From Solstice to Equinox

Matteo Uggeri (aka Barnacles) has been a huge fan of Nocturnal Emissions early works, especially the albums "Befehlsnotstand" and "Drowning in a Sea of Bliss".
When Nigel Ayers, founder of the band in 1980 in London, contacted him to contribute to Matteo's blog Concrete Shelves, his eyes popped out.

They afterwards met in Milan, played a gig together at the legendary Macao, became friend, and got involved into a remix project for Starlight Assembly on the US label Beacon Sound.
In 2022 it was then time to make something more structured together, so they exchanged some files between Milan and Cornwall.

The result is this album, actually composed "From Solstice to Equinox" of last year. It's focused one of Nigels and Matteo main passions: dub.

But it's of course a deeply weird version of it, with the mysterious vocals of the British cut-up in a nearly pop-oriented way by the Italian, who also added any sort of field recording to the analogue loops (guitar, samples, kbd...) of his companion. Moreover, the arrangements of cellos, violins, bass, ukulele and God-knows-what by the usual several Matteo's friend are completing this "hard to fit into a genre" set of songs.

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Nocturnal Emissions was founded in 1980 by Nigel Ayers together with collaborators Daniel Ayers and Caroline K. They have released numerous records and CDs in music styles ranging from electro-acoustic, musique concrete, hybridised beats, sound collage, post-industrial music, ambient and noise music.
Early albums on the band's own Sterile Records were harsh noisy affairs, until Songs Of Love And Revolution turned to near synth pop melodies.

Matteo Uggeri is an Italian visual designer and composer from Milan. He invests himself in sound poetry of everyday life, organized around personal field recordings, captivating beats and melodic compositions arranged in a story-telling way. He has been active in music since 1996 and has collaborated with many groups from the Industrial and Goth scene, including M.B., Controlled Bleeding, De Fabriek, and This Mortal Coil singer Dominic Appleton.

Together, they create this dub-oriented beats with cut-up vocals that are hard to fit into a genre.

It's a playful affair and a pure pleasure to listen to.

The Pre-War Noise Encryption Standard

 

I'm Nigel Ayers

I'm Nigel Ayers, I've been performing music for the last 40 odd years, and despite my unique talent, I never really gained much recognition in the music world. But I didn't let that get me down - I was passionate about my craft and continued to create and perform my brand of sound for anyone who would listen. One day, I decided to start sharing my music on Instagram, hoping to reach a wider audience. 

At first, I only had a handful of followers, but as word of my incredible talent spread, more and more people began to take notice. 

"I never thought my music would be appreciated by so many people," I said to a friend one day. "But I'm so grateful for every single one of my followers. It's amazing to think that my music is being heard all over the world."

 In order to grow my following even more, I started posting photos of my dog's daily walks and using computer generated texts to engage with my followers and keep them updated on my latest sounds. I also started giving video talks from my shed in the early hours of the morning. These talks were often filled with the sounds of birds chirping and my dog barking in the background, sharing my thoughts on the latest trends and techniques in the world of music.

 In my video talks, I often discussed the influence of folklore and 1970s reggae music. I talked about how I incorporated traditional instruments and rhythms into my tracks, and how I used my love of reggae to add a sense of nostalgia and depth to my music. 

"I've always been fascinated by the storytelling aspect of folklore and reggae," I said in one of my talks. "I try to incorporate that same sense of storytelling into my music, to create tracks that are both innovative and emotionally resonant."

 "I'm just happy to be able to share my music with the world," I said with a smile. "I never thought it would take me 40 years, but I'm glad that I never gave up on my dream. Here's to many more years of creating and performing music."

How to Cook a Hedgehog

Caroline K - Now Wait For Last Year

Nocturnal Emissions - Minimal Works 7

dosage des spores du corps de fructification électrique

This is the second of a tryptic of albums dedicated to the Nocturnal Emissions