overheard conversation, Robyn Hitchcock, Suicide, several decades of post punk, Psychic TV, Faust, psychedelia, FSK. John Cale, Yoko Ono, Julian Cope, the Raincoats, Neubauten, pop, punk and lots of noise
annalogue is a parasol that covers anything that ann has recorded, performed or thought of outside of the Fflaps ('87 - '92) and Ectogram ('93 - ) ...from lo-fi cassette recordings ('83 - '88) to 80 minute studio recorded and live performance with the Camre Cain Dance Company in '93 through to 21 hours of recording used for Brif Gof's (Welsh avant-garde theatre) summer show in '96 to the present self contained recordings done for the sheer joy of picking up any instrument, pressing record on anything that records and seeing what happens. She also collaborates with the north Wales artist and sculptor Wanda Zyborska. Live shows comprise of recorded and live music by annalogue and performance by Wanda and Ann. See Video under annalogue blog for a taste of rubber, art and music.
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annalogue Debut LP BROCKEN SPECTRE is OUT NOW on Atol Records Pre-order and buy from www.ankst.net Or from any good record shop.
Brocken Spectre is a traditional length 12 inch VINYL LP – containing 12 tracks that will fit neatly on to one side of a C90. All new songs, written, recorded and produced by annalogue, from the fair Isle of Anglesey....
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SIDE A
Brocken Symmetry, Anomic Recipe. Ship of Mistook, Know your Vessels. Smaller Leaner, Tony Wilson. SIDE B
Eve's Drop, Sudden Desert, Corn Curl, Cappo Incognito, Apron! Incontinuation.
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Review Organ Magazine. by Sean Worrell
1st May '09: ALBUM REVIEW: ANNALOGUE – Broken Spectre (Atol) - Now there is no indication that this is deliberately coming out on Beltaine (as in today), a May Day release does feel just right though, especially when you dip a first toe in to the inviting waters of opening track Broken Symmetry (and who releases an album on a Friday unless it is a date-tying deliberate act anyway?). This is inviting spiritual drip-drip twinkling warmth and instant otherly magic from Ann Matthews - for this is a first solo album from Ann, she of Welsh experimental band Ectogram (and previous to that post-punk noise makers Fflaps). Released as a vinyl only thing (although you can buy the download version should you wish to not have the proper magic of vinyl and the art in hand to study) and perfect for this sunny Beltaine warnth today... Something very different here, rather magical, sprinkled dust and glowing tunes that slowly uncoil in a very experimental, delightfully different, very welcoming soothing inviting way.. Delicate textures, fragile layers, primitive recordings that are so so rich in sound and form (if it is primitive then very positively so), genuinely avant and experimental yet so easy and inviting - nothing hard boiled or awkward here, every slowly placed considred note, every sound an invite to go further in and discover more, and invite to bathe in the different sounds, you can’t just dip a toe in to these delights, you can’t help but go under and bask in it all for hours and hours. They are songs, nothing that conventional though, whispered words, dust in the sunlight through the cracks, natural sounds, chimes, embroidered multi-layered simplicity, lines of words and bits of tunes that take their own way, no regard for convention – always tunes though, always formed and structured, never mere experiments with sound and word... these are most certainly songs. Broken Spectre is an absolute delight of an album. An album alive, alive with those whispers, those chimes, alive with that tick tock and those gentle colliding rocks, the gentle bells, the clicks, those shadows and the mysterious otherworldly warmth of it all. Reference points? Well there aren’t really any obvious reference points, no clichéd cats and dogs and cogs and maybe a not quite so obvious Psychic TV? A touch or two of Faust? Dead Can Dance? Webcore’s magic? Not too many drums on here though, none of that Webcore forward motion, more the otherly magic and knowing mystery. Recorded in North Wales, the Isle Of Anglesey.... flutes, hums, drones that never actually become drones, words, lines that catch your ear and then retreat in to the body of the sound again, some kind of Pagan spiritual thing that never nails any colours that obviously. A magical beautiful treat of a highly recommended album and a perfect Beltaine release for this first warm day of a new summer, who’d have thought it...
