Folklore Tapes is delighted to announce a continuing archival relationship with the British Sound Library, among the largest collections of recorded sound in the world, including music, spoken word and ambient recordings...
Folklore Tapes is an open-ended research project exploring the vernacular arcana of Great Britain and beyond; traversing the myths, mysteries, magic and strange phenomena of the old counties via abstracted musical reinterpretation and experimental visuals. The driving principle of the project is to bring the nation’s folk record to life, to rekindle interest in the treasure trove of traditional culture by finding new forms for its expression.
Sunday, 2 December 2012
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Sunday, 18 November 2012
Unofficial Channels - The Wire Magazine Issue 346
A huge thanks to Alex Neilson for writing such a concise piece on the Folklore Tapes.
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
Folklore Tapes Newsletter Issue I
Issue One of a bi-monthly double sided A4 news letter printed on 80gsm evercolour ivory stock.
Features all the latest news and up coming releases through the Folklore Tapes imprint
including: Tapeography / Field Trip Films / Exclusive Folk Tale / DFT005 / LFT002 & more...
Includes download for exclusive lancashire folklore mix 'The Devil & The Schoolmaster' by David Chatton Barker...not available elsewhere!
LFT001 - Joins The Cecil Sharp Archive
We are delighted to see Lancashire folklore Tapes Volume 1 join the archive at the Cecil Sharp House.
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
Folklore Tapes - Lancashire Insert Essay
Lancashire Folklore Tapes Volume 1
The Folklore Tapes have been operating for 18 months now but have been centuries in the making, and created to be a growing anthology without an end, uncovering mysteries, myths, topography, customs, natural & supernatural phenomena from the counties of the UK, to begin with...
The first series so far has been exploring the south-west county of Devon. The premise for each previous volume has been to choose two researchers who pick a subject within a chosen field, to then develop this into both an aural and written response.
The concept of recalling folklore through more than just written words has been a strong tradition for a long time now in folk-songs and ballads and nursery rhymes. To tell of tales & of events, as well as our process of using our imagination to explain what may lie beyond the limits of our knowledge.
The approach of The Folklore Tapes is to take this into the current sphere of contemporary artistic expression, marking a turn in the traditional folk song format from something which isn’t just about crafting a song in the classical sense, but something more akin to a film and its soundtrack.
A far reaching and ever growing collective of lore-soundtrack artists who’s chosen tale is as important as its narrator, preferring to let the subject matter speak for itself by giving it an extension. The recordings that follow are what attempt to evoke the folk tale in question, whether that be spoken word over broken electronic loops, field recordings with treated bird song or brass band arrangements, a platform for experimentation, its up to the researcher how they react to the brief and constraints of time or creativity, allowing the content to manifest through the expression.
More like a library or archive than a label, Folklore Tapes takes cues from the preservation heritage and topographical approach by Smithsonian and electronic Folkways records and the matter of fact approach of educational records from the 1960s and 1970s often realised by the British Broadcasting Council. Heritage research pamphlets as well as Library Records and Film Soundtracks. Exploring the rich archive of wonderful and sometimes baffling folklore that begs to be echoed as inspiration for experimental new works over writing, sound and film.
This approach of re-telling is not to uncover whether certain events happened or whether they happened as they were reported, but to keep what was written alive, the religion of folklore, giving new life, remembering and commemorating in a bid to stop the ever encroaching modern paving stones being laid over such important documents from our past. Fireside storytelling and travelogues from distant lands. With this approach the label quickly and naturally abandons any particular or obvious genre definitions and survives on its own as a unique archive to be available along with folkloric collections growing dusty in the corners of half forgotten research libraries sprinkled across the UK.
Since its conception The Folklore Tapes always set out to be more than just the sound contained, as an object, an edition and ethnological artefact, it was important to set a standard and a format, something hand made, bespoke and therefore produced in modest quantities with ultimate attention to detail. Made to be owned and treasured and most importantly shared amongst others in the way a record used to be.
For the first four volumes the packaging / sleeve has been hollowed out hard back books with printed covers and the cassette placed inside along with a research booklet sewn and stuck to the inside cover. As well as this edition a simpler format was introduced in the form of a brown envelope with the cassette inside a screen printed sleeve and the research booklet sitting inside. Hand made rubber stamps are designed for each edition as well as unique extra conceptual additions such as treated magnetic tape or a slide. For this, the first Lancashire Folklore Tape edition, and considering the fact that its an anniversary both made sense to produce something more involved, with more elements, a commemorative / deluxe addition. Using a Heritage Library Box allows for more parts to play in the overall project and marks a continued evolution in the Folklore Tapes museum.
