Today.....Nick Morfitt from NM & The No Man Band.
What was the first record you bought?
Uncle Jam Wants You - Funkadelic. My local shop was selling them off cheap and I think I bought three copies in quick succession, all of which I defaced with crayon and jelly. Guess I wasn't up to feeling the funk. The Groundhogs Split is the first "rock" record I bought. Tony McPhee's processed guitar blues shronk and cheap Patchouli oil was a heady mix to my young self.
What was the last record you bought?
Electronic Music Vol 4 on Turnabout Records. Also Cheesy Nirvosa's soundpieces/Ambient Geek Sleep Aids needs a mention.
What's one thing about you that very few people know?
I have three nipples. I also may be a re-incarnated soldier from WW2 but that's a long story I can't remember. Go ask my mum.
If you could record with any one artist who would it be and why?
Good, tough question this. Syd Barrett sprang to mind. Less because of the myth and more because he was a very instinctual musician. I'd have to say early 70's era Tangerine Dream. There's something about an ego-less exploration of deep space via analogue electronics that's much more appealing and imaginative than the usual band dynamic.
Who should we be listening to right now?
Earth Dream by Komodo Haunts on Bandcamp/Harmonic Articulation. I've been addicted to the opening track Mountain Demon(Descent) since that came out. Tuluum Shimmering's take on Dark Star is also worth a mention. For a jam that has seemingly been exhausted of any new musical approaches(by the Dead themselves),this takes it off in an altogether new direction entirely and after 90 minutes, you're craving 90 more. Any Sloow Tapes release! Plus an early blues/jazz cut a day keeps the demons away.
Vinyl, CD, digital or cassette?
I would have said vinyl but I think it's becoming too saturated with dodgy deluxe pressings, overpricing on second hand stuff, not enough care and attention paid to the quality. So I'm going CASSETTE! I'm shocked/amazed at how much good stuff is leaking out on tape at the moment,it's a real eye opener. It'll never threaten the digital mass market but that's so not the point. It's really offering a good, analogue warm, affordable platform to musicians to get thier music out and slowly but surely, is bringing back a bit of grassroots heart back to the music "industry". Plus I record on cassette so anything else would have been dishonest.
Tell us about your latest release.
The Stone Tape is my first release as NM and the No Man Band and a good summation/encapsulation of my home-recorded Pysch Folk explorations of the last five years. Recorded at home on Tascam Analogue four-track using technology of varying merit over about 4 months. Used my balcony for percussion. As much as I appreciate good production, I always go for a "field recording"/off-hand sound. If it feels right I just run with it. I'm kind of aware that my music sounds like it was beamed in from another decade but it's accident more than design.I've got so many PG era Genesis/Floyd/Yes albums stamped onto my subconscious (thanks to my cool, late Dad) that when I turn the songwriting tap on that stuff can't help but flood out somehow. And outsider songsters like Skip Spence, Bobb Trimble and Kenneth Higney appeal more to my sensibilities than the usual singer songwriter touchstones. I like noise in the cracks. Digital recording kills my soul a little each time and I'm so used to working with analogue that it's become part of the process. I also have to thank the wonderful scenery of Hergest Ridge for providing the nature and cohesion for this first proper effort of presenting myself to the world. Oh and if you ever visit Scunthorpe, then Side 2 Backwoods Narcolepsy is my sonic evocation of local fishing hole Silica Sands - my Strawberry Fields.
What's next for you, musically?
A joint E.P with my good friend The Wilderness Recordings is in talks. Looks like that may feature my more song based stuff. A second NM and the No Man Band EP/LP all hoping. All I can tell you is that it's probably gonna be less woodsy, more cosmic/anarchic/bluesy but still with the emphasis on tip-top songwriting and acoustic textures. I have to fight my inner temptation to make my own Ummagumma, but you have been warned!
What's for dinner?
One Apple Pie...AND NO CRUST!
https://nmandthenomanband.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/pages/NM-and-the-No-Man-Band/323964784447545?ref=hl
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