a lesser love brew

Into the Universe

Ambient jam recorded 17/08/2025 w/ Isaac Robertson and Leo Turton.

Glare

When the covid-19 pandemic started, in a mixture of distress and concern, it was hard to block out the imagination and its ability to dream up how far things could go. In what feels like a lost tape from a field trip in nuclear fallen-out land, Malvern Brume paints a world seemingly abated. Occasional muffled dictaphone note-taking punctuates caustic interruptions, cryptic utterances, the hollow chime of steel panelling, the movement of 'something' under the gravelly surface. When the journey comes to an end, a crescendo of static noise comes to fore and we hear the splash of water, it becomes apparent that wherever we are is fairly similar to where we are right now.

---

All sounds recorded in London between April and March 2020 during lockdown. Made using various instruments, devices, field recordings and objects including; a synthesiser, modified violin and penny whistle, balloons, tape recorders, bird whistles, bells, a sampler, gardening tools, E3 dawn chorus and other materials found around the house. Both poems were written in response to walks through Victoria park during lockdown.

All music recorded, mixed & mastered by Malvern Brume.

Cover design by Oliver Barrett.

TR001 - Malvern Brume "Gaps in persistent hiss" [sample]

Digital Download and Limited Edition Cassette available here: https://tinyurl.com/yy25qwew

JUNGLE GYM RECORDS presents "Days Of Adaption", official return of Berlin's "Mark" (formerly "The Marx Trukker"). Mind-mapping waveforms drift through open garden window, past flowerbeds and into the stream below... each a fleeting impression forever lost to the breeze. A technician's sketchbook opened here for the very first time, "Days Of Adaption" makes regular adjustments, a quiet search for self-improvement, and a place to call home. Exclusively from JUNGLE GYM.

@the-marx-trukker

[JGT49] "Days Of Adaption" - Mark (Previews)

"While the Coronavirous lockdown made many things impossible or infinitely more difficult and painful, it also opened up an unprecedented space to think, to reflect and to work in ways that the usual pressures deny. 

On March 17th David Toop and Lucie Stepankova were due to play in a trio with Yifeat Ziv at Café Oto; then on April 9ththey were also booked to play at Iklectik as a duo. Both gigs were cancelled, of course, because of the virus. In support of Iklectik, Lucie and David agreed to record a track together in the only way possible, by exchanging files and passing mixes back and forth across the aether. The feeling of working on this first track was positive so they decided to make a mini-album. One of the elements from the first track was a reading by Lucie of a passage from Kenya Hara’s book, On White, and this preoccupation with colour became a theme for the whole project. Other tracks were inspired by the writings of Himla af Klint on mystical blue, Hokusai on shades of black, François Jullien on the six colours of Chinese ink and Cees Noteboom on the yellow/orange hue of a ceramic bowl. 

Jullien wrote of a transition from ‘physical concretion to spirit dimension’, according to the dilution of the ink. This is how these tracks felt as they emerged between April and June of extraordinary times. When the album was finished it seemed fitting to offer it to Café Oto in a gesture of support and hopefulness for the future of London’s key venues. 

David Toop and Lucie Stepankova have previously played in duos at Café Oto, Iklectik and at the Jhilava documentary film festival. They have also played in trios with Yifeat Ziv at Hundred Years Gallery, Tania Caroline Chen at Iklectik and John Butcher at Hangar Bicocca, Milan." - David & Lucie

TR061 - David Toop & Avsluta - Blue Ether

The Duo Ludwig Wittbrodt, that‘s Emily Wittbrodt on cello and Edis Ludwig on laptop and drums. The two develop a thicket of sounds and melodies that absorbs us in a completely unpretentious way and fills us with associations and warmth. Sometimes in the jungle, sometimes under water in the desert, we are reminded of the achievements of both Krautrock and Neue Musik, of early electronic music as well as Drone and Ambient.

At first glance, Emily and Edis seem to be an unequal couple. She has an academic background as a cellist, he is self-taught with his main instrument being computer and programming. She is active in Free Jazz, he drums with the rock band Düsseldorf Düsterboys. On the other hand, both have been active in the Free Improv scene in the German Rhine-Ruhr region for years - for example in ensembles such as The Dorf or Hilde (Emily) and Nasssau or Transport (Edis).

