w/ James Robinson – Negentropic Diatribes

James Robinson – words, voice, paintings & drawings, bell drum

Dave Black – electric guitar, bass, loop pedal

James Robinson is a mid career contemporary New Zealand mixed media artist, exhibiting widely since 1989 – www.jamesrobinson.nz

fiffdimension is music and multimedia by Dave Edwards (aka Dave Black) and collaborators, since 1998 – www.fiffdimension.com
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James won 2007 paramount prize in the wallace award for
” Taniwaha dragon mother ( spirit bones)”

‘… a great big flatulent belch of fresh air amongst all the tight-sphinctered, deodorised boys and girls of the accepted national art world….. off-kilter and threatening but always sumptuously, gloriously beautiful.’
– Chris Knox.

Robinson lived in New York..and has made research trips to Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal, India Morrocco, Fiji, and Invercargill. Recently a major 5 room exhibition of his work was put on in Belgium, by the Nomadic art gallery.

James was brought up in a war ..targetted and held hostage and gaslight with weapons-grade communication.

James makes art as a Male surviver.. And still enjoys life and art.

And looks forward to when the satalights go down..and people look at paintings again.

Currently living and working in Port Chalmers, Dunedin…regularly hosts open studio exhibitions and collaborates with musicians and poets. And will show a mural inspired by LEN LYE in the NEW WALLACE GALLERY in Christchurch, opening next year.
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The soundtrack is in the style of Dave’s groundbreaking solo spoken word + improv albums self-released on CDR 20 years ago (is culture up to this point in the nostalgia cycle yet?) – fiffdimension.bandcamp.com/album/after-the-filmshoot-2002 and fiffdimension.bandcamp.com/album/mantis-shaped-worrying-2002 –

In recent years he has collaborated with Antony Milton, Campbell Kneale, Dr Emit Snake Beings
& latest solo album fiffdimension.bandcamp.com/album/spastic-rhythms-22-2022

Spastic Rhythms ’22

Featherston, NZ – early 2022 – spontaneous compositions, two wet weekends in a row.

A sequel to Spastic Rhythms vol 1 (2021)

– a series of ‘quickfire’ DIY solo albums created in a couple of days each.

This one features interspecies guest collaboration with Oscar the huntaway.

credits

released February 13, 2022

Dave Black – guitars, bass, banjo (2), clarinet (6), sanshin (10), loop pedal, e-drum

Oscar – vocal

Escape Velocity: the Electricka Zoo live

New live album!

With New Zealand in lockdown this might be the next best thing to an actual gig..

Track 1 recorded live at the Fringe Bar, Wellington NZ, 27-02-18

Tracks 2-7 recorded live at Escape Velocity, Featherston NZ, 10-03-18

As part of the New Zealand Fringe Festival

credits

The Digitator – midi, laptop, vocal
Dave Black – bass, electric guitar

www.fiffdimension.com/the-electricka-zoo

Outono 21

A new multilayered Dave Black electric improv / xenochronous composition.

The track continues the evolution of my Wairarapa one man band 2020s ‘late style’, which began with Glimpses of Utopia (2020) and Spastic Rhythms (2021)

It was originally created for the Psi-solation+1 – 2021 compilation album curated by fellow Featherston resident Campbell Kneale. He’s known for his noise music, paintings of cats, and as proprietor of the Miracle Room.

Continue reading →

Campbell Kneale & Dave Black: A Ton of Feathers

releases October 17, 2020

Campbell Kneale – electric guitar, analogue synth

Dave Black – bass, electric toothbrush, key ring

Featherston, New Zealand,
27-Nov-18

(one continuous take, unabridged, no overdubs – the first time we’d played together)

A 3min excerpt appeared on Other Islands: 2012-2018 –

but you need to hear the full length version to truly enter Campbell’s world.

Continue reading →

16 February @ Fernside Gardens Open Days

I played solo acoustic at the Fernside Gardens Open Day on Sunday 16th February, 11am.

Continue reading “16 February @ Fernside Gardens Open Days” →

Here’s a Health to my Cronies (by John Collie, 1856)

19th century Scottish drinking song, by John Collie (1834-1893), from his book ‘Poems and Lyrics‘

Played by his great-great-grandson Dave Edwards -at Wairarapa TV May Music Marathon on 4th of May 2019. It features on the Live 2019 album.

Continue reading “Here’s a Health to my Cronies (by John Collie, 1856)” →

Here’s a Health to my Cronies (by John Collie, 1856)

19th century Scottish drinking song, by John Collie (1834-1893), from his book ‘Poems and Lyrics‘

Played by his great-great-grandson Dave Edwards – first public performance of this piece, at Dragon Inn, Featherston, NZ, 6 Feb 2019 .

A couple of months later I played it at Wairarapa TV May Music Marathon on 4th of May 2019

which features on the Live 2019 album.

HERE’S A HEALTH TO MY CRONIES.

HERE’S a health to my cronies where’er they reside, Whether this side or that o’ yon big rowin’ tide ; I care na what country or kingdom they claim, Be they English or Irish to me it’s the same, Gif their hearts to a glass o’ gude whisky incline, I instantly class them as “Cronies o’ mine.”

Awa wi’ yon nabob purse-proud o’ his gear, Neither he nor his wealth hae charms for us here; Awa wi’ yon fop wi’ his clear headed cane, A bit trip through the warld, it’s use may explain; But welcome my cronies wherever ye be, To join in this gude reekin’ bumper wi’ me.

A ﬁg for the wealth that this warld can gie, We naething brought here, sae we’ve naething to lea; The farmer wi’ ousen an’ acres galore, Has his crosses just now, an’ may sune count on more; Then come here, my cronies, let’s kick awa care, As lang’s we’ve a groat or a shilling to spare.