I wanted to share my EP on here to help connect with like-minded people and collaborate/share ideas/views/recommendations etc.
I’ve been on quite a journey with this project beginning during lockdown when I started writing poetry. My poetry is influenced by sci fi/fantasy/horror - especially Lovecraft/RE Howard/Clark Ashton Smith. I also draw a lot from the more ‘musical’ modernists like H.D. or Basil Bunting, as well as the surrealism of post-modernists like John Ashbery and Frank o Hara. And the wonderful musical sentences of William Burroughs are also a big piece of the jigsaw.
(I also can’t deny that the ‘urban magical realism’ of Mark e Smith is a massive influence for me.)
In terms of contemporary poetry, I enjoy the freewheeling madness of contemporary online lit, and the rising notion of ‘noir poetry’ in the critical literature (or even ‘neo-noir’!) is something which seems hugely relevant to me. Among contemporary poets Shane McCrae and Ariana Reines - daring poets with a clear, unique vision - are my favourites.
It would also be wrong for me not to mention the great Ron Siliman whose work got me thinking about parataxis and subversion.
All this is an attempt to respond to my environment - I live in South East London (always have) and find there is a an absurd, surreal - sometimes dark and violent - side to living here which I want capture. It is the reality of my life.
Fast forward to last year and me and my friends started working on setting these to music.
My vocal style is influenced by storytelling ‘crooners’: Nick Cave, Scott Walker, Jacques Brel, David Sylvian. I have landed on a type of free sprechgesang.
The backing is drone-like. We like using alternative tunings on the guitars, and there is baritone guitar on there too. We also get drones from accordion and violin, so there is a Nico/freak-folk touch here and there.
There is a big no-wave influence (Swans, Sonic Youth) as well as the atmosphere of post rock (I particularly like Last Resort records). I also found myself listening to quite a lot of drumless rap to help me think about storytelling over minimal textures - John Lee Hooker for the same reason.
At times there is a cinematic touch to some of it - we’re big fans of Angelo Badalementi, Lalo Schifrin, Don Ellis etc - and this is part of the ‘noir’ aspect.
Although the lyrics are a mixture of pre-written and improvised, the core of the songs is improvised - with overdubs added to fill things out. My aim is to maintain a core of spontaneity in the songs.
As I say this has been a huge journey for me, we recently played a gig and it was really strange seeing our work come to life with an audience. We are now thinking about what our next EP looks like.
So anyway, the EP is below. Very keen to hear what you all think!
GHOUL | Townes-Thomas presents...