The Musery is a music surgery run by Dr Soesmix at her mobile drop in clinic. Patients are prescribed a personalised setlist to aid any ailment. Whether you’re suffering from asthma, fatigue or a touch of gowt, an appointment at the Musery will provide a variety of sonic medicinal fixes from a tincture of techno to a swap of swing! The Musery can come to any party, festival, rave or barmitzvah!
Sonic Asylum, Friday March 2nd 2012
Saturday, 18 February, 2012 19:19Written by Professional Incredibles
Friday 2nd March 8pm-late @ The Edge, 79-81 Cheapside, Digbeth £3 entry
We’re bringing it all back home for this edition of Sonic Asylum. Some of the most beautiful, unusual and therapeutic music Birmingham has to offer, all under one roof at The Edge – home to Friction Arts, an ethereal crow, an iron phone box, a bed full of bass and Sonic Asylum’s one and only love.
Charles is a traditional Chinese Guqin player and committee member of the London Youlan Qin Society. Having performed at the Royal Academy of Music, the British Museum and Turin’s Confucius Instituto, he is considered one of the UK’s foremost specialists in the instrument.
He is also arguably the best dressed young man you will ever meet on the bus from Erdington to the city centre. An expert in vintage tailoring and academic dress, Charles’ eclectic mixture of demurely worn talents include an ongoing study of works from the guqin cannon.
The guqin (or simply qin) is the ancient Chinese seven-stringed zither. It has a history of around 3,000 years and was played by the literati in olden days as a tool for self-reflection and self-exploration. The qin has a unique notational and tablature system as well has having a rich and unbroken source of melodies dating from the 15th century to the present day together with a few ancient tunes from earlier dynasties such as the 7th century masterpiece, Youlan (Solitary Orchid). The strings are traditionally made of twisted silk but nylon with a steel or nylon core is often used nowadays.
“This will be our response to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly, than ever before”
This newly formed duo create transfixing and windswept music, channeling deceptively complex sounds reminiscent of Sigur Ros and Boards of Canada, all held together with the studied precision of two musicians trained in the rules, so that they can break them in the most gentle, fulfilling ways.
Musical cultures from around the world are merged in harmony in the guise of Global Folk. Led by tabla maestro Mendi Singh.
DJ set by a Magpie & a Pirate – no need to elaborate here – a while after the tragic sacking of Rhubarb Radio, Selecta Soesmix and Magpie Brown have lots of lovely sounds to share with you, it’s too much to hold in any longer.
Artwork during the night will be provided by Suk Ninmyo, who also designed this edition’s beautiful flyer. First 20 arrivals get a flyer signed by the artist.
Post Krimbos
Thursday, 29 December, 2011 20:23Written by Professional Incredibles
So Overtoning is really hard.
Post Christmas laziness and stuffing myself I thought it was about time to devote myself a little to my Sound Therapy homework. We’re learning to overtone, which is infact the beginning techniques to throat singing. So Im trying to train my voice to create an overtone – a frequency higher than the fundamental frequency of a sound. Pretty spesh eh?!
In simple terms, by making a variety of transition sounds like ‘EE-OO’, ‘ON-REE’ and ‘EE-ON’, with a little practice I should be able to make my vocal chords ring in harmonics.
BUT ITS BLOODY DIFFICULT! I’ve pretty much cracked on the ‘EE-OO’ but the rest, Pffff!
How does the marvellous and talented Jonny Marks do it??!
Ok, so this is my first blog entry and really just me sharing my obsession with all things sonic. You’ll be getting updates on my new adventure into training to be a sound therapist, weekly prescriptions for whatever ailment seems to be floating about, where to go for a full on bass therapy and any other wee items (not urinary) that are musery related!
First up, Sonic Asylum! Yes, we’re back with yet more sonic shenanigans to aid your woes.
Throat singing from Jonny Marks, sonic performance by Mahutt, whisky drenched dusty jazz from Honeyfeet, live art, cake, drinks, a bass heavy dj set from Bassnote and of course The Musery!
Ive just had to purchase a Balinese Diagnostic Bell! WTF I hear you say?! Yeh, I know, kick me if I start wearing tie-dye! More on that soon…
Lastly, my wicked 16yr old cousin has just sent me his newly pressed single by his band The Gentry Underground. They’ve got a real old school garage band/rockabilly sound, they’ve had their records pressed on super cool coloured vinyl and to top it off they’ve included instructions on how to listen to the music – aahh me cous is reppin the family prescriptions…
LISTEN TO THIS RECORD AT A LOUD VOLUME! ENSURE YOU ARE IN COMPLETE DARKNESS BEFORE PITTING THE NEEDLE IN THE GROOVE.
