SUPER FURRY ANIMALS

I think you're right, yet his songwriting feels much less vital and interesting as a solo artist. I guess that's where the 'theatrical productions' like the Candylion & Praxi Makes Perfect performances step in, as you have said.

...because in SFA, his songs were used to showcase instrument textures and record production? In particular, the 70's soul instrumentation + ultrafuturist Germanic/Japanese electronics was just icy cool, a frigid combination. It was never really about the base layer folk-punk ditties?

SFA without Cian = boring SFA.

It wasn't songwriting that made Radiator an exponentially better album than Fuzzy Logic, etc.
SFA albums varied in direct proportion to the ingenuity of their production, with songwriting as a relative constant.

Actuàlly idk, Mwng is pretty great.

...We were, after all, promised an album of electronic music that never materialized in addition to the album of Welsh language songs that did.

― Deflatormouse, Tuesday, January 28, 2020 3:10 AM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

cian confirmed fairly recently that the hard drives containing those files were either lost or had been corrupted, I can't remember which

That is heartbreaking.
Still a little unclear as to whether the lost electronic album and the lost Das Koolies album are one and the same. What is fairly clear now, in light of that Quietus itw from 2015, is that the material on that Furry Techno leak is not the Das Koolies thing. The band claimed that those tracks were demos for Guerrilla, and I didn't really buy that for whatever reason. But at least two of 'em turned up on the reish.

Brent D asked Gruff about the techno demos at some show many moons back and they claimed the longest track on the disc was called steelworks in stone and was a Das Koolies song. If I remember correctly it sounds like an acid casuals track called music machine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a_87I8nxe8

No idea what a Moog Taurus sounds like, but I suppose identifying it on here would lend credence to what Gruff said. They are notoriously forgetful so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was just talking shit.

Thanks for the link. Right, I was thinking Furry techno wasn't a Moog Taurus + steel drums record. The bassline in Music Machine doesn't sound obviously like a Taurus to me (the bassline in All About the Dolphins does), but it's also not so far off that I can conclusively deny what it is. A bunch of their tracks feature the Taurus sound pretty heavily; that really farty, buzzy synth bass. Smokin' for one.

...and I don't seem to have Furry Techno on my hard drive anymore. ughh.

Actually starting to entertain a possibility that this lost album never existed and it's an elaborate prank they've played on their fans. Now that they're emptying the vaults, the hard drive is corrupted - how convenient!

In all seriousness I think it's far more likely that they exaggerated the quantity of unused material from the Guerrilla sessions to the press. Although Mwng certainly gives credence to the claim that they potentially had albums' worth.

I hope the Diana song resurfaces at least. They claimed it had one of their best pop hooks.

LP with split coloured black & white vinyl Early in 2016 Ali Chant texted me, asking if I still wanted to record some stuff at his studio - as property developers were about to knock it down.Another creative space bulldozed away for capital gain.Politically it was a shit year.The noise building for the Brexit referendum that would fuck with the future of the young was in full swing.Bowie died, and on the morning of the first recordings I had the worst migraine.I left the building and threw up in the street.I wanted to commit to the lyrics and sing live so I think I was stressed about getting them ready to sing.I had a batch of songs I wanted to record but I didn't have a record label or any plans of what to do with them.I gathered incredible musicians from my square mile in Cardiff in the van and drove to Bristol.Kliph on drums, Steve on bass and Osian on piano.I sang and played guitar - We recorded live takes for 3 days then I sat on the songs for almost 2 years.Eventually handing them to composer Stephen McNeff to work on orchestral arrangements.I called the album that was mixed by Samur Kouja; Babelsberg - and I'm very happy with it.This album meanwhile is an exploration of how it came to be - and the songs in their raw state.A companion piece rather than the definitive article.Most tracks are similar to the final work except for Selfies in The Sunset which is pre-duet and much longer.At some point it would be great to release the amazing orchestral elements too.Maybe both records could be played at once.In the meantime please enjoy the fruits of Kliph Scurlock's mixes and demo digging for (Don't) Welcome The Plague As A Blessing.I'm very grateful to Lisa Jen and Mirain Haf from the band 9 Bach for singing the background vocals.Kliph for overseeing this project, Rough Trade for their enthusiasm and thanks to the designers; thanks Uno Moralez for agreeing to have his incredible Babelsberg sleeve illustration carved up, and ace designer Mark James for this final article. Further thanks to Ali, Steve, Osian and also to Robin Turner for lending his ear at the time.1. Frontier Man2. The Club3. Oh Dear!4. Limited Edition Heart5. Take That Call6. Drones in the City7. Negative Vibes8. Same Old Song9. Architecture of Amneisa10. Selfies in the Sunset

