Show #2571 - Saturday 9th December 2023

Adam Walton, BBC Radio Wales, Sat 9th December 2023: Carwyn Ellis / twst / doomsdaycult / Talulah at Klust 03 / Gareth Potter on Rebel MC...

PLEASE NOTE: This isn’t an official BBC / BBC Wales post. All words / opinions expressed here are my own.

Listen here via BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001t6h0

This year signalled a shake up with the programme. I've spoken to far more people on the show in 2023, to get to the heart of their music and their art, than in previous years. And it is art... the poppiest, daftest, most ragged and instinctive music - especially - is art. The music we celebrate on Saturday nights - in all its multi-hued glory - is worthy of closer examination. It's more than something to hang between branding or to exploit / synch / denude for vested interests.

It's a lot of talking, and it does limit - a bit - the amount of music I can share. But I live in the hope that the talking is illuminating and might also be insightful for other artists, as well as for those of us who just love to be inspired by other humans indulging their imaginations and psyches for our wellbeing and benefit.

All the gods - please - bless these soul mountaineers.

They're out on a precarious limb. A tiny handful of the people whose sounds we love can make a living from their vision. The majority of the others - still resplendent and valid - make music between jobs that possibly - and probably, given the gig / zero hours economy - corrode the soul.

Perhaps the interviews motivate you to investigate the music further. Maybe to spend a bit more of your heard-earned pennies - from your own potentially soul-corroding jobs - on the magicians in our midst.

If so, ace. Ace. Ace, ace, ace!

This programme is absolutely nothing without you.

So, to this week's show (Saturday 9th December). We go deep on Carwyn Ellis' new album 'Ni A Nhw'. Carwyn is a maestro, pure music, a veritable beacon of craft, heart and imagination. The new album (available here on Bubblewrap) collects together recordings from some of Carwyn's various different guises over the last 15 years: Colorama, Bendith, Rio 18 and as a solo artist.

It's such an empathetic listen, focusing on (mostly) tender and reflective recordings from Carwyn's catalogue that haven't previously appeared on streaming platforms.

I'm not on commission, but the physical copies of this album would make any music-lover's Christmas. Stick 'Ni A Nhw' on the turntable on Boxing Day morning and everyone's spirits will be raised, guaranteed, before actual spirits (uncanny and alcoholic) come into play.

We talk about Christmas music; the profound effect his music teacher had on his early life on Ynys Môn; collaborating with Bendith and Elan and Marged's beautiful voices; voices in unison; the dual-edged sword of streaming for a professional musician in 2023; and - of course - the songs... such songs!

I'm also joined by Barry's Chloe Davis, a.k.a. twst. Twst is what happens when a voracious and prodigious imagination synchs with the cloud of everything: music, literature, graphic novels, films, video games, technology - and makes connections between the past, the present, the future intuitively, around a core of poetic self.

Their new EP 'twst 0002 (Off-World)' is - first and foremost - glorious electronically-enhanced hyperpop music, super bright with memorable melodic hooks and great lines. Underneath the bonnet, a swirl of philosophies and highly evolved capabilities that show in some respects - dreadful news headlines notwithstanding - humanity is still moving towards a better place. The throwbacks can't hold us back forever. And if they don't blow up the world - or kill all the children - there is some hope for a brighter future.

I felt a sense of possibility after my conversation with twst. I hope you do too!

Elsewhere my One Track Find goes to the bit-crushed hauntological folkloric entity doomsdaycult. Justice meets Machen, via Colin Wilson. With enough bass to keep your speakers warm for the rest of the Winter, and a hook it's impossible to shake.

Horizons / Gorwelion recorded live sets from the Klust 03 event at the Victoria in Dalston a very little while back. You can hear Molly Palmer speaking with the artists - and some great live recordings - on her BBC Radio Wales evening show on Tuesday (12th December 2023, date-fans). As a taster, I play you a great recording from Talulah's set. Diolch Gorwelion.

And - finally - Gareth Potter comes in to tell us about Rebel MC / Congo Natty.

