even as (with palsied and trembling fingers) i type these words meshmass are sending out the MAYMASS package to lucky subscribers on various continents (some of whom have paid money for the privilege and some of whom seem to have forgotten.) this month the recipients will get 6 tracks totalling 64:34 including one violent duet (giving out) 3 pieces involving the 'sounding stones' of sardinian sculptor pinuccio sciola (the veiling earth 1&2 and hinterland), a driving pulsework with several drumkits (plumb) and a big long fat instrumental called hummer (which either does not know the words or is modelled on unreasonably large american military transport vehicles - possibly both.) the sessions involved richard's yamaha 12-string guitar and his godin fretless sort-of-guitar-thing which also has too many strings and both soprano and alto saxophones. . . between you and me may was rather interfered with from a meshmass perspective since peter went off and played the soprano saxophone in various peculiar locations (outdoors, underground and so-on) and there was a limited amount of time for meshing and massing. so it might not be a classic month, although i think 'giving out' is unusual and interesting and 'hummer' is a very strong piece. 'plumb' starts slowly with a fat, distorted pulse but after the piano entry more and more drummers join the party. it also features richard playing ghost organ. 'hinterland' is very pleasant and includes a sample of some very excited chickens doing soul-singer impersonations as well as typically incompetent piano playing and some rather charming alto saxophone. 'the veiling earth' is split into 2 contrasting sections, the first is more or less dominated by soprano saxophone and the second much darker and more full.
and while i remember.... which is to say before i forget again.... meshmass is (or possibly are) officially the sound of childhood obesity. documentary makers at rutgers university (which is in the united states of america, incidentally, not in rutger at all) have asked us for permission to use 'guias sonores' (a very long piece which covers several continents) in a film about efforts to combat childhood obesity (variously described as 'an epidemic' and 'your own fault, fatty'). we are naturally flattered to have made such a glamorous field our own and are printing hundreds of (imaginary) t-shirts with 'meshmass - the sound of fat kids' written on them.
meshmass is proud... or are proud.... anyway, proud or at least happy to announce.... or content to announce but happy that in fact.... (oh for heaven's sake get on with it!) there is new music up on soundcloud, a piece called 'the veiling earth'.... or about half of that piece, the second half in fact, thus 'the veiling earth (2)'. this piece is the first to feature samples of the 'sounding stones' of the sardinian sculptor pinuccio sciola, but is probably not the last. and not only that, there is a whole new place to find meshmass, at 'new official fm', complete with yummy photographs. now that may is over we are turning our thoughts to selecting the maymass package, and once again we will struggle to select anything less than 2 hours although we aim for 1 hour and although we only had 2 sessions in may as opposed to our more usual 4 or so. lots of stuff, people, and all yours for only £10 a year.