Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 23:43:18 -0400 From: Susan F Curran Subject: Re: piano magic > what can people tell me about piano magic? i've just become addicted to > their track on the spacemen 3 tribute record. it appears they've got a > readily available record titled "popular mechanics" out. any reviews of > this? i first heard about piano magic via an interview in the space age bachelor which i just posted about the other day. i think my favourite release is their first 12" "wrong french" on che. slightly spooky female vocals over a joy divisionish bassline. the b-side "non-fiction" is even better. (incidentally, if anyone knows where to get another copy of this, i'm in their debt) they have a 2nd 12" on che (both a-sides are on the lp) and a 7" on the esteemed wurlitzer jukebox, which is all i'm aware of. oh, and the album, of course, which doesn't (in my mind) quite live up to the promise of that 1st single since it's a bit more eclectic, but it is quite good, and obtainable at a domestic price through riouxs or darla. speaking of that spaceman 3 tribute, it's pretty much a must-buy given the line-up, but if anyone has any additional comments, they're appreciated. Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 06:12:40 +0100 From: Jonathan Lees Subject: Re: piano magic If you're in the London, they have copies of the first 2 12's . If you're not in London Action records (http://www.action.co.uk) have them in their Indie mailorder section. Also there is a recent 12" on Piao records called sale of the century which is totally brilliant, although it is less electronic and more post rock. Jonathan Date: Wed, 9 Dec 1998 13:28:51 +0000 From: David Thorpe Subject: Re: People/Strange; Darla's <> 13 I recently acquired the current installment of Darla's <>. Volume 13 of this excellent series is Piano Magic's two track 40 minute ode to the ocean. It's filled with short wave radios, mermaidian vocals, sonar bleeps and buoy bells. Not since Windy and Carl's Bliss Out <> has there been anything quite so calming. The first track <> occurs in a series of movements, slowly building from weaving guitars through bizzarre but touching vocals by Lucy Gulland ("you in the kitchen/waiting on tea/whilst I lose the cupboards/to a trick of the sea") to more industrial electronic bleeping before returning to the weaving guitars. The second track <> emerges from the sound of waves gently crashing onto the beach, a sad Charles Wyatt pronouncing that "There's a hole in my heart/the size of a girl/thirty by fifty/in my pocket a letter/a let's make it better note/but i'm all out at sea/asking the harbour to come this way/closer/to swallow me." before the waves do indeed swallow the music once again. It's an album that literally turns you soggy at the edges; for more information see http://www.darla.com/ Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998 15:25:38 -0000 From: Andrew Norman Subject: Re: People/Strange; Darla's <> 13 David Thorpe, on 9 Dec 98,: > I recently acquired the current installment of Darla's <>. > Volume 13 of this excellent series is Piano Magic's two track 40 minute > ode to the ocean. It's filled with short wave radios, mermaidian vocals, > sonar bleeps and buoy bells. Not since Windy and Carl's Bliss Out > <> has there been anything quite so calming. I'm waiting for the vinyl version, but I'll put in a word for the "Music for Annahbird" 7" which came out this week on Bad Jazz (home of i s a n amongst others). Three tracks, the third one goes on a bit too long but in general Piano Magic are well worth investigating - I was initially put off by the girly poetry on the first couple of singles (oddly reminiscent of the spoken interlude in "Hole in my Shoe"), but the album "Popular Mechanics" is superb. i s a n have an excellent album of their homemade electronic tunes on Tugboat, the label run by Piano Magic's Glen. Low also had a single on that label and cooperated with Piano Magic and Transient Waves (also Darla Bliss Out contributors) on a recent single for Rocket Girl. Small world.