SUPER FURRY ANIMALS

Phantom Power is a double vinyl album that only has three sides; the fourth side has no music on it and is unplayable (it does have a pretty neat etching of the cover art on it, though). Mwng is on white vinyl, Dark Days/Light Years is a double album that (if I remember correctly, because I've very rarely played these albums on vinyl) plays at 45rpm.

Radiator and Guerrilla are both double albums (on vinyl) and Guerrilla has a "pop up" gatefold. Love Kraft is a double too and its nice to have the enlarged artwork. Nothing spectacular about Hey Venus! on vinyl, except for that its short length actually suits the vinyl format.

So the book came out today.

It also got a 3/10 from the NME.

― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, February 19, 2015 9:23 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I haven't read it in full yet. I don't really wanna criticise it too harshly, because it's great that there's at least a book out there on this band, but I definitely think it's not the book that could have been written.

As for the speculation over whether there's going to be a new SFA album, I've said this before and I'll say it again: the only way that I'm ever going to be convinced that a new SFA album is on its way is if they actually come out and say "we have a new album coming out". All of these videos they're posting could mean anything, really. It's the 20th anniversary of their first EP this year, come to think of it. 10 years since Love Kraft later in the year.

They're announcing it tomorrow at 10AM

Adam Walton @adamwalton · 4h 4 hours ago
Very excited about the riddle that will be solved tomorrow. Few things are worth waiting years for, but this will deffo be one of them.

It must be a tour or a new album. What else could it be?

Well, holy shit have I just made an interesting discovery! I've suddenly went from being incredibly skeptical to actually thinking there may be a new tour or album on the way(!)

It must be a tour or a new album. What else could it be?

― Kitchen Person, Friday, February 27, 2015 3:46 AM (50 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Hmm. Well if it's not an SFA tour, an SFA gig, or a new SFA album, all of which I'm beginning to think it possibly could be, then what else could possibly involve all of the members of SFA but not be SFA, which it could also be?

I'm gonna laugh if they all turn up at the press conference, Gruff says "we're breaking up" and they all just walk off in unison.

I'm gonna laugh if they all turn up at the press conference, Gruff says "we're breaking up" and they all just walk off in unison.

― Simon H., Friday, February 27, 2015 5:04 AM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I guess this is also a possibility! But no, I really do think something is genuinely happening... can't wait to see exactly what it is, though!

I mean there must be a reason why the official site has suddenly had a change in layout after having that Hey Venus! type of layout for the last few years, right? :P

http://www.superfurry.com/

and seasoned SFA fans will know that they don't usually put an effort into doing such things unless something is going on!

Didn't DD/LY get announced right before it came out?

They announced they were working on Dark Days/Light Years at the very end of January '09, which was when they revealed the initial tracklisting, then they had short films on the website with footage of them working on the album for a few days, then they did that webcast playing the album live in full on March 16th '09, and released the album pretty much straight away after the webcast was finished.

It doesn't appear we've ever done a proper SFA album poll. Can this be?

From what I've heard it appears to be a new album/tour.

A reissue announcement is going to be a massive damp squib at this point.

Guy who loved Fuzzy Logic listens to Radiator for the first time:

http://ramalbumclub.com/post/111971027654/week-7-bonus-radiator-by-super-furry-animals

It doesn't appear we've ever done a proper SFA album poll. Can this be?

― Simon H., Friday, February 27, 2015 8:25 AM (10 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Super Furriest album poll

A reissue announcement is going to be a massive damp squib at this point.

― groovypanda, Friday, February 27, 2015 8:30 AM (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, you're telling me, especially since for the first time in ages I'm actually genuinely believing that something is going to happen!

‏@BethanElfyn 2m
10am announcement on #SFA2015 @superfurry - watch the skies!

Only an hour to go before we find out what the hell this is all about...

...anyone excited? I honestly, genuinely never thought I would be, yet here I am waiting in anticipation. Christ!

I'm in Cardiff so will be looking out the window for any Aphex style shenanigans

Just noticed this video so I expect that explains the "watch the skies" comment:

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

Hang on, doesn't that mean "the bear wakes up from hibernation" or something?

Where is that? Do you recognise that park?

xpost

Where's this announcement meant to be being made, anyway? Social media? On the radio? Their website?

Hmm. There only seems to be Cian and Daf in that video, no sign of the rest of the band... although I assume that that's deliberate.

