{"title":"Allchival","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"hiding-from-the-landlord","title":"Hiding From The Landlord","description":"\u003cp\u003eNew on Allchival is a compilation tracing the musical pursuits of Cork’s (via Belfast) Finbarr Donnelly and his trilogy of bands – Nun Attax, Five Go Down To The Sea? and Beethoven - before his untimely death by drowning in London’s Hyde Park in 1989. From the post punk of the first band via the discordant indie of the second to the chaos of Beethoven’s short lived existence this compilation shines some light on one of Irelands most enigmatic frontmen over a ten year period. Released on a 15 track LP and an expanded CD version with 24 tracks. Featuring tracks released on Setanta, Creation, Kabuki \u0026amp; Abstract plus previously unreleased Fanning Sessions, the LP also comes with a fanzine with detailed liner notes and ephemera.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNun Attax, formed in the late 70s, are synonymous with the Downtown Kampus at Cork’s Arcadia Ballroom, the lynchpin of the city’s post-punk music scene. Their live performances being the stuff of Southern legend - unforgettable, incendiary events, examples of which can be heard on the tracks here [White Cortina, Reekus Sunfare]. In the early-80s the band changed its name to Five Go Down To the Sea? and recorded the Knot A Fish EP 7’’ for London–Irish label Kabuki Records and soon after the band left recession-ridden Cork for the UK capital.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSquatting south of the River, working on building sites and collecting welfare under several aliases recording and gigs were sporadic but by 1984 they had hooked into the early Creation scene, and played gigs at Alan McGee’s Living Room club. Working with The Mekons Jon Langford they release The Glee Club on Edward Christie’s Abstract Sounds label. Following it up with the last of their three releases as Five..on Creation itself the band’s chaotic existence led to its demise only re-emerging in 1988 as Beethoven. Down to two original members – Donnelly and guitarist Ricky Dineen – plus two new additions their only release – a 12” on the fledgling Setanta records – features a cover of “Day Tripper” backed with original tracks and was NME’s Single of the Week in the summer of ‘89 when such things carried weight. The planned second single doesn’t go ahead after Donnelly’s death.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Allchival","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50448431251787,"sku":"1092802","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3fc62f9e-af64-40c2-a613-6e7995a2d078_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727091726"},{"product_id":"spring-is-coming-with-a-strawberry-in-the-mouth-rapid-eye-movements","title":"Spring Is Coming With A Strawberry In The Mouth \/ Rapid Eye Movements","description":"\u003cp\u003e**Features extensive liner notes** Ft. an amazing re-working from Morgan Buckley (Wah Wah Wino). TIP!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAllchival present their second look at the music of Roger Doyle and Operating Theatre (a little known proto synth-pop act and experimental theatre group that he led.)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn reverse chronological order the second disc contains music from the United Dairies release of 1979 – ‘Rapid Eye Movements’. Experimental tape work heavily influenced by the French school of music concretists and recorded at various points during the 70s in Finland, Holland and Ireland, although it is most certainly a Roger Doyle solo record the label ran by Nurses With Wounds John Fothergill decided to release it under the group name for reasons now lost to the fog of time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter this a volte-face towards a more accessible sound, coming via his friendship with future Hollywood actress Olwen Fouéré and her connection to the theatre. It also featured the vocals of a young Spanish immigrant Elena López- bucking the 80’s trend by moving to rather than from Dublin. With Fouéré adding the theatrical element to the group (an almost essential part of any early 80s synth act) alongside pulsing synths, brass, a vocoder and the electro acoustic production talents of Doyle himself, it was the first time a Fairlight sampler was used in an Irish studio setting and gives a prescient but alternative take on the new wave sound that came to dominate the charts soon after. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDoyle’s work on the newly released Fairlight sampler had brought him to the attention of U2’s Bono who had seen a feature about his sampling experimentations and reached out to him for piano lessons. This led to a deal on the bands embryonic Mother records for what Doyle calls his first “popular song” - Queen of No Heart - which alongside “Spring is Coming” made up the backbone of the EP which was released some years later (1986) on the Mother Records label. Established by U2 in 1984 and initially intended to launch Irish bands, many of the acts – including this one – were subsequently unhappy about the label’s haphazard approach to releases and lack of promotion. The record was released as a die cut 7 inch with the two main tracks and a 12 inch EP with additional tracks – ‘Part of My Make-Up’ \/ ‘Atlantean’ \/ ‘Satanasa’. The Mother experience was for Doyle and the rest of the group a frustrating one with no promotional plan and no tour. After that Operating Theatre as a quasi pop project ‘just kind of fizzled out’ says Doyle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDoyle, the musical maverick at the heart of the act, continues to produce to this day and has released 30 albums. A frequent collaborator we round out the record with a remix from another Irish outsider, Morgan Buckley.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Allchival","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50530209169739,"sku":"2018904","price":25.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Rapid_Eye_Movements_e366f49b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728074087"},{"product_id":"the-big-romance","title":"The Big Romance","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn Mr Kitt's own words: \"\u003cem\u003eThe Big Romance\u003c\/em\u003e was originally released in May 2001 on Blanco Y Negro, Geoff Travis's Warner-backed imprint which had been home to acts like Dinosaur Jr, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Everything But The Girl and Carl Craig. The contract I signed gave away the masters to Warner Music 'for eternity for the universe'. Warner have shown no interest in repressing the record and haven't responded any time I've made enquiries about the possibility. I decided to take matters into my own hands and make a version of the record that I own myself to mark the 25th anniversary of the original release. Using no post-2000 technology and mainly 90s hardware samplers and synths and the same guitars and basses I used on the original, I feel like I've made the definitive version of this collection of songs, which in many ways shares more DNA with my debut Rough Trade release - Small Moments - than the original did - David Kitt\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the release of ‘\u003cem\u003eThe Big Romance\u003c\/em\u003e’.\u003cbr\u003eComing shortly after my home-recorded debut album 'Small Moments', 2001's ‘\u003cem\u003eThe Big Romance\u003c\/em\u003e’ was my first time working in a real studio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bulk of the original album was recorded at Pulse Studios off Camden St. with producer Ken McHugh - owner of many of the synths and samplers and drum machines I dreamt of owning back then. It was such an exciting time to have access to this dream palette of sounds and Ken's skill and talent as a producer\/programmer. I was bringing in records from underground electronica and hip hop as references for the sound I was going for and the results were a fusion of more traditional acoustic and electric instruments with electronic sounds and hip hop flavours that was pretty fresh for the time. It felt like a distillation of all the things I was a fan of. It's a sound I feel I've been honing and crafting ever since.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe record - featuring the singles 'Song From Hope St. (Brooklyn, NY)' and 'You Know What I Wanna Know' - sold 60,000 copies in Ireland alone and marked a major shift in my life as a musician and performer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘\u003cem\u003eThe Big Romance\u003c\/em\u003e’ came out on Warner Music - the contract I signed back then means they own the rights to the album “for the universe forever”, apparently. Great! I approached them about a vinyl reissue for the 10th and 20th anniversaries, and got nowhere. So for the 25th anniversary, I decided to take matters into my own hands and make a version of the album that I own myself and I'm free to press on vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe new release features all ten tracks of the original album along with five new tracks and b-side and fan favourite 'Saturdays' - all lovingly and faithfully remade in Ballinskelligs in my home studio with the invaluable help of Ken McHugh and drawing on my 25 years experience of making records with synths and samplers. I feel I've landed on a document that has the sonic and emotional DNA of the original - and at times improves on it, a record that will be cherished by fans of the original and would get the seal of approval from my 25-year-old self.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Allchival","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Black","offer_id":57019914813771,"sku":"R4647-9614","price":36.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a2677273020_10_1.jpg?v=1776072096"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/allchival-1.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}