The Caretaker aka Leyland Kirby aka V/vm aka The Stranger

Yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeaahhhhhhhh blue vinyl baby!

The patronage type thing he put together last year is still pretty great. I just get an email with a download link every once in a while when he releases new material. I think the Sebald one is included.

... and I received the link via email a couple minutes after posting that.

Heh, yeah I just got it too, from the digital subscription. Still ordering the blue vinyl though

I've said it a kajillion times in this thread but Kirby's stuff is always worth hearing on vinyl, if only to hear how world-class mastering can make a great record even better.

and so that you can get the cover art in big-ass size!

8.0 for Patience For Sebald from PF today:

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16220-patience-after-sebald/

my copy just showed up last night, looking forward to listening to it!

also in a fit of profound fiscal irresponsibility I sprung for the only copy of A Stairway To The Stars available on the internet, which I think makes my Kirby/Caretaker vinyl collection complete (though I need to upgrade my copy of Intrigue & Stuff #1 to a clear-vinyl copy).

Oof, good purchase!

Great and fitting review from Mark Richardson there. I'm already tempted to rate Patience (After Sebald) higher than all of his 2011 work, which is saying something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlzNE62HDr0

The Caretaker crooning a cover version of Barry Manilow. It doesn't get any better than this.

i wonder if now is the time to liquidate my v/vm stuff

To get a good price for it? Or because you hate the Manilow cover? ;)

Extra Patience (After Sebald) - Free download. We all love free downloads and as a show of thanks for your support and interest in my works I have uploaded a nine track mini album for free download.

It features a couple of alternate versions and exclusive audio which was used as part of the soundtrack to the above mentioned film but which didn't make the physical release of the album.

Download it, share it, enjoy it and remember it.

http://thecaretaker.bandcamp.com/album/extra-patience-after-sebald

My brain is all knotted up by this^ video

Must admit disappointment upon seeing black instead of transparent blue. Record is sounding very nice tho.

Finally watched (and enjoyed) Gee's Patience (After Sebald). Would have enjoyed it less without The Caretaker's soundtrack.

He's been quiet of late, hasn't he?

I liked that one from last year.

Has anyone ever compared the original tracks (by which I mean the sound-sources for the Caretaker's recordings)?

XXXP: Well, quite. Given what a great author he was, all that fucking photographs of fireworks shit at the end was just plain insulting. "I took a photo of a firework... and it looks like his moustache!"

Oh do fuck off.

Yes, that was silly.

I must admit my interest in the film was a) liking the Caretaker and b) liking parts of that stretch of the coast ... and had never read Sebald and am now likely to.

Annoyed that Caretaker AND Ben Frost AND Tim Hecker AND several other like-minded persons are doing a music festival in Adelaide, where I live and nothing like that ever happens, and I can't go.

Going through a major Caretaker phase.

Is everything pre-"Patience" out of print?

Been hammering An Empty Bliss Beyond this World recently...what a perfect, heartbreaking, sentimental record that is. Sounds so...English?

I'd been meaning to buy this but can't find it anymore.

looks like Persistent Repetition of Phrases, An Empty Bliss, and Patience are all getting a repress. Experimedia says they'll be going out on May 8th apparently.

and seriously, do not sleep on the chance to get any of those three albums on vinyl; they sound SO damned good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjG2uP-qsfQ

sounds promising!

Patience (After Sebald) (the film) is on film4 on thursday morning

Grant Gee's documentary traces the hugely respected, late author WG Sebald's account of a walk through Suffolk, which prompted musings on history, literature and the horrors of war.

Caretaker did the music: http://thecaretaker.bandcamp.com/album/patience-after-sebald

(ha, i watched patience (after sebald) last night)

We Drink To Forget The Coming Storm (free 40 track download and other news):

http://ymlp.com/zgqhBn

3 Hours Crackling Log Fire Soundscape vs. The Golden Era Of dixieland Jazz full album 1965 by VJ unregistered | YouTube Doubler

wrote Leyland years back regarding a reissue of AEBBTW and today received a mail from him saying it should be out soon - heads up! (what a great guy to do that, too kind)

He's been quiet, hasn't he? I assume that's related to (as my Gran would say) his "proper job".

