John Peel 30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004

Tomorrow, Saturday 25th October 2008, is the fourth anniversary of the death of John Peel. Much has been said about Peel's contribution to music in the UK and there is little I feel I need to add. On a personal note though John Peel is by far the single greatest influence on my musical journey. As music is central to my very existence that makes him very, very important indeed. His influence undoubtedly lives on but nothing has, or could come, close to replacing him. I for one miss him very much.

I have posted a small selection of session tracks. I expect that most of these tracks are already out there and I apologise if I am not adding to the greater sum of Peel show mp3s. This, though, is by way of a personal tribute.

On 19th October 1988 Peel broadcast a Sonic Youth session in which they only played Fall covers. Somehow this seems to encapsulate a great deal of what music meant to me back then.

Sonic Youth - Psycho Mafia

Sonic Youth - My New House

Sonic Youth - Rouche Rumble

Sonic Youth - Victoria

Way back in 1975 (on 19th May), before I was listening to John Peel shows, Can recorded two session tracks; Geheim and Mighty Girl. It would be about 10 years later that I got seriously into Can and othe krautrock bands via a mate's love of all things Amon Duul. Here's Geheim:-

Can - Geheim

A band that I remember Peely having a particular fondness for were Quickspace. They released just three albums but recorded four sessions. For me, they never got the attention they deserved. Here is the last of those sessions from 29th September 1999.

Quickspace - They Shoot Horses Don't They?

Quickspace - The Lobbalong Song

Quickspace - The Flat Moon Society

Quickspace -Gloria Clip

Finally, less than six weeks after John's death the BBC put out a session by Shellac. Their song The End of Radio is incredibly poignant.

Shellac - The End of Radio

THANKS JOHN.

Hagar the Womb - The Word of the Womb EP 1984

One of the earliest releases on Mortarhate (MORT 2) the label founded by Conflict, this is a terrific EP fuelled by anger but never despair. Sometimes it feels almost like an historic document of a time when people still felt thay had the power to change society through positive action and constructive revolt... and through music. But the songs do still resonate today with powerful critiques on celebrity culture and the empty pursuit of fame, the dangers of religious fundamentalism, personal freedom and our unceasing willingness to subjugate ourselves to a flawed system.

As it says on the sleeve: Be aware, be happy, be optimistic - THINK!

DOWNLOAD - Hagar the Womb - Truth

DOWNLOAD - Hagar the Womb - Idolization

DOWNLOAD - Hagar the Womb - Cardboard Theatre

Approximately Infinite Universe

Approximately Infinite Universe (named after the 1973 Yoko Ono album) is billed as A Caravan Of Raw Sound Magic From Finland & The US and reached Manchester on Thursday 25th. Part of an eight date tour the concept is one of collaboration. Centred around the acts on Sami Sänpäkkilä's Fonal Records label these collaborations worked to perfection. Introduced by the films of Sami Sänpäkkilä' set to the music of Kemialliset Ystävät in the lovely setting of the Contact Theatre the evening promised much from the very start. Nor were we disappointed.

First up the combined enormity of Islaya, Blevin Blectum and Samara Lubelski. Islaja (Merja Kokkonen) is/has been part of Avarus, Kemialliset Ystävät and Hertta Lussu Ässä. Blevin Blectum is a electronic musician of well deserved renown having released groundbreaking records as half of Blectum From Blechdom. Multi-instrumentalist Samara Lubelski is part of German psychsters Metabolismus and has worked with such luminaries as Thurston Moore, Tower Recordings and Matt Valentine. The three were joined on stage by an unheralded bass player - anyone know who that was? - and produced a beautiful set of tight as a drum quietly funky psych doodlings with some breathtaking Nico-esque vocals from Islaya. Lovely stuff.

Finland's Jan Anderzen of Tomutonttu, Kemialliset Ystavat and Avarus and California’s Spencer Clark and James Ferraro of The Skaters performed together under the Dream Triangle moniker. Their set consisted of a single "song" of complex drone and low end rumblings. Unfortunatley as with much of this type of music it does not always translate to live performance in a larger venue. To fully appreciate the subtlety and complexity of their sound demands close attention and a couple of people in front of me got a little distracted and chatted, quite loudly, throughout which rather spoiled it for me. Grr!!

Es is Sami Sänpäkkilä aforementioned film-maker and Fonal Records head. Fursaxa is Tara Burke from Philadelphia who on her records plays among others dulcimer, accordion and guitar. Taking to a stage fronted by a ring of tealights, Sänpäkkilä and Burke combine to produce beautiful, melodic, rambling songs of a rare intensity.

Kemialliset Ystävät (Chemical Friends in translation) from Tampere, Finland and Axolotl is Karl Bauer from New Jersey closed out the show with a set of motorik krautrock inspired riffs interwoven with folkish detailing that worked superbly well.

No-Signal and Lamb and Wolf deserve all the plaudits for putting together these shows and on the choice of venue in Manchester. I hadn't seen a gig at the Contact before but the place was a brilliant choice for this one and added to the atmosphere and ambience of the evening.