After some concerts and a first tour now is the time for the release of the group‘s debut album. Ludwig Wittbrodt will be released on cassette (yes, on real music cassette) and of course digitally. These four tracks, which evolved from a mixture of improvisation and joint composing, show the musical communication between Edis and Emily, but also the fun of combining moods, styles and instruments, which, according to our dusty listening habits, are surprising and irritating in a pleasant way.

Ludwig Wittbrodt

Ludwig Wittbrodt - Prélude, All Deserts Filled With Water

Ned Lagin's Seastones is a pioneering electronic composition interweaving metaphors from nature, science, art and music and the origins of music. Reflecting the technology, science, modern art, new ecological awareness and optimism of the times and culture, Seastones embodies the history of electronic music by taking full advantage of tape music, analog synthesizers and computer technology to create pieces that are dynamic, rich and deep.

Originally released by the Grateful Dead's Round Records in 1975, Seastones' reputation as a gem of electronic music was further enhanced by the celebrity of the musicians who contributed to the source material. Seastones musicians include Ned Lagin (processed piano, clavichord, organ, prepared piano, electric piano, synthesizers), Jerry Garcia (processed electric guitar, pedal steel guitar, voice), Phil Lesh (processed electric bass), David Crosby processed electric guitar and vocals), Grace Slick and David Freiberg (processed vocals), and Mickey Hart and Spencer Dryden (percussion).

This new LP presents two crafted Seastones sets (Sets 4 and 5, 18 tracks) drawn from the entire Seastones composition and contains gorgeous extended processed vocals by Garcia, Crosby, Slick and Freiberg, and beautiful abstract instrumental passages by Lagin and all.

Ned Lagin - Seastones - Seastones 03 - LP available Nov. 3, 2020

‘speeltijd’ Is a selection of music collected by Liesbeth Feys and ijf Boullet from over the last 4 years. Everything is played, sung or made with children. The mix contains echoes of forgotten theme parks, medieval markets, percussion workshops, school telly and heartbreaking children stories. You either love it or hate it. For us it’s some of the best and honest music ever made.

Liesbeth & ijf

https://socialharmony.bandcamp.com/merch/speeltijd

speeltijd (C93 mixtape excerpts)

Live recording from Keiji Haino his concert at les ateliers claus on 7th October 2019 - Brussels, Belgium

We all know Keiji Haino as a legendary musician and it's always a special experience to host him. The day prior to his concert at les ateliers claus, he came to Brussels and expressed his wish to do some record shopping. And so we did - in between soundcheck and the actual concert. Keiji Haino likes to hear unique sounds and performers and so we went on a search. In a certain store in Brussels I made him listen to one of my favourite albums by Igor Wakhevitch (Hator) - he listened and promised me half-jokingly his performance at les ateliers claus would be better.

LAC003 - Keiji Haino "God's Favorite Experiences - Part 1"

Playlist and other information available at: https://www.freeformfreakout.com/fffoxy-podcast-177-paradigm-discs-feature/

*The episode includes an interview with Clive Graham of Paradigm Discs.

FFFoxy Podcast #177: Paradigm Discs feature

As you can imagine we are under huge pressure at the moment and are working flat out to ensure Cafe OTO survives this. The impact of this situation is extremely acute for small venues like ours and we need all the support we can get to pull through. Please donate what you can, if you can. Thank you. 

Cafe OTO opened in April 2008 with the aim of providing a home for creative new music that exists outside of the mainstream. It comprises one large cafe/performance space open during the day serving food and drink with an evening programme of live music almost seven nights a week. 

OTOROKU is part of OTOProjects - a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) that has been set up to manage the programme at Café Oto. Any profits from OTOROKU are put back into supporting what we do and will help us to continue programming the best musicians and performers from all over the world.

www.cafeoto.co.uk

TR001 - Malvern Brume "Gaps in persistent hiss" [sample]

cafeOTO

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