MFS has turned fifteen! My introductory thoughts on this landmark can be found here, but long story short: I asked some folks from the MFS community to help me celebrate by picking some selections from the archives, and possibly sharing some thoughts or stories.
Today's list is from Del Stephen.
i'm very glad to be participating in this 15-year anniversary celebration of a real good thing: talking about mechanical forest sound (MFS). i've said it many times before, to various people who enjoy music, as well as joe strutt himself, and still i worry that it hasn't been said enough just how immensely valuable MFS is. as a fellow sound recording archivist, i have to believe that the kind of (life's!) work that joe has been doing all these years with MFS is the kind that will drastically increase in value as time goes on, just like so many of the recordings/posts on the site already have, i would say. honestly, i'd even be willing to say that it's thanks to archives like MFS that certain events will eventually become what we consider to be positively 'historic' (and i've touched on this a little bit in 1 of my selections). so here i am wondering aloud and inviting joe to respond when it suits him: let us know what we can do to help ensure MFS continues to serves the community (+ extended community) for years to come. thank you joe strutt for your continued devotion and for being my friend.
see below for some long-winded (as per usual) scribbled notes on 5 selections from the archives. the common thread is that i happened to deeply enjoy being at each of them. next birthday party i'll pick a few that i did not attend (there are so many that i've experienced solely through joe's recorded excerpts).
Zacht Automaat - Lay Lady Lay
Recorded at Matt Durant Studio (Feast In The East 64), September 23, 2017.
this was the best! matt durant's studio is/was quite far away from the apartment i lived at the time; i recall deciding to take the long way there to properly charge up for this show (a straight queen street car from 1 end of the line to the other...all the way to the depot, wow!). it was a packed house for feast in the east. and yummy food- maybe there was a samosa or 2 left by the time i arrived (late, but just in time for this set by 1 of my favourites). listening back today, i'm still bobbing my head in every direction! i love when music makes me laugh because of how good it is, especially at a show, and i definitely laughed a lot at this 1. colin fisher blew a hole in the ceiling with his saxophone and grasshopper was all over the place with his camcorder. 'lay lady lay' to end the set made me feel happy; it was a sweet interpretation of the tune and a wonderful time. i remember 1 of the first things i noticed upon arriving was seeing what i presumed to be a couple of joe's recorders positioned up on a fireplace mantle(?) or some sort of shelf on a wall opposite the stage. it was a real good and safe spot, and i was glad to prop my own portable tape recorder right up there too. thank you zacht automaat for always leaving everything out there on the court and for defending your championships approximately once a year.
Karen Ng - [excerpt]
Recorded at a house party, November 2, 2019.
this was up around dufferin/davenport in the basement of andrew finlay stewart's, a great friend and creative partner of mine. it was a party and then there'd be music. a lot of people huddled up in this tiny living room (or at least it felt tiny for the amount of people that had filled it), without being able to make such a choice, i happened to be sat right in front of karen ng's decided 'stage' and there was nowhere for me to run. so i sat there and enjoyed this set very much, no choice (and no choice necessary) but to welcome the warm sonic embrace/blast/whispers of her saxophone. i remember there were a lot of friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends in attendance. the next time that i witnessed karen playing a solo set was the complete opposite: alone on the couch in the kitchen area of arrayspace while her and the rest of the audience sat on the other side of the closed door. a story for another time. thank you karen ng for every note and for always being real.
Off World - unknown
Recorded at Ratio (Off World LP 1 Release Weekend – Night 3), October 23, 2016.
i went to this show by myself and didn't know anybody that was there, at least not personally, as i knew a bunch of local artists in attendance but they surely didn't know who i was. i recognized joe though, which indicated that i was indeed in the right place at the right time. just a few minutes into the off world set, i fell asleep on the floor (or on some cushion) and ended up drifting in and out of sleep multiple times throughout the show. i have a funny memory of joe chuckling as he noticed me waking up in a somewhat startled state at 1 point before passing out again. and unless i have it mixed up with the only other time i attended a show at ratio, i also have a vivid memory of seeing mike smith in the kitchen, who i also hadn't formally met at that time, but who offered me a friendly smile. thank you sandro perri and lorenz peter for the off world dreaming and for every song (if you noticed me sleeping during your set i hope i did not offend).
Orechin/Fraser - unknown
Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #52), July 2, 2019.
i just loved this set by alexei orechin and nick fraser at track could bend so much- i guess enough to still remember it 5 years later. it was hot in that basement, and probably thunderstormed earlier in the day as i noticed it always did (Without fail) every 1st tuesday of the month for a long time. i was really blissing out in my seat and remember having 1 of those moments where i was moving/swaying in body and mind. seriously hard to believe the piece was only 12 or 13 minutes - felt like a lifetime. this was also back when 241 pizza at bloor/havelock had 2 slices + a pop for $1.75 and a big window banner so the whole neighbourhood knew what was up. people would travel from other parts of the city just for the deal. and listening back now, that perfect splash when nick fraser enters the fold is like opening the can of pop and taking that first sip (i'm not really a pop drinker, but it was more expensive if you just bought the 2 slices on its own). thank you alexei orechin and nick fraser for this particularly good time and for often playing well with others.
Nicole Rampersaud - [excerpt]
Recorded at The Baby G (Track Could Bend #39), June 5, 2018.
i can't tell you how many times i've brought up this set in conversation since it happened. i recall there only being a handful of us in attendance, though i could be wrong, and it should be stated that this (obviously) has nothing to do with the incredible music that nicole rampersaud offered us on this date. that being said, i bring up this (possible) fact because over the years i've come to realize that some of my favourite concerts are ones where at some point during the set, while listening to the music, i catch myself looking around the room, noticing each individual audience member, then drawing my visual attention back to the artist, and thinking something like "hah, this is wild, we are the lucky ones!" - i wonder if you do this too? of course there are a ton of shows that come to mind where this has happened, and it seems to me that whether these gigs are recorded/archived or not truly makes no difference to the fact that in another world or in front of another audience or at a different time in history they might be considered 'legendary'. anyway, i'm rambling! thank you nicole rampersaud for all your music and for your kindness.
You can always click on the tags below to look for more stuff from these artists. Has there been five or so songs posted here that made an impact on you? If you'd like to get in on the action and make a list, feel free to send me an email: mechanicalforestsound@gmail.com.
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