News Archive 2003
2003 in Review/Charts
JANUARY
The year kicked off in fine style for The Garden when Yorkshire based band
THE STATIC WAVES released a single which featured an exclusive jingle for
the show on the B side. This was the first time the show had ever been
immortalised on wax and so was quite a big deal, and though it did fail to
break the Top 40, that probably makes it even rarer as a collector's item!
A great session from Leicester band MISTERLEE was a highlight this month
which also featured a Bill Hicks mix and a THRILL JOCKEY records showcase.
FEBRUARY
Fine local Blues band SUGARLAND SLIM, were the session stars for the show
on the 21st. I also supported them with a set of choice tunes when they played
live in Milton Keynes, only getting told to "turn it down" twice, which was a
personal triumph. The other session this month featured ECHOBOY and I also
mixed up a lovely set of WARP records for the second in my series of special
label mixes.The BIG news in Feb was that I started my net broadcasts via Radiofreemk for the first time. I also went to see my first ever wrestling match
at the Derngate Theatre in Northampton and found out I had been missing
absolutely nothing exciting all these years... phew.
MARCH
Flying in from Italy for a whistle-stop UK tour were LO-FI SUCKS, whose session
for the show was a great success. They will hopefully come again in 04 too, as
we all got on very well and shared a common love for all things Julian Cope!
Other show happenings included a groovy mix of TWISTED NERVE goodies as well
as a mix of music featuring PAVEMENT to tie in with the release of their tribute LP 'Everything Is Ending Here', which was, as they say, nice.
Oh, and I also went to see Mcburger endorsing comedian Harry Hill live too and
came away a bit disappointed to be honest, or maybe he just had an off night.
APRIL
A funny old month, tho it was a treat to get OOBERMAN in for an
exclusive acoustic session for the show, but little did I realise at the
time that within a couple of weeks they would be no more.
I guess it makes it all the more special since it was their last ever
radio session 'n' all but it was sad to hear of their split.
On a lighter note I did record one of my favourite mixes of the year
There was also a war going on at the time so other shows tended to feature topical soundbites. I did visit The Eden Project too whilst on holiday in Cornwall and can honestly say it's brilliant and was well worth the two day journey it took to get there.
MAY
My highlight for May was playing DJ support to visiting San Francisco
electro-rap star GOLD CHAINS who performed at Bar Central in MK.
The volume of my set was, erm, "punishing", and it's kinda funny that
before the show the venue were promising me a weekly live showcase
there and yet afterwards they refused to even talk or look at me!!
OK so it was a bit loud, but hey, give me licence to thrill and I will
blow the roof off tha sucka! I've not been asked back to the venue since.
Other sessions and mixes this month featured an evening devoted to
night devoted to KRAUTROCK which vos ein monster mix, oh ja.
JUNE
Blues guitarist supreme KELLY JOE PHELPS played a blinding acoustic session
for the show to great acclaim in the middle of the month. He also performed to
a full house at The Stables in MK too and a splendid time was had by all.
I also managed to persuade DEPTH CHARGE mainman Saul J. Kane to stir up
a mighty Dub mix exclusive for The Garden, which was a real treat.
On top of this I broadcast the first of my two Punk mixes, with the first one
dedicated to American bands. I was supported in this with help from fine Punk
website Trakmarx, who helped me with the REALLY obscure stuff.
I also went to a Meltdown gig at RFH in London, for a nice night out with fellow CRMK troublemaker, DJ Melvin Pickles, but found the gig kinda lacking in excitement and got pretty bored as Tortoise went "off on one", whilst Lee 'Scratch' Perry was totally out of his tree & consequently a rambling fruitcake; not as good as that might sound.
JULY
Going from one extreme to the other this month, I interviewed RADIOHEAD
about their new album 'Hail To The Thief' one week and then welcomed local band
FLACK for a fine acoustic session the next. I know which one I personally enjoyed
the most! I also had a great session with THE KILLS and mixed up a selection of
FAT CAT records for the latest of my label showcases. In Northampton I went to
see Mink Lungs perform at the excellent Soundhaus venue and was blown away,
not just by the fact that there were only about 12 people there.
AUGUST
A very busy month, which started with a great mix of 'funky jazz joints'
from JAMES HARDWAY who also treated us to exclusive tracks from what
was then his forthcoming 'Big Casino' album.
I also welcomed back {for their 3rd Garden session} fine American band
THE BUTTERFLIES OF LOVE although it actually turned out to be frontman
Jeff Greene on his own this time around, who gave us glimpses of his new
side project, The High Barnets. Garden faves BROADWAY PROJECT mixed
an exclusive selection for the show too and I complimented my earlier US
Punk mix with a snappily titled UK Punk mix.
Brooklyn based punky poppers MINK LUNGS also popped by to perform a
fine acoustic session as well, thankfully not too fazed by the total lack of
support for their recent gig up the road in Northampton.