And this will certainly be a format that will return again, punctuating the ongoing series over time.
The Pendle Witch Trails are of course widely well known across the world and with the 400th anniversary it seemed fitting for the first volume of the Lancashire based Folklore Tapes to be a very special release covering and commemorating these events. Curated by myself and Rob St John, the researchers have been picked for their connections with the area and their noted interest in the trials and folklore in general, several names will be familiar to subscribers of previous folklore tapes as well as some most welcome additions to the growing communal family of The Research Team. With only one piece each this constraint has led this volume to be a departure from previous editions and an entirely unique edition. The sense of collective commemoration is further galvanised by ten persons remembering ten victims of injustice.
David Chatton-Barker
2012
The Folklore Tapes have been operating for 18 months now but have been centuries in the making, and created to be a growing anthology without an end, uncovering mysteries, myths, topography, customs, natural & supernatural phenomena from the counties of the UK, to begin with...
The first series so far has been exploring the south-west county of Devon. The premise for each previous volume has been to choose two researchers who pick a subject within a chosen field, to then develop this into both an aural and written response.
The concept of recalling folklore through more than just written words has been a strong tradition for a long time now in folk-songs and ballads and nursery rhymes. To tell of tales & of events, as well as our process of using our imagination to explain what may lie beyond the limits of our knowledge.
The approach of The Folklore Tapes is to take this into the current sphere of contemporary artistic expression, marking a turn in the traditional folk song format from something which isn’t just about crafting a song in the classical sense, but something more akin to a film and its soundtrack.
A far reaching and ever growing collective of lore-soundtrack artists who’s chosen tale is as important as its narrator, preferring to let the subject matter speak for itself by giving it an extension. The recordings that follow are what attempt to evoke the folk tale in question, whether that be spoken word over broken electronic loops, field recordings with treated bird song or brass band arrangements, a platform for experimentation, its up to the researcher how they react to the brief and constraints of time or creativity, allowing the content to manifest through the expression.
More like a library or archive than a label, Folklore Tapes takes cues from the preservation heritage and topographical approach by Smithsonian and electronic Folkways records and the matter of fact approach of educational records from the 1960s and 1970s often realised by the British Broadcasting Council. Heritage research pamphlets as well as Library Records and Film Soundtracks. Exploring the rich archive of wonderful and sometimes baffling folklore that begs to be echoed as inspiration for experimental new works over writing, sound and film.
This approach of re-telling is not to uncover whether certain events happened or whether they happened as they were reported, but to keep what was written alive, the religion of folklore, giving new life, remembering and commemorating in a bid to stop the ever encroaching modern paving stones being laid over such important documents from our past. Fireside storytelling and travelogues from distant lands. With this approach the label quickly and naturally abandons any particular or obvious genre definitions and survives on its own as a unique archive to be available along with folkloric collections growing dusty in the corners of half forgotten research libraries sprinkled across the UK.
Since its conception The Folklore Tapes always set out to be more than just the sound contained, as an object, an edition and ethnological artefact, it was important to set a standard and a format, something hand made, bespoke and therefore produced in modest quantities with ultimate attention to detail. Made to be owned and treasured and most importantly shared amongst others in the way a record used to be.
For the first four volumes the packaging / sleeve has been hollowed out hard back books with printed covers and the cassette placed inside along with a research booklet sewn and stuck to the inside cover. As well as this edition a simpler format was introduced in the form of a brown envelope with the cassette inside a screen printed sleeve and the research booklet sitting inside. Hand made rubber stamps are designed for each edition as well as unique extra conceptual additions such as treated magnetic tape or a slide. For this, the first Lancashire Folklore Tape edition, and considering the fact that its an anniversary both made sense to produce something more involved, with more elements, a commemorative / deluxe addition. Using a Heritage Library Box allows for more parts to play in the overall project and marks a continued evolution in the Folklore Tapes museum.
And this will certainly be a format that will return again, punctuating the ongoing series over time.
The Pendle Witch Trails are of course widely well known across the world and with the 400th anniversary it seemed fitting for the first volume of the Lancashire based Folklore Tapes to be a very special release covering and commemorating these events. Curated by myself and Rob St John, the researchers have been picked for their connections with the area and their noted interest in the trials and folklore in general, several names will be familiar to subscribers of previous folklore tapes as well as some most welcome additions to the growing communal family of The Research Team. With only one piece each this constraint has led this volume to be a departure from previous editions and an entirely unique edition. The sense of collective commemoration is further galvanised by ten persons remembering ten victims of injustice.
David Chatton-Barker
2012
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Friday, 26 October 2012
Latest News!
Coming Soon...
DFT005 - Ornithology
Featuring: Children Of Alice / Mary Arches
Folklore Tapes (Physical) News Letter Issue 1
Featuring: Folktales / Exclusive Mix / Up-Coming Editions / Tapeography / Film News...and more
DFT005 - Ornithology
Featuring: Children Of Alice / Mary Arches
Folklore Tapes (Physical) News Letter Issue 1
Featuring: Folktales / Exclusive Mix / Up-Coming Editions / Tapeography / Film News...and more
Thursday, 11 October 2012
Monday, 8 October 2012
Friday, 5 October 2012
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
LFT001 - Pendle, 1612 PRE-ORDER
Folklore Tapes Presents...
Lancashire Folklore Tapes Volume I
Pendle, 1612
Curated By Rob St John & David Chatton Barker
Deluxe Heritage Buckram Box Containing : Photographs, Essay, Map, Card, Nettle in Glassvine Envelope & Download
Exclusive Limited Edition Pre-Order Edition With Screen Printed Canvas Bag...
Available From 5th October Here:
http://folkloretapes.bandcamp.com/
Lancashire Folklore Tapes Volume I
Pendle, 1612
Curated By Rob St John & David Chatton Barker
Deluxe Heritage Buckram Box Containing : Photographs, Essay, Map, Card, Nettle in Glassvine Envelope & Download
Exclusive Limited Edition Pre-Order Edition With Screen Printed Canvas Bag...
Available From 5th October Here:
http://folkloretapes.bandcamp.com/
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
DFT Series Goes Digital...
http://folkloretapes.bandcamp.com/
With the introduction of the new Lancashire Folklore Tapes coming this Autumn, over the next while all current four volumes of the Devon Folklore Tapes will become available digitally.
Download codes will be present in each volume from now on and with regards to owners of previous editions without the codes, please contact me and and i can give you vol.1,2 and 3 (be honest)
The Devon Folklore Tapes Annual is also due at the end of the folklore year. As well as various other new comings along the way!
Cheers,
David
With the introduction of the new Lancashire Folklore Tapes coming this Autumn, over the next while all current four volumes of the Devon Folklore Tapes will become available digitally.
Download codes will be present in each volume from now on and with regards to owners of previous editions without the codes, please contact me and and i can give you vol.1,2 and 3 (be honest)
The Devon Folklore Tapes Annual is also due at the end of the folklore year. As well as various other new comings along the way!
Cheers,
David
Monday, 27 August 2012
Monday, 20 August 2012
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Sunday, 12 August 2012
LFT001 - The Wonderfull Discoverie Of Witches In The Countie Of Lancaster
Due Late October 2012
Lancashire Folklore Tapes Volume I -
The Wonderfull Discoverie Of Witches In The Countie Of Lancaster
Curated by David Chatton Barker & Rob St John
Featuring contributions from ten Lancastrian researchers
Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Pendle Witch Trials
Lancashire Folklore Tapes Volume I -
The Wonderfull Discoverie Of Witches In The Countie Of Lancaster
Curated by David Chatton Barker & Rob St John
Featuring contributions from ten Lancastrian researchers
Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Pendle Witch Trials
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Friday, 6 July 2012
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Negative Paper Designs *1
Friday, 15 June 2012
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Part One of David Orphan Arte Capital Interview by Rui Miguel Abreu :-
http://www.artecapital.net/musica.php?ref=15
Note- Using translator into English does scramble some grammar and wording.
DFT003 - Envelope Edition
Screen Printed Sleeve
Blue Cassette
Printed Booklet (research notes)
Printed Hand Numbered Envelope
Saturday, 2 June 2012
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Friday, 27 April 2012
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Monday, 26 March 2012
Volume 2 - Graves - Anworth Kirk Vs David Oprhan
Screen Printed Sleeve
Grey Cassette
Printed Booklet (research notes)
DFT Card
Printed Hand Numbered Envelope
Friday, 16 March 2012
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Monday, 5 March 2012
Monday, 20 February 2012
Monday, 13 February 2012
Monday, 9 January 2012
Volume 2 - The Folk Ghost, The Holy Trinity Church, Its Grounds And Squire Richard Cabell/Capel
Folk Ghost by Theo Brown (Fate of the Dead)
Ghosts are of many kinds. The kind considered here is believed in and discussed by winter firesides, but there is never a first-hand account of its activities. The starting-point is always a known, strong-minded character, nearly always a person of consequence in the neighbourhood, and sometimes known to be disliked, envied or hated. Mythical elements come to be attached to his or her name. There are numerous type-motifs involved which enable us to recognize the accretions fairly easily. The variations are many...