https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-2020/gruff-rhys/?fbclid=IwAR3C3YSg_nas_aC3J-QLEfLC4dIhpPx0UTYrC18TFkxGWwrVrwPS8EL_LeQ

fbclid=IwAR3C3YSg_nas_aC3J-QLEfLC4dIhpPx0UTYrC18TFkxGWwrVrwPS8EL_LeQ

MEH.

fbclid=IwAR3C3YSg_nas_aC3J-QLEfLC4dIhpPx0UTYrC18TFkxGWwrVrwPS8EL_LeQ

Full SFA discog is finally on Spotify.

And they released an edit of 100% without all the ambience:

]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8woD9dBSyWs

No cookies this time, sic.

(not cookies, but 😘)

Cian Ciarán, one fifth Super Furry Animal, meets She Drew The Gun’s Louisa Roach to decry political aggression and search out creative hope, nesting nuanced lines within grizzled beats:

KEEP THE DARKNESS OUT

https://album.link/hcgm7gbpxhv5x

Digging this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZjIdv44Rws

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV-2mJIn7xU

Availble to order starting August 29, 2020. LP with split coloured black & white vinyl

Early in 2016 Ali Chant texted me, asking if I still wanted to record some stuff at his studio - as property developers were about to knock it down. Another creative space bulldozed away for capital gain. Politically it was a shit year. The noise building for the Brexit referendum that would fuck with the future of the young was in full swing. Bowie died, and on the morning of the first recordings I had the worst migraine.I left the building and threw up in the street. I wanted to commit to the lyrics and sing live so I think I was stressed about getting them ready to sing. I had a batch of songs I wanted to record but I didn't have a record label or any plans of what to do with them. I gathered incredible musicians from my square mile in Cardiff in the van and drove to Bristol. Kliph on drums, Steve on bass and Osian on piano.I sang and played guitar - We recorded live takes for 3 days then I sat on the songs for almost 2 years. Eventually handing them to composer Stephen McNeff to work on orchestral arrangements. I called the album that was mixed by Samur Kouja; Babelsberg - and I'm very happy with it. This album meanwhile is an exploration of how it came to be - and the songs in their raw state. A companion piece rather than the definitive article. Most tracks are similar to the final work except for Selfies in The Sunset which is pre-duet and much longer. At some point it would be great to release the amazing orchestral elements too.Maybe both records could be played at once.In the meantime please enjoy the fruits of Kliph Scurlock's mixes and demo digging for (Don't) Welcome The Plague As A Blessing. I'm very grateful to Lisa Jen and Mirain Haf from the band 9 Bach for singing the background vocals. Kliph for overseeing this project, Rough Trade for their enthusiasm and thanks to the designers; thanks Uno Moralez for agreeing to have his incredible Babelsberg sleeve illustration carved up, and ace designer Mark James for this final article. Further thanks to Ali, Steve, Osian and also to Robin Turner for lending his ear at the time.

1. Frontier Man

2. The Club

3. Oh Dear!

4. Limited Edition Heart

5. Take That Call

6. Drones in the City

7. Negative Vibes

8. Same Old Song

9. Architecture of Amneisa

10. Selfies in the Sunset

Welsh music acts cover Super Furry Animals in tribute album to raise funds for homeless charity @LlamauUK

28 tracks over two volumes free to download from March 26 on Bandcamp with new Pete Fowler artwork.

Donations to Llamau encouraged.https://t.co/e7DKGGENqH@asoundreaction pic.twitter.com/TPQwegtOr0

— SFAA OK! (@sfaaok) March 21, 2021

thinking of checking out the Martin Carr cover at least.

https://coronalogic.bandcamp.com/album/corona-logic-vol-1

Out now.

thanks for the link, i listened to the Martin Carr song. i couldn't remember the original from listening to it and had to look it up, lol.