I must move "We Drink ..." from "downloads" to a format that I'll play it.

That gum you like is going to come back in style.

Any idea what outlets will carry the Empty Bliss reissue? I can't miss it this time.

I'm guessing Boomkat

maybe bandcamp

actually, it's already on bandcamp as a digital download. he might add the physical copies here.

https://thecaretaker.bandcamp.com/album/an-empty-bliss-beyond-this-world

He's bringing back V/vm btw.

Didn't he delete everything v/vm related from his site a few years ago?

probably

there's plenty of deconstructionist junk going on right now but v/vm is enough of a different take that it might be a good time for revival

No talk of his output as The Stranger here, what do people think/feel about those albums? I only have Watching Dead Empires In Decay, absolutely love it. The low end (or: rumble) on that LP is deeep.

watching dead empires in decay is very good, not sure about other records under that alias. an empty bliss is still my favorite record i've heard from the guy... he is quite a formidable musician/noisemaker isn't he. hopefully i can snag a physical copy this time.

If you dig 'Dead Empires' you should definitely check out Bleaklow as well, from 2008. The title says it all really, it's grim, but I love it.

An Empty Bliss is my favorite record of his too, but I'm a big fan of Deleted Scenes/Forgotten Dreams too; I even prefer it to Sadly The Future Is No Longer What It Was when considering his giant compositions which take up an entire side of a record, mostly because it's considerably easier to find the time to listen to one double LP than three double LPs. also when I ordered my copy back in 2007 or 2008, he sent me an email thanking me for my order despite the fact that the US dollar was insanely weak against the Euro at the time.

So I'm just loading up http://boomkat.com/ and https://thecaretaker.bandcamp.com/album/an-empty-bliss-beyond-this-world every day to check for updates - anyone has better ideas?

I'm quite sure Boomkat will see the re-release as "something special" and will send out an e-mail once you can (pre-)order, you could sign up for that.

I got my copy first time around. Not counting on added tracks or anything (which is fine).

I know a lot of people are waiting on re-presses of releases
and in particular 'An empty bliss beyond this World'.

All I can say is it will happen so please remain patient.

Please to add yourself to the mailing list for news
about that so you don't miss them.

from - http://www.brainwashed.com/vvm/

Not seen it mentoined recently but don't you all sleep on Persistent Repetition of Phrases, which is sublime.

Sorry for linking to my own piece here but I'm guessing this constitutes something LJK fans will be interested in.

James Kirby kills off The Caretaker with new album Everywhere At The End Of Time released in six parts over the next three years.

Boom! https://boomkat.com/products/everywhere-at-the-end-of-time?utm_source=Boomkat+Production&utm_campaign=cee1adf164-The_Caretaker_Everywhere_At_The_End_Of_T9_22_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f7c1f6eb34-cee1adf164-121478162

Was not familiar with him, but my friend had an extra ticket to his show at Lincoln Center (https://www.lincolncenter.org/series/lincoln-center-presents/the-caretaker-moor-mother-673)

Really enjoyed his music, was just surprised that the show also included lip-synching and pretending to play an inflatable guitar to Heroes by David Bowie.

At other times he read an upside down book, drank whiskey, and stood staring and nodding at the audience.

what, no pig mask or boxing match?

a pig mask was on his table of gear, but i don't think he put it on (i didn't have my eyes open the whole time).

Whaaaatts oh fuck fuck fuck I was in New York that day

Who is the supposed to be?

https://boomkat.com/products/anichy-lyemn

I'm assuming, if the title is an anagram, that Michael Nyman is involved, but beyond that, no idea. Intriguing, though!

I'm surprised that this is still available, with only 300 copies. Sometimes when I see things like this it confirms exactly how niche my tastes are and that makes me sad