Friday 31 December 2010

Happy N.Y.E.

happy new year to everyone - many thanks for listening over the past year(s) and I hope you continue to do so in the future...
here's an oldie - free download for the NYE party (or to get rid of the stragglers)
thanks
jon.

http://soundcloud.com/yellow6/n-y-e

Thursday 23 December 2010

the 6mas message

Hi

just a "brief" pre-christmas message.

Firstly i'd like to thank everyone who has bought or broadcast my music, organised or come to gigs, contributed to the recordings by playing on them or having the faith to release them.

This year has seen a lot of releases even by my standards which, in case you blinked, have been:

'live' (october man 2cdr)
'CUT' (editions6)
'un/CUT' (editions6 - limited bonus CD)
'OLD' (cathedral transmissions download / limited box set)
'30 seconds of time' (silber - songs for the impatient)
'further loops notes and sketches' (TQA Records double 3" cdr with absent without leave)
'close/r' (editions6 - 3 chords and 10 collaborators)
'merry6mas2010' (editions6)
'in time this too will fade' (tonefloat clear vinyl LP)
'DEATH' (Basses Frequences - thisquietarmy + yellow6)
'heavy with snow' (abgvrd 3" cdr - due any day now)

it has also seen the completion of an album with Larkian for release in 2011 by Basses Freqences and the completion of 2 volumes in the series of 3 LPs by The Sleep of Reason (with Dirk Serries) which will appear in some form in 2011 with a debut live appearance in Tilburg in February.

I also did gigs in Paris, Lille, Bethune, Wanquetin, Gent, Antwerp, Nottingham (twice) and London.

so that's about all... people occasionally ask what i've been listening to so, for those interested, here's some of the things i've enjoyed this year - not all released during 2010 but things i either bought,found, or played a lot:

Richmond Fontaine - Postcards From Portland (chosen as it was released this year but i've bought 4 of their older albums as well, particular favourite being Thirteen Cities)
Dangermouse/Sparklehorse - Dark Night Of The soul
Pan American - White Bird Release
Silver Mount Zion - Kollaps Traditionelles
Microphonics - lots of stuff
Arcade Fire - Suburbs
The National - High Violet
Tortoise - Why Waste Time?
Philip Glass - Etudes for Piano (very old but i only heard it this year)
Signals - gauss (Mark Beazley from Rothko)
Johnny Cash - American VI

there's probably loads more, and i've been listening to Joy Division a lot too (nothing unusual there)

so, thanks once more for your support and hope to see some of you in 2011

jon/Yellow6

Saturday 11 December 2010

reviews, sell-outs etc.

hi
just a brief update with a couple of reviews from those fine folks at Norman Records and a shop update...
Shop first...
the Package Deal has now been removed - huge thanks to those that ordered in advance. Black vinyl copies of Death are in the mail from Basses Frequences so your orders will be sent out as soon as i get those.
I've also removed 'In Time This Too Will Fade' temporarily as i've sold the first batch but there will be more... lastly, Merry6mas2010 has almost sold out so if you want one be quick. Get that last minute christmas present for the person who has everything

so, to the reviews....
In time this Too Will Fade:
Another cheerily titled album! I think my first album (which I've been writing for the last 30 years) is gonna be called 'I was born and then I died and I can't remember what happened in between'. Pretty apt I think and I'm sure I can get Cowell on board with a catchy title like that. Back to the 6meister. This rare vinyl excursion (you don't get too much Yellow 6 on vinyl these days!) is limited to just 100 copies. It's on the Tonefloat label, is hand-numbered, wax-stamped and limited to a paltry 100 copies. Oh it's on clear vinyl too. Here the 6man plays with feedback, piano and acoustic guitar with his usual aplomb. As ever it's the usual moving cinematic sounding stuff which conjures up the whole desolate landscape imagery. Having said that I think it's probably the best thing I've heard by him in ages. I've not even played side 2 yet. Far too obsessed with side 1 and its gentle post-rockery. I can't think of a post-rock record I've heard in ages which I've liked but finally there is one and this is it! It's emotive shit with it's simple guitar refrain and Godspeed-esque feedback in the background. Truly excellent.

and... Death:
Now this is a real nice sounding record. If death sounds like this I'll happily slip away.... Erm.... As soon as I've seen Emeralds tonight. Not now. Oh Satan, take him instead, please! Yes! That man over there who just broke our toilet lever! How do you actually break a toilet lever? I despair. Anyway, enough digression. This collab is neither too doomy or particularly drifty. There's a tingly, dusty desert vibe throughout with some quietly ominous waves of impending doom on the fringes. 'Furnace' errs more toward desolate, shimmering dark ambience, but once more with a tumbleweed-y Godspeed feel on the backburner. Incredibly atmospheric & strangely beautiful, this is a piece to turn up real loud with some strategically placed candles dotted around. It's not often I feel like I'm hearing the distant wails of lost souls in a vast echo-laden sphere. I can hear them here. 'Salt' takes up the entirety of side two and is the epic journey to finish them all. If you ever wondered what a nervous Jon Yellow6 would sound like plonked on a stool by a pile of coyote skulls in the Nevada desert then you probably need to hear this very spectral record. It's a bit of a treat.

Jon.

Thursday 2 December 2010

Death

this morning Death arrived at my doorstep... a figure draped in black and carrying a scythe stepped from the Royal Mail van and with a boney finger pointed at where to sign for the box of 40 shiny gold LPs.... begone evil beast i cried, but leave the records. the figure got back in the van and drove slowly away into the falling snow....