Perhaps Contraption's Glorious Soup

Cousin / Grandma Limited Edition Posters

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:21:00 +0000

In conjunction with the recent release of Cousin/Grandma, I've created a limited edition run of 50
A3 posters.

They a contain a hand drawn sketch, which was then tweaked and coloured in a computery way with the help of Daniel Ross.
The sketch depicts a writhing organic form; a vision of a sperm entering an egg, magnified 48,000 times.
Some sort of frenetic splurge voicing new beginnings, conception, and of course the colour yellow.

Each one is individually hand embellished with pencil, numbered and signed.

They come printed on heavy weight recycled card; available in either flecked brown or white, 25 of each are up for grabs.

They cost £10 (including postage and packaging) and also come with a download of the single.

To acquire one of these things, please mail squier@perhapscontraption.co.uk
You can also grab them from one of our live shows...

In Sum: Prams in the mud, tenacity & musical epiphanies

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:27:00 +0000

So, 2011 was a good year for this device.

We began by polishing off Business, the 2nd Perhaps Contraption album, which had been simmering in my vaults for a number of years (alongside 2 other, as yet, unreleased albums, of which the seeds were sown in 2007, (but that's another story...some of which will be realised this year)
As this was being done and dusted, eager & confused, I sounded the conch for the next incarnation; The Mobile Device.

This desire was inspired by performing in a massive marching band (The Transformational Fire Conclave All Stars Marching Band to be exact) at Burning Man in the Summer of 2010, and generally enjoying the freedom of playing acoustically, wherever/whenever you like.

After this dusty epiphany, I decided it was time to restructure my whole approach to song writing & performing music in general.

This meant ditching the guitars. And the electricity (for now).

Dreams of being agile, completely acoustic & mobile began to bubble into my conciousness.
As did thoughts of composing and performing with new instruments, limitations & personalities.

Luckily, after a number of months stumbling, cogitating and searching, the next incarnation began to take shape...

Through a process of serendipity, (a few new contraptionites oozed out of a fleeting-chance-meeting on a busy train platform, where (luckily) I spied something resembling a French Horn case hanging from Emily's arm, this connection also led me to find two other key members...) & downright tenacity (placing numerous ad's around town and quizzing numerous people about London's (scant) Sousaphone population, & foraging for dynamic-multi-instrumental-enthusiastic other front-persons fizzing with talent) our glorious new musical family was unearthed.

Intensive rehearsals followed, in preparation for our inaugral teeth-cutting: the mighty Glastonbury Festival loomed.
Perhaps Contraption has always been a difficult DIY labour of love for me, yet as soon as I began rehearsing with these new recruits, things began to feel less, difficult.
Everyone in the room knew there was incredible musical dynamic & energy brewing, compounded by future projections; just how far could this instant musical connection go & where would it lead us as artists & performers & learners?

It was this feeling that propelled us head first into the most prestigious music festival in the world, and which continued to drive us throughout the Summer, smashing as many festivals as would take us (a detailed 2011 gig listing is on the way).

It was exhausting, and expensive, but also massively inspiring and refreshing... to be playing anywhere and everywhere, completely acoustically; to be able to amass a crowd and a positive feeling through sound, whereever & whenever we chose.

And yet, the formula was so simple (even if the instrumentation itself was so unusual).

Ironically, by performing on the rock toilet circuit for many years, I had become disconnected/ disenchanted from the very things I had chosen to explore...I found myself beginning to lack those blissed out neurochemicals highs.
It was only through embracing music's inherent simplicity ----moving air molecules in any given place and connecting and affecting any given person (hopefully in a positive way!) ----- that I began to remember why I set out to explore this sonic world in the first place.

And so, at the beginning of this new year, I feel Perhaps Contraption stand in a very promising position. With new (musical & emotional) connections strengthening alongside new directions and goals. (All the while our first album as an art marching band simmering gently, scheduled to be released sometime near June...)

