Clarence Palmer : Stuck in a hedge

01 — Sunrise over turrets

02 — The wake-up machine

03 — Good morning robot

04 — Subway to castle

05 — In the harbour

06 — Robot busy in castle kitchen

07 — Breakfast for robot king

08 — Kidnaped on boat

09 — Helpful dolphin

10 — Pirate captain's headless laugh

11 — Twisted moat elves

12 — Stuck in a hedge

Clarence Palmer : Stuck in a hedge

P:REC 014 / CDR / 2000
Andrew Clare : guitar
Iain Paxon : electronic
Matthew Solle : undefined
David Ewan Campbell : undefined
Richard Herring : undefined


01 — Sunrise over turrets (01:31)
02 — The wake-up machine (05:26)
03 — Good morning robot (01:09)
04 — Subway to castle (01:53)
05 — In the harbour (01:20)
06 — Robot busy in castle kitchen (05:10)
07 — Breakfast for robot king (06:21)
08 — Kidnaped on boat (12:22)
09 — Helpful dolphin (02:16)
10 — Pirate captain's headless laugh (03:44)
11 — Twisted moat elves (03:39)
12 — Stuck in a hedge (01:31)



PRESS

MONOTRAINS & SATELLITES #05 / JADE WEB #03
Janvier 2001 / Julien Jaffre

Ne rien poser comme acquis, toujours, considérer les questions comme plus importantes que les réponses, laisser l’émotion primer sur la raison, chercher en soi un peu de la candeur des premiers jours. Voilà ce que semble nous susurrer ce projet, fruit d’une mise en commun de savoir. Cette rencontre, c’est un petit meurtre entre amis, un conciliabule vivant et intelligent au milieu des cactus. Une série d’accords mélodieux fardés de gravité solennelle encadrent des courtes propositions expérimentales, moments d’improvisations où la guitare se fait onde radiophonique, où les grésillements cherchent une voie de sortie.
L’harmonie se fait tordre le cou au profit de triturations habiles pour une démarche plus engagée, qui tranche l’aspérité et la dissèque. Une musique “sémiotique” (et tac) dans la mesure où les intitulés de titres se font échos, se font définitions des morceaux et inversement. De l’improvisation qui caresse nos rêves de grands espaces désertiques.
Pour information, au sein de ce collectif évolue Iain Paxon de “Midland hotel”, mais également Andrew Clare, boss du label Infinite Chug, qui officie chez the Thirteen Ghosts (où l’on retrouve Alex Ward et Switch (bidouilleur électronique) voire Derek Bailey ou Thurston Moore), David Ewan Campbell, Richard Herring. Et voilà…

SOUND PROJECTOR MUSIC MAGAZINE #08
Février 2001 / Ed Pinset

Clarence Palmer is a singular name that conceals five UK improvisers from Brighton. They do use live electronics, besides everything else in the improvisers kitchen sink, including those undrunk cans of caustic soda. Again, tape loops or stuck records feature, but sparingly used – in a way that ought to make Tim Gane hang his head in shame. Portishead this ain’t – Clarence Palmer’s record collections (there is a vinyl glut, a secondhand LP mountain, in Brighton) are just another jostick in the urn. Besides the insistent black drone, which I think lasts throughout the length of this CD (three cheers!), there is some frankly demented improvised guitar playing that would make any followers of the Derek Bailey school hang up their volume pedals this instant. You rarely get a chance to hear such maladroit genius in this lifetime, so tune in now. Slow, nasty and brooding, in places this kind of resembles a bedroom cassette of teenage angsty noise, but it usually pulls up from the brink in the nick of time. Featuring Iain Paxon and the notorious Andrew Clare, who has appeared on various monstrosities including work by The (dreadful) Thirteen Ghosts. Nonetheless, this is a good one.

RUBBERNECK CD LIST #08
Juin 2001 / Fred Grand

Brighton-based five-piece Clarence Palmer mine the same quirky seams as electronic improvising groups such as The Shaking Ray Levi’s and The Thirteen Ghosts, without really sounding like either. Similarities lie in their decidedly lo-fi approach and the off-the-wall nature of their improvisations. At their best the group beguile and disorient, though too much of the time Stuck In A Hedge seems random and unfocused, showing little evidence of interaction or development and sometimes avoiding tedium by only the narrowest of margins. Fleeting passages of inspired lunacy ensure a measure of redemption, and this curious piece does gain strength as it progresses.

ABSURD #08
Juillet 2003 / Nicolas Malevitsis

gotta thank jerome @ metamkine concerning pricilia recs. It was sometime ago when in an update saw some titles & did I drop a line to hugo to check out his catalogue. must tell you how impressed I was from its variety in soundscapes. such as the clarence palmer cdr “stuck in a hedge” for instance including the line up of iain paxon, andrew clare, david ewan campbell, richard herring & mathew sole offer us 12 beautiful improvised pieces which at times brought in mind a lot of the lo-fi improv/noise scene as well which I like that much therefore I was sucked by their experimentations. A great experience especially if you’re into that style.



Links

Andrew Clare : Website | Bandcamp
Iain Paxon : Website | Bandcamp
David Ewan Campbell : Bandcamp