Please hold off on submitting new music until after Christmas. I won't be doing a proper proper new music show until Saturday 6th January.

Next week, I'll reveal my Artist of the Year.

On the 23rd December, 'Peace Transmission Module'... a secular celebration of one of the main tenets of Christmas - peace on earth - through the medium of truly extraordinary Welsh music released in 2023.

The final show of the year - the 30th December - bulges with Cambrian genius... a blast through the My Favourite Welsh Bangers of 2023. I've been bullied into submission by the b-word. Just as it's exceeding its Use By date elsewhere, I'm happy to adopt it.

Have a fantastic Christmas.

Nadolig Llawen.

And thank you for your ears. Short sentence expressing Mariana Trench depth of gratitude.

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST

Dream State - 'Anxious State of Mind'
Swansea
http://facebook.com/DreamStateUKOfficial

Foxxglove - 'The Chaos'
Cardiff
http://facebook.com/Foxxgloveuk

Mudmowth - 'The Music'
Cardiff

Mared - 'December Blues'
Denbighshire
http://facebook.com/MaredMusicOfficial

Bug Club, The - 'Mister Do You Have The Time For Sittin'
Caldicot

Monet - 'Albasore'
Swansea
http://repeatfanzine.bandcamp.com

Katielou - 'Trouble'
Newport
http://facebook.com/katielouofficial

ONE TRACK FIND #022

doomsdaycult - 'All My Life'
Cardiff
http://facebook.com/people/Doomsdaycult/100095428531822

BBY GOOSE - 'done with u'
Cardiff
http://instagram.com/itsbbygoose_

Swansea Sound - 'The Life We Led'
Swansea

Peaness - 'Kiss Me Sweet Pea'
Chester

Talulah - 'Galaru live at Klust 03 for Horizons / Gorwelion'
Y Gogledd
http://www.instagram.com/talulah.t

Tom Jenkins - 'Is There A Next One?'
Pontypridd
http://facebook.com/tomjenkinsmusic1

Casey - 'Bite Through My Tongue'
Newport
http://caseytheband.com

CARWYN ELLIS INTERVIEW

Colorama - 'Valley Song'
Benllech

Bendith - 'Hwiangerdd Takeda [Ni A Nhw]'
Llanuwchllyn / Trelech

Carwyn Ellis - 'Ti [Ni A Nhw]'
Cardiff

Rio 18 - 'Gorffennaf [Ni A Nhw]'
Benllech / Cardiff

Until The Ribbon Breaks - 'Nature Mother ft. Emoni Wilkins (Version)'
Penarth
http://untiltheribbonbreaks.com/

M. Yesekaon - 'Mynydd'
Colwyn Bay
http://www.instagram.com/m.yesekaon/

Seahawks - 'Beams Of Love (Taro Nohara Remix)'
Pacific / Cardiff

EtchedBright - 'ceVoix'
Cardiff

TWST INTERVIEW

Twst - 'Was I Ever Alone?'
Barry
http://instagram.com/twstwstwstwst

Twst - 'Catch Me (Beautiful Fall)'
Barry
http://instagram.com/twstwstwstwst

Twst - 'Off-World'
Barry
http://instagram.com/twstwstwstwst

Hana Lili - 'Small Talk (Live Piano Version)'
Penarth
No website details.

GARETH POTTER SELECTS...

Congo Natty - 'Wickedest Sound 2014 (Jungle Remix) ft. Tenor Fly'
Welsh Collaborator
No website details.

Ratatosk - 'I Awoke (2023 edition)'
Aberdare
http://ratatosk.bandcamp.com

SHOW STATS

1508 diff songs/ 1926 Total. 748 Artists in 48 shows since 1st, Jan '23 (~Songs per:40, Unique artists per:16) Welsh:97% Cymraeg:13% (feat. lyrics in Welsh); Source: Uploader:30%, Direct:17%, Bought:14%, Plugger:29%, Commission:8%

Comprehensive Session / Interview List: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1w-rIPj0l0QhUcbEm08PUPLUWh-416mwlteG_8wpNWtQ/edit?usp=sharing