Poems & Lyrics by John Collie (1856)Poems & Lyrics by John Collie (1856)Homo Homini Lupus (compilation)The Troubled Times: Sparkle TubeThe Troubled Times: dDAThe Troubled Times: Unsteady GroundFeatherston Free Sound EnsembleRuasagavulu ka lima (Fiji)
“Some seriously scrambled dissonance. 80’s vocals hits 60’s electro/cut-up nonsense whilst smothering an ever mutating bassline […] the track contains more musical ideas in its 5 mins than some exhibit in musical careers.” – Simon Baker, What Lies Beneath
“Some seriously scrambled dissonance. 80’s vocals hits 60’s electro/cut-up nonsense whilst smothering an ever mutating bassline […] the track contains more musical ideas in its 5 mins than some exhibit in some musical careers.” – Simon Baker, What Lies Beneath
(Dave solo – A-side is bass & electronics, B-side is clarinet & electronics)
Solo suite for electric guitar, bass and electric drums – one single take of each, using overdubs to create a virtual trio.
Tracks 1-3 and 12 recorded early January 2024 – the rest recorded 6th February 2024, in Featherston, Aotearoa / New Zealand
The title ‘Quietism‘ refers not so much to the sound, but to the absence of vocals – or any reference to current news or politics. Part of the fiffdimension aesthetic is a certain wilful irrelevance, and ignoring of trends.
The last track ‘Hypnopompia‘ (waking up) experiments with a possible new ambient style.
The cover art is an abstract scribble drawing – attempting to bypass conscious self-doubt and create ‘something… anything’. A theme also explored in works such as Assembling Disconsonant (2023).
“Double disc collection of more than two decades’ worth of live and studio-recorded tunes by Dave Edwards, who you may have heard recently as part of The Troubled Times with Antony Milton. It’s quite a diverse listen!
You get some concise and catchy pop songs, some full-on rockers, banjo excursions, improv freak-out, poetry, acoustic blues, folk songs, scrambled noise… there’s something here for everybody. A good intro to Dave’s dauntingly deep discography.”
A collection of short tracks by Dave Edwards and collaborators.
Celebrating 25 years of fiffdimension!
2CD double album. 35 tracks spanning 25 years. Comes in gatefold card case with full colour photography by Jechtography and James Gilberd. Includes download of the digital album.
Limited Edition classy glassy mastered CD Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album Only 100 copies of this. Pro manufactured glass mastered CD packaged in 4 panel card wallet.
A contrasting companion piece, with all but the last track recorded the same day; a thoroughly kinetic affair bursting with energy and ecstatic passion.
“a loud and noisy nocturnal romp through the hills and onto the gravel back roads of one of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s least visited regions. All recorded ‘New Zealand style’ in [my] garage.”
“T’were a noble sight to see the mighty men of old, who bled that their countries might be free from the tyrants’ fatal hold – yet I’d deem it a nobler sight by far to behold the sons of the harp & lyre!
“[…] If aught can claim a spirit’s admiration, Sure it must be this beautiful creation“
“I liked the lyrics… the the way meaning gets assembled through shattered snap shots of a picture we may never see” – Dr Emit Snake-Beings
Method
New improvisational raw material post-composed & aleatory generative texts added, in a kiwi accent: I did the bass improvisation first, then played along with it on guitar and banjo, then improvised vocals with nonsensical words (Paul McCartney conjuring ‘get back’ in the documentary), transcribed, rewrote into English words (if not grammar), and fed that into Google search and read out cutups (Burroughs) of the search results to supplement it… I’ve had hangups for years about writing, so was looking for ways to short circuit my conscious doubt. the title ‘assembling disconsonant’ describes the method?
meaning is optional
chance methods are supplementary
but starting with the bass part ensures the whole thing is built on a (human) groove
Assembling disconsonant, (fine do it all in half take); hours of wisdom, years of folly.
Far digressed – how far digressed at a woeful seed inconsolate engraver’s nest How hard to be in vain
How many times of an awkward persuasion upon the twenty years and twenty more and hence the days of which were gone & now to rest. A suitor sang he was inclined to raise the best achievements blessed & heard the worst & called a hearse & vain & vaguely followed favour on the rest declined. Declined in favour on the rest to be the best & live in vain achiever’s nest with leave was blesst & obviating scrying Meticulously dragged upon & a bird’s beak greed construed with macroeconomic trade sessions, subscriptions now open declined (the underappreciated Old Testament Galatians had suffered great reproach). Many afflictions & persecutions, theoretical thrifty gene.
Nothing more than had to be at said, nothing more that had to be at days, tomb towards them in time, hand the rest in brave the test in mouth begotten porcupine time expands in furtive graze to grind.
The only hope for awkward days In said to be at sun was said to set in severed set in needle’s rest in groove.
Nonsensical of syllables attempting to reinstitute a thing for an institution only slightly half dizzy – he’d gotten off work at only 5:20…
credits
released May 6, 2023 Dave Black – bass, classical guitar, banjo, vocal
fiffdimension 