Here's to another musical year around the sun.
Hoping to see you in a sweaty club or muddy field very soon,

Squier Squier

Cousin / Grandma: The Video

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:23:00 +0000

Packed with our beloved mutant pram kit, giant millipedes (on people's faces) baby scorpions tickling Mickey Bone's nose, confusing chameleon love declarations, megaphone ranting, and many other amazing creepy slithering juddering things; we proudly present our new video.

We hope you like it... the next two are already being plotted in neurons & hard drives as I type...

Please support independent music and buy the single here:
http://perhapscontraption.bandcamp.com/track/cousin-grandma-single

Cousin / Grandma was originally inspired by Susie Showers..she approached me one day, all clapping clicking and bobbing and smiling. Swiftly after hearing her do this it was regurgitated & composed by DD Window, Squier Squier and Perhaps Contraption.
When I first heard her do this (way back in April 2010) I would have never thought it would come to this. But that's the joy of making art.

You have to massage ideas into reality before they evaporate.

Filmed and edited by Jasmine Robinson.
Costumes by Am Statik.
Artistic Direction by Felicity, Jasmine & Squier.
With thanks to The Premises Studios, Tim, Jeffery the Chameleon & Friends, and all the other people who made this possible.

New Year with The Last Tuesday Society

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:37:00 +0000

We are delighted to be ringing in the New Year,

with wonderful The Last Tuesday Society...

Details below...

New songs, new costumes

& a raucous version of Auld Langs Syne.

All Perhaptions wishing you a prosperous 2012...

(and the new album is inexorably creeping forward...forward staggering and desperate)

Cousin / Grandma

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:24:00 +0000

Our next single will be released on 11th February 2012 as a download, alongside a limited run of posters containing the single artwork. Each poster will feature a unique, hand drawn embellishment by the artist, Squier Squier.

The launch party takes place at an amazing cosy venue on Saturday 11th February 2012 at the Servant Jazz Quarters, 10a Bradbury Street, Dalston, N16 8JN from 20:00.
The nearest overground is Dalston Kingsland / Junction and is also served by loads of buses. This day also happen's to be Squier's birthday so wear a tie.

Support comes from the incredible Goodbye Leopold; lush, ethereal, 3 part accapella and choreography. Very special indeed.

More acts TBC.

Geoff the Chameleon will also be there. Yes, a real live chameleon!
We will also be projecting things, including the amazing new video for the single; which includes a psychedelic insect menagerie! Gasp indeed. Millipedes and Domino Beetles ahoy,

Previews for the single & video are coming very soon....

Happy nish nish from all the Pertraptions. xxx

Oompa

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:26:00 +0000

Currently brewing in our hard drives & hands.....our cover of the Oompa Loompa song is on the way; full of battling free jazz saxophones & big vocal harmonies...it's release it imminent...

London Remixed Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:17:00 +0000

We are thrilled to be parping at the inaugral London Remixed Festival: and it's fast approaching:
doors open at 1pm next Saturday the 26th November @ Rich Mix, Shoreditch London.

It looks set to be a huge event, reminding us of those muddy fields we cherish so much in the summer months...

Full details & lineup can be found here http://www.facebook.com/Londonremixedfestival
or on the blog: http://londonremixedfestival.blogspot.com/

I can reveal that we will begin a parade at 18:00, which will find its way to the Remixed arena to begin a set at 18:30 with a mighty P.A and microphones to boot...

They are also running a good competition to win some tickets to a major festival next year, all details on the sites. We hope to see you there, it will be our last big electric show until we ring in the New Year...

New Live Video: First few slices from Rumpus Party

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:07:00 +0000

A couple of snips from our October show at Rumpus Party. Edited by our very own Matthew Jolly.

Breathe was pretty much brand-spanking-new when we performed it, and has since been canned and had the proverbial "eyebrows" added to it for our next album. Yum.

Upcoming Live Blasts from our Mouths

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:08:00 +0000

It's a frantic month here at Pertraption HQ.
We have been lurking at the Premises Studios in Hackney recording our new album with our fully lung-powered Mobile Device,
I'm thrilled to say the majority of the record is canned, and we should have all the loose ends tied up neatly by the end of October...where soon after we shall be releasing our new single, Cousin.

