Reckno Special - Part Two: 2 Reckno Reviews.

Goodiepal - Havet / Flower Farmer - Prunes (Reckno)
This time, after interviewing Chris from Reckno last time I am record reviewing new two tapes from the label. The first one i'm doing is a tape that has two different artists on it which is what you call a split; because it is split between two different artists who get a side of the tape each to do their music on. One of the interesting things about this is that the tape has two covers, one on each side, so you can turn it over to have the art that you like best - the cover that I liked best is the one for the Flower Farmer side of the tape because it has a nice cartoon picture on it of a woman with a blue face but I think the other side is nice too.

        The other side of the tape is the first one that I'm going to review and it is by a man called Goodiepal who is a Danish man with a funny moustache who's real name is Parl Kristian Bjørn Vester and when we looked him up on the computer it said he not only does music but he also does talks and writes books about music too and he rides around on his homemade bike which must be a quite special bike because he can use it to make electricity to fuel the things he makes music on - I'd quite like to see this bike as I can't really imagine what it looks like.
            There are two long songs by Goodiepal on this tape and I liked them both very much. When the first song started what it sounded like to me is that there is a man, maybe Goodiepal himself, who is sat on a beach early in the morning and the waves are crashing and he is ringing bells as he's watching them but then some drums start and I think these sounds like drums to wake people up, maybe because there is something bad coming. It goes quieter again then though after the drums and then there are sounds like women wailing and crying and it all sounds a bit spooky to me because there are some quite spooky sounds in there like a bell ringing occasionally and long noises which go on for a long time. I liked this one a lot because it made me think of old films where bad stuff happens like War of the Worlds from 1953 and I like old films like that so that's a good thing to be reminded of. Here is a video of the advert for War of the Worlds for you to look at:

              The next song starts of with  bells and waves like in the last one except this time there are lots more of them and there are long sounds again but this time not as long as in the last one. I kind of thought this sounded like the world has woken up after the bad stuff in the last song had happened and things are sort of okay again so things carry on as best they can - I liked this Goodiepal music very much, it reminded me a bit of classical music and a bit of science fiction music and I thought it was very interesting to listen too because it's quite strange and wonderful.

        The next side of the tape is by somebody called Flower Farmer who I couldn't find out much except his real name is Florian Yarrow and that he makes "radical computer music". I thought that his surname is Yarrow is quite interesting because the housing association that runs the house I live in and that pays for The Gate where I write these reviews is called Yarrow Housing which is a bit of a coincidence.
         The music on this side starts off with a song called Eight Story Pool Ball and it starts off with what sounds like a keyboard playing quite slow but then it starts going all fast when the drums come in and it is very strange indeed and then after a bit it goes even faster and even weirder. It's not what I'm used too at all this music and it made me think of a disco for weird people who dance all strange and when you talk to them they talk all strange too, I don't know where these people would come from though; maybe Mars and maybe this is Martian music for Martian people. Here is a story I made up for this song:
           I was walking down the road and a girl run up to me and she said she was from mars and was being chased by the police so I told her that I would look after her and we escaped from the police and went to the strange Martian nightclub and she liked it there and we talked to the other Martians and had a good time.
            The next song on the Flower Farmer side of the tape is called Ice Cream Eraser which is a bit of a funny name for a song and I don't really know what it means. This one is a bit slower than the last one and reminded me of the horses going round on the carousel at a fairground. I always go to the fair when it comes to Shepherds Bush Green and go on a few of the less scary rides because I'm not really keen on the bigger rides where you go too fast or go upside down because I reckon i'm a bit old for the types of rides.
            After Ice Cream Eraser is the next song which is called Kaleidomotive and I thought this sounded a bit like the other ones if they were going a bit wrong but I think it's supposed to sound like that. I thought this one was funny and it had lots daft sounds in it that made me laugh that I liked a lot.
            Next up is one called Ocean Glow which is quite slow and I thought sounds a bit like bagpipes played over dripping water and pots and pans being hit. I liked this one a lot because it reminded me of my Grandfather who was a Scotsman. 
            The last tune on the tape starts off with music that sounds a bit like the music we do here on a monday when we do musical improvisation. It's quite a calm sounding tune compared to some of the rest of the Flower Farmer tunes (though it gets a bit less calm at the end) and my favourite bit in it is a noise that runs all the way through which sounded to me a bit like a small dog whimpering.
            Overall I would say this was a very interesting tape with two very interesting and very different artists on it and I enjoyed it very much and think other people should give it a go because I think they would find it very interesting too. I would give this tape 10 out of 10.

