Author Archives: andya

avatar

About andya

Andy is a West Yorkshire based artist, writer, and musician. He has exhibited nationally and internationally, on his own and in various collaborations including the DIY art collective Black Dogs. He attempts to unpick the political resonances of DIY art and culture in articles for HowDo Magazine and his radio show for BCB 'The Mirrored Hammer'. Andy is presently Fellow in Music at Bradford University.

The Mirrored Hammer Threadfest Preview Pt 1

Tonight at 9pm is part one of a special edition of The Mirrored Hammer previewing this year’s Bradford Threadfest; a free cross-city live music event 24 – 26th May. See www.bradfordthreadfest.com for details.

Deviating from the usual format of The Mirrored Hammer, this episode features studio tracks (not live bootlegs!) by some of the acts that will be performing including Hawk Eyes, Blacklisters, Ruby Tombs, Cam Deas, Rivals, Dean McPhee, Jaipur Kawa Brass Band, The Family Elan, Koala and many more.

A mixture of rock, jazz, folk, experimental and Bollywood brass underground goodness.

The Mirrored Hammer Istanbul Special Pt.1

Tonight’s episode of The Mirrored Hammer (9pm – 10pm on BCB 106.6FM) is an ‘Istanbul Special’ audio diary resulting from the first week of Andy’s residency at PiST/// Research and Production Residency: PIRPIR through Gasworks (London).

Contains snippets of conversations with PiST///, the Istanbul Biennial press launch, street musicians and city sounds, a Fluxus music event, and gigs by Mombu, Monduel, Ah! Kosmos and more.

If you wish to hear the last episode you can do so here:

The Mirrored Hammer

The fifth episode of The Mirrored Hammer: Art, Culture and Social Change airs tonight at 9pm on BCB 106.6FM. This final episode of the series includes interviews with the curators of this year’s ‘Kunstvlaai’ festival of independent art in Amsterdam and the ‘Corners’ exhibition at Gallery II, University of Bradford. David Bell talks about the political resonances of improvised music and there are live recordings from No Hands, as well as the ImprovDay and Folk Narratives events that took place in Bradford; songs from Champion Lover, Howie Reeve, Bridie Jackson, Richard Dawson, Bennett-Murray-Vulliamy and The Sense of Adventure Tape Deck Orchestra.

Last month’s episode is uploaded to here if you wish to listen again:

The Mirrored Hammer: Episode Four by Andyabbott on Mixcloud

The Mirrored Hammer

The fourth episode of The Mirrored Hammer: Art, Culture and Social Change airs tonight at 9pm on BCB 106.6FM. This episode focuses on varying approaches in socially-concious art and culture and its potential to effect change from the level of the individual to the social and environmental. It features excerpts from talks by Karren Ablaze about her new book ‘The City is Ablaze: The Story of A Post-Punk Popzine 1984 – 1994’; fragments of the Bradford One launch event with Griff Rhys Jones talking about the use of Bradford’s former Odeon Building as a cultural centre and music venue; artist Jeanne Van Heeswijk on sustainable socially-engaged art and the Homebaked project as part of the Liverpool Biennial; an interview with Interactive Arts trio Invisible Flock; and excerpts from Irna Qureshi and Chol Theatre’s rehearsed reading of ‘Cartographies of Love’ and accompanying discussion. There’s also bootlegs of live performances by Cowtown, The Jelas, Garfunkle and Simon, James Blackshaw and Matthew Bourne.

Last month’s episode is here if you want to warm yourself up:

The Mirrored Hammer

The third episode of The Mirrored Hammer: Art, Culture and Social Change airs on Saturday at 5pm on BCB 106.6FM. This episode is a ‘music special’ prompted by the ‘It Came Out of Nowhere’ event in September that focused on DIY and self-organised music. The programme contains live recordings from a.P.p.A.T.t, Dolphins, The Bismarck, Poil, Dean McPhee and The Horse Loom. There are also conversations with Chris Jury and The Bismarck about the DIY punk scene in the American Upper Midwest and Gary Cavannagh about Bradford’s music history.

To get you in the mood you can listen to last month’s episode here:

The Mirrored Hammer

The second instalment of The Mirrored Hammer: Art, Culture and Social Change airs tonight on BCB 106.6FM at 9pm. Interviews with Dusty Rhodes talking about being a student in Bradford post ’68 and the/(a) history of The Bradford Festival. Also a chat with Nagbea (The Word/Sound Shack Records) talking about the birth of the Punk scene and resonances between African culture and the DIY music scene. Live bootlegs from Blood Sport, Guns or Knives, Jupiter and Okwess International, Jaipur Kawa Brass Band and Gerrard Bell-Fife.

 

You can listen to last month’s debut episode here: