#Blackford Hill

[edinburgh-by-the-sea]

lush pond yet untouched by autumn chill

[pershing100]

Blackford Hill, Edinburgh

[burlveneer-music]

Samuel Sharp - Consequential - new album of multi-tracked saxophone serial minimalism, out today from Blackford Hill. (I am especially intrigued by the notion of a "post-classical club night.")

London-based saxophonist and composer Samuel Sharp presents 'Consequential', his second solo album and first release with Scottish label Blackford Hill. A playful, mellifluous and sometimes dizzying brew, Samuel layers and weaves his saxophone notes into intriguing, soporific and occasionally slapstick patterns, with only a small batch of effects pedals for accompaniment.

Samuel Sharp has two secret weapons for captivating his audiences. His saxophone and his storytelling. Innovatively crafted soundscapes blur the lines between classical, jazz and electronic music. He uses harmoniser and delay pedals to create live loops as he plays, but there’s a folksy, grassroots approach to the way that he presents these heady, hypnotic melodies. “I noticed that I connect much better with the audience when I introduce my tracks beforehand,” explains Samuel, who is also known for co-founding and curating the post-classical club night Counter Chamber in Hoxton. “I rehearse the talking bits of my shows as well as the music. I’ve been to stuffy classical recitals over the years and seen baffling sets in arts venues so I want people to feel comfortable at my performances. Every track on the album has a story behind it so it makes sense to repaint the scene live onstage.” Over nine tracks, Samuel dips into his childhood memories, merging pastoral snapshots from frogspawn-spotting holidays in the Lake District with more recent family trips, where the sight of darting rabbits in the moonlight leaves him standing transfixed on a quiet country lane. Based in Hackney, with a recording studio on the edge of Walthamstow Marshes, Samuel lets East London seep into the record too, as heard on the steady rhythms of 'Train Across The Meadow', where he counts carriages thundering past him on his run, or 'Canal Crash', where sharp, punchy bass notes build steadily to a loud splash as he recalls a bicycle accident which propelled him over his handlebars into the Regent’s Canal. Sketches from what he calls his ‘parental diary’ also feature, including spritely, crisp tones on 'Upon York Wall' where Samuel’s saxophone echoes him pretend marching with his daughters along the Roman wall, or the Steve Reich-like minimal repetitions of 'Krasner With The Kids', where he shares his children’s sense of wonder at abstract expressionist painter Lee Krasner during an exhibition at the Barbican. Samuel’s running commentaries during his live sets have been translated into sleeve notes for the new album, allowing listeners to join him on his journey.

[gaytobymeres]

Blackford Hill, July 2024

Leica M3, Kodak Gold.

[diceriadelluntore]

Storia Di Musica #293 - The Waterboys, Fisherman's Blues, 1988

And I am the Water Boy\The real game’s not over here. Nel 1973 Lou Reed pubblica Berlin, album seminale, oscuro, profondissimo e nella canzone The Kids compare il verso che ho appena scritto. Sarà lo spirito scozzese, così abituato alla poetica e selvaggia bellezza di quella terra, ma come per la vicenda dei Deacon Blue quel verso diviene una scheggia di passione che colpisce lo spirito di un giovane ragazzo di Edimburgo, che si appassiona alla musica. La capitale scozzese è tutt’altra città rispetto a Glasgow e ha dei particolari piuttosto noti a noi, dato che è attraversata da un fiume (anzi sorge all'insenatura (firth) creata dall'estuario del fiume Forth) e si sviluppa su sette colli (Arthur’s Seat, Calton Hill, Castle Rock, Corstorphine Hill, BVarids Hill, Blackford Hill, Craiglockhart Hill). Mike Scott è un poeta e cantante di Edimburgo, che per un po’ di tempo vive a Ayr, sulla costa occidentale della Scozia. Nel 1977 fonda una fanzine, una rivista autoprodotta dedicata ai propri idoli musicali, e il titolo, Jungleland, porta subito a pensare a Springsteen, Dylan, l’astro nascente in quegli anni Patti Smith. Istrionico, fonda un gruppo, gli Another Pretty Face e una etichetta discografica, la Chicken Jazz, che subito viene acquistata dalla Virgin di Richard Branson, che vedrà in questo ragazzo del potenziale altissimo, e non sbaglierà, dato che Scott sarà personaggio dai complessi risvolti e una delle figure più interessanti del panorama musicale degli anni ’80. Dopo varie esperienze, tra cui delle serate con Lenny Kane a New York, torna in Inghilterra e decide che chiamerà il suo gruppo The Waterboys proprio in omaggio alla canzone di Lou Reed.

