The Blundering Pilot, 1/5 of the ep ‘Skurjn’ …. follow the links to hear and buy ‘Skurjn’.

After much demand for ‘Skurjn’ to be released in digital format, the ep is now available at Bandcamp. Below are reviews from Cyclic Defrost (AUS) and Norman Records (UK).
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The long-distance collaboration between “acoustic noise artist” Charles Sage in Australia and Tim Diagram of the band Maps and Diagrams in the UK, Hessien makes its debut with a 20-minute EP limited to 100 copies in hand-stitched cork sleeves. (It will eventually see digital release, though). Recorded either late at night or early in the morning – depending upon which side of the time difference you look at – these compositions feel cast in a fitting sort of half-light. Manipulated field recordings are mingled with strands of acoustic guitar and hazy effects, blurring the lines between all of those ingredients.

The EP is steeped in quietude, starting with the shivering ‘When I Look Down 3’ and the especially translucent ‘The Blundering Pilot’. The middle track, ‘Small Earthquakes’ is more atmospheric than the others, while ‘Neroli Orange Blossom’ is slightly disconcerting somehow yet still quietly vibrant. Each could be a mirage, always wavering and never quite revealing its true form. The closing title track has a lullaby quality to it, and there are similar moments of tranquility elsewhere on Skurjn. Yet there’s an air of uncertainty to it, thanks to so many tiny, fleeting details. Doug Wallen
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In between hanging around with Aussie sound art artist chap called Charles Sage, Tim Martin (Maps & Diagrams) has been hob knobbing and hanging around with Dennis Nilsen and Jeremy Bamber, Crazy times! Tim & Charles (no Jeremy an Dennis though…) have created some music under the guise of Hessien. They’ve collaborated to make a rather lovely 5 track EP called Skurjn. Like the other releases on the Handstitched label it’s lovingly packaged in some hand stitched cork and uber limited (there’s 100 of this one). Well nice!! This is dreamy stuff…. beautiful post rock style guitars over fuzzy soundscapes. Plenty of micro noises and electronics going layering over the field recordings to make a complex yet accessible lump of ear noise. It’s very busy yet un cluttered. Listen to it with headphones though and you’ll be amazed at the level of detail and the richness of the music comes alive. Fans of Moteer, Mobeer, Manual will lap this up!! This will make a superb addition to your 3″ family but be quick as the last 2 releases on the label sold out in hours!

‘Skurjn’ by Hessien was released 29 January 2010 as a limited edition mini cd, housed in hand-stitched cork sleeves on the Handstitched* label (UK). The video was produced by Tom Hudson in 2010. Music by Hessien 2010. To hear audio samples or buy ‘Skurjn’ visit Norman Records, the most highly skilled handlers of music in the UK, if not the world.

Hessien appear on Fluid Radio Friday 19 March with an exclusive hour-long mix, tune in at 7pm BST. Fluid Radio and now available to listen to via mixcloud

Tobis Lilja – Days Pass Faster
Spinform – Yppersta Utposten
On! Air! Library! – 195
Hessien – Monsoon
Tarantel – When We Almost Killed Ourselves
Library Tapes – VIII
People Press Play – Studio
Tobias Lilja – My Teacher Died
Goddamn Electric Bill – Clouds and A Bee
Maps and Diagrams – T’horbed Earth
Mogwai – Wake Up and Go Berserk
Hessien – Gazed and Pale Reflections
Dictaphone – K2
Opitope – A Quiet Morning Arriving to the Valley
Tunng – Tale from the Black
Zelienople – Little Little Eye-Full
Hessien – Neroli Orange Blossom
Dirac – Bantu

‘Skurjn’  by Hessien is released today (29th January) and is limited to 100 copies for the world, packed in cork sleeves and hand -stitched. ‘Skurjn’ is available exclusively from Norman Records, quite arguably the most highly skilled handlers of music in the UK, if not the world.  More information can be found below and free Hessien songs are on the Hessien website, follow the links,  it wont take you long. Thanks for coming and thanks for listening.

What Norman Records has to say….

Single of the week 2

Hessien – Skurjn (Handstitched*) 3″CD

In between hanging around with Aussie sound art artist chap called Charles Sage,  Maps and Diagrams has been hob knobbing and hanging around with Mr Nilsen and Mr Bamber, Crazy times!  Tim & Charles have created some music under the guise of Hessien. They’ve collaborated to make a rather lovely 5 track EP called Skurjn. Like the other releases on the Handstitched label it’s lovingly packaged in some hand stitched cork and uber limited (there’s 100 of this one). Well nice!! This is dreamy stuff…. beautiful post rock style guitars over fuzzy soundscapes. Plenty of micro noises and electronics going layering over the field recordings to make a complex yