F.A.Q.s (from 2 or less people)

[kwaing]

Any plans for a kwaing disintegration loops set/album using the lup machine?

Degrading these magnetic tapes is harder than you’d think - for 1/4” tape i’m trying to devise some sort of sandpaper roller for the loop to scrape against instead of razors and the like, but I believe the lup with its inbuilt magnets requires some fairly precise loop lengths in order for the tape to get close enough to degrade, but not so close that the tape is then too slack to catch on the drive wheel. Cassette tape is so narrow and fiddly to work with I expect some very frustrating hours ahead 

Today I accidentally managed to degrade a DAT tape enough as add some ‘interesting’ glitches to next month’s JAMPzine #4.

[czefski]

For the simple punter, what is the benefit or object of degrading the tape?

[kwaing]

What happened with Aikman's? I have recollections of lots of jumping up and down (mainly during the happy song) and I remember hearing that the vibrations were so intense they resulted in smashed bottles and glasses in the Cellar Bar downstairs on a number of occasions and lots of complaints. Did this sour relations? And will we ever get to hear you, Een and Gords sing The Happy Song again once we can go to live music events again?

The last time I ever set foot in Aikman’s was to pick up our envelope for what had been one of the busiest fence Sunday Socials to date, a packed pub from noon until close, with most of us players camped out the entire day spending as much on food and drink as any punter. I’d spent over 3 years listening to the owners’ promises of sound proofing, sound equipment, proper staging, lighting, a lockable door by the stage ... and had only managed to increase our fee from what began as a very modest amount for Pip Dylan and I as a duo playing 3 hours on a Wednesday night, to an embarrassing far- less-than-dizzying amount for upwards of 10 acts playing for 12 hours on a Sunday.

Needless to say, the envelope was incredibly light, not quite enough for our petrol costs, the reason being that additional staff was needed, a glass was broken downstairs, and that i’d forgotten to pay for my chips, cheese and beans. Sounds petty, but later that week I learned that had I hailed from, say, Dunfermline, and played covers for 2 hours solo on a Saturday night, emptying the bar in the process, I could’ve been paid 3 times as much. Every week.

The last time the 3 Andersons were seen together was out by the harbour master’s office on the Anster pier in the summer of 2018. No singing. One of us ought to reverse those 4 chords of E, A, D and G, pen new words, make it “the unhappy song” for i’m not convinced live music the way we knew it is coming back anytime soon.

[kwaing]

For the simple punter, what is the benefit or object of degrading the tape?

Let’s say I record a loop of a chorus, um, Dial ‘C’ for example without the drums and poptastic elements, and set the loop running round the room with the tape slowly degrading on each pass, add some delay and reverb, and then record the result, then what you’d hopefully end up with is the kc musical equivalent of cliff erosion, or metal rusting away, paper yellowing, photographs fading, that sort of thing. If you manage to get the degradation rate right you could create an hour long piece of music that’s slowly changing over time, going to places that you never expected, utterly compelling, haunting and beautiful as it falls apart. Check out the Disintegration Loops by William Basinski, maaaaagic.

[FilthySwan]

For the simple punter, what is the benefit or object of degrading the tape?

This is a pretty good video if slightly cheesy in places if you have 20mins spare and can be bothered with the ads.

[arab]

Check out the Disintegration Loops by William Basinski, maaaaagic.

thats some quite mind bending stuff right there...

[arab]

Check out the Disintegration Loops by William Basinski, maaaaagic.

thats some quite mind bending stuff right there...

next up "something from the pink house "  :-)

[FilthySwan]

For the simple punter, what is the benefit or object of degrading the tape?

This is a pretty good video if slightly cheesy in places if you have 20mins spare and can be bothered with the ads.

Oh aye, quite handy if you post a link eh? 

https://youtu.be/cVy9ABT5-iY

[ravedamage]

I did hae a wee skeck through the thread again, jist to make sure I wasnae repeating anyhing...

Is there a lyric of someone else's that gies ye goosebumps everytime ye hear it?

Favourite film(s) or TV show(s)?

What's been the best part (or benefit) of being famous/recognised in the public domain?

Reverse googling (oo-er missus) an image from a mix I found (involving your tunes), I subsequently found loads of pictures of you via Getty Images. Curious to know what was going on here, jist cos the lass on the left looks a wee bit like Karin from Fever Ray/The Knife:



You and Hopkins scrub up weel in this ane, it says it was taken at the Roundhouse in Camden. Any particular reason ye thocht to get made up all sexy like? Asking for a friend



Given Mr Hopkins deathly pallor in that photie, is there any dead person you would have liked to have met o'er the years?

Ye mentioned REM (in a stadium venue) was a bit keech...what were the others? Any of them better than keech? My best stadium gig was Depeche Mode at Crystal Palace in 1993...me and a pal travelled doon on the bus from Kirkcaldy fir it, it wis amazing. At the hight of their powers, as it were. Bonus was Sisters of Mercy in support mode...Mr Eldritch was a tad scathing about La Mode, as the Sisters left the stage..."enjoy the puppet show"...   

The scarcity of your physical output is legendary round here...is there any record/tape/wax cylinder, etc., that you'd pay a pretty penny for?

As for scarcity, do you have a copy of Chill Out by The KLF on vinyl? If not, would ye like one?

Seeing you mention your love of electronic music here and there, do ye hae any particular favourites (EP/LP/whatever) from the back catalogue of Aphex Twin/Autechre/Boards of Canada/Squarepusher/U-Ziq?

Lastly, and totally appreciate you'll gie this a big auld swerve, has your opinion on Scotland's potential independence changed at all in the last few years...?

Christ, them pictures are huge though...apologies for ruining anyone's browsing experience.

[kwaing]

Is there a lyric of someone else's that gies ye goosebumps everytime ye hear it?

Laura Gibson’s ‘Empire Builder’ is full of them, especially the last couple of verses in Damn Sure
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FbvNKXZmB3o


Favourite film(s) or TV show(s)?

Gregory’s Girl might just have ousted one of my all time top 2 (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Grease) and Jaws is ‘nipping at the heels’ of these 3. I’m a massive fan of the 3* action thriller especially if it involves space and/or alien beings, or has an alternative take on history with all its mythical beasts and whatnot. Don’t know where Deadpool 2 sits in all this, but I absolutely laughed my ass off watching that film and need to see it again.

Highlight of the week is Battlestar Galactica on BBC2, and imagine my surprise when I found out last week that Game Of Thrones ran to a full 8 seasons? I blame the introduction of Farming Simulator in December 2016 for allowing me to drop the ball on that one. On Sunday night I watched the last 4 episodes of season 4 to recap, and already the end of season 5/start of season 6 looms large. I couldn’t have watched 2 seasons of anything every 5 days in my old life.


What's been the best part (or benefit) of being famous/recognised in the public domain?

I’ve recorded at Chem19 since Ballad of the Books’ “Where and When”, and all visitors to Chem19 must show true allegiance to ‘the van’ when it comes to lunchtimes. It’s tricky being veggie though, and if I miss that once a week lunchtime special of macaroni cheese then it’s a potato scone roll and chips for me again.

One lunchtime whilst working on ‘Astronaut’ Paul and I went, late as usual, to the van and of course i’d missed the macaroni cheese. One of the van owners was so delighted she’d spotted her Aunt Doris in FSWL that a well, well, WELL cooked cheese omelette and chips just for me whenever I liked from that day forth was absolutely no problem whatsoever, extra cheese on the chips?


Reverse googling (oo-er missus) an image from a mix I found (involving your tunes), I subsequently found loads of pictures of you via Getty Images. Curious to know what was going on here.
You and Hopkins scrub up weel in this ane, it says it was taken at the Roundhouse in Camden. Any particular reason ye thocht to get made up all sexy like? Asking for a friend

That guy in between his two wives looks very like the actor that used to play king creosote during the plump years! Is that not Steve Strange and his girlfriend in that second one though?


Ye mentioned REM (in a stadium venue) was a bit keech...what were the others? Any of them better than keech? My best stadium gig was Depeche Mode at Crystal Palace in 1993...me and a pal travelled doon on the bus from Kirkcaldy fir it, it wis amazing. At the hight of their powers, as it were. Bonus was Sisters of Mercy in support mode...Mr Eldritch was a tad scathing about La Mode, as the Sisters left the stage..."enjoy the puppet show"...   

My other stadium gigs were Simple Minds in 1985 at Ibrox was it? And Elton John at St.Johnstone’s football ground. Although I was a fan of the Minds it was actually Lloyd Cole & the Commotions I paid good money to see, and I was on the ... ahem ... guest list for that Perth gig.

The scarcity of your physical output is legendary round here...is there any record/tape/wax cylinder, etc., that you'd pay a pretty penny for?