Eppure musicalmente ci sono delle profonde differenze rispetto a quel disco mitico: Scott è affascinato da una certa idea di folk con contaminazioni rock, già fatta da gruppi leggendari come i Fairport Convention di Richard Thompson negli anni ' 60 e ’70. Il primo nucleo dei The Waterboys era composto dal sassofonista Anthony Thistlethwaite, Norman Rodger al basso, Karl Wallinger alle tastiere, Preston Heyman alla batteria oltre a Scott che suona la chitarra, il mandolino e altri strumenti. Con questa formazione si presentano ad una famosa Peel Session nel 1983 alla BBC, dove suonano il loro primo successo, A Girl Called Johnny, brano tributo a Patti Smith che entrerà a far parte nel luglio dello stesso anno di The Waterboys: già c’è la miscela interessantissima di musica in bilico tra folk e rock, equidistante da Van Morrison e dal rock epico post new wave. Più rock è A Pagan Place, del 1984, famoso per un brano, Church Not Made With Hands. Scott è ancora alle prese con una sua definizione di musica, anzi di una “big music”, che si leghi sia alla tradizione, ma che abbia un tocco personale unico e distintivo. Si ritira ai Park Gates Studio di Hastings, celebre luogo di una battaglia, ed inizia a pensare alla sua visione della musica, che parte sempre dal misticismo caledonico di Van Morrison ma stavolta vira con decisione verse le tinte fosche dei Velvet Underground, fino alla musica minimale (Scott dichiarerà di essersi ispirato a Steve Reich). This Is The Sea (1985) seppur con brani registrati in presa diretta, è un sottile gioco di strumenti e voci sovrapposte, in una rielaborazione in chiave celtica del wall of sound spectoresco, con l’aggiunta di testi profondissimi, che affascinarono un’intera generazione di musicisti. Il risultato è splendido. Ma Scott è tipo lunatico e quando sembra sul punto di spiccare definitivamente il volo, si prende una nuova lunga pausa dove, spostandosi a Dublino, inizia a rielaborare i suoi capisaldi. Si tuffa nella musica popolare e tradizionale di Scozia e Irlanda, e con l’aiuto di nuovi innesti, centrale quello di Steve Wickham al violino, nel 1988 pubblica il capolavoro atteso, uno dei dischi più belli degli anni 80.

Fisherman’s Blues è un album folk, ma che dalla tradizione si muove con estrema eleganza verso sonorità fresche, nuove, in un connubio che solo la genialità di Scott poteva costruire. L’apertura con la title track già da sola è euforia e classe, come la lunga e ipnotica We Will Not Be Lovers, tutta giocata su un riff di violini (canzone iconica). Le onde dell’oceano, le colline verdi, i muretti di pietra a delimitare i pascoli, i colori selvaggi e accesi sono sempre lì, tra una strepitosa cover di Sweet Thing di Van Morrison (da Astral Week) e addirittura il folk politico di This Land Is Your Land di Woody Guthrie. La musica da pub irlandese esplode nella stupenda And A Bag On The Ear (che è l’equivalente irlandese per un bacio sulla guancia italiano) che parla di un amore nato sui banchi di scuola. E come non adorare il sottile andare di When Will We Be Married. Se non si è ancora sazi di colline verdi smeraldo, atmosfere con l’odore tostato di birra stout, dell’affumicato di un single malt torbato e di semi di lino da sgranocchiare, c’è il colpo di grazia: un duetto tra Scott e Tomás Mac Eoin, uno dei più famosi cantanti di Sean-nós, che è un particolare stile di canto gaelico irlandese, che recitano e cantano William Butler Yeats nella indimenticabile The Stolen Child. Scott registrò così tanto materiale che solo nel 2006 ripubblicò l’album con la sua intera idea, che comprendeva ancora cover di Dylan, traditional e altre piccole meraviglie (tipo Let Me Feel Holy Again o l’altrettanto strepitosa You In The Sky). Scott, chiamato da attese spasmodiche, ritornò con lo stesso stile musicale nel 1990 con Room To Roam, che nei piani del cantante, risponde appieno all'attuale percorso musicale, che in onore al traditional The Raggle Taggle Gypsy Scott definisce raggle taggle music. Poi, inaspettatamente, virò verso un suono quasi hard rock (Dream Harder, nome omen, del 1993). E dopo una virata così inaspettata, ecco che, nella sua migliore tradizione personale, scioglie il gruppo e si prende l’ennesima e stavolta davvero lunghissima pausa, un decennio fino al 2000 quando ritorna a scrivere insieme ad altri musicisti nuovi capitoli di una saga nata 20 anni prima. Un geniale lunatico.

[mollyonpluto]

my top 10 fictional boyfriends (in no particular order):

1. henry li - if you could see the sun

2. sugawara koushi- haikyuu

3. aaron blackford - the spanish love deception

4. kazehaya shota - kimi ni todoke

5. shun kazama- from up on poppy hill

6. ashitaka- princess mononoke

7. zen wistalia- snow white with the red hair

8. kyo sohma- fruits basket

9. adam carlsen- the love hypothesis

10. jung joon-hyung- weight lifting fairy kim bok joo

[scotianostra]

Braid Burn, Cameron Toll Edinburgh.

Almost 9 miles long, this burn originates at Bonaly skirtsBraid Hill via Braid Valley Park, the Hermitage of Braid, Blackford Glen, Inch Park towards Cameron Toll where it goes into a culvert and under the shopping centre there re-emerging at Peffermill where it is joined by the Jordan Burn, and at Duddingston its name changes to the Figgate Burn. It flows on to enter the Firth of Forth at Portobello.

[spogwam]

Final Year Project 1 - Pre-Production

This post will be the most substantive as I feel the majority of my best work was conducted in this period as producer.

In late January of this year, I met with Sam and Beth for lunch following class to discuss a possible role for me on Under the Gorse (UTG). By this point, I had reached out to 5 or 6 groups asking whether they had a place for another assessable producer on their shoots, but had no luck. Sam and Beth were kind enough to consider me for a role on their film, and I was as honest as possible about what I could bring to the table as a producer.

It was clear to me that UTG was ambitious, with the use of 16mm film and child actors immediately presenting their own challenges. As a producer, I would have to monitor the mode-specific costs and risks associated with shooting on film, as well as the legal working requirements that would have to be constantly upheld with child actors as outlined in Annex 2 of the Child Performance Working Hour Limits. I was interested in this challenge, and found the vibe of the script intriguing in its fantastical, dreamlike presentation. Shooting in Glencoe in the Highlands also drew me to this film; having grown up there, it was an exciting prospect to return there for a near-professional level film project.

Sam and Beth welcomed me aboard, I was delegated a number of responsibilities from the outset, so it was clear there was a place for me on this project. The shoot scheduling window was nearing completion by the time I joined, and so my first task was scheduling the shoot. Sam and myself decided that because of our organisational needs, we should be one of the last shoots. We decided on our five day shooting schedule to run from the 16th to the 20th of March.

I began emailing potential locations in Glencoe, getting in touch with Elaine and Ros who own the Green Pool in Glencoe. They normally charge £200 per day of filming at their location, but I was able negotiate this cost down to £150 with the added bonus of Crowdfunder promotion on their Facebook page with over 28,000 followers. I am proud of this success, as I feel I managed so save money in our budget that could be vitally used elsewhere while earning us money on our growing Crowdfunder. Other locations proved problematic however, such as Blackmount lodge (a large estate owner), who were steadfast on their daily charge of £2500 for any production, and so we had to withdraw our application.

I worked with Film Edinburgh to get permission to film on Craiglockhart and Blackford Hill, with caveats that the Blackford hill crew would have to be less than five people, and that we had to shoot on the same day. This would be a bit of a struggle due to the distance between the locations, but we still had toilets and green rooms nearby both locations that made it more viable. There is a fixed fee of £69 for each days filming with a crew of over 10 people, so we factored that into the budget and paid it promptly.

A learning experience I’d take forward from my work with locations would be to consider location releases and formal permission forms during my conversations with them. I learnt after the shoot that I had forgotten to bring physical location releases to locations to be physically signed by those I had been in contact with. This means I now have to rely on digitally signable documents which may or may not get back to me by the time of my submission of deliverables. This is disappointing, as it’s something I should’ve been more on top of, regardless if we have an extensive digital paper trail with written permission, it was not professional to overlook this vital documentation.

Another location we needed was a train station, but getting access to this proved to be impossible. I got in touch with Scotrail, and sent them a comprehensive location request form for the train station at North Queensferry, even attaching a risk assessment. I also requested permission to film a short sequence aboard the train from North Queensferry to Edinburgh, which would be a short travelling sequence with the children looking out the window. They got back to me, saying they would be in touch soon with confirmation of our permission or lack thereof, but I didn’t hear from them for two weeks. As it was approaching our shoot window, I got in touch again and was told that they’d follow my request up promptly. They didn’t, so a few days later I phoned Scotrail customer service with the name of the person I have been emailing and details of our request, only to be put on hold and subsequently hung up on. This happened several times, each time I was transferred to a different customer service person, and so the trail died there. I sent my contact one last email but never received a response. I think it’s safe to say we weren’t going to get permission; they were likely frightened by the prospect of students filming aboard a train, and perhaps thought we’d end up filming some Train to Busan-type sequence aboard one of their trains. I’d approach this differently next time, perhaps starting with the train station before moving to the train itself, as this was quite a big ask for any production. I’m glad to have learned from this experience, however.

I had to book all the kit for this shoot, and Sam provided me with a list of the minimum amount of kit that we’d need to make it work. I made the skeleton kit booking, which in itself was 54 pieces of equipment and waited for Sam’s call on the remainder of the kit. I made mistakes with the second booking, as I was stressed with workload of compiling final risk assessments at the time, but was also only given 5 days’ notice before the first day of the shoot. There is shared blame on this issue, and I admit my own lack of complete understanding of SISO, as I had only booked kit as a producer one other time. Regardless, myself and Sam were able to push through, apologise to the stock room and technical staff, and get nearly all of the kit Sam wanted for the shoot in the end, around 72 separate pieces of kit all in all. I’ve learned from my mistake here, and will guarantee better planning and communication when it comes to kit for the next shoot I’m involved in.

We conducted a recce up Wester Craiglockhart hill, for which I put together a small risk assessment. I was sadly unable to attend this recce due to seeing family, but it was creatively beneficial for Sam to view the location in person. Sam was able to visualise crucial elements such as the meteorite in place on a bunker up the hill, as well as reporting back to me any Health and Safety concerns presented by the rough path up the hill. We would have to move heavy kit and props up this path, so it helped me complete my risk assessments for this location with confidence.

We were uncertain of whether we’d need a Child Entertainment License for this film, as it was a 6 day shoot which would mean the children would inevitably miss school. It was my job to conduct research into this issue, applying for a child entertainment license if necessary. There were problems with Child Entertainment Licenses, such as the need to apply for them at least 21 days in advance, and the need for a distinct license in each region. This would mean we would likely need a license for Fife, Edinburgh, and Highland regions to make our film viable. This would be costly and very time consuming, as we would need sections with contracts, risk assessments, birth certificates – documents that did not yet exist. Sections needed to be filled out by a headteacher, chaperone, mother, and there were nearly one hundred written details for us to fill out with details of our production to even be considered for a license.

I started researching alternatives right away, and found some details that could save us a lot of hassle. I read the entirety of the Children and Young Persons Act 1963, in which I found section 27 and 37 (3), which read that a license was not required if: • The child is not being paid for their performance and • The child has not performed in a paid production for three days in a row in the last 6 months. Getting in touch with the children’s parents, we found that neither of the children had worked for more than three days in a row in the last six months, and so we did not qualify as a professional production and did not therefore require a child entertainment license legally. We still had to abide by the working hours laws as set out in the law, however. Since our youngest actor was 9 and her sister 13, they both required the same working hours limitations. They could attend set for 9.5 hours per day, and perform for a maximum of 4 hours. These hours had to be in the window of 0700 and 2300. They would need a break of at least 15 minutes after every hour of performing or rehearsing. They would require a food break of not less than 1 hour if they were present for more than 3.5 consecutive hours, with a second hour long break due after 8 hours on set. It was my job to monitor this throughout production, and so I kept on track of time with these details in my notebook for the duration of the shoot.

