Epoch: Sonic Blueprints 1986-1990

by John Costello

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	1.	The Passover 03:43
	2.	Rocket Summer 04:35
	3.	Tracking 03:02
	4.	Troll Walk 03:18
	5.	Total Shutdown 03:08
	6.	Last Day of Summer 01:51
	7.	Reversal 02:29
	8.	Halloween Suite 09:08
	9.	Texas Chainsaw 10:00
	10.	Flame Patterns 07:28
	11.	Surface Tension 08:32
	12.	Gormenghast 06:28
	13.	Last Flight Out 04:57

about

In 1986 I asked a company for whom I made corporate videos how much they paid for library music, and immediately said I could do it for less. Fortunately they didn't ask if I was a musician, or if I had any experience, and booked me into a local studio. With owner Paul Johnston producing, I knocked out the main theme on the first morning and then recorded what became my Cantos cassette, composed and performed in three days except for a bit of home tinkering with a 4-track and a Roland JX-3P synth.

Paul gave me mates rates to record my second cassette, Halflife. I made one (terrified) concert appearance at Cardiff in 1989 and in 1990 recorded a soundtrack commission with Greg Truckell in Dumfries before life, work and relationships conspired to divert me from music for almost 15 years. A 2004 weekend session at a friend's studio reignited my creativity and led via MySpace to a long, fruitful partnership with multitalented artist & producer Geoff Pinckney. This resulted in my synthartpop album The Enemy Is the State (2017), and our ongoing DEMOCRATIZE electro collaboration.
( democratize.bandcamp.com/releases )

Looking back, I admire my youthful determination to transcend being a non-musician and these tracks seem as though they're from a different (half)life. A decade ago I met Sean McBride (Martial Canterel, Xeno & Oaklander) and I almost fainted when he said he knew my music, having been introduced to it by Wierd Records boss Pieter Schoolwerth. I learned that these early experiments had been played at his legendary Wierd club in Manhattan and a few years later I had the great fortune to see/hear the proof of this in person. That what I created all those years before was known - let alone championed by - some great people whose music I love came as a huge revelation. I'd felt like I was working in a vacuum so such validation, no matter how far down the line, was good to receive.

credits

released April 11, 2020

John Costello: synthesizers, electronics, samples, percussion, vocals.

Fix-up of two DIY cassette releases, Cantos (1986, edition of 50) and Halflife (1989, edition of 100).

Tracks 1 - 7 from Cantos.
2, 3, 5 & 6 recorded at Rhythm Studio, Leamington Spa, April 28-30 1986. Produced by Paul Johnston
1, 4 & 7 recorded at home on 4-track, March 21-23 1986.Produced by John Costello.
Written and performed by John Costello, except 'Tracking', written by Wally van Middendorp.

Tracks 8 - 12 from Halflife.
Recorded at Rhythm Studio 1989, except 10 (recorded 1986).
Produced by Paul Johnston.
10, 11 & 12 are live versions taken from concert at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, March 1989.
Written and performed by John Costello, except 'Halloween Suite' by John Carpenter, arranged by John Costello.
'Texas Chainsaw' incorporates dialogue from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre plus dialogue and themes from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, by Tobe Hooper & Jerry Lambert.

Track 13 was a commissioned soundtrack to Simon Maddocks' Commodore Amiga animation for Chromacolour animation supplies video showreel.
(The video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6VAaMcQ7CA )
Produced by Greg Truckell; recorded at Greg's studio in Dumfries over three nights, Easter 1990. It incorporates dialogue samples from THX 1138.

Rhythm gear: Greengate DS-3 w/Apple Micro; Commodore 64 16-track digital sequencer; Yamaha FB-01 & TX-7 expander units; Roland JX-8P; MXR 01(a), MXR1500 & Alesis digital reverbs; Yamaha D1500 & Deltalab Effectron digital delays; Premier Resonator drums.

Mastered by Martin Bowes at The Cage Studio Coventry 2018.
Cover image by Simon Maddocks.

Thanks to: Paul Johnston, Greg Truckell, Simon Maddocks, Martin Bowes, Jason Bernard @ Peripheral Minimal, Kevin O'Neill, Geoff Pinckney and everyone else who has contributed or inspired.

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John Costello UK

subunitfour is the production entity of john costello, creator of art synthpop darkwave electronica.

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