. 35 tracks spanning 25 years. Comes in gatefold card case with full colour photography by Jechtography and James Gilberd. Includes download of the digital album.
Produced by Antony Milton; and features Paul Winstanley, Chris O’Connor, Simon O’Rorke, Chris Palmer, Sam Prebble, Mike Kingston, Francesca Mountfort, Damian Stewart, Emit Snake-Beings, Nat da Hatt, Steve Duffels, and Oscar (the dog). The 2CD compilation focuses on Dave Edwards’ guitar and banjo compositions in New Zealand and Australia, their acoustic/electric duality, and boils down a quarter-century of restless creativity to two concise discs.
Dave also collaborates with
The Troubled Times
Antony Milton – electric guitar Dave Edwards – bass David Heath – drums
Another (****ing) Sunday | Elevate |
Limited Edition classy glassy mastered CD Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album Only 100 copies of this. Pro manufactured glass mastered CD packaged in 4 panel card wallet. | A contrasting companion piece, with all but the last track recorded the same day; a thoroughly kinetic affair bursting with energy and ecstatic passion. |
Live in Featherston | Son Sun Sum |
Our debut live gig, at Common Ground gallery in Featherston | For the third year in a row, we recorded on the first day of daylight savings – this time with a bigger bass amp. |
& available cassette or download :
Hill Road in Winter
“a loud and noisy nocturnal romp through the hills and onto the gravel back roads of one of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s least visited regions. All recorded ‘New Zealand style’ in [my] garage.”
Antony Milton
Poems & Lyrics by John Collie (1856)
An adaptation of the book, by 19th century Scottish poet John Collie (of Boyndie) – recorded by his descendants in New Zealand: Dave Edwards, nephews Hans and Rhys Landon-Lane, and guest appearances by The Troubled Times and Dr Emit Snake-Beings.
“T’were a noble sight to see the mighty men of old, who bled that their countries might be free from the tyrants’ fatal hold – yet I’d deem it a nobler sight by far to behold the sons of the harp & lyre!
“[…] If aught can claim a spirit’s admiration, Sure it must be this beautiful creation“
John Collie (1834-1893)
Assembling disconsonant
(Dave Edwards solo acoustic guitar, banjo, spoken word, May 2023)
“I liked the lyrics… the the way meaning gets assembled through shattered snap shots of a picture we may never see”
Dr Emit Snake-Beings
2023 was also notable for the return of live music to the Wairarapa region:
2022
águas brilhantes: 2018-2022
fiffdimension vol 4 – made in Featherston, Masterton and Suva – ft Antony Milton, James Robinson, Dr Emit Snake-Beings, Campbell Kneale, Hans Landon-Lane, and lyrics by John Collie (1834-1893)
“We go from bossa nova rhythms to folk to RIO to indie to, what is interesting listening if nothing else, a dog howling along to a banjo […] It is unusual to find someone playing so confidently in such diverse areas and anyone into independent music will certainly find something on here to enjoy.”
Kevin Rowland
2022′s been a productive year here… we’ve made two albums by
The Troubled Times
Masterton band ft Antony Milton , now a trio with David Heath on drums;
Negentropic Diatribes – w/ James Robinson
and a multimedia spoken word + improvised music collaboration with award-winning painter James Robinson ; (a semi return to the style of my solo albums from 20 years prior)
“I like it as a intunal thoughtthread outloud with phrases that wriggle with sounds that wobble. Dave Edwards is quite good at this… and its to his professional and integrity driven playful collaborative openness that arts breathe in the smoggy clutter of the dense forest of synthetic posed narratives. Hmm, good on you guys – may th gods be with you”
James Robinson
and an album of solo instrumentals and dog duets–
2021
The Troubled Times
Started as a duo with Antony Milton in Masterton, NZ
Dave Black solo EP Glimpses of Utopia
2020
Ruasagavulu
by Dave Black & Snake Beings in Fiji
Made in Fiji, with Dr Emit Snake-Beings – tropical avant-garde instrumentals for keyboards, ukulele, dholak, duduk, harmonicas, DIY kitchen gamelan, and video.
“So easy to get totally lost in this music, recommend for helping with your inner peace”
– Andi Verse
John Collie‘s poem ‘Solitude‘, written in 1856 and recorded in 2020, also features on
Psi-solation: a global compilation of music made in lockdown
From Featherston NZ and around the world, capturing the moment the world as we knew it ended, curated by Campbell Kneale.