Casting was also part of my responsibilities, and I was responsible for casting the role of Father and Farmer. With less than a week before the shoot and no prospects in sight after my post on social media, despite 300 likes and 200 shares, I took initiative by reaching out to individual actors to fill these roles. I had previously auditioned David for a role on my prior film Connection, and managed to recall his contact details before reaching out to request a self-tape for the Farmer role. He was chuffed that I reached out and his self-tapes were endearing, dressed in Farmer gear from head to toe, and so I cast him in the role. I helped organise his travel to and from Glencoe, where his scenes would be shot, and also his transport to and from our booked accommodation.

I also cast Michael Reddington, a current MA Acting student at Napier, who I had been impressed by when viewing the 3rd year’s films last year. I reached out to 3rd years that had worked with him, got his contact details and sent him an email inquiry. Sam, myself, and Michael chatted for nearly two hours in a Zoom call about the role, and Michael voiced his disappointment in not knowing about the shoot more than 5 days in advance as he really liked the script. As part of his craft, he wanted to spend more time as the character working with the script. He was regardless happy to work on the film, and we cast him without much deliberation. Going forward and taking Michael’s position as a learning experience, I will make it more of a priority to be cast well ahead of time so that actors can work to the best of their abilities, and also so we can focus on other pressing issues prior to production other than casting.

Risk assessments were also my responsibility, and I was under a lot of pressure to get these completed prior to kit pickup on Friday. Annie was a great help in getting these finalised, and I found I had a lot to learn about composing risk assessments. I now have a fool proof system for completing them, with delegated risks that will always be there for internal locations and external locations respectively. Sam secured permissions for four new Glencoe locations soon before our shoot, to my excitement at the successful confirmation of all needed Glencoe locations, but also my chagrin at the realisation that this meant four new risk assessments. I got to work, and with only two days left, completed all the required risk assessments, which were then confirmed by Paul, prior to the shoot. All in all, with ten potential locations, I had to make ten wholly unique risk assessments for the shoot. Each day we would have different responsible members of the crew, different ground underfoot, weather potentialities, nearby bodies of water, and countless other risks to consider when completing these assessments, making it a significant challenge for me. It was also a valuable learning experience for me, however, and I now know risk assessments inside out. I am confident for my next role as a producer when hopefully my honed documentation skills will help streamline this part of pre-production.

I am proud of what I have achieved as a producer during pre-production on Under the Gorse, and can confidently say that the film would not exist without my help. I have learned a lot in what I feel was a very challenging role, but have overcome many hurdles initially presented, and feel like a stronger filmmaker for it. The team around me was very supportive and encouraging, and I felt comfortable expressing my own ideas and communicating with them throughout, which was a big help. In my next post I will discuss the shoot, which presented its own set of challenges.

[igazikutya]

Zajok a nappaliból - 2023 TOP12 LP és EP/Single megjelenései

Top 12 LP – 2023

1. NVST - Filled with Oil [2023, Les Disques Magnétiques][LP] 2. Beau Wanzer - A Dead Person's Monologue [2023, iDEAL][LP] 3. The Orb & David Gilmour - Metallic Spheres In Colour [2023, Sony][LP]

4. Flesh & The Dream - Choose Mortality [2023, Everything Forever][LP] 5. VC-118A - Waves Of Change[2023, Delsin][EP] 6. Judgitzu - Sator Arepo [2023, Nyege Nyege Tapes][LP]

7. Years Of Denial - Suicide Disco Vol. 2 [2023, VEYL][LP] 8. PANGAR - Position [2023, Pangar][LP] 9. Benedikt Frey - Fastlane [2023, ESP Institute][LP]

10. Anatolian Weapons - Earth [2023, Subject To Restrictions Discs][LP] 11. Deadbeat - Kubler-Ross Soliloquies [2023, BLKRTZ][LP] 12. Ultramarine - Send And Return [2023, Blackford Hill][LP]

13. Artefakt - Floodplain [2023, Semantica][EP] 14. Totek – ttk. 1 [2023, Darker Than Wax][LP] 15. Paul St. Hilaire - Tikiman Vol.1 [2023, Kynant][LP] 16. Cosmo Vitelli - Medhead Remixes [2023, Im a Cliche][Rmx-LP] 17. Scotch Rolex & Shackleton - Death by Tickling [2023, Silver Triplet][LP] 18. African Head Charge - A Trip To Bolgatanga [2023, On-U Sound][LP] 19. Harmonious Thelonious - Cheapo Sounds [2023, Bureau B][LP] 20. Legowelt - The MidiVerb Chalice [2023, Axumisia][EP] 21. Labelle - Noir Anima [2023, InFiné Éditions & Eumolpe][LP] 22. Pris - Phantom [2023, Resin][LP] 23. Saint Abdullah & Eomac - Chasing Stateless [2023, Planet Mu][LP] 24. Andrea - Due In Color [2023, Illian Tapes][LP]

