"The installation work has all been explicitly political, so we think that the time is right to bring that back into the music..." John Lowndes
The great thing about Patchwork Rattlebag, or PR, is that you can never predict what is coming next. The work is always eagerly anticipated and intriguing. PR can appear with John Lowndes performing as a traditional solo acoustic act, showcasing classy melodies and a unique voice. However, there has also been a dalliance with indie-pop and stylish, folky vocal harmonies. Synths are becoming more prominent, providing cinematic soundscapes. It's genre of their own that they like to call 'Brain Pop'.
Although we haven't heard from the mercurial band in a while, they have definitely kept themselves busy... "I have made a few pieces of music this year" John explains "The first was a piece for ten percussionists called Carnal Echo. It was selected as (UK) winner of the Great Britain/Great Plains composer exchange.
"I went over to Oklahoma City University to work with the percussion ensemble for a performance in March" he adds "That was new and exciting, and I did a US radio interview amongst other things. I also wrote a piece for three pianos, called It's the Hope: #Afrin that was performed by Piano Circus in April. Finally, I went over to Bologna to perform a laptop piece at Martini Elettrico Festival."
Patchwork Rattlebag is an art collective, and they like to look beyond sound. Artwork and video are equally as important and help to complete the complex PR aesthetic. It's an area that currently occupies Chantelle...
"She was involved in a Whitworth Gallery event and then created the visuals for the first incarnation of What does Who to What?, our installation at ArtsEqual in the summer" says John "We have developed both sound and visuals since, and we'll be running it again at Angel Field Festival in March. The idea is to explore social/power relations through sound and music. The focus has been the Everton area - investigating community resistance to austerity. The similarity to areas of Salford in terms of hardships and community care is striking."
It's pleasing to hear PR expressing political opinions and relaying their encounters in a smart and original manner. It's clearly a passion of the band and something that they are keen to pass comment on. As well as further installations and gigs, it looks like more new music is on the horizon..
"Adam has been working on educational music software for classrooms so he's been really busy" says John "He's currently taking the lead on a new Patchwork track...a, kind of, dance track that came out of the material from the On My Own recording sessions. It's about as experimental as we've been for a while. We've tried to cut loose from conventions and follow our ears.
"When I spoke to the composer Stephen Davismoon about the track, he said he heard an Animal Collective influence in there, and I think that that might be about the closest thing to it" he adds "Roughly it is about things and perception...life and death. Chantelle is currently working on a video that we're excited about. There are some new ideas in the visuals and I think that the track will be complete when heard with the video. We'll also be looking at On Liberty again. The installation work has all been explicitly political, so we think that the time is right to bring that back into the music."
Abschattungen delves into immersive, dreamy territory. It is an experiment tune; haunting and engaging, with John's vocal lower in mix. Abschattungen is a must with its futuristic and ghostly murmurations. While this step toward electronica becomes more evident, it would be unwise to define Patchwork Rattlebag by this. The one constant, however, is original and intelligent music. File under Brain Pop!
To hear Patchwork Rattlebag on Soundcloud – click here
For more details on everything Rattlebag, including a sneak preview of the new video for Abschattungen see the Facebook site – click here
Words by Ian Leslie
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