vimeo.com/640385363
vimeo.com/639938143

16 March 2016 - Death of Janet Hodgson, Artist + Pata-Archeologist at the disastrously premature age of 56.
I had been “doing sound” for Janet since 2007 and came, like many people, to regard her as one of my closest and most intelligent friends.
two years before her death I worked on a 4th project with her, whilst she was open about her current battle with a second attack of cancer her energy and concern for the well being of others never dwindled.
The Postern was part of a multimedia installation by Janet - "The Workshop of Historical Correction " made for the Fishergate Postern Tower in York, U.K.
Here the tower acts as a kind of time machine, its winding staircase delivering Georgian dancers, reputed to have practiced in the tower, into a dance class run by the contentious figure Mary Wigman (of the Cabaret Voltaire).

The brief for the music and sound was , as ever with Janet, expansive, convoluted and drawing from many seemingly unconnected timelines.
The words/lyrics were drawn at random from a 17th century book on York by Francis Drake ( no NOT that one, again a namesake in-joke, see note 2 ) DRAKES EBORACUM. The full title of the book being: “Eboracum: or, The History and Antiquities of The City Of York from its origin to this time Together with an Account Of The Ainsty, or, County of the same and A Description and History of the Cathedral Church. Volume 1.” 1736.
Eboracum is the roman name for York probably meaning ‘place of the boar’.
My first task was to set these words to music, specifically in the note range for a soprano choir boy to sing. Next job: record and film Zack Tyler, the chorister, I forget the name of the church we did this in but Zack did a sterling job despite my writing many of the notes, technically, well out of his voice range.
Then came the music, to be somehow based on Regency social dances of the Georgian era, especially the french imported Quadrille. With some strict time signatures set by the choreographer Lea Anderson. Further to that elements connected to the choreographer represented in the film ie: Mary Wigman via Dada sound poetry had to be stirred into this Out of Time soup. Many musical(?) sketches were made but in the end only one 5 minute piece, spliced from 2 seperate parts, was used for the film of young volunteers dancing Lea’s moves in The Postern tower in York.
you can view that film, Filmed by Gray Pettit & edited by Janet herself, here:
vimeo.com/640385363
there is another film version of one of the other music sketches using footage of the chorister shot & edited by myself that was supposed to be on a screen somewhere in Janet’s "The Workshop of Historical Correction " installation though i’m not sure in the end it was.
vimeo.com/639938143

The many unused sketches sat have sat around for 5 years , sometimes parts being cannibalised into later projects. It has been a plan to celebrate Janet’s life with a release and 5 years on it’s both a pleasure and something of a sadness to do so. Who knows what other insane conjunctions of time/place she would have had me attempt if she had beaten the cancer? She was truly the perfect collaborator for genre splicers like myself.

Janet Hodgson. 29 January 1960 to 16 March 2016, R.I.E. ( Resplendaset In Eternum )

note: a further hats off should be given to Clive Bell for the Dulcimer recordings used and abused in 3 or 4 of these tracks. Truly a gentleman.
ERRATUM! Clive tells me that actually the dulcimer in the recordings used was played by his son Max Hallett also known as Betamax , we’ll let you know when he’s out of the beta phase and ready to be launched on the public!! oh wait.. he already is and doing well pounding skins in The Comet Is Coming alongside Shabaka Hutchings. check out father & offspring sparring on this release:
byrdout.bandcamp.com/album/betamax-vs-clive-bell

note 2: Janet is not the Janet Hodgson of ‘The Enfield’ poltergeist hauntings , though she appreciated the weird namesake connection.

note 3: dare i say there seems some echo of Adam & the Ants/BowWowWow in here somewhere??