2016
Other Islands: 2012-2018
Coming in 2018
The third volume of fiffdimension’s best-of compilations (see also Gleefully Unknown: 1997-2005 and Fame & Oblivion: 2005-2012) brings us into the current decade – with further wide-ranging experimentation and exploration both sonically and geographically, in New Zealand, Western Australia, Indonesia, Okinawa (Japan), and Fiji.
Now available to pre-order (some tracks available immediately and you’ll be automatically sent the rest once everything’s finalised).
Featuring tracks from the albums
The Winter: Flying Visit (2012)
in the non-idiomatic idiom in Norway (1999/2014)
ネオン列車の風景 Neon Train Landscapes (2010-2015)
Ngumbang (2014-2015)
The Winter: Exit Points (2010/2015)
The Electricka Zoo (2017)
and previously unheard tracks
by Dave Black (acoustic & electric guitars, banjo, harmonica, laptop, bass, tenor saxophone, field recordings, piano, ukulele, sanshin, saron, jublag, demung, vocal), with
Mike Kingston (charango, acoustic guitar), Simon Sweetman (percussion), Nat da Hatt (electric guitar, keyboards), Cylvi M (vocal, field recordings, percussion, shakuhachi), Emit Snake-Beings (vocal, percussion, flute, electronics), Blair Latham (bass clarinet), Simon O’Rorke (synthesiser), Chris Prosser (violin), Julie Bevan (acoustic guitar), the Digitator (electric drums, keyboards & loops),
plus Indonesian gamelan ensembles led by Sofari Hidayat, Budi Putra, and Gareth Farr,
and field recordings from Western Australia, Indonesia, Okinawa (Japan), and Fiji.
If you enjoy this, try the previous volumes Gleefully Unknown: 1997-2005 and Fame & Oblivion: 2005-2012
2016 roundup
2016 has been another busy year here, with several new projects that should come to fruition in 2017.
Viti Levu, Fiji
My first visit to a Pacific island country, apart from my own (though the term is ambiguous – I’m not counting Australia, Indonesia or Japan). I’d always wanted to visit Fiji, due to family connections… I may have even been conceived there. A week’s visit to Viti Levu, the largest and most populated island, in September was all too short but still a great introductory taster.
First stop was Nadi, Read the rest of this entry »
Indonesia Festival at Te Papa
Two audience videos at the Indonesia Festival at Te Papa national museum in Wellington, NZ:
Gamelan music, in styles from Bali by Gamelan Taniwha Jaya
and central Java by Gamelan Padhang Moncar.
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Te Marae, Level 4
Sunday 23 October 2016, 10am-5pm
This was a full day of music, dance, song, and batik fashion from Indonesia.
The Electricka Zoo – live in Cuba Mall
The Electricka Zoo performed a battery-powered guerilla gig in Wellington last Friday.
We’re taking a break for the rest of this month to travel separately overseas, but look forward to bringing you some gig announcements for the last third of 2016… as well as these tunes we’re working on coalescing into an album.
Gamelan Jadi Mata Kuliah di Selandia Baru
Gamelan Padhang Moncar featured on Metro TV news in Indonesia today.
Happy Indonesian Independence Day, 17th August!
The Digitator
The Digitator: New Zealand Producer, Songwriter, Vocalist, Drummer, Synth Driver, Live Looping Musician.
A fellow traveller from Taranaki, New Zealand, who formed The Electricka Zoo in late 2015 with Dave Black.
Read the rest of this entry »
