Widths and Heights – Single Released 14th July on Switchflicker
Widths and Heights - Pre Order Now
Hailed by Iron & Wine's Samuel Beam as 'the master of the loop pedal', multi instrumentalist Marc Rigelsford, AKA the Manchester based Magic Arm, is set to release ‘Widths and Heights’ on Switchflicker Records in July. Splendidly eclectic, ‘Widths and Heights’ is a masterpiece of musicianship, with layers of sounds, bleeps and vocals all fighting for supremacy over each other, yet working side by side to produce a playfully organic gem, whilst at the same time serving the best interests of pop music.
Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, always the baton bearer for new music, championed Magic Arm’s last release, the ‘Outdoor Games’ EP, released last year - After the successful release of the EP, which received critical acclaim from the press, Marc locked himself away to write for four months, and then spent a further six months in the studio to put the finishing touches to ‘Widths and Heights’, and his debut album with Robin Housman.
The b-side to ‘Widths and Heights’, ‘Ballad of Melody Nelson’, is a cover of the Serge Gainsbourg classic which has now become a regular in his live show. Marc was invited to perform a song at an evening celebrating the French singer, and he proceeded to leave his unmistakeable stamp all over the classic, to a fantastic response.
REVIEWS FOR OUTDOOR GAMES EP (Switchflicker 2007)
It doesn't do to get too wrapped up in the world of modern folk. Too many beards, too many grown adults riding strawberry unicorns into rainbow suns, too many Sufjan Stevens albums to keep up with. But, now and then, a record comes along which you can't ignore; a record which really does sound like waves of lysergic happiness lapping against your cerebral cortex. Like Adem, Manchester's Magic Arm, aka Marc Rigelsford, is a man digging for diamonds at the folk/electronica coalface. Outdoor Games is a stirring, deliciously woozy surge of a record. Even better, it is the only folk song left in the world that isn't being used on a mobile phone ad."
-GUARDIAN GUIDE
"Convention and genre cannot contain Marc Rigelsford, AKA Magic Arm. He is a musical Harry Houdini, slipping the binds of common expectation to deliver a debut EP, Outdoor Games, which fully warrants that much used and abused term, eclectic. There is a fearlessly ambitious imagination at work on these seven tracks; psych-folk, Casio-pop, lo-fi electronica, and much more, the unifying factor here is excellence...It is, in short, a work of understated magnificence."
-DROWNED IN SOUND
“Outdoor Games” is a superb mini-album crammed with brave, exploratory ideas and charismatic melodies, exploiting both traditional and futuristic possibilities along the way - for lovers of a good tune, post dance culture fans and aficionados of modern urban folk and roots this is an absolute must, even though this could easily break into the mainstream at any time."
-MANCHESTER MUSIC
To purchase Outdoor Games EP please go to www.switchflicker.co.uk or click below
Aidan Smith appears in-store at Piccadilly Records with his Indulgent Friends to mark the official release of his new album, Allotments.
Tuesday 22nd July, FUEL, Wilmslow Rd, Withington, Manchester The Miserable Rich will be live on Marc Riley's BBC 6Music show at 7pm, after which they will dash down Wilmslow Road to perform at Fuel before heading home to Brighton. Joining them in Fuel will be Table and Nancy Elizabeth.
8pm. £3 donation (for which you also get a copy of the new single, "Pisshead/Boat Song").
Here it is, the Cloud Sounds with EXCLUSIVE Magic Arm album tracks.
Also featuring: KateGoes... My Side Of The Mountain The Voluntary Butler Scheme Elle S'Apelle ASbos Gaunt Story The Deidres Chips For The Poor Cate Le Bon The Smiles And Frowns Table
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARIANCE BY PHILLIP BOA, SPORTFREUNDE STILLER, THE MISSING LEECH, MUFF POTTER, AHEADS, DAVID CUNNINGHAM, VIRGINIA JETZT!, RUMMELSNUFF, KATE MOSH, SEDLMEIR, GITBOX!, BERNADETTE LA HENGST, KATZE, CYRENA DUNBAR, WRONGKONG, NAVEL, WILLIAM HONDA, DAVID LOHDI, GISBERT ZU KNYPHAUSEN, POPULATION CONTROL, VON SPAR & many lovely folks more.
PRODUCED BY THE STRIKE BOYS
TORTUGA BAR’s Version of “ALISON’S STARTING TO HAPPEN” with KATE MOSH & WRONGKONG appear on the "SQUEALING FANS - A TRIBUTE TO IT'S A SHAME ABOUT RAY & THE LEMONHEADS" Compilation. Exclusively via Download from: www. lemonheads. co. uk
listen again to hoodlumtribe radio special feat magic arm (live) and a special 'dj set'....
The Miserable Rich - Pisshead Denis Jones - Clap Hands Sophie Pigeons - Stars And Garters Slow Club - Me And You White Denim - Lets Talk About Magic Arm - Six Cold Feet Of Ground (live) Magic Arm - Bootsy Bootsy (live) By The Fireside - Blood Red Tears Bon Iver - Re : Stacks Lightening Head - Stilla move Tiombe Lockhart - Mr Jonnie walker New Sector Movements - The Sun (Dwelogy remix) Dwele - Lady Magic Arm - Ballad of Melody Nelson (live) Bowerbirds - My Oldest Memory Greenwood Rhythm Coalition - Aristocratic Bad Boy The Soul Rebels - Let it roll Nomo - Three shades
**magic arm dj set**
Duran Duran - A View To A Kill Beck - Totally Confused Johnny Cash - Ballad Of The Teenage Queen Tribe Called Quest - Excursions Kayne Wesr - Jesus Walks Edwin Starr - Twenty Five Miles Stereo lab - Lo Fi Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Adrian Northover - saxophone John Edwards - double bass Phillip Marks - percussion Dave Jackson - saxophone
Thursday 17th July at The King's Arms 11 Bloom St. - off Chapel St. Salford M3 6AN 0161 832 3605
8pm - 10:45pm £6
Adrian Northover is one of the finest saxophonists in the country. A master of instrumental technique, he's known internationally for his work with the Remote Viewers who've released 5 CD's on Leo Records and have a new 5 CD set on their own label (reviewed in May 08 issue of The Wire). He's also performed and recorded with the London Improvisers Orchestra, Ensemble Progresivo, Sonicphonics, Billy Bang, The All Weather Band, The Bollywood Brass Band, The Valentinos, indian classical ensemble Dha and african highlife band Yaaba Funk. Here he teams up with John Edwards, widely regarded as being one of the best bassists in the UK (famous for playing with Sunny Murray, John Tchicai, Evan Parker, Lol Coxhill, Louis Moholo, Veryan Weston, Eddie Prevost, Elton Dean, John Butcher, Paul Dunmall, Tony Bevan, Derek Bailey, God, Spring Heel Jack etc) for a series of solo and duo improvisations to promote their new cd's.
For this concert they will be joined by legendary local percussionist Phillip Marks and Solar Fire Trio saxophonist Dave Jackson for an evening of spontaneous music This is a rare opportunity to see some of the finest improvisers in Britain, so please come along and support your local improv scene
Yesterday was the best day of the week !!! whats better than driving under the rain with Magic Arm...ON THE RADIO!!! The Sun was definitely shinning in my car. Can't wait for the single! Thank you for putting a smile on my face Magic Arm :) x Mademoiselle C. ;)
Didn't see you at Glastonbury - thought you were on at 8 until I went to the stage and it said you'd already been on. I was sat in the treehouse just up the hill too. Bum. Sounds good on the bbc website though.