In the meantime we have a couple of shows:

On Friday 14th October we are delighted to be supporting Besh O Drom at Rich Mix, Bethnal Green Road, London as part of Global Local's Gypsy Soundclash. More details can be found here
We are on at 21:00 sharp.

Our other show, is still slightly cloaked in mystery. But I know this much. It will take place in the depths of Dalston, behind a bookcase, on the 28th of October. At night. More details to follow....

Bestival 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:59:00 +0000

We are glad to recieve a lovely collection of shots
from Sahara Ezzi; who snapped us peforming at Bestival.

Playing on a giant rotating saw-stage-sculpture-thing was certainly a highlight of our Summer....

Immortalising Sound

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:16:00 +0000

I'm glad to announce, this weekend Perhaps Contraption will begin to record our first album in our latest guise. The Premises Solar-Powered Studio in East London, awaits our horns & vocal chords.

Very exciting indeed.

Bestival Show Times

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:11:00 +0000

Perhaps Contraption are off for our penultimate festival appearance this season, yes, the mighty Bestival looms...

We will be performing on the Alfresco Stage, in true acoustic, open-topped style at the following moments:

Saturday 10th: 13.00 - 13.40 and 18.50 - 19.30

Sunday 11th: 13.15 - 13.55 and 17.40 - 18.00

We will also be lurching around the fields, playing in the depths of the night should minimal moisture permit.
Hopefully we will see you there, covered in glitter, singing your gaping lung-bags out, with feathers & flags fluttering atop.

Susie Showers Sets Sail...

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:42:00 +0000

On Tuesday 30th August long-term collaborator, questionnaire mastermind, uke-twanger and poet-extroadinaire Susie Showers ventured into the Premises Studios to record a few songs with myself.

This was in preparation for our as yet untitled album; which will be a mixture of Susie's poems & the songs we have been performing as a 2 piece incarnation, out and about for the past couple o' years; most notably all over the playa at last year's Burning Man.

I'm glad to say two songs were completed.
A new one titled "Orgasm" & another named "Come out Green" which is an acoustic reworking of Sludge & Tripe's closing track.
Susie then continued to blast the rest of her material through my bedroom recording setup, most of it immaculately performed live in one take.

And so, an album is taking shape nicely; we expect to be completing it by the end of Winter this year.

I'm sad to say Susie has now fled the UK for the green pastures of Thailand; where she will be teaching English, writing excellent children's books and persuing her love of puppetry. She will return sometime in the next few years, ripe with ideas and songs where we will meld her smoothly back into this wobbly beautiful device known as Perhaps Contraption...

We love her dearly and wish her well.

In the meantime you can hear some of her other works here: http://www.myspace.com/susieis

A Busy Bank Holiday Looms...

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:33:00 +0000

Perhaps Contraption are delighted to be making various noises & shapes during some sort of micro tour this coming weekend.

We will be making appearances on Saturday the 27th at Festibelly & Wyndstock, both nestled near the gorgeous New Forest.

During the day at Festibelly we will be doing a few guerilla shows around the site & then topping it off with a sweaty late night/early morn performance in the "Massive in China" tent at 2:00 am sharp.

Our Wyndstock show will parade through the grounds of this stunning country manor, before settling cosily around a fire to provide some knees up merriment circa 22:30.

After that we are off to the depths of Kent, for a tiny charity festival called Where The Wild Things Are; nestled deep in a forest. Our show will be at 15:30 on the 28th.

Finally we are whirling back to London for a show at 21:00 at The Old Queen's Head in Angel. This is an all dayer put on by those feisty London Leisure Pirates & will be headlined by the Correspondents. Here's the link to the Facebook gumpf.

