THE REST, I LEAVE TO THE POOR

'The Rest, I Leave To The Poor,' a collaboration between Textile Ranch and Victorian music machinist, Plinth, is released by the Make Mine Music label on 27th October 2008.

This single 44 minute piece may structurally resemble a classical composition - divided as it is into several interlocking stanzas - but it's difficult to place it comfortably within the realm of modern music. If anything, 'The Rest....' evokes the otherwordly, fantastical obsessions of the Victorians (Conan Doyle, Lear, Grandville, Wellcome, etc) through means of meticulously manipulated instrumentation, samples and voice.

Plinth (Mike Tanner), of course, is no stranger to Victoriana. In 2007, the Dorset-based multi-instrumentalist and founder of the Dorset Paeans record label released, 'Plays Victorian Machine Music' - an EP made up entirely from sounds generated by antiquated parlor machines and music boxes. A further full-length Plinth album, 'Music For Smalls Lighthouse' will be released on the Current 93-associated, Durtro Jnana label by the end of this year.
Tanner has also played as a member of Pantaleimon, Directorsound, United Bible Studies and with Sharron Kraus live.

Glen Johnson founded the Anglo-French "ghost-rock" unit, Piano Magic, in 1996 and since then has released over 30 records on a multitude of different labels, from 4AD to Morr Music to Important Records, including collaborations
with Low, Vashti Bunyan, Cornershop and Tarwater. In 2004, his debut album as
Textile Ranch, 'Bird Heart In Wool,' a portfolio of abstract, melodic electronica, was released on the Very Friendly label. A further Textile Ranch album will see the light of day in early 2009.

Tanner and Johnson may have met on the internet but their collaboration here relied greatly on Her Majesty's Royal Mail service, swapping files by post, adding, subtracting, remoulding, magnifying found sounds and home recordings. The overall effect could be imagined as the sonic depiction of the life and times of an impoverished Victorian clerk, from birth to death. Clattering typewriter keys are sewn into this rich tapestry amongst the lolloping waves of the grimy Thames, divine voices, rusty acoustic guitars, wheezing harmoniums, boiling kettles, mocking crows, funeral drums, penny arcades and much, much more.

Angele David-Guillou, a regular contributor to Piano Magic recordings and chanteuse with her own project, Klima (s/t album on Peacefrog, 2007) generously guests on vocals and other instruments here, whilst the mysterious Ms Autumn Grieve adds further voicings.

This one-off collaboration marks the 51st release for Make Mine Music, the pioneering British independent label that is owned, financed and maintained by its artists.

'The Rest, I Leave To The Poor' comes as a strictly ltd edition (1000 copies), letter-pressed sleeve of recycled chipboard with red metallic ink finish.

The CD will be available in all good record shops, though for non-US customers, we also recommend Make Mine Music's excellent mail order service :
http://www.makeminemailorder.com

as well as…
http://www.normanrecords.com
http://www.roughtrade.com

…and Darla in the States :
http://www.darla.com

Boomkat also offers the album as a full length mp3 here :
http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=143032

For more information on the individual artists and the label click here :
http://www.myspace.com/lowbirthweight
http://www.myspace.com/makeminemusic
http://www.myspace.com/iamplinth
http://www.myspace.com/contactklima
http://www.myspace.com/autumngrieve

TEXTILE RANCH SPLIT CHARLES ATLAS

The Static Caravan house of recordings deigns fit to issue a split CDEP by Textile Ranch and New York ambient conceptualists, Charles Atlas, this February.  Textile Ranch offer up 4 new slices of digital automation under such preposterous titlements as 'Murderer/Gardener,' 'Bear Is Ours,' 'We Both Hurt Our Heads' and 'Huguenots.'  Susanne Bauszat (Tropes/Early Autumn Break) and Chris Bauer (Early Autumn Break) both stick their oars into 'Murderer/Gardener.' 
Charles Atlas opts for the more geographical, 'Oakland' and 'Genova.' 
More information can no doubt be wrung out of :

www.staticcaravan.org
www.myspace.com/textileranch
www.myspace.com/charlesatlasnyc
www.myspace.com/tropesmusic
www.myspace.com/earlyautumnbreak

A new Textile Ranch track features on a new Japanese compilation album, "Rallye Cloak 01", to be released by the Rallye label on the 22nd December. 'Vince Clarke Holidaye Parke' jogs alongside the likes of "I Think It Is Beautiful That You Are 256 Colors Too" by Black Moth Super Rainbow. More Information : www.rallye-kanazawa.com (email shop@rallye-kanazawa.com)

‘BIRD HEART IN WOOL’ NOW AVAILABLE AT LOW PRICE

Textile Ranch’s debut album, ‘Bird Heart in Wool,’ is now available at low price from the Make Mine Music mail order site, alongside 2007’s collaboration with Charles Atlas :
http://www.makeminemailorder.com/other.php