A Colour For Autumn is the second in a series of editions from Australian sound artist Lawrence English that trace the experience of seasonal transit. Following on from For Varying Degrees of Winter (published by Baskaru), A Colour For Autumn reflects on and explores the transitory nature of Autumn - counterpointing the uniformity of the ‘term’ with the varied qualities expressed by landscapes in different countries.

Like all environmental phenomena, seasonal variation is highly localised, and expressed not only visually through vegetation etc, but also sonically as insect life, leaves under foot and fauna all change in response to the climatic shifts. Northern and southern hemisphere experiences of Autumn are strikingly different and it’s also this contrast which rests at the very centre of A Colour For Autumn.

Recorded between 2007-2009, this series of pieces acts almost as small auditory portraits of given spaces in the often gentle throes of Autumn - ‘Droplet’ for example features field recordings gathered in Notre-Dame De La Garde in Marseilles, capturing the infamous ‘Mistral’ wind as it blows the first cooler breezes of Autumn into the city in 2007. By contrast ‘Watching It Unfold’ measures a more Australian experience of Autumn - a series of open static phrases, shifting ever so slightly - a reflection of the slow changes of the season around English’s home of Brisbane.

Working with a range of analog approaches, A Colour For Autumn is a tonally rich affair, sourcing much of it’s sounds from a mixture of instruments, field recordings and assorted electronics. A Colour For Autumn also features contributions from New Zealand’s Dean Roberts (whose vocals adorn the opening moments of the album) and Viennese musician Christian Fennesz, who offers intricate clusters of electronics in ‘The Surface Of Everything’.

This is an album of subtle variation, graded hues and tonal warmth, all of which act as an invitation for the listener to consider their own localised transition of Autumn.

A Colour For Autumn

Watching It Unfold

https://banabila.bandcamp.com/album/a-looming-presence

Written & performed by Michel Banabila & Rutger Zuydervelt.
@maryanka_g: vocal on Cracked Dispatch.
("In the sea there is a marble stone”, Ukrainian traditional)
@oenevangeel: viola & trombone on Cracked Dispatch

A Looming Presence

Cracked Dispatch

Banabila & Machinefabriek: Cracked Dispatch (featuring Maryana Golovchenko & Oene van Geel)

Hope you'll enjoy this under 10 minute dive into my new album out on Sonic Dialogue next week. Preorder for digital and cassette opens today here: sonic-dialogue.bandcamp.com/album/diary-5

The Diary series focuses on the studio process and gives a space to share unfinished pieces and fragmented loops that would have been left on the shelf. Find out more about the album and read about my creative process on the label website here: diary.sonic-dialogue.com/diary05

diary#5 minimix

I discovered Amelia Cuni's music via the stand out "new-age" release, Monsoon Point, back in 1995. While released through the new-age, Osho devotee musicians label, New Earth, Monsoon Point has significant cross-over appeal. 

I learnt that Amelia was an accomplished Dhrupad vocalist. She created a slew of releases that explored experimental hybrids that were reassuringly accessible. Amelia broke new musical ground, challenging norms, though deeply dedicated to traditions and deep learning. Many times, her partner Werner Durand, recorded and performed with her and between them, they have captured some remarkable improvised performances and recordings. 

So, I have created a mix of some of her works weaved in between a number of, what I feel, are sympathetic artists and composer/performers. 

I broadcast these songs on a fill for Ian Parson's, The Sound Barrier on 14.04.2024 at 106.7PBSFM. Here, you get no me, or breaks - I hope you enjoy the mix.

                                                Vale Amelia Cuni.

The songs:
Amelia Cuni & Terry Riley - Crazy World
Richard Skelton - In Ancient Fabricks
Amelia Cuni - Devino Amor
Ryan J.Raffa/Nico Rosenberg & The Svara Ensemble - Velā
Kazuya Matsumoto - Wind Blows from the Mountain at Night
Werner Durand, Amelia Cuni, Victor Meertens - caressing the air 
Karen Vogt - voices four
David Toop - Neo-Noir (Composed By Amelia Cuni/Werner Durand)
Madeline Cocolas - Return Home
Banabila and Machinefabriek - Cracked Dispatch
Wodwo - Every Day Is A Little Bit Easier
Madeline Cocolas - The Creek
Werner Durand, Amelia Cuni, Uli Hohmann - Seconds of Thirst

