linear Obsessional

The Black Path – The Album

black-path-poster

 

Linear Obsessional is proud to release this compilation of pieces that almost accidently refer to the demise of the once great steel making tradition on Teesside, in the North East of England.

“The Black Path” was an exhibition held at the House of Blah Blah in Middlesbrough in January 2016. This CD is a recording of sounds, music and poetry from that exhibition.

The download includes a 24 page PDF booklet of notes, photographs from the exhibition, and an essay by Alistair Nixon.

released October 21, 2016

https://linearobsessional.bandcamp.com/album/the-black-path

The Black Path is an ancient route. It has been many things: the northern boundary of an Anglian Kingdom, a medieval sailor’s trod, and a convenient path to work for the steelworkers of Middlesbrough.
The Black Path Project commenced in early 2015 as collaboration between Chris Whitehead and Gavin Parry, they soon realised that a number of other artists in the area had also created work based around the path. They then set about contacting artists and asking them if they would be willing to join the project with a goal of producing an exhibition. Once assembled, they approached the House of Blah Blah, who were very enthusiastic about the project and agreed to work with the group.
The goal of the project was to present a contemporary response to the Black Path, at the time no one could have predicted what events unfold over the following months in terms of the collapse of the steel industry. This project now has an added poignancy; it has accidentally captured the end of an era.
The exhibition and show features, field recordings, paintings, photographs, sculptures and music, all created as a response to the Black Path. The exhibition commences with a performance by two groups of musicians, Ammonites and Warped Freqs. both of who have written music especially for this occasion.

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

I would also like to recommend the latest release on Richard Sanderson’s wonderful Linear Obsessional Label entitled Two Minutes Left.

Two Minutes Left is a beautifully eclectic compilation which includes pieces by local artists Chris Whitehead and Soiled/Marcus H. Teesside-born Richard has even been kind enough to include a couple of my ham-fisted efforts .

Two Minutes

Subtitled “87 uses for a microphone” “Two Minutes Left” is an end-of-year open access compilation which results from a recent call for works. All the pieces use a microphone in the creation – after that it was entirely up to the creators. Featuring contributions from improvisers, composers, singers, field recordists and sound artists,the compilation presents a dizzying array of approaches – from intimate whisperings into a smartphone, to exquisitely crafted miniatures- and featuring contributions from the USA, Australia, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Spain, Scotland, Italy, China, Argentina and England. And every track is exactly two minutes long.

The compilation is available for free download and includes a lovely PDF booklet which also includes some of Richard’s beautiful photographs.

https://linearobsessional.bandcamp.com/album/two-minutes-left

It’s worth putting Richards Comments here and I apologise to all the talented Teessiders that I failed to mention in my initial post.

Thanks for this! There are actually a few Teesside connected tracks – the Dead Voices on Air track includes recordings from Riverside Stadium, the Marcus H/Soiled track features recordings from Skinningrove works and a Redcar Chinese restaurant, the It WillTurn Into A Head track was recorded in M’bro in 1980, Duncan Goddard and Steve Dinsdale are both from Marske, The Field Family from Middlesbrough and Billy Oblivion is from Stockton. Happy Christmas!