SEPTEMBER
Live sessions a go-go this month with no less than 3 in 4 weeks, with
the first of these coming from the strangely named PAUL THE GIRL who,
as it turned out was a girl and her name was indeed Paul.
Her session was swiftly followed by an intimate evening in the company
of Italian band MOROSE who charmed all they met on their short UK visit.
Bristol's Cube Cinema saw the premiere of my new soundtrack score to
Eraserhead, which also featured guitarist Tariq Hussain on special FX.
Whilst driving down from Hull to MK came BITMAP whose session required
the re-wiring of the CRMK mixing desk to accommodate their electronic
equipment, but it all came out very sweet. A track from this session is still
available in my News Archive, so too is a track from the session with Morose.
OCTOBER
This turned out to be my most hectic month of the year with a bittersweet
mixture of joy and pain. I lost both my father and my beloved cat Sunra to
illness and then found out I was to become a father for the first time in 04.
I also got to interview one of my all time guitar heroes BILL NELSON which
was an exciting if slightly un-nerving experience, Lord help me if I ever got
to meet David Bowie! I also finally found a local MK venue brave enough to
let me show one of my film projects too, though technical hitches with the
sound along with grumbling old punters, who were there just to have a quiet
drink, didn't exactly help, but otherwise The Garden Of Atlantis went down well.
Local band RPM also dropped by for a session and I rounded the month off
in fine mad style with another one of my infamous Hallowe'en mixes.
NOVEMBER
It is a rare thing that I should play TWO live events in one month, but
this did indeed turn out to be the case in November. The first of which
was to spin an eclectic set of electronic wibble in support of MISTERLEE
and friends in Leicester, with a full metal racket to compliment local band
NOON LAYER DRIVE in MK at the end of the month.
African singer-songwriter LAYE SOW also stopped by The Garden to
perform a selection of his new material too and I rounded November off
with another label showcase, this time featuring 4AD records.
DECEMBER
I started the month by mashing up a mix of MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO
with help from CRMK DJ Melvin Pickles {guardian of all of MBM mainman
JACK DANGERS' work} and this was a quality, beat smashing mix indeed!
I also broadcast an exclusive session with fine up and coming band
THE STANDS and I wrapped up the year 2003 with all things festive in
my seasonal Xmas Special.
ALBUMS 03
Gorkys Zygotic Mynci : Sleep/Holiday ~ Sanctuary
Fiery Furnaces : Gallowsbird's Bark ~ Rough Trade
Robert Wyatt : Cuckooland ~ Ryko
Skeleton Key : < Obtainium > ~ Ipecac
Various : Lexoleum ~ Lex
Super Furry Animals : Phantom Power ~ Sony
Odd Nosdam : No More Wig For Ohio ~ Anticon
Colleen : Everyone Alive Wants Answers ~ Leaf
Cinematic Orchestra : Man With A Movie Camera ~ Ninja Tune
Mogwai : Happy Music For Happy People ~ PIAS
Matmos : The Civil War ~ Matador
The White Stripes : Elephant ~ XL
The Chap : The Horse ~ Lo
Hanin Elias : No Games No Fun ~ Fatal
Aidan Smith : At Home With 2 ~ Twisted Nerve
Venetian Snares : The Chocolate Wheelchair Album ~ Planet Mu
Brokeback : Looks At The Bird ~ Thrill Jockey
Camper Van Beethoven : Tusk ~ Cooking Vinyl
Cat Power : You Are Free ~ Matador
Bill Nelson : The Romance Of Sustain ~ Universal Twang
SINGLES 03
Arab Strap : The Shy Retirer ~ Chemikal Underground
The Knowledge Of Bugs : The Woodwork EP ~ Clean Cut
The Memory Band : Fanny Adams EP ~ Hungry Hill
British Sea Power : Remember Me EP ~ Rough Trade
Franz Ferdinand ~ Darts Of Pleasure ~ Domino
M83 : Run Into Flowers ~ Gooom
Kelpe : The People Are Trying To Sleep EP ~ DC
Murcof : Ulysses ~ Leaf
Fuck : Hideout ~ Homesleep
MU : Lets Get Sick ~ Output
Zabrinski : Executive Decision EP ~ Ankst
Chris Clark : Ceramics Is The Bomb EP ~ Warp
Amon Tobin : Collaborations ~ Ninja Tune
Diplodocus : Epistomology Suite ~ Big Dada
Relaxed Muscle : The Heavy EP ~ Rough Trade
Trash Money : You Lied Satan ~ Showbiz
Austerberry : Masque EP ~ Twos Up
Djosos Krost : Predator EP ~ Pan American
Broadcast : Pendulum EP ~ Warp
Manitoba : Jacknuggeted ~ Leaf
Bill Nelson
Morose
James Hardway
Melvin Pickles
The Head Gardener
Ooberman
Lo Fi Sucks
Sugarland Slim
Static Waves
Radiohead
Misterlee
HG hanging out over MK