I'm a sucker for a gimmick and this is a gimmick I like:

https://www.bbc.com/taster/pilots/seeking-new-gods

The BBC Radio 6 Music listening party will begin at 8PM BST on Wed 19th May.

You can prepare and connect your devices if you hit "try it" above, so that you'll be ready to begin. Once the listening party has finished you’ll be able to come back to listen again when the pilot officially launches on Friday.

Seeking New Gods is a listening experience like no other - this pilot uses the Audio Orchestrator tool to create a brand new way of experiencing Gruff Rhys’s music. Using the everyday devices you have around you (phones, tablets, laptops) the technology creates a web of speakers that surround and envelop you in the music. It means you could have drums playing from your phone whilst vocals come out of your laptop, all synchronised to create a singularly immersive way of experiencing Gruff’s new album. This experience is designed to work best with at least four devices. Writing for the BBC R&D Blog Kliph Scurlock had this to say about creating the experience with Gruff and BBC R&D…

“I had a lot of fun remixing the album for multiple devices and playing around with the placing of the various instruments and voices. I am a child of the ‘70s, so I remember when quadrophonic systems were sort of a thing, and I sought to sort of emulate that kind of experience…If I have done what I set out to do, some songs will just sound like you’re in the room while the band was recording (we did, in fact, record the album all playing together in the same room) and some songs will make those who are prone to motion sickness quite dizzy with the movement of different things. It all kind of varies depending on the song. I wanted to honor the songs first and foremost and play with the format second. You may have cottoned on to the fact that I’m a big fan of Gruff’s. Well, that all began by me being a fan of his music, so that’s what remains most important to me. If you find that the drums are too loud in any song, well, you’ll know whose ego got the best of them while mixing.”
Seeking New Gods was made using Audio Orchestrator, which is available free to makers, artists, creative technologists, and creators as part of Connected Studio MakerBox. To learn more about how we made Seeking New Gods for BBC Taster you can join the MakerBox community where you can

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBWtjXHjD7M

🚨 Tech guinea pigs needed 🚨

On Weds at 8pm we’re hosting an immersive audio listening party for @gruffingtonpost’s new album via @BBCTaster.

You will need:

✅ 2 or more devices
✅ An open mind

Collab w/ @BBCRD, @ClwstwrCreu & @RoughTrade

More info https://t.co/oC2I8exBxx pic.twitter.com/rx6rYh80me

— BBC Radio 6 Music (@BBC6Music) May 18, 2021

Curious to hear if this actually affects my enjoyment of the music. Singles are ok. Gruff’s definitely settled down quite a bit.

Well, Seeking New Gods is very good. I recommend it. Continues the thread began with American Interior, but improves the songwriting quite a bit.

Singles sound quite nice in sequence as they open the album and Gruff ventures up his mountain path, or wherever he's headed.

Really liking this much more than any album he's made since... um, DD/LY. Found it hard to get replay value out of many of them so far, but spun it four times today, so things are looking good!

It's most SFA-ish solo album so far, I think... I know that isn't the point, but that's how it appears.

Agreed. You get more of a band vibe on this record than any of the others. Production really nice as well.

Digging it a lot :D

Two listens in a row last night. I am in love with the opening track.

Have you heard the song that’s not on the album? On a flexi-disc for now, I guess.

Only just learned of it. Toying with blowing £40 and that edition, but sober atm

Nice words on Pitchfork today.

If you are needing more, the “Zaireeka” edition is up on BBC for three months.

https://www.bbc.com/taster/pilots/seeking-new-gods

This is as great as any great SFA album... which is all of them. Absolutely delighted

I think it's at least as good as some of their lesser albums, which is underselling it in a way, but I'm clearly not a regular SFA fan. I haven't enjoyed an album under the GR name this much since his very first, released in 2005. He's done great. I love his current band.

"Hiking Through Lightning" and "Holiest of the Holy Men" is my current favorite track pairing. Sounds like Gruff's first prog epic.

Fuck yeah, finally.

The 20th Anniversary reissue of Rings Around The World has been remastered from the original tapes which you can enjoy across all formats. The deluxe 3CD and digital albums include a bunch of unreleased recordings that we’ve unearthed from our archives!https://t.co/8fpEt8hjz0 pic.twitter.com/01IZoM3PcC

— super furry animals (@superfurry) July 21, 2021

I saw the Edinburgh show of this tour and remember thinking that they'd have to do it again some day. This was long before the album-gig era. Here's hoping

I believe the other four guys -- not Gruff -- are finally in the studio recording the Das Koolies stuff as well. So that's good news too. There's lots of Kliph-sourced news on the Steve Hoffman. He has a "friend" that constantly spills all the secrets...

Nice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTU78E7L1g8

Here's some details:

The fifth studio album from Welsh quintet Super Furry Animals was their most commercially successful to date. A musically eclectic record, incorporating pop, prog, punk, jungle, electronica, techno and death metal, the album was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize in 2001 and named as Mojo’s best album in the same year. Their major label debut album peaked at #3 on the UK album chart on release, supported by singles ‘(Running) Rings Around The World’, ‘It’s Not The End of the World’ and ‘Juxtapozed With You’. Paul McCartney and John Cale make cameo appearances on the album too.
This 20th anniversary reissued has been remastered from the original master tapes. The double-LP format is on heavyweight vinyl, while the 3CD set boasts 40 previously unreleased tracks including remixes, demos, other curios, as well as sleeve notes from Keith Cameron.
Tracklistings:

Disc 1
1. Alternate Route To Vulcan Street
2. Sidewalk Serfer Girl
3. (Drawing) Rings Around The World
4. It’s Not The End Of The World?
5. Receptacle For The Respectable
6. Touch Sensitive
7. Shoot Doris Day
8. Miniature
9. No Sympathy
10. Juxtapozed With U
11. Presidential Suite
12. Run! Christian, Run!
13. Fragile Happiness
14. Tradewinds
15. The Roman Road
16. Happiness Is A Worn Pun
17. Patience
18. Edam Anchorman
19. All The Shit U Do

Disc 2
1. Gypsy Space Muffin
2. John Spex
3. Miami Vice
4. Sanitised (Rough Mix)
5. Chihuahua (Unfinished, Rough Mix)
? (Drawing) Rings Around The World (Acapella Phones) - unlisted, hidden track
6. (Drawing) Rings Around The World #1
7. (Drawing) Rings Around The World #2
8. (Drawing) Rings Around The World #3
9. No Sympathy
10. Tradewinds
11. Receptacle For The Respectable #1
12. Receptacle For The Respectable #2
13. Happiness Is A Worn Pun
14. Sidewalk Serfer Girl
15. Presidential Suite
16. The Roman Road
17. Patience #2
18. Shoot Doris Day
19. Edam Anchorman
20. Sanitised
21. Fragile Happiness

Disc 3
1. Alternate Route To Vulcan Street (Bench Remix)
2. Sidewalk Serfer Girl (Catatonia Remix)
3. (Drawing) Rings Around The World (Happy Chapel Remix)
4. It’s Not The End Of The World? (Force Unknown Remix)
5. Receptacle For The Respectable (Destructable Mix)
6. Touch Sensitive (Force Unknown Remix)
7. Shoot Doris Day (Wauvenfold Remix)
8. Miniature (Goem Remix)
9. No Sympathy (Kid 606 Remix)
10. Juxtapozed With U (SFA Remix)
11. Presidential Suite (High Llamas Remix)
12. Run! Christian, Run! (Massimo Remix)
13. Fragile Happiness (Brave Captain Remix)

Happiness Is A Worn Pun 👌

I don't get why John Spex s showing up here too. That was a Guerrilla b-side on the last deluxe release and it's just the "laser beam" demo. Maybe it's got vocals this time.

Super exciting forthcoming release #1!

I had the pleasure of listening to every existing bit of audio connected to this classic piece of brilliance.

Con't........ https://t.co/P9SmtgpwMi

— Kliph Scurlock (@KliphScurlock) July 21, 2021

https://www.nme.com/news/music/super-furry-animals-announce-new-rings-around-the-world-eco-friendly-nft-3033640

Super Furry Animals announce new ‘Rings Around The World’ eco-friendly NFT
They'll also launch a new YouTube TV show this week for one night only

The NFT thing got a horrible response on social media but I guess they’re doing it anyway. I’m not sure an expensive piece of digital nothing that negatively impacts the environment is as catch as “first-ever ALBUM ON DVD” but I guess they felt they needed to release something novel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPgxixw28OA