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

yeah i don't recommend listening to The Caretaker if you don't want to feel uncomfortable feelings

that was shitty, sorry.

i missed something, notably how that was shitty

unless it's "heyooo this music makes you feel bad because it's bad"

in which case lol

haha no i just felt it may have sounded insensitive to those for with a personal connection to Alzeimers, like "GO LISTEN TO YANNI THEN, YOU BABIES"

hah

OK, finally listening to the free Xmas album, and it's... unusual.

What free xmas album?!

A link was sent via email if you'd bought one of the other recent releases, I believe.
V/VM - The Christmess Stocking

Oh wow. Was away for xmas and just found it in my spam box lol

Everywhere At The End Of Time – Stage 2 is out (vinyl still available at Boomkat right now iirc). It does not disappoint, even though it's rather 'unhinged'. Could be because of the theme - the mind of an alzheimer patient going - as it jumps into unexpected waters and at times drowns in them. It feels off, and that's probably exactly what he was getting at. As a follow up to part one and part of a chain of six it will make sense, but as a standalone album it takes some time getting into it. Gorgeous hazey melodies all over though.

(this must be dj candy: was at a film festival last weekend and the dj played the first stage of the series in full between films. Even in that setting, and I doubt many people knew what it was, it is so evocative)

I do love this series so far

Third installment is out, along with a free album!

thanks for the head's up!

dang, is the second one already sold out? i slept on it

Yeah, they go really fast. The blue vinyl will probably be gone tonight.

welp, i did it. i have purchased very few LPs this year since i've been trying to save money (or at least lose it at a reduced rate). i'll have to grab a used copy of Stage 2 somewhere down the road.

Awesome *fist bump*

admittedly i was on the fence until i realized i could also pre-order kaitlyn aurelia smith's new one with a few additional clicks. that is going to be A DAY when the package arrives! :)

"I've been hard at it lately with The Caretaker work so now I afford myself a night out finally sinking the odd whisky or two down at my favourite Krakow bar, Propaganda. It's been a good while since the last time I was sat on the bar stool.

"I'll raise the whisky glass in there for us all. You know the score."

still up to the same old

Karl, watch out, you've been bitten by the boomkat affliction

fuck, i missed the blue vinyl already! i got the others, but damn it, that was too fast. They'll all be for sale on Discogs, still sealed, for crazy money by tomorrow.

boomkat is expensive as fuck. i wish there was a US version

maybe I should look into selling some of my earlier caretaker purchases, hmm

when this comes in i'll have the regular version of stage 1, no copy of stage 2, and the color LP version of stage 3. *calculates* my caretaker everywhere at the time fan score is...6.3

there are a few US places that have a somewhat similar selection (experimedia, forced exposure directly for things distributed by them) but sometimes the exclusives never go to US stores

And doesn't Boomkat do a lot of their own exclusive, limited pressings of some artists, so they won't turn up elsewhere at all

CD version of Everywhere At The End Of Time Stages 1-3 currently on sale at Norman Records (though they're only listing one copy as available at the time of writing).

boomkat also. "in stock" doesn't say how many.

i received my fancy transparent blue super limited rare collectible edition of Stage 3 in the mail a few days ago, but just now had a chance to listen to it. as i mentioned above, i also have Stage 1 (normcore version), but not Stage 2. so maybe it's easier for me to hone in on the shifting approaches between each stage because i have more of a contrast.

i am a fan of looping music that avoids the big blocky dance 4/4 style of repetition, and the caretaker's music really hits the spot for me. a good loop, audio or otherwise, creates an otherworldly sense of time, something in between the stasis of a photograph and the normal experience of linear time. the music in Stage 1 turns so many circles that it's almost nauseating to listen to, and i mean that in a good way (others, i expect, would not mean it in a good way. other creatures, too - my dog gets PISSED whenever i put it on). it's nauseating because it sounds like blurred vision, like getting the spins after way too many drinks, almost, which makes sense with this project because of the connections between alcohol abuse and memory loss, both acute and long term, and early onset of alzheimer's and dementia.

after first listen, Stage 3 is already sounding more like a closed eye re-imagination of Stage 1. at times recognizable old snippets pop up, and others seem familiar but smeared. there's a really beautifully sad, quiet portion of the second side that lasts for quite a bit longer than many of the other themes. i know i'm relying too much on a literal interpretation of the project, but it really sounds like getting caught up in a memory and just kind of wandering off, turning it around and around. if you think of the circling themes of stage 1 as hurricaning paintswirls, this quiet section would almost be like a thin line of the paintswirl dripping off to the side and down off the canvas. where Stage 1 was nauseating, i found myself genuinely unsettled by 3.

I almost don't dare listen, this type of music messes with my head

New one up, dedicated to Mark K-Punk Fisher. But I only just now say the mail, and they're all gone damnit.

man I tried listening to this stuff and it just sounds like someone sampling huge chunks of old thrift store records. do not get it at all.

wtf is the matter with you, stop it ;)

(i agree)

Well yes, he is doing that?

xp IDGI != "fraud"

<3 ;)

I have liked other stuff of his! this just baffles me.

Oh you're speaking specifically about this new one? I'll have to check it out and see.

thread to dis hyped 2017 releases that you don't get/don't like/wanna complain about

love u all

Not this LP, but what isn't wonderful about turning this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPTgiarKc5Y

into this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l236v7FfNBs

I have this outtakes/Fisher tribute one coming

Got it (the CD) at the Barbican show, haven't played it yet. I suspect it might be the same as the music from the show, in fact (it's about the same length).

PS Le Bateau Ivre, I tried to send you webmail about this.

Ahh, could you try again? My ilxmail (old address) was full, but it's good to receive again now!

Sent again!

Got it! :)

did you all get the email about the free download?

THE CARETAKER - 'TAKE CARE. IT'S A DESERT OUT THERE...'
(FREE DOWNLOAD)

Today as The Caretaker I arrive in your inbox bearing a digital gift.
Please find below some download links to a free Caretaker release.
This long form piece was created in collaboration with my Friend Ivan Seal.
Created in memory of and for the late great Mark Fisher with proceeds raised
from all CD sales being donated in full to MIND. It is music for reflection.

Copies of the CD were given away to the audience for free at The Caretaker
Barbican performance in London last December with last remaining copies being
sold today via Boomkat.

There will be no future repress.

100% of the sales money donated to MIND.

Feel free to download the audio for free via
the WeTransfer links below.

MP3: http://ymlp41.com/wewalaebqmualaywataubmsh/click.php
WAV: http://ymlp41.com/weqaoaebqmuaxaywakaubmsh/click.php
FLAC: http://ymlp41.com/weyavaebqmuavaywalaubmsh/click.php

(i got this last week and haven't checked the links...)

Would anyone have the tracks from his 365 project (where he posted a track or two a day for a year)? Most were pretty average, but would love to hear 'pancake day' again. No longer online and the HDD I had my music on at the time is long gone. Soulseek alerts haven't delivered.

oddly, i was looking at the disks that my copy of this was on only yesterday...

http://www.koogy.clara.co.uk/vvmt365_0228_pancakeday.mp3

You wouldn't happen to have the full 365-project in mp3 would you? It's something of a holy grail for me!

i do, but i don't have the space or the bandwidth to upload about a gig of data.

Ah man! Not even via wetransfer? Been searching for it for absolute ages.

the bandwidth for wetransfer is still a gig.

i can do a dvd in the post (he says, wondering if he has any blank dvds)