The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table is a collective. At times a solitary collective, but the forthcoming release DISCO 1,000 sees the involvement of a number of musicians other than the Autocrat himself: FNØRD (Percussion, Voice), ANNOUCHKA BAYLEY (Voice, Antlers), EIRAN DAVIES (Frumhorn) and others to be confirmed.
Influences
Ideally I would have the voice of Kate Bush and the body of George Jones. Or quite possibly the other way around.
My greatest musical experience was playing When The Saints Go Marching In with Roy Castle. I don't think I can ever top that.
The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table came into being when I found a copy of Oliver Wendell Holmes' book. I'd been looking for a name and this one seemed to suit. The first release was the album MOSCOW OR TENNESSEE in 2004, which was a conceptual work about Soviet history. This was followed in 2005 by a recording of incidental music for SAOSHYANT, a play based on Zoroastrian and Sufi traditions. At the start of the 2006, I released OKINAWA EP, the record of a rainy day in a hotel room in Manza (err, in Okinawa...) with a bottle of awamori. Then there was a collection of old field recordings made during an extended stay in the Kii Peninsula, Japan, called OWASE SOUNDS. In 2007, I finally finished what had been called DISCO 1,000, but in the end was called ...ON ICE.
And 2008? There's an another EP called MY SUMMER OF LOVE/MY F***ING SUMMER on the way. I play New York in February in my occasional Japanese enka guise for which I've yet to come up with a good name.
There's a number of collaborations in the offing. Tomorrow (it's the 1st of January today), I start work with Russell James Palmer on his next album EARLY MUSIC, producing, feeding and otherwise teasing music from this most fine singer and songwriter. I'm looking forward to this. Then, in March I should be performing with Annouchka Bayley (Radio Mori below) in her play "Queen of the Whores" at various locations in the UK which again I'm really looking forward to.
What else? I'm trying to resuscitate my classical guitar technique after too many years of playing. I still like cheese. And gin.
A much better source, and comparably more updated site, about The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table is the Radio Orchestrar LiveJournal link to the left.
The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table's Friend Space (Top 14)
The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table has 114 friends.
The Kittiwakes - CD Launch - Clerkenwell 22nd June
Leigh-on-Sea 3-piece, The Kittiwakes, celebrate the release of their Midwich Records debut, ‘Lofoten Calling’, a collection of original folk songs written about the people, landscape, folklore and history of the Lofoten Islands above the Arctic Circle and influenced by the traditional music of Norway and the British Isles.
'The Kittiwakes craft timeless and magical acoustically dappled folk treats - gentle and alluring ostensibly Gaelic in sound texture and gorgeously flighty braided as they are by corteges of mandolins, accordions and violins.' [LOSING TODAY]
'The Kittiwakes (rissa tridactyla): delicious, intriguing and evocative music, beautifully played and sung by this talented trio. Recommended to twitchers and lovers of folk music alike' [LEIGH FOLK FESTIVAL]
Thanks for including us on your friends list. I hope that you liked the songs!
As a Boston radio station said about our first album.........
“This isn't just the best damned drinking album of the year; it's the best damned CD to play before you go out drinking to pump yourself up album of the year”
I reckon it also goes for our live show. So come along one day, see if you can drink us under the table and dance us off of the stage!
Cheers (p.s. the second album is even better!! with free downloads on Myspace)
YOu've been signed by Paint Can Records. Please send us photos of paint cans and others with paint on your hands. You don't need a glossy or close up, just your soul, PAint Can Records
lol i'm so amped i had to come fill you in on the goods!! know those offers flyin around for cash cards? i went ahead and tried the free $500 towards Macys, and surprisingly it did work i can't believe it. you should go here and get one too, you see...?
Thanks so much for the kind words about my music, my heroes and my taste in hats. It's particularly nice to cross paths with a mutual admirer of Bill Fay and other kindred spirits -- especially one who make such beautiful and compelling music. I just got home from New York City, by the way, where I obtained another wonderful hat. I'll try to post a picture of it soon. Take care,
St.Albans is 15 minutes from Kings Cross. For directions to The Mummification Centre of St. Albans please see the following link…
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=515750&y=207250&z=1&sv=515750,207250&st=4&ar=N&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&ax=515502&ay=207747
