penguin remixed

Back in June and July, Penguin ran the Penguin Remixed competition. They provided 30 samples of poetry and prose from their spoken-work archive, and asked for musical mash-ups.

Hundreds of people entered, and needless to say I didn't win : )

My entry was based on a sample of Rudyard Kipling's 1895 poem 'If-', read by Jeremy Northam. I slowed Jeremy's voice down a bit to fit the mood of the track. It was really interesting to compose music to fit the rhythm and meanings of a poem.

elseif (original)

elseif (instrumental version)

The 12 winning tracks were made into a special 'Penguin Remixed Audiobook' that can be purchased from Audible.co.uk.

hand stitched heart compilation 2

Hand Stitched Heart is a kindof DIY clothing outfit that produces screen-printed t-shirts and things. Its run by John Kale (Satellite Grooves) and John puts together compilation CDs which get mailed out with the T-shirt orders.

One of my tracks (The Arched Window) is included on the 2nd Hand Stitched Heart compilation which John put together in March.

The tracklisting is:

Hand Stitched Heart Compilation 2

1. Junobot - Smile
2. GNG - Le Messager (Futur Pluvieux)
3. Chez - Smallest Dancefloors
4. R_Garcia - Choon
5. Blackfightback - Caballero Red
6. A Face For Radio - Lady Killers
7. Zach Jones - Forget About Tomorrow
8. Satellite Grooves - 23
9. Koanotic - The Arched window
10. ~ism - In10sive Cares
11. Books on Tape - Fight songs, Windmills, Toll Roads
12. Asymetrical Head - Yesterdat
13. Accelera Deck - Glass

The compilations are put together in a collective DIY manner - John chooses the tracks and then each artist contributes towards the cost of pressing the 500 CDs, and in return gets 25 copies of the compilation. Some people have turned their noses up at the idea of 'paying to be on a compilation', but I thought this was quite a good idea - the CDs are given away for free, so it makes sense to share the costs. In return the artists know that their tracks are being distributed to customers of the Hand Stitched Heart site.

Now that I've received my copies, I don't regret chipping in, but I have realised that the compilation is so eclectic that I can't really think of anyone to give my copies to. Its not that the other tracks are bad, its just that they range from chirpy vocal electro-pop to abstract beat landscapes, and so the compilation works ok as a sampler to dip into, but not as an album to listen to as a whole. Or at least, not for any of my friends ... so most of my copies have gone to the charity shop down the road.

So I guess the lesson is - co-operatively funded compilations are quite a good idea, but ideally you should be confident that you're going to like the album as a whole.

2007 Update: the hand stitched heart site does not seem to be up any more, although John Kale still has a site at www.johnkale.com. If you want to download the whole compilation you might be able to get it from this flash-page.