Our Love Will Destroy The Earth - Jet Plane Joy (Reckno)
The second tape I am reviewing is by just one musician called Campbell Kneale from New Zealand. Campbell Kneale has made lots of different music using different names and on this tape he is calling himself Our Love Will Destroy the Earth but we listened to some other stuff by him where he uses different names so I could learn more about him.
            The first song I listened to is from an old Various Artists CD thing called Two Ducks on a Truck which had Cambell Kneale on it as Birchville Cat Motel. The song I heard from this sounds like a snowstorm and is something called a drone song and I quite liked it.
           The reason why I know it is called a drone song is that we did a Music Appreciation Session where we listened to some Droney music; we listened to some old Indian music and we listened to some Didgeridoo and Alphorn and some modern classical music and some electronic music too. Also as part of this we listened to some Black Boned Angel which is another Campbell Kneale thing and it sounds like  really slow heavy metal so we played it really loud. We all liked the Black Boned Angel record except Ashley who said it wasn't really his thing.
           On the tape that I am reviewing now though Campbell Kneale is not called Birchville Cat Motel or Black Boned Angel because he is called Our Love Will Destroy The Earth and it doesn't really sound like the other things by Campbell Kneale that I've heard at all because it is a lot noisier.
             The first song on this tape then is called Glittery Skin and it starts off with a load of noise where you can't make out what anything is but I think there is a voice in there but I can't work out what it's saying. After a bit of this there are some big guitars that start and then stop and it goes all quiet and there is quiet noise like birdsong and then next song starts and it is guitars and noise again and sounds to me like a huge band playing loads of guitars at a big concert. I thought this was very interesting indeed to listen to but some of the people at the Gate had to leave the room because they thought it was too noisy.
              The next song is called Jet Plane Joy and this is very different from the last song though it does have big guitars too, this time though there is rock drumming in it and the guitars are rock guitars too and they play the same thing over and over and it is very, very rocking indeed and reminded me of punk or heavy metal music a bit and I think this is a good thing because I like punk and heavy metal.
               On the other side of the tape is the next song and this is starts off with noise like a radio not tuned in properly and then there is heavy guitars again and drums and I think maybe vocals but it is all a bit muddy sounding so you have to listen close to hear them. I thought this sounded like a rock concert again and I was thinking it was maybe a concert where things go a bit wrong cos it goes all funny sounding. The next song sounds a bit like this too and there are lots of sounds in there all mixed up in what sounds like a big tunnel. This makes it sound quite weird and very different and I liked it a lot.
               The next song is the last song on the tape and is called Skinny Glitter and is a bit quieter than the others to start with but soon gets louder, it's still a bit calmer than the others I thought though and there is a voice I could hear all mixed up in there that I thought sounded like an angel singing. I thought this was a nice way to finish the tape because I like angels.
              Overall I would say I enjoyed this tape a lot even though it was very noisy and I'm going to take it home and listen to it more. I very much enjoyed learning about Campbell Kneale and listening to this tape very much so I am going to give this tape 10 out of 10 too.

Reckno Special - Part One: An Interview with Chris who runs Reckno.

This time I am not reviewing a record because I am doing an interview instead with Chris from Reckno, which is a record label which puts out tapes. Chris sent me some more tapes to listen to which I will review next time and he also agreed to answer some questions which I thought was very nice of him. Here are the questions that I wrote and his answers, I hope you all enjoy it.

Hello this is Peter, thank you for sending me some tapes and for agreeing to answer some questions. Here are the questions I have written for you.

