(self explanatory)
this ‘entertainment page’ has made the leap from being part of twangCORP (lite), along with its complementary opposite ‘noises_off’). it initially seemed to exist on the dividing line between the two websites.
the on/off thing helps present the process + imperfection all the way from initial scribbled ideas + rehearsal up to presentation, recording + performance.
me_fog
mj is to revive ‘me_fog’ (or a variant thereof) as the preferred ‘stripped down’ vehicle for a series of recordings ¨in as sparse a way as practical¨; and free from reliance on computers at any stage.
our already very small twangCORP project studio has been in periodic turmoil as we fix up and wire some (now) vintage equipment (along with more & more recent acquired gizmos) into the vacated space. we can step away from any casual reliance on a computer during the recording stages – not that our now ancient Macs are of much use anymore.
the first volume has the provisional working title of ‘the unamerican songbook’, and will feature 12 to 16 (tbc) mj tunes spanning several decades, all influenced by late ’50s and early ’60s wireless. more recent ditties juxtapose newer arrangements of older stuff for extended range guitar sometimes with some sort of drum machine (unless we stumble on a useful drummer/percussionist in the meantime).
on top of which september & october 2025 saw an unplanned new set of material coming through, which we hope this will transfer to a live context, using the same kind of minimal portable set up. file under ‘post-beat’, ‘neo-skiffle’ (skuffle?) or whatever until we get a better handle.
track listing to follow, and possible rehearsal video intrusions..?
rehearsal
[notes]
14.Jan.2026
(cold workshop thoughts)
going well despite a few hiccups with malfunctioning second hand equipment. is eBay getting worse or are we at tc just unlucky?
on top of which the world govts are increasingly playing silly bu**ers, and not one country has the gumption or guts to stand up to daily death, theft and coercion; on the contrary, politicians buy more shares in their respective m.i.c.
as thousands either die, are injured or lose their homes/families each week, and no ‘leader’ seems in the least bothered or up to the challenge (even when violence is meted out by the executive on its own people or those under its protection).
on a grand scale still more relatively innocent countries and cultures are about to fall simply to fuel energy needs. this includes the Fake Brains lobby (‘FB’, aka ‘AI’) and the very digital utopia (along with its inexhaustible need to constantly steal) we have all seemingly embraced in some way or t’other.
(none of which seems remotely relevant when trying to extract stuck, leaking batteries to attempt a repair, but I digress)
our own distrust of the self appointed new media experts almost rivals our long held disdain for legacy media. but like pirate radio was co-opted and absorbed by the bbc et al in the mid 60s, it seems likely the identical process will repeat some 60 year on to these media pirates – unless it already has.
it is against this surreal violent backdrop we all continue to pursue the mundane until our own time comes.
(ahhh, white vinegar, success!)
27.Nov.2025
still not one half-decent handle but work continues nonetheless. as ever once rehearsals and the intended finalising of arrangements begins the usually absent tra-la-la muse descends to politely suggest new ideas and tunes.
as one cannot afford to ignore this presence, it has meant the early hours is often spent notating + recording. and with march progressing apace getting to bed before the light starts peeping in is now becoming more and more difficult.
I started out with 12 tunes for this t.u.s. project (see above) and now 16 are in the pot, 4 (maybe 5) out of nowhere that still somehow seem to fit the bill.
of late, however, the early hours have been sidetracked into working on new compositions and arranging for the newly stripped down lo-fi recording set up that is beginning to become part of the overall process. october has seen a completely new set of pieces appear as a consequence of the changes
more anon…