The Squire
The likliest prototype for ‘Black Hugo’ in Conan Doyle’s The Hound Of The Baskervilles was probably the seventeenth-century Richard Cabell (or Capel as i have read both names to be be his surname) of Brooke Manor, Buckfastleigh. He had the same women baiting reputation and is said to have kept his victims at Hawson Court, a mile or so to the west of his home. There are two versions of his death-scene: either he was chased across Dartmoor by ‘Whisht’ Hounds till he dropped dead, or he died in his bed and the ‘Whisht’ Hounds howled round outside the house that night. Post mortem trouble was anticipated, so he was buried very deep, outside the south porch of the Holy Trinity Church and not only an alter-tomb was erected over him, but over that a little house as well known as the sepulchre. It is square, and on the north side there is a small oak door with a large keyhole. To this day the children of the village climb the steps, run thirteen times round the little house and then dare each other to insert a finger into the keyhole and feel Cabell/Capel or the devil gnaw the tip.
The Church And Its Grounds
The Holy Trinity Church and its grounds are a as much a part to play in this story as the squire himself. The church supposedly saw the intervention of the Devil who tried in vane to stop the villagers constructing a place of holy worship. In the case of this church, Satan was foiled by the building of a steep flight of 196 steps (quite how any number of steps would prevent the devil accessing the church is confusing to me)
In the nineteenth century the graveyard was a frequent target for grave robbers, its secluded location and a convenient lane made it the ideal spot.
On Tuesday the 8th of May 1849 arsonists broke into the church and started a fire which destroyed the vestry, part of the roof of the north aisle, the parish chest and badly damaged the communion table.
For hundred of years it was thought that black magic rites had been carried out at the church and the Squire’s tomb in particular. The building which houses the tomb has a solid wooden door at the back, this had been placed there to deter Satanists from gaining entry.
Below the church are a system of caves which run for about 3.5km. In ‘Reeds Cave’ is a weird natural formation known as the ‘little man’, this has been formed by the joining of a stalactite and a stalagmite. The figure is said to resemble a human figure in seventeenth century clothes. This formation has been calculated to lie directly the tomb of Cabell/Capel.
Ghosts are of many kinds. The kind considered here is believed in and discussed by winter firesides, but there is never a first-hand account of its activities. The starting-point is always a known, strong-minded character, nearly always a person of consequence in the neighbourhood, and sometimes known to be disliked, envied or hated. Mythical elements come to be attached to his or her name. There are numerous type-motifs involved which enable us to recognize the accretions fairly easily. The variations are many...
The Squire
The likliest prototype for ‘Black Hugo’ in Conan Doyle’s The Hound Of The Baskervilles was probably the seventeenth-century Richard Cabell (or Capel as i have read both names to be be his surname) of Brooke Manor, Buckfastleigh. He had the same women baiting reputation and is said to have kept his victims at Hawson Court, a mile or so to the west of his home. There are two versions of his death-scene: either he was chased across Dartmoor by ‘Whisht’ Hounds till he dropped dead, or he died in his bed and the ‘Whisht’ Hounds howled round outside the house that night. Post mortem trouble was anticipated, so he was buried very deep, outside the south porch of the Holy Trinity Church and not only an alter-tomb was erected over him, but over that a little house as well known as the sepulchre. It is square, and on the north side there is a small oak door with a large keyhole. To this day the children of the village climb the steps, run thirteen times round the little house and then dare each other to insert a finger into the keyhole and feel Cabell/Capel or the devil gnaw the tip.
 |
| The Sepulchre |
The Church And Its Grounds
The Holy Trinity Church and its grounds are a as much a part to play in this story as the squire himself. The church supposedly saw the intervention of the Devil who tried in vane to stop the villagers constructing a place of holy worship. In the case of this church, Satan was foiled by the building of a steep flight of 196 steps (quite how any number of steps would prevent the devil accessing the church is confusing to me)
In the nineteenth century the graveyard was a frequent target for grave robbers, its secluded location and a convenient lane made it the ideal spot.
On Tuesday the 8th of May 1849 arsonists broke into the church and started a fire which destroyed the vestry, part of the roof of the north aisle, the parish chest and badly damaged the communion table.
For hundred of years it was thought that black magic rites had been carried out at the church and the Squire’s tomb in particular. The building which houses the tomb has a solid wooden door at the back, this had been placed there to deter Satanists from gaining entry.
Below the church are a system of caves which run for about 3.5km. In ‘Reeds Cave’ is a weird natural formation known as the ‘little man’, this has been formed by the joining of a stalactite and a stalagmite. The figure is said to resemble a human figure in seventeenth century clothes. This formation has been calculated to lie directly the tomb of Cabell/Capel.
 |
| Church Wall |
 |
| The Little Man |
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