25. Maps and Diagrams - A Study Of Ends Or Purpose[2023, Handstitched][LP] 26. The Black Dog - My Brutal Life [2023, Dust Science][LP] 27. Tolouse Low Trax - Leave Me Alone [2023, Bureau B][LP] 28. Actress - LXXXVIII [2023, Ninja Tune][LP] 29. Marmo - Epistolae [2023, Utter][LP] 30. VHS Head - Phocus [2023, Skam][LP] 31. Froid Dub - Deep Blue Bass [2023, Delodio][LP] 32. Fire & Adrian Sherwood - Fire [2023, Salgari][LP] 33. Mioclono - Cluster I [2023, Hivern Discs][LP] 34. Cristian Vogel - Fase Montuno [2023, Edition Mille Plateaux][LP] 35. Vanishing Twin - Afternoon X [2023, Fire][LP] 36. Suzanne Ciani & Jonathan Fitoussi - Golden Apples of the Sun [2023, Transversales Disques][LP]

Top 12 EP/Single – 2023

1. Orphx - Revenant [2023, Self-Released][EP] 2. Univac - MagnetFunk [2023, 30D ExoPlanets][EP] 3. Toribio - Tongue In Cheeks [2023, BDA][EP]

4. Djedjotronic - Smog on the Dancefloor [2023, Italo Moderni][EP] 5. Khidja - Transmissions Part 1 [2023, Malka Tuti][EP] 6. Laksa - Body Score [2023, RE_LAX][EP]

7. Al Wootton - Vitus [2023, Optimo Music][S] 8. Talaboman - Bosca Bosca - Bosco Bosco [2023, Night Land][S] 9. Coco Bryce - Canaan [2023, MYOR][S]

10. Humanoid - Sweet Acid Sound [2023, De_tuned][EP] 11. Viels - Distorted Reality [2023, Dynamic Reflection][EP] 12. Na Nich - Black Soil [2023, Delsin][EP]

13. Ancient Methods - The Third Siren [2023, Persephonic Sirens][EP] 14. Civilistjävel! - Fyra Platser [2023, FELT][EP] 15. Jerome Hill - Crude Appraisal [2023, Super Rhythm Trax][EP] 16. Pugilist - Negative Space [2023, Of Paradise][EP] 17. Jeff Mills - X-Ray Zulu [2023, Axis][EP] 18. Rhys Fulber - Brutal Nature Redux [2023, FR][EP] 19. Priori & Al Wootton - Flaw [2023, Trule][EP] 20. Orphx - The Way Through All Things [2023, Sonic Groove][EP] 21. Lew E - Touched / Teardrop [2023, Basic Spirit][S] 22. Yaleesa Hall - Newman [2023, Will & Ink][S] 23. DYL - Fjord [2023, Nous'klaer Audio][EP] 24. Ayaz - Unpinned [2023, phase group][EP]

25. nueen - Link [2023, 3XL][EP] 26. Blawan - Dismantled Into Juice [2023, XL][EP] 27. Sepehr - Diaspora Cocktail [2023, Planet Euphorique][EP] 28. interferenc - pH4R [2023, Self-Released][EP] 29. Khidja - Transmissions Part 2 [2023, Malka Tuti][EP] 30. Soreab - Maschera [2023, Baroque Sunburst][EP] 31. Sabatoj - I.C.U. [2023, Katharsis][EP] 32. Terrain - Corners [2023, Varmal][EP] 33. Luke Slater & Dubfire - The Dissent [2023, Mote-Evolver][EP] 34. Dino Sabatini - Opera Quattro [2023, Outis Music][EP] 35. Domenico Crisci & Retina.it - Diorama [2023, Semantica][EP] 36. Benedikt Frey - Recall [2023, Malka Tuti][EP]

[yuuichiscorner]

Ad Astra

---

We stood upon the top of Blackford Hill

and gazed afar upon the night's deep sky.

You held my hand and traced the constellations

and taught me secrets kept since foregone times.