“Something about this global pandemic is inspiring people to create and/or curate art on a massive scale…. and this compilation, being offered for free/name-yr-price, is indeed M A S S I V E.” – Howard Seltzer
2019
Live 2019
solo acoustic set + an interview, live at Wairarapa TV and online
“Great skills and a refreshing beatnik sensibility – this is folk the way folk should be” – Andi Verse
2012-2018
Other Islands: 2012-2018
vol3 – made in New Zealand, Western Australia, Fiji, Indonesia and Okinawa , by Dave Black with The Winter, The Electricka Zoo, Snake Beings, Nat da Hatt, Campbell Kneale, Gamelan Padhang Moncar, Gareth Farr and Gamelan Taniwha Jaya
“The 20 song album covers traditional Javanese and Balinese gamelan, Asia-Pacific folk music, free jazz, and free noise…. If you have an open inquiring mind and love hearing a variety of sound, this is excellent.
Darryl Baser, muzic.net.nz
w/ Campbell Kneale: A Ton of Feathers
Free noise duo with NZ’s undisputed master of the genre
The Electricka Zoo
The duo of live electronica by the Digitator, and Dave Black on bass and electric guitar (2017)
“A totally original, mind warping album that smacks you across the face with big sound…. I salute anyone that makes a whole album out of EDM post-punk avant-garde rock / jazz, reggae, Balkan, [and] Portuguese music” –
http://www.muzic.net.nz
Ngumbang
Our first collaboration with the even more legendary & underground artist Snake Beings (2015)
The Winter
Wellington free improvisation trio with Simon Sweetman and Mike Kingston
“A strange sonic brew that includes dissonant rock textures, rough outsider folk-blues mysteries, electric and acoustic improvisations and a considerable part of tasty feedback. Imagine equal parts Derek Bailey, New Zealand’s Pumice and classic ’60s blues/folk and you’re in the right ballpark.” – The Broken Face
in the non-idiomatic idiom in Norway
Gamelan Dimensi Kelima (Indonesia)
in a wildflower state (Western Australia)
ネオン列車の風景 Neon Train Landscapes (Japan)
Japanese psychedelic rock made by kiwi expats Dave Black & Nat da Hatt (2014)
2005-2012
Fame & Oblivion: 2005-2012
vol2 – made in New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, Mongolia, and Japan, by Dave Black with Ascension Band, The Winter, Nat da Hatt, Wellington’s Most Famous Orchestra, and Cylvi M
“Experimental and avant-garde…. There is a clear passion, and a commitment to pushing the boundaries… This will challenge your perceptions of what constitutes music and open the mind to new possibilities of sounds that surround us – muzic.net.nz“
The Winter: 2011
Acoustic trio improvisations on banjo, ukulele, clarinet, piano, guitar, harmonica and percussion by Dave Edwards, Mike Kingston, and Simon Sweetman (2011)
First Time Around: East Asia
Field recordings, sketches, soundscapes and stories from South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Mongolia, by Dave Black and Cylvi M (2008)
First Time Around: South Korea
Field recordings, electro-acoustic ethnography, Asian industrial soundscapes from the land of morning calm – made in Suwon and Busan, South Korea, by Dave Black and Cylvi M (2007–2008)
South Island Sessions
Steampunk folktronica from an alternate 19th century – made in Nelson, NZ by Dave Black with Cylvi M, Hayden Gifkins, Matthew Thornicroft and Frey (2006)
After Maths & Sciences (Australia)
An Australian double-album novel for the ear, recorded in Melbourne VIC, and Sydney and Gosford NSW, by Dave Black with Cylvi M, Mike Kingston and Francesca Mountfort (2005-2006)
“There are New Zealand artists working in this medium (Montano, Seht, Audible 3) combining concrete poetry, field recordings, found-sounds and electro-acoustic manipulations to sit as aural wallpaper, but Dave Black’s debut release (and a re-birth, if you like, for David Edwards) is an actual document – as much a post-modern piece of Performance Journalism as it is a static batch of “songs” or tracks, After Maths & Sciences is a pleasing challenge of an album. It lives up to the cliché of presenting something new with each listen,”
– Simon Sweetman
Ascension Band: Evolution
Award-winning electric symphony for post-punk big-band – by organist/conductor/arranger Nigel Patterson (The Black Seeds, The Manta Rays, Fly My Pretties), guitarist & organiser Dave Edwards (fiffdimension, The Winter), and over a dozen musicians including Ryan Prebble, Bell Campanita, Warwick Donald and more on guitars, basses, drums, electronics, keyboards, trumpets and vocals (2005)
“The 50-minute piece of music, broken down into six movements, was performed live over a few nights for the Fringe Festival in 2005; the group taking out the Best Music Award.