We hope to see you wobbling at one of these things. After that we are gearing up for Malcfest on the 2nd of September, and then topping off our meandering relentless festival season with couple of glorious days at Bestival; where we will be doing guerilla shows & a set in the POLKA tent.... gasp.

A brief breath & then we will be recording our new material at the Premises Studios in late September....a single & music videos loom...

Yours Sleepily,

Squier Squier

Perhaps at Suck My Rock: Playgroup Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 23:15:00 +0000

A smattering of snaps from our set at suck my rock, Playgroup Festival, August 6th.

It was delicious.

Wilderness & Bestival

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:48:00 +0000

Grinning from this ear to - here to announce Perhaps Contraption will be making appearances at Wilderness Festival this coming weekend & at the mighty Bestival in September.

We will be playing clusters of guerilla shows all over the weekends, so keep your eyes peeled for tweed and brass....or follow us on twitter @SquierSquier for updates on the where/when's or our parades.

There may be a handful of amplified (gasp) stage shows falling into place too....

Aside from that we are readying ourselves to record our new material in October.

See you loping in a field, sometime soon.

Squier x

Lunch for the Worms

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:14:00 +0000

This video was filmed in the depths of Epping Forest in April 2010.

Many many thanks to XXIIRII for shooting & editing this... http://xxiirii.com

Download the Single here...

Building bespoke BUSINESS packaging with Am Statik Latex...

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 09:58:00 +0000

Here is a somewhat abbreviated documentary of this labour of love; the physical incarnation of our second LP "Business".

After hours of ruminations, procrastinations & tweaking various prototypes and suggestions by DeeDee Window, myself and Amy Amstatik Day, we came towards an innovative and fittingly bizarre type of packaging to house the new album in.
It includes reinforced yellow (of course) rubber, a clear latex window, yellow popper, 12 panel poster (signed and numbered) and 3 panel housing. And of course, a hand - stamped CDR of Business.

We will make just 50 of these things. You can grab one here.

http://listen.perhapscontraption.co.uk/album/business
This includes an instant download of the album to appease your ears while awaiting this wobbly yellow shiny thing to arrive at your door.

The process, if you're interested, is just like making any rubber garment; a long, highly skilled and fiddly ordeal. Thankful we had the nimble digits of Amy Day to steer the course. The end results are wonderful..after over a year's puzzling, we are all proud to create such a weird, wonderful & unique DIY release.

Thanks to Amy for all her skills and creative expertise.
To view more of her wonderful creations go here http://www.amstatik.com/

The Process
Creating the template....

Slicing Rubber...

Preparing...

Adding the popper...

Cleaning, Gluing...

Laying the artwork in place...

Hurrah.
Yours Cordially,

Squier Squier

Shots from The Secret Garden Opening Parade

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:56:00 +0000

Here is some splendid lens-smithery from our first parade at Secret Garden Party.

Many thanks to Danny North & Dan Dennison for snapping these.

You can see other highlights here: Secret Garden Shots

Secret Garden Party Blossoming

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:28:00 +0000

Dear listeners and singers and dancers,

WE are excited to be wheeling our squeaky pram-traption to the depths of Secret Garden in the morning. We are also delighted to be joined by two new comrades; Mr Matt Jolly on Trombone and Voice and Mr Thomas Cunliffe on Percussion and Voice.

As at other muddy-based festivals this year, we will be performing anywhere and everywhere.
Guerrilla shows are rife.
Though, we shall pay particular attention to quieter areas, where we can gather other Gardeners around to sing lush harmonies to, give out scented flowers and bend knees.

Serendipity aside, you can catch us at these places too:

Thursday 21st: Opening procession, the lighting of the fires; 21:00 all around site.

Friday 22nd: Sand Stage (around the sand sculptures) 18:00

Saturday 23rd: Circus Kinetica Stage, 17:15
Lake Procession before the big burn 21:00

Sunday 24th: The London Leisure Pirates tent (next to the Great Stage), 2:00 (am!)

We hope to see you there (with bells on)

Squier Squier / Perhaps Contraption

parp

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 22:52:00 +0000

Taking a breather before the mud arrived in earnest....