Can you tell us a bit about your label like; When did you start it and why?
Reckno was started in 2009, back then it was the name of an occasional night of music that my friends and I put on for ourselves and our friends. Then between 2009-2012 we put out 3" CDRs by all sorts of good folk like: Sunshine Republic, MC Coc Oen, Vanessa Feltch, Human Costume, Delicate Hammers, Ape Centre, Andrew Perry, The SK5, True Swamp Neglect and Max Bellancourt. The C Powers/Yaaard tape came out in 2010, then the label lay dormant for a while. In 2012 I had been talking to some amazing artists and tape seemed like a really interesting format that suited the releases. So far there have been 11 tapes: Ananas Pyramidalis, Yaaard/C Powers split, Tuff Sherm, Blackpepper, Michael Tanner, Kinlaw, Joane Skyler, dtcpu, Yaaard (Kimberlin), Our Love Will Destroy The World and the Goodiepal/Flower Farmer split tape. There are 7 more planned which I'm really excited about. 
           The 'why?' part of the question is harder to answer. I just love music, especially unusual music that exists in it's own universe and articulates feelings beyond language. 

Why is it called Reckno? 
I think it's great looking word. My best friend, Mr. Barney Lyall thought it up. It doesn't really have any meaning so hopefully you won't get any preconceptions about the kind of music you might get, a bit of a blank slate. After having the name for ages we said that Reckno stood for 'recreational noise' and I suppose sometimes it does.

You only do tapes on your label, do you listen to tapes at home?
I do listen to tapes at home and when I wonder around with my walkman. I really like going for long walks really early in the morning with a small stack of tapes. 

Why do you like tapes?
The main reason is they sound great. The bass gets all warm and bouncy and sounds just gel together in a way I like. Plus I suppose there might be a bit of a nostalgia thing for me, I have lots of tapes that I bought as a young music fan because it was the cheapest format back then. I find some good stuff in second hand shops and car boot sales now. Like VHS, tapes seem to be considered almost worthless by the general public which means if you have the patience to dig around there is some great stuff just waiting. I really think that great music and film transcend format though, I'm happy watching a VHS tape on my portable TV. If the film is good, it'll be good in any format, same with music.

Do you think you will put CDs or records out ever or do you not like them?
I can't imagine putting out CDs right now but I do like them and have quite a few. As for records, hopefully by the end of the year the first Reckno vinyl will be out. I don't want to say too much now but it's going to be really, really special. I'll send you one when it's out.

I've listened to a few of your tapes now and they are all quite different, and all a bit strange, so how do you choose who to work with and who has been your favourite?
Thanks, I take that you find them different and strange as a massive compliment!
           I can't quite explain what I'm looking for but I know it when I hear it. My iiird eye opens and I feel really good.
          There's no set way I get to work with artists, some I've met or seen live and got talking or I've just admired them from afar and sent an email. A few have just sent links and it has evolved from there. I do listen to everything we get sent at the moment but I'm not sure how that's going to work in the future.
           Pick a favourite? That's tricky.
           The Ananas Pyramidalis tape is really beautiful, it sounds like a sunrise to me. Tuff Sherm aka Dro Carey is someone who I'm a bit fanatical about, I think everything he's done has been great and Canal Cloaking was no exception plus I'm really happy the first Tuff Sherm release came out on Reckno. Michael Tanner's tape has

really magical memories for me because I first played it in the middle of the night while on Holiday in Italy during a thunderstorm and it made me feel like I was floating. Kinlaw's Chorus+Mysticus took a long time to form and I heard snippets along the way but when I heard the finished version, it blew me away. Joane Skyler came right out of nowhere, I'd heard a few tracks but again wasn't prepared for how accomplished and perfect an album 'orz' was/is. I'm really excited about what Joane will come up with next.
          The Campbell Kneale cassette took about 3 or 4 years to come through but it was well worth the wait. I asked him, only half jokingly, for a hip hop album, obviously he ignored my request and gave me some guitar bliss instead. I keep going back to that one at the moment. dtcpu is a really odd one, it sounds like he can just plug into a strange zero dimension and pull great things out at will. Flower Farmer compositions and tones sound really original to me, I can't think of anything at all like it which is a massive achievement. Having Goodiepal release his first recording is an honour too, 'Havet' is brilliant. I'm really into his lectures and whole .....vibe.
            Like children, I think it would be unfair on the others to have a favourite. I love them all and I am very grateful to all the artists who have trusted me to present their work. I'm very proud of what has come out on the label so far.