“It was stunning. ”
Simon Sweetman
1997-2005
Gleefully Unknown: 1997-2005
vol1 – songs, spoken word and improvisations from the early phase of my gloriously unsuccessful career, by Dave Black with The Winter, Ascension Band,plus Chris O’Connor, Paul Winstanley, Simon O’Rorke, Chris Palmer, Sam Prebble, Francesca Mountfort and more
Rough outsider folk-blues mysteries, dissonant rock textures, electric and acoustic improvisations… Edwards strikes me as one of the most overlooked musicians from the fertile lands of New Zealand and if you need a fresh start this might very well be the place.” –
Mats Gustaffson, The Broken Face
Articulation Incommunicate
dictaphone cassette recordings, Wellington NZ, 2004 – spoken word and improvised guitar; a journey down the road not taken for New Zealand music.
Loose Autumn Moans
Semi-acoustic songs orchestrated with a string section, made on all-analogue equipment in Wellington NZ, by Dave Edwards, with Sam Prebble, Mike Kingston, and Simon Sweetman (2003)
“Here Wellington, NZ composer Dave Edwards mostly goes it solo with some able assistance from duo or trio the Winter. […] verbose spoken word expositions over acoustic improvisations. Guitars, violin, cello, and percussion all stack up… He’s got a persona that’s all his own.”– George Parsons, Dream Magazine #5
The Winter: Parataxes
The Winter trio’s debut: electric and acoustic trio improvisations for guitars, cello and percussion, by Dave Edwards, Mike Kingston, and Simon Sweetman (2003) subscribe to hear, or start with the compilation
After the Filmshoot
Idiosyncratic Wellington NZ spoken word + instrumental voyages into inner space, by Dave Edwards with Simon O’Rorke (2002)
+ Mantis Shaped & Worrying
subscribe to hear,
“spoken word and instrumental colour, with the latter lurching from acoustic strums to occasional cacophony. On the final track, ‘Revenge of the Smur‘ Edwards uses a primarily percussive accompaniment whose impact is as dramatic as his wordplay”
– Real Groove
The Marion Flow
Electric and acoustic songs, spoken word and instrumentals – an almost-recognised New Zealand classic, featuring Chris O’Connor, Paul Winstanley, Simon O’Rorke, Chris Palmer, Joe Callwood, the Digitator, Steve Duffels, Dean Brown, and Brian Wafer.
Made in New Plymouth | and Wellington |
“It’s lo-fi, organic and about as eclectic as one could manage. Kind of reminds me of Nick Cave if he had grown up in Timaru. No pretentious American accents or catch phrase choruses, just a bunch of people making music. A little beauty!” – NZ Musician, August/September 2002
Live 1999
“If only I could play guitar like that… bastard” – Chris Knox
dAdApApA: Waiting for the Drummer
Taranaki improvised rock/noise deconstruction with sputtering synth, air-sucking turntables, didgeridoo and sundry toys providing layers of surreal abstraction, by Paul Winstanley with Dave Edwards, the Digitator, Paul Winther, and Brian Wafer (1999)
“after recording tracks for The Marion Flow at Wafer HQ in New Plymouth, an ad hoc group of associated locals assembled to record… the only rock references here come from the guitars… throw in some spoken word and a special guest appearance by N.P. record mogul Brian Wafer on vacuum cleaner and the dAdApApA nova had blazed and fizzled in the blink of an eye” – Eden Gully
Scratched Surface
The debut album – a genuine lo-fi postpunk teenage singer/songwriter artifact from the ’90s Taranaki underground, by Dave Edwards with Tim McVicar (1997-1998)
“Worth searching out coz this lo-fi singer/songwriter oddball has a unique take on the genre. He’s pissed off, a tad fucked up (as usual), but not full of lugubrious self-pity (as unusual) and is happy to get raucous & obnoxious in just the right kinda way.”
Chris Knox
…and the story goes back further, to
1856
Poems & Lyrics (in the English and Scotch Dialects) by John Collie,
a 19th century epic acoustic work-in-progress – adapted from the book, written in Scotland in 1856, by my great-great-grandfather,
in the English |
and Scotch dialects |
and set to music along with some of his other descendants. |
|
Other pieces inspired by my ancestors include:
-
- The Ballad of William Knife (John ‘Totara Jack’ Edwards (1809-1889)),
-
- Ilhas Atlanticas (Manuel Bernard (1847-1928), from Flores island, Portugal); and
-
- Fiji 1976, a soundtrack to a film by my father, Alastair Edwards (1936-2010).
“If aught can claim a spirit’s admiration, Sure it must be this beautiful creation.”
John Collie (1834-1893)
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