Weaving Amelia Cuni

Through Global Frequency

Through Global Frequency 10 (feat. Machinefabriek & Simone Eleveld)

From the Bandcamp release Distant Shores.
https://martinhoogeboom.bandcamp.com/album/distant-shores

Shanyio: prepared cimbalom/electronics
João Svayam: tabla/percussion/flute
Martin Hoogeboom: guitar/objects/electronics

Mastered by Rupert Clervaux

João Svayam: tutmonda.bandcamp.com/album/caminho
Shanyio: shanyio.bandcamp.com

Distant Shores 

Distant Shores III

On this edition of Free City Radio we hear from sound artists Ludwig Berger and Pablo Diserens speaking on the Crying Glacier sound album and climate change. This work documents the complex and surprising sounds of glaciers beyond stereotypical images of glaciers deconstructing that are common in the media. This project is a meaningful window into accessing a fuller understanding of both the sonic character of glaciers while it also creates space to reflect in profound ways on how artists can take action in the crisis of climate change today. 

Learn more about this project here:

https://f-o-m.bandcamp.com/album/crying-glacier

This interview program is supported in 2025 by the Social Justice Centre at Concordia University. The music track is Passage by Anarchist Mountains.

Free City Radio is hosted and produced by Stefan Christoff and broadcasts on:

CKUT 90.3 FM in Montreal - Wednesdays at 11am
CJLO 1690 AM in Montreal - Wednesdays 8am
CKUW 95.9 FM in Winnipeg - Tuesdays 8am
CFRC 101.9 FM in Kingston - Wednesdays 11:30am
CFUV 101.9 FM in Victoria - Saturdays 7am
Met Radio 1280 AM in Toronto - Fridays at 5:30am
CKCU 93.1 FM in Ottawa - Tuesdays at 2pm
CJSF 90.1 FM in Vancouver - Thursdays at 4:30pm
CHMA 106.9 FM in Sackville, New Brunswick - Tuesdays at 10am

292, Ludwig Berger and Pablo Diserens speak on the Crying Glacier sound album and climate change

Der Wind und ich

This is my contribution to the Rusted Tone Recordings: Sampler Vol. 1 various artists compilation.  Recorded using dual reel to reel tape decks and a single tape loop that continuously records over itself, slowly degrading over time.  Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy!!

https://rustedtonerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/rusted-tone-recordings-sampler-vol-1

A Thousand Tiny Heartbreaks

My contribution to the new Elm Records compilation "A New Leaf".  Honored to join so much talent on this wonderful V/A.

Check out the full release here ~ https://elmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/a-new-leaf-compilation-2

*Mastered by James Armstrong (Slow Clinic)

Flicker & Hiss; Recalling Hope

DL & cassette: https://banabila.bandcamp.com/album/one-moment-in-time
On CD: banabila.bandcamp.com/album/hidden-patterns

The first time Stijn Hüwels and Cok van Vuuren collaborated with Michel Banabila was in April 2020. They made this extremely peaceful 12-minute track in reaction to all the upheaval in the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to soothe some of the stress and calm you down. The track was picked up by Apple Music and added to one of their playlists, 'Pure Meditation', resulting in over 665.000 streams in just a few months, still increasing to this day. Droney synths and imaginative electronics are mixed with space guitars, all infused with analog elusive layers of tape echo and reverb.

Michel Banabila: keys, sampler, granular fx.
Stijn Hüwels: el. guitar & pedals. @steiner
Cok van Vuuren: dobro & mando guitar. @user-472747517

One Moment In Time

buy at bandcamp

with Stijn Hüwels & Cok van Vuuren: One Moment In Time

I'm a fan of experimental ambient, sound-art and global music/sounds, and then some. 

Between 2012 - 2016, I broadcast In the Quiet from the studios of PBS 106.7FM. My main intention was to explore ambient music from around the world in all of its forms - music that gilds, and sometimes engulfs our silences. I still fill in on PBSFM occasionally, predominantly on Hannah McKittrick's Soak - https://www.pbsfm.org.au/program/soak

Every here and there I'll post some mixes - I hope you enjoy them. ( Essentially, I'm using works created by musicians as colours on a palette - for an aural painting. That's how I see and would like my mixes to be received. )

Weaving Amelia Cuni

P.Holt