When it comes to record shops, i’m no browser so always head towards the sections and bands I already know. However, I am an impulse buyer, and so if I see something sitting right next to the thing I went in to look for i’ll buy it if there’s enough cash in my wallet. Latterly this applied to Monorail when dropping off records, or to Groucho’s when more often than not I left with a clutch of 12” singles and a Dansette.

As for scarcity, do you have a copy of Chill Out by The KLF on vinyl? If not, would ye like one?

I think I do, but i’ll check, thanks! I have absolutely no idea of course what is rare or not.

Seeing you mention your love of electronic music here and there, do ye hae any particular favourites (EP/LP/whatever) from the back catalogue of Aphex Twin/Autechre/Boards of Canada/Squarepusher/U-Ziq?

Keny Drew lent me the Collected Ambient Works and I own an EP by Boards of Canada. We stocked a lot of electronic music in the fence shop, and not thinking it would be so short lived I wish now I’d bought more of it at the time. Oh well. I prefer the 70s German output anyway.
Whisky Stephen gave me a very expensive looking boxset of early electronica for my birthday, and listening to these records will be my reward for getting my JAMPzine homework handed in on time.

Lastly, and totally appreciate you'll gie this a big auld swerve, has your opinion on Scotland's potential independence changed at all in the last few years?

Haven’t you heard? Opinions, like adjectives, are soon to be outlawed in Scotland.

[kwaing]

Given Mr Hopkins deathly pallor in that photie, is there any dead person you would have liked to have met o'er the years?

Not really, but i’ll give it some thought!

[hallav]

For the simple punter, what is the benefit or object of degrading the tape?

Let’s say I record a loop of a chorus, um, Dial ‘C’ for example without the drums and poptastic elements, and set the loop running round the room with the tape slowly degrading on each pass, add some delay and reverb, and then record the result, then what you’d hopefully end up with is the kc musical equivalent of cliff erosion, or metal rusting away, paper yellowing, photographs fading, that sort of thing. If you manage to get the degradation rate right you could create an hour long piece of music that’s slowly changing over time, going to places that you never expected, utterly compelling, haunting and beautiful as it falls apart. Check out the Disintegration Loops by William Basinski, maaaaagic.

I've met this chap a couple of times - played the Tin Arts Centre in Coventry as part of a Moduar Meet.

Not at all geeky.

Not at all. 

https://youtu.be/CyW5O1xSk40

[fuctifano]

I've got a bit of catching up to do here!
In the meantime....I was listening to something the other day with a bit of whistling in it - maybe Unpoc was it? Anyway, I can't think of any KC songs that feature a wee whistle. Are there any? The more I think about this the harder I find it to imagine KC whistling. Why is that?
 

[scout]

It’s looking like we’ll create a single, low cost subscription, one size fits all, of exclusive digital only content and then open an online shop of sorts to tempt you all with small numbers of handmade rarities from back then, now and beyond.

Going all the way back to this first post, I just wanted to say that this sounds brilliant. I'm afraid that when the Patreon started I was a wee bit unsure of finances, and also the various tiers. It looks as though it was going to be a chronological reissue, which made me think I might be about 7 or 8 £30's in before I got something new to me.

I am, of course, kicking myself for this now: the recent releases all sound really interesting, especially "Class of '99" whilst I've been having lockdown-induced nostalgic daydreams about the Aikmans days*.

Looking forward to the new Patreon, and any shop titles, in the future.

* I keep trying to sit down and type up some memories of those gigs, the Citizens shows etc. but every night it gets too late and I roll off to bed with a promise to do it tomorrow. Maybe tonight though.

[kwaing]

I've got a bit of catching up to do here!
In the meantime....I was listening to something the other day with a bit of whistling in it - maybe Unpoc was it? Anyway, I can't think of any KC songs that feature a wee whistle. Are there any? The more I think about this the harder I find it to imagine KC whistling. Why is that?

I think there’s whistling at the end of KK1J’s version of ‘all of these years’, and maybe on ‘flounder’, but equally I might have masked any bad whistling with accordion. It’s hard to keep whistling in tune and in control without laughing, and it has to be done across a microphone rather than into it, so you need a pretty good microphone. Then there’s the virtuoso whistling of Andrew Bird to contend with.

In May 1996 I heard amazing whistling at a bus station in Turkey whilst awaiting the airport shuttle and memorised the tune, using it as the main melody on one of the Queen Of Brush County songs. Let’s see if anyone can guess which one!