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JULIAN COPE PRESENTS HEAD HERITAGE – JULY 09
http://www.headheritage.co.uk/addressdrudion/122/2009
Finally, the Vinyl of the Month award must go to Welsh chanteuse’n’molto-talent Ann Matthews for her BROCKEN SPECTRE LP. Released on Ankst Records’ experimental offshoot Atol (ankst.net), this epic solo journey (which comes under the project name Annalog), features a wispy multi-tracked Matthews vocalizing, shrieking like Freyja Aswynn, scatting, humming, sometimes cooing like Betty Boop on helium, all the while providing almost the entire musical backdrop. Imagine the Agrarians’ fragile domestic muse transplanted to the lea of Snowdonia and you’re hinting at the alternative world caught within the crackling midranges of BROCKEN SPECTRE’s epic vinyl, which ultimately captures that same late summer Ambient Pantry vibe that Robert Martin captured on his LONG GOODBYE LP. A beautiful thing.
JULIAN (Archdrude of Wessex)
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Another Review this time from the seminal SOUND PROJECTOR magazine see on line at
thanks Ed.
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Brainwashed 09 written by John Kealy
This vinyl only release is the work of Ann Matthews and it is a hazy mix of childlike experimentation, a far cry from her usual work with Ectogram. She discards any of the usual approaches from her day job and explores her methods of songwriting and musicianship from a very different angle. Although initially difficult to digest, the music here is a wonderful mix of disintegrated pop and primal improvisation.
After delving under its surface, Brocken Spectre is a complicated album. On one hand, the songs do not rely on complex arrangements or even straightforward verse and chorus structures. Matthews instead pushes in another direction entirely, taking a looser approach to song structure. Her idiosyncratic style permeates the entire album, making it first appear self-indulgent and difficult to an outsider. The album was a blur for my first few listening sessions, finding a foothold within the music was a hard task even though I am familiar with Matthews’ work in Ectogram. However, with time I have come to appreciate (although not fully understand) Matthews’ approach. Brocken Spectre is an audio parallel of automatic writing. Her flow of consciousness take on recording brings together ideas that are strange but wonderful.
The first side of this LP is both familiar and alienating; Matthews’ voice instantly recognizable but the unusual playing style and frankly surreal mix (great use of stereo separation and creation of a 3D environment with these sounds) make the songs feel more intimidating than they should be. “Anomic Recipe” and “Know Your Vessels” both have an endearingly peculiar vibe. Contrary to these pieces, the end of side A features the stunning “Tony Wilson,” which shows Matthews at her most infectious. The eastern influence making the music feel light and the presence of a distinct beat drives the song. It sticks out amongst the other songs on Brocken Spectre as Matthews deviates from the open structures she adopts on most of other pieces.
Things get weirder on side B but at this point I am firmly in Matthews’ world and can appreciate the surroundings far more easily. The clarinet on “Eve’s Drop” sounds like some unhappy creature from a fairy tale; slowly it becomes enchanted by Matthews’ singing and the beast is calmed. Elsewhere, Matthews employs the click of a Biro pen and the sound of rocks being hit together to drive “Corn Curl.” While such odd instrumentation is expected from someone who has worked with Faust in the past, her use of these and other usually non-musical sources never seem contrived. I cannot help but feel that Matthews is in love with sound.
Brocken Spectre is self-indulgent and lacks focus. Yet although these notions would normally be negative criticisms, this serves more as a warning to lazy listeners than a deterrent to all listeners. Matthews has moved away from her comfort zone and made something very personal. Not everyone will get it but sometimes not getting it is what makes an album work. In this case, I certainly do not get it but I enjoy it nonetheless.
Happy to discover new "songs" about you. I love always your two fist lps of Fflaps... Great masterpieces... But... Your voice is always so magic ! With Ectogram and this project you follow to make great sensitive things between noise experimentation, onirism and stange ambiant. Take care. I hope to see you soon on stage in Breizh with one of your project ! @+ Big Bisous Rachid Bara aka Claude Darmor des Baragouineurs
Hey Ann! Sorry I missed your guys gig on Friday! Was planning on coming but had two gigs on Saturday in Havorford west and newport so decided to drive down to Aber so there was less driving on Saturday!! I gave it a plug on my Adam Walton Blog though :) haha... Did it go well? Hope soooo! xxxxx
High! Pablo here, reporting in from Inner Space to wish you Happy February & a great 2009! (we interrupt this comment with a brief announcement: Pablo's first new album in 5 years,"Take Two," Is Here & Now! -16 tracks of sugar coated insanity-available on iTunes, CD Baby, etc.) - Stop by my page to hear 4 new songs! God bless!!! P (P.S. the new album is best appreciated on a higher plane....;))
