Hen Ogledd, a four piece featuring Richard Dawson, have signed to the Domino imprint Weird World and have a new album called Mogic on the way (November 16) but before all that you can watch the video for excellent new single ‘Problem Child’ right now.
Hen Ogledd (the name of The Old North, a region covering southern Scotland and northern England, prior to the Middle Ages) was initially a partially improvisatory vehicle for experimental music made by Dawson and harpist Rhodri Davies. The pair released their self-titled debut album on alt.vinyl in 2013.
The duo expanded to a trio when they were joined by Dawn Bothwell and their second ever gig was recorded and released as Bronze in 2016.
Anyone who has been keeping tabs on this outfit and already knows the above information will no doubt be surprised at ‘Problem Child’. First things first, they’ve expanded once more, this time announcing Sally Pilkington as new member. Secondly there is the change of direction. Out (one would presume) is the odd blend of composition and free improvisation and in is a new sound which could roughly be described as synth heavy post punk (think early Simple Minds) with a vocal style that sounds occasionally like a Geordie Peter Gabriel. And in, also, come the capes.
A spokesperson for the band says: "Each hailing from historically different tribal regions of the Old North, the musicians on Mogic challenge the idea that the ancient world was rife with magic, while the new is infiltrated by cold logic. The tracks on Mogic create new phantasmal blends of images and ideas that draw upon the mystical and technological. Mogic is a discombobulating pop prayer exploring artificial intelligence, witches, nanotechnology, pre-medieval history, robots, romance, computer games and waterfalls.
"This dynamic record of eddies and swirls, ravishing melodies, hallucinatory textures and bonkers rhythms is pinned down by some deft performances: Pilkinton’s picture-perfect pop and earthy singing, Davies’ blazing harp splutterations and guitar moans, Bothwell’s twisted telephone techno and bamboozling lyric-bombs and Dawson’s utter bass. No small mention must go to special guest Will Guthrie, one of the finest and classiest drummers there is, who’s all over this record like long grass on dunes."
Hen Ogledd Live Dates
Thursday 29 November – Star & Shadow, Newcastle
Friday 30 November – Courtyard Theatre, London
Saturday 1 December – Brunswick Club, Bristol
Sunday 2 December – Chapter Arts, Cardiff
Watch this space for more Hen Ogledd news
