The Dream Is Over

Introducing your second taste of the new album, here's a single for The Dream Is Over. It comes backed with a remix from my dude Good Weather For An Airstrike, and a b-side called Stress Test:

 

TDIO (for short) is the last track on the new album, so sounds suitably epic as a way to close off the whole record's twists and turns. It actually started life as a little guitar doodle that I didn't really know what to do with. It was part of a bunch of stuff which was really hard to make anything out of - I remember feeling weirdly out of sorts with it, like I couldn't get my mojo going with any of it, so it languished on a hard drive for ages before I decided to take another look at it. 

Over time, with the stuff I added, it took on a new life and became a sort of Massive Attack (Mezzanine-era) thing - the drums were from a sample pack of 80s goth stuff, and the big kit at the end was from just a regular rock sample pack, but I slowed them down a bit and added a beefier kick to make it really wollop. It'd been a while since I'd wolloped anyone, so was surprised and very pleased when I tried it out and the wollop hit hard.

Then I pieced it all together and did my usual thing of throwing everything in there all at once before realising this particular track needed a bit of space and a lot of time to get towards where it needed to go, so stripped it back before layering it all in again. Hey presto! It worked!

Stress Test is an altogether different beast - now and again, when I have a bit of time off from making stuff, or I'm in a bit of a rut, I need a little exercise to get back into it again, so this was one of those. I'd loaded up a few bits from various sample packs I'd had lying around, with nothing in my head apart from having a bit of fun moving stuff around. Again, this was one that was fun, but didn't have a plan for it, so just left it and worked on something else. Something drew me back to it though, and when I opened it back up, I took it a bit more seriously, and started layering in other samples, and when it had this groove I thought 'shit, you know what would sound great here? a jungle break', so I slowed one down and added it and yeah, fucking hell, sounded great - so just kept on and on and on, then it became Stress Test.

The remix is by my old chum Tom Honey, aka Good Weather For An Airstrike. We've been pals for a while, so whilst a particularly frought Tottenham game was on (he's a Spurs fan), he agreed to have a play around with TDIO and shot this back a month or so later. Good lad. 

 

Next gig: 16th May

Howdy!

Well now that Triangle gig has passed, we're onto the next one. It'll be supporting Pye Corner Audio at the Kirkgate Community Centre on May 16th. Tickets are here! 

If you'd like some info on what to expect, let's dig into it and get you clued in.

 

OK so first off, if you've never heard any of Pye Corner Audio's music before, head over to his Bandcamp here. I'd recommend the albums Entangled Routes, Sleep Games and The Black Mill Tapes boxset as great places to start with his brand of super hypnotic electronica.

As for my old pal Dean McPhee, I'd recommend his latest, Astral Gold, and the one before it, Witch's Ladder as cracking places to start with his super hypnotic solo guitar.

Moving onto the venue then...

 

The Kirkgate Community Centre is in the middle of Shipley, basically. Right next door to the main market square. It's here on maps. It's recently been refurbished and has an absolutely killer sound system in there now, and all fully soundproofed too. Which, if you've been to anything there previously, you'll know was sorely needed as those windows loved to rattle haha!

Anyway, there'll be a bar on the night, provided by the Triangle, and if you'd like to stay somewhere close, there's a hotel called the Abbey Lodge literally just opposite, or failing that, a Travelodge just down the road (about a 10 minute walk away). If you're popping over by train, Shipley train station is, again, about a 10 minute walk away - you can pretty much see it from the venue! 

Speaking of, we're about 15 minutes away from Leeds on the train, about 10 away from Bradford, and the gig will be done in time for last trains (the 23:17 being the last one out of Shipley towards Leeds) and buses. There's also a taxi rank outside the venue if you're cabbing it, and there's a car park round the back and onstreet if you're driving yourself.

If you're getting in early, head to Saltaire and walk around the mill, and if you're in the mood for a drink before or after, this being Yorkshire, we've well and truly got you covered. I'd recommend the aforementioned Triangle in Shipley, Fanny's in Saltaire, Reconnection down the road, and the Ring O' Bells just up the road. Food wise, you're properly spoiled for choice. There's the Greek Cafe opposite, the Cedar Tree takeaway just down the hill (they do a fucking lovely kebab in fairness), the Tapas Tree restaurant about 10 minutes walk away, and if you're in the mood for a curry, my recommendations are the Aagrah (it's next door to the Cedar Tree) and Shimla Spice (a little further up into town, but it's my personal favourite). If you're late or just cba with a sit down sort of deal, then there's an Asda close by and a Gregg's round the corner too - what more could you want?

Gig wise, we're doing doors at 7, Dean on at 7.30, us on at 8.15 and PCA on at 9pm.

If you've any questions about it in any capacity whatsoever, just send me a message. 

 

Live at the Triangle, 06/02/26

Well that went well didn't it, eh? haha

An absolutely stonking gig on Friday - massive thanks to all who showed up, really very much appreciated! Here are a few snaps and a video in case you missed it, or would like to revisit it:

 All photos by the brilliant Ren Conrad

And if you'd like to see the full thing, I recorded the set on my gopro and took a line out from the desk too, so the audio is super clear:

 

No Knock No Doorbell

Well, friends, it's time for a satan classic: a new album rollout.

This time's a little different though, as the album is having a longer rollout than usual - thought it about time these things had a little chance to breathe and have a moment in the sun rather than just plonking it on the digital table and being like 'here you go - have at it'.

So, with that in mind, here's the album... it's up for pre-order now: 

 

It's available on CD and cassette this time too, and if you hit that pre-order button now, you get lead track A Looming Spectre immediately. That one sounds like this, if you're curious:

Musically, the album is a little different to the last few. It's a bit more taut, a bit more reigned in, a little less 'free' but still has that dark, brooding sound. There aren't many long ones on it basically, it's cut up into these concentrated little chunks of electronica. A lot of stuff on there too: mad jazz drum math rock, some spacey trip hop, gnarled, frazzled drone, little guitar based skits, the lot. 

Hope you all enjoy it anyway, and I'll be back next month with another track off it :)

Live!

Got some gigs coming up, which will delight the small percentage of satan fans that live within the boundries of West Yorkshire. 

 First one up is this one, at Shipley Triangle on February 6th:

It's with our good friends Hexama, and will be a blast. 

Tickets here! 

Doors at 7, Hexama at 8, us at 9, everything wrapped up and done by 10 at the absolute latest, so you can all go home and get some kip. If you're new to the area, or you're traveling, the Triangle is here on maps. It's on a main road, next to a car park, and on various bus routes too. The train station for Shipley is about a 15 minute walk, and the one for Saltaire is about the same just in the opposite direction.

The Triangle is a bottle shop, and fully stocked with pretty much anything you could want: beers, pop, wine, coffee, 0%-ers, lethal whiskies, you name it. If you're after food though, there are plenty of options - 2 Italians, a chinese and an Indian are just over the road, and if you want something even quicker, there's a big Asda literally round the back of the venue, so you can stock up on sarnies and crisps. Failing that, Saltaire itself has plenty of options and is about 15 mins away walking. Plus it's dead nice, so come early and have a look around? 

Music wise, it'll be a totally brand new set, all semi-improvised, so it's not something we've released before or anything like that. Here are a few shots of us practicing over the weekend:

 Details on the second show we've got lined up coming soon..!