Goppa Records

G O P P A . R E C O R D S

On December 1st 2002 Goppa Records was re-launched with a compilation entitled ‘Orang-utan’, bringing together exclusive tracks by a host of Irish talent alongside various artists who work in Ireland or in collaboration with Irish artists. The launch gig was hosted by the Improvised Music Company and headlined by Volcano the Bear. The compilation features, in order of appearance: The Tycho Brahe (IRL); Daniel Figgis (IRL); Aranos (Czech); King Camera meets Volcano The Bear (IRL / UK); The Jimmy Cake (IRL); Melanie Finch (IRL); Nurse With Wound (UK); PKD (IRL); Belinda Quirke (IRL); Artificial Memory Trace (Czech).

Orang-utan can be ordered online via Road Records

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The Tycho Brahe: Childless.
An exclusive new song from this Dublin-based group who released their debut album ‘This is The Tycho Brahe’ to great acclaim earlier this year.
http://www.thetychobrahe.com

Daniel Figgis: Free.
A previously unreleased track dating back to 2000 which, although unrepresentative of what this Dublin-based composer is doing now, is something that he really wanted to be heard. 'Free' is a floating, circular motif that sounds like a half-awake dream. Recorded at leton, Dublin, and The Garage, London, 2000. Mixed 2002. Composed, produced and engineered by Daniel Figgis, additional engineering by Trev. Daniel Figgis: Mellotron, sample brass and woodwind, guitar processes, casio sampler, harmonium, wheel, tape. Vincent Doherty: Acoustic guitars. Bill Whelan: Double bass
http://www.danielfiggis.com

Aranos: Silver goat.
Czech-born, Galway based Aranos is a regular collaborator with, among others Nurse With Wound and Current 93. He leads something of a double-life switching from gypsy-violin jazz to experimental composition at the drop of a hat; 'Silver goat' contains a little of both.
http://www.brainwashed.com/aranos

King Camera meets Volcano The Bear: Karen the magic cobra, a novel.
King camera is Goppa boss Diarmuid MacDiarmada in solo mode; Volcano The Bear are musical anarchists from England who will switch from tape experiments to metal worrying to sea-shanties with little or no warning. Karen the magic cobra' is a melange of all that plus the unique sound mangling processes and small animal impressions of King Camera.
http://www.brainwashed.com/vtb

The Jimmy Cake: Perfect smoke
This multi-limbed leviathan of a band is represented here by a section from their performance at the Project Arts Centre, Dublin, commissioned by the Improvised Music Company. The Dublin ensemble is in remarkably restrained form on ‘Perfect smoke’, which sounds like the music of Gyorgi Ligeti performed on a slave ship.
http://www.thejimmycake.com

Melanie Finch: Cursed
All of the label’s dealings with Melanie have been conducted through a third party and consequently, by her own wish we have no information about her whatsoever. The lyrics of ‘Cursed’ appear to be from the Bible, the music comes across as a semi-improvised free-noise / jazz / folk car-crash.

Nurse With Wound
Steven Stapleton is a self-proclaimed champion of what he calls ‘true surrealism’. He abandoned London for the remote wilds of County Clare at the turn of the nineties. For twenty years he has refined his unique processes for re-contextualising sound and music as well as working on his paintings and cultivating cacti. ‘Die flip or go to India’ will mess with your sense of time and curdle your marrow; the voice on the track is that of David Tibet of Current 93. http://www.brainwashed.com/nww

PKD: In circles, back to back.
The Cork based collective PKD have been in Existence for half a decade but have been remarkably unforthcoming with recordings despite an extensive archive. This is one of those rare occasions. ‘In circles, back to back’ sounds like a study in butchered sound but still contains their trademark mantra of insistent primitive rhythm.

Belinda Quirke: Chestnut
After a brief flirtation with rock stardom in the long-lamented Cork group ‘Boa’ Belinda retreated to study music and conduct choirs. With the exception of one other compilation appearance, this is Belinda’s first outing of self-penned work in seven years. ‘Chestnut’ is a dark and sad lullaby.

Artificial Memory Trace: Various dimensions of ordinary
Slavek Kwi (a.k.a. Artificial Memory Trace) from the Czech Republic is a sound-artist, composer and researcher He has been fascinated by sound-environments for the last 20 years, focusing on electro-acoustic "sound-paintings". These complex audio-situations are created mainly from site specific recordings, resulting in "subjective reports" for radio broadcast, "cinema for ears". ‘Various dimensions of ordinary’ is a remarkable slice of altered reality.

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