end of year message 2013

As we reach the end of another year, just a brief message to thank you for your support during the year.  It’s been a quiet year by Y6 standards with only 2 3 releases, 2 digital and one physical.  The physical release: Y6XV (merry6mas2013) has been more successful in sales terms than the last two merry6mas releases and there are only a handful left (available from Bandcamp or email me).  This release was compiled from various recordings made during 2013 that were completed for this release, the remainder of the unfinished material being consigned to the recycle bin to start afresh in 2014.

Thanks to all who have bought this album and for the kind words people have said – it means a lot.

There are lots of plans for 2014, but who at the moment I can’t say what will become of the plans and if they will become reality…. watch this space.

I guess I should not let this pass without the expected ‘best-of’ list…but it’s not what many would see as the most exciting of lists I’m sure.  Not much cutting edge or obscurist music, and all-in-all a rather mainstream selection (not that that is a bad thing).

Not many gigs attended this year, but I saw each of two of my favourite bands almost twice  - Cowboy Junkies (missed half of first set as stuck in traffic but managed full gig next night) and Low (ridiculously early start to Nottingham gig and missed start of set by arriving at 8.30 pm).  Also saw A Winged Victory For The Sullen in Leicester.  A small but perfectly formed selection of live shows.

So, most listened to albums of the year in no particular order (and not all released in 2013)

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – Push The Sky Away

Low – The Invisible Way

Wire – Change Becomes Us

The National – Trouble Will Find Us

Nadine Shah – Love Your Dum and Mad

Bowie – The Next Day

Explosions in the Sky/David Wingo – Prince Avalanche

Wooden Shjips – West

Pan American – Cloud room, Glass Room

Chelsea Wolfe – Unknown Rooms

And because I’m too lazy to type full titles, others by Thought Forms, Adrian Utley Guitar Orchestra, Moon Duo, Songs:Ohia / Magnolia Electric Company, Anna Calvi, Rachel’s, Cowboy Junkies, New York Dolls and a lot of old punk favourites.

Of course I have also been listening a lot to the various recordings of Lou Reed (nothing unusual there, but I’ve strayed from the usual selection of faourites).  Along with John Peel, he is the one person to have the greatest influence on my own music, the music I love, and the musical world in general.  Whilst I would not claim to love every note he ever played, he was always challenging, ground breaking, innovative, wilful, awkward but inspired/inspirational and will be greatly missed.

Wishing a happy new year to you all and I will continue this musical journey in 2014.

Jon/Yellow6

www.yellow6.com

http://www.thesirenssound.com/2013/12/12/yellow6/

review of Y6XV on The Sunday Experience from Mark Barton:

http://marklosingtoday.wordpress.com/2013/12/19/yellow6-4/

For the last 15 Christmastimes our normally agitant moods brought on by the silly season and all its associated tat, commercialism and thoroughly miserable weather have been somewhat warmed and cooed by the expectant arrival of yellow6’s seasonal offering in the release of his ongoing Merry6mas CD‘s. Much cheer has been afforded and spent in that time transfixed to the sounds emanating from the turntable from said offering that its made the seasonal experience a tad more palatable. As traditional as turkey this limited release was originally given out free to friends, fans and admirers of Yellow6, demand and repute grew such that it became an official release in recent years. This year though word came that the 15th annual soiree nearly never happened. Keen observers will duly note that once responsible for a prolific release schedule there’s been something of an easing off the gas in respect to Yellow6 outings these days, where once these annual selections came adorned in detailed liner notes ‘XV’ arrives bereft of such information just simply stating ‘a collection of new recordings made during 2013’. has, we wonder, Mr Atwood lost interest. We certainly hope not, long admired here, Mr Atwood is one of this nations foremost sound alchemists whose expansive canvas to date has journeyed at turn into the drone, minimalist post rock, space rock, dream pop and ambient outposts, equally adept at crafting the grand and panoramic as he is the lulled and spectral, his craft is both intimate and porcelain in design. Available digitally and as an uber limited hand numbered 100 only CD edition – our copy for note takers is #96 – ’Y6XV’ features over an hours worth of material composed during 2013, included here the complete ’fives’ suite as recently commissioned by the esteemed Silber imprint which I think I’m right in saying includes an array of movements that where clipped from the final edit. On the whole the collection is the most inward looking to date in so much that the prevailing mood appears soured and steeped in loss, that said still steeled and equipped in classicism, poise and elegance, Atwood is a proven past master at the stately, the monolithic and the cinematic as opening salvo ’bright skies’ so ably provides testament. Frosted chime arpeggios softly serenade the undertow of bruised opines, there’s almost a hymnal reverence about its wares as though a bleakly beautiful epitaph suspended in a trictor like amid a late 60’s suspense styled noir drilling you could easily imagine underpinning a David Lynch chiller elsewhere there’s the slow arrest of the tearfully traced ‘sleep day’ hushed, hurt and hollowed in an introspection all primed upon a John Barry slow fuse. Somewhere else ‘two days previous’ mentioned in passing in previous despatches – notably Tales from the Attic Volume XX – incidentally the briefest cut here is subtly aglow in a shy eyed romance delicately bathed in 60’s inflections and turned in the kind of measured grandeur oft portrayed on Godspeed platters. ‘they look lost’ offers a rare moment of lightness; reflective and softly radiant, a dreamy lull exudes from the grooves to reveal something of a reclining cloud watching beauty. Best of the set ’summershine’ is adorned and shrouded in vapour trailed halos, the motifs brooding and bitter sweet pulsate and prowl to a navigatory path blended upon forlorn and pensive spy themed noir pierced with a quiet majestic stillness that nods to some colluding studio activity between Budd and Mancini. http://www.yellow6.bandcamp.com/releasesmoment. In sharp contrast the tension unfurling throughout ’calling once more’ coils cons