I'm quite enjoying this summer because it's nice and hot are you enjoying the hot weather?
 Yeah. I love the hot weather. It's odd how the heat and sunshine can make familiar environments seem different. It feels like being in a different country at the moment and travel is always good, even if it's just in your mind.

Is there anything else you'd like to say?
Thanks for the Joane Skyler review, thanks for listening and thanks for thinking up interesting questions for me. Take care.

I thought this was a very good and interesting interview because it very nice to read all about Chris' label and all the different tapes that he has put out and I'd like to thank him for doing it and wish him very well for all the things he will do in the future. One thing I thought was especially interesting is where he says about Reckno being a made up word that his friend made up and if I had a tape label I would call it Makthing Tapes which would be a mix of Making and Things - I think I would be quite good at running a label because I would release allsorts just like Chris does.

             But that is the end of this part of my Reckno special and next time I will be doing reviews of the Our Love Will Destroy The World and the Goodiepal/Flower Farmer tapes that Chris talks about in the interview. I am looking forward to this and I hope you all are too.

Thanks to my friend Wayne for painting the Reckno letters.

Joane Skyler - Orz.

Joane Skyler - Orz (Reckno)
This time i'm not reviewing a record because I am doing a tape called Orz instead by Joane Skyler who looks like a very nice lady from the cover. I've not seen a tape for sale in a long time and thought they was a bit old fashioned and that no one used them any more but I think it's alright for people to make tapes even if they are old fashioned because it gives people something to play in their tape recorders. I have a tape recorder at home with some old tapes I still listen to like my Nancy Sinatra tape which I like a lot and a tape somebody made me once with all sorts of different kinds of old music on it.
      The music on this tape though isn't old music because Joane Skyler is a brand new artist who has never released anything before.
       Side A of the tape starts off with a noise like an electronic organ and the sound of a heartbeat and then there are electronic drums which sound a bit like foreign bongo drumming and lots of other little electronic noises all mixed up together - it's not messy music though because it is very soft and quite relaxing and very enjoyable and nice and quiet which is a bit of a change for me with my reviewing because recently I have been listening to a lot of noisy music. The music changes after a bit and i'm not sure if that's because it's another song or not because it's hard to tell where the songs end but I think it might be. When the music changes it gets even softer and there are no drums for a bit just a long noise that reminded me of the wind blowing in a tunnel and then there are lots of different electronic noises and drums which keep disappearing and coming back - it is quite strange stuff that changes all the time and this makes it very interesting to listen to.
            After a bit everything totally changes and there is the sound of an old music box which plays till  the drums come in and this time they get a bit more faster like you would hear in a danceclub; I liked this bit a lot, it was very funky and I think it would be good to dance to but I don't really go out dancing, I never really did go out dancing and I think I'm a bit too old to start now because I'm 69. After this funky bit things get all slow and it sounds a bit like the tape's gone funny but it's supposed to sound like that, there is also a rapper guy on this bit but you can't really make out what he's saying much. To finish this side tape off there is then a twinkly tune that also sounds a bit like a music box, I thought this bit sounded very nice and was a good way to finish the side of the tape with. You can hear the whole side of the tape here:


                    Side B of the tape starts off with another funky dance tune and then after that things get a bit weird and there are lots of strange noises like a cat squealing and bubbling and then some drums and this turns into a soft tune that doesn't last too long before changing again and getting even softer and then it gets all funky again; one of the things that I like about this tape is it changes a lot and you don't know what's coming. Near the middle of this side of the tape is a bit I really liked where everything seems a bit broken but then there is a sound like an electronic violin and everything sounds okay again. This bit carries on till the end and I thought it was very nice to listen to because it reminded me somehow of being out in the country and walking through nice fields, I don't really know why it made me think of that, it just did and I liked it. You can listen to this side of the tape here:


          Overall I would say this was a very good tape that I liked a lot because there was a lot of strange different things to listen to and I think other people would like it too. I thought it was a very good first recording from this new artist and I'd like to wish Joane every success in the future. You can buy this tape by clicking the link at the top of this review and hear some other music from Joane here. I would give this tape 10 out of 10.