Glastonbury Smudges in the Mud

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:00:00 +0000

We are in the process of editing and collecting our sounds and pictures from Glastonbury 2011.
If you snapped or filmed our parading through the sludge, please give us a nudge at squier@perhapscontraption.co.uk your eager lens action is much appreciated. In the meantime, here is a little flick we made in London just before we left for Avalon.

Next up, a two piece acoustic show at Fling Festival in Chelmsford, then a full device parade at The Secret Garden Party....

Our First Family Outing...

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:28:00 +0000

A glorious stumbling mess of instruments and muddy tweed has just stumbled back from another glorious Glastonbury festival.

This incarnation of Perhaps Contraption is preparing to record an album in October.

If you like what you saw and heard, please sign up to our (spontaneous, never spammy) mailing list and we will alert you when the piece is complete, and also upcoming live outbursts…

7 happy souls trudged through that delicious Glasto sludge-mud and sang til our voices began to crack; with a total of 11 gigs over the weekend (and various processional parps inbetween venues to boot).

Places we shrieked at included;

The Bandstand,

HMS Sweet Charity,

The Rabbit Hole

And most notably

The incredible underground piano bar in the Dragon’s field next to the

Stone circle (who kept us very perky at 4.00am with moonshine and exemplary scrumpy).

Kudos to Iain, our relentless Sousaphone player, who appeared to consistently honk his wonders out for the entire weekend; in all weather conditions! And for the whole Contraption for sticking through it.

Thanks to everyone that came out to a show, and/or stumbled across one and leant us their ears and voices for a while.

Other than that we hope to see you at one of our next festivals –

Fling in Chelmsford (acoustic show, poetry tent)

Lovebox

Secret Garden Party

And

Playgroup Festival

xxxx

PILTON

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 00:31:00 +0000

And so after a flurry of intensive rehearsals & writing,

the continual tweaking and parping and creaking of a whole new collection of sounds & instruments,

The stitching & sticking of 7 bespoke quasi-marching band costumes somethings,

a whole new collection of wonderful musical minds and hands,

and all of it happily pointing to a shiny new component of this musical way-of-doing-things thing entitled Perhaps Contraption;

SO finally,

WE ARE READY> Perhaps Contraption’s new Mobile Device / Art-Marching Band is ready.

And frothing and eager and about to embark on our 3^rd (and my 11^th) consecutive adventure to our favourite village beginning with the letter “P”.

Yes, the mighty Pilton;

The world’s festival Mecca; a sanctuary of 41 years of collective memories & mess & life changing experiences; an effusive outlet for artists, thinkers, spiritualists & revellers alike; a muddy rolling carnival of curiousity nestled in the valley of Avalon.

Yes, Glastonbury Festival 2011 looms beautifully in the distance.

If you are lucky enough to possess one of these golden tickets, you may spy us lurking with our mutant Victorian pram device and array of horns daily, circa 2 o clock, around the Bandstand ( a stones throw from the Pyramid Stage, heading towards Green fields..)

We will also be participating in a grand procession; chasing the white rabbit; with the Alice in Wonderland extravaganza known as the Rabbit Hole. This is Friday at mid-day in the Park.

Also at the Rabbit Hole we will be doing a full set on Sunday at 19:00.

Aside from this, as we are completely mobile, we will be playing everywhere and anywhere – most likely intimate stages such as the Lizard & Tadpole Stages in the Green Futures field, late night scrumpy fuelled processions to the Kings Medow and piano bar, and maybe lurking in seedy back alleys in Shangri-La.

We hope to bump into you and shake you warmly by the hand.

We hope to make you dance and wobble and gyrate in time with the Sousaphone.

We hope you come and sing and share a drink with us.

We hope you have a transformative and joyous festival.

Yours truly,

Squier Squier & Perhaps Contraption

The National Anthem

noreply@blogger.com (Squier Squier) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 00:18:00 +0000

A recent live session at the Premises Studios in East London.