My Welsh is somewhat rusty but yes, trwmgwsg is "deep sleep", deffro "wake" and "arth" bear.

That's the Radiator bear in the video isn't it?

http://www.oocities.org/wbwlist/images/2bears.JPG

@jonmccue 1m1 minute ago

Finally I can let you all know the great news:
Super Furry Animals
plus support
O2 Academy Glasgow
Tuesday 5th May 2015
7pm

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/super-furry-animals-return-new-8732401

Reissue and tour then

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA10H7y6O3g

1st May - Cardiff University Great Hall
2nd May - Cardiff University Great Hall
5th May - Glasgow O2 Academy
6th May - Manchester Albert Hall
8th May - London O2 Academy Brixton

...

Well, colour me underwhelmed.

Yeah, although I'm not complaining about getting to see them live again.

And I guess if they're all back together they could decide to do some new stuff.

Well, I guess it's good news that they're going out and playing some shows, and it's great that they've chosen Mwng to reissue (it's their most overlooked album of their classic 1994-2004 period), but I'd be lying if I said that this was the news I was holding out for!

Yeah, my theory is that this is either a reboot and they're doing new stuff after the tour

Or, that it's a final goodbye.

Basically, not going back to indefinate hiaitus a'la Blur, or some such.

I guess it depends on whether you're a glass half-empty or half-full kinda person but I dunno, I don't think the band would have done this if they weren't into it. My guess is that they're having this tour to set the wheels back in motion and get used to playing together again and shake the rust off a bit. Really strange to have both Blur and Super Furry Animals back, like.

Ad I guess it depends on which half of my message you decide was my view.

I'm assuming they are on the 'newness' rather than the blueness..

Yeah, that's what I'm assuming too... hopefully when they do get back around to making their tenth album (which looks more likely now that it has been for years), then they'll be refreshed and hopefully make an album that stands up to their best work. I'm curious to see what their live shows are going to be like after not playing together for a while, I'm hoping a renewed enthusiasm will show in their performances!

http://www.nme.com/news/super-furry-animals/83168

Interesting that they're going for the "different set every night" approach, usually setlists on their tours in the past have been quite static with only the occasional variation. Looks like they're going to be throwing in a fair bit of Mwng too, which is great because there's more than a few tracks they haven't played much live since the album came out. They might dust off 'Gwreiddiau Dwfn/Mawrth Oer Ar Y Blaned Neifion' as a closer, which would be great to see.

According to someone on the list, the new Mwng reissue is copyrighted by Das Koolies according to Spotify.

http://www.endole.co.uk/company/09377942/das-koolies-limited

Das Koolies was supposed to be an SFA spin-off that was recorded around the same time as Guerrilla... I guess they're buying back their music under an ew name?

I like the idea of a "ew name"

I don't think it's got anything to do with buying back their music, as (as far as I'm aware) SFA already own the rights to Mwng. You'll find that a lot of bands set themselves up as limited companies for recording and touring purposes for financial reasons. It's very common.

Because being in a band is essentially a form of self-employment, and even bands have gotta pay income tax!

That makes sense. I think its interesting they chose to revive the name.

It's just a way for bands to manage their income/finances/accounts/tax etc., that's all. Pure music business finance stuff, really, and very common. More often than not bands tend to have various other people like accountants/tax advisers/financial advisers involved, for obvious reasons. A limited company can be set up with any name you like, within reason (there's various words you're not allowed to use; offensive names are an obvious no-no, but there's various other words you can't use).

Y'see, here in the UK when you're employed by someone, income tax and National Insurance deductions are normally sorted out for you. They come out of your pay packet seemingly automatically (even though someone has undoubtedly spent time calculating it for you). In a role where you're essentially your own boss, you either have to sort this out yourself or hire an accountant that will do this on your behalf. If you set yourself up as a limited company, all accounting records must be kept and all returns must be filed by a certain time. Not keeping accounting records can land you with a fine of £3,000 and not sending your returns on time can lead to (at best) your company being closed down or (at worst) prosecution. So it's really no surprise to find that many people who do set up limited companies have people that know what they're doing, and more than likely get paid a handsome amount for doing it!

But yeah, the resurrection of the Das Koolies name is very interesting. I do hope in the future they do something with that project. It would have to be something completely different from SFA though, else it may as well just out under the SFA banner.

Was that the project that had an hour long song which Gruff described as "terrible"? I can't remember the exact quote but I LOL'd when I read it the first time.