 

You laid your spirit bare to me and said,

"Unchanging Polaris will guide you north

and never let you stray. The fiery light

of Sirius shall burn within your heart."

Your passion stirred a feeling deep inside

that could not be restrained. Moonstruck and lost

in that moment, under the night's black spell,

I closed my eyes and felt you pull me close.

I used to think that space was out of reach

until your kisses sent me to the stars.

[inthewindtunnel]

Sam Annand

Juno-6 Chord Progression

[edinburgh-by-the-sea]

blue hours before I leave

[pershing100]

Blackford Hill, Edinburgh

[burlveneer-music]

Ultramarine - Send and Return - new album of pastoral jazztronica from the first (and best) to do it, and a perfect addition to the Blackford Hill catalog

The moods and movements of an English estuary can be heard running through a stunning and deeply intriguing new album from the electronic duo Ultramarine. Flowing and mutating as it transitions from an Essex river into the open sea, the Blackwater Estuary, north of London inspired this beguiling collection of hypnotic jazz, itching electronica and softly dazzling ambient shapes.

Ultramarine are the London & Essex-based electronic duo, Ian Cooper and Paul Hammond. Formed in 1989, their early releases were issued on the seminal Brussels-based label Les Disques du Crépuscule. Their classic second album 'Every Man And Woman Is A Star' (1991) was neatly described by Simon Reynolds in his book 'Energy Flash' as: 'Perhaps the first and best stab at that seeming contradiction-in-terms, pastoral techno... all sun-ripened, meandering lassitude and undulant dub-sway tempos... like acid-house suffused with the folky-jazzy ambience of the Canterbury scene.' 'Send and Return' is the result of a live session captured onboard a barge floating on the Blackwater Estuary, recorded in 2020. Paul and Ian were joined by Greg Heath (on saxophones and alto flute) and Ric Elsworth (percussion and vibraphone).

[owenneillfilmblog2]

Necropolis Munro Day 3

At the start of day 3 we shot the dream sequence, this involved carrying all of the equipment as well as the prop graves up Blackford Hill which was quite difficult, once we got shooting it was pretty simple though. We were away from the footpath so we weren't bothered by any members of the public.

Later that evening we shot the alleyway scene, we had to move further down the alleyway than originally planned as a man informed us that we were repeatedly setting off his burglar alarm, he was fine with us shooting further away though, this slowed us down a bit as I had to disregard the lighting plan I had made because the streetlamps were all in different places in relation to the actors, in the end I think it looked Okay though.

[aberdoniandoesfilm]

Necropolis Munro Day 3

Today was the day when we went up Blackford Hill to film the dream sequence.

The difficult part was figure out how we were gonna get all the equipment and props up the hill. It was quite a bit to ask from the crew and I hope they were going respond well with it. We were not 100% sure either if the gravestones that weren't from the prop house were going look realistic. Robbie had went into great effort to make the cardboard ones, however we were not sure how they would look on camera. Today we would find out the answers ...

The shoot went quite smoothly, despite the worry. The gravestones looked fantastic on camera, and made it worth taking them up. The crew were fantastic as well and took the physical challenge of taking everything up very well. The commitment and hard work of the crew throughout, is the reason why the whole shoot kept on track.

We manage to finish early and that was great. It meant everyone had a lot of time to travel to the next location and rest up after hauling stuff up and down the hill. I had already had scheduled for two hours, but more time was even better.

We next filmed the alleyway scene. It took a tiny bit longer to start that scene. I did have Kyle and Owen keep running back to the base camp, to grab stuff. I did say to them however that I needed them on set at all times. If your director and cinematographer aren't there, it really starts to slow things down. I stayed at base camp, and offered to grab things for people if they needed it.

It was a good chance for me to finalise plans for tomorrow early shoot. Due to only being allowed a certain amount of people up the hill, we weren't going have an AD. That meant I would have to jump in so I started working out a schedule for the shoot.

I was aware of the small crew and was worried about not having an AC. My thinking was that one extra person would not hurt. So I asked Fionntan, however did not know how much hope as it was very last minute. He thankfully he said yes, and made me feel a bit more confident about the the shoot. For the future I need to think about the problems more in the future and make sure I ask people well in a advancer for things like that.

The shoot ended a bit earlier that was good. The crew who were coming In the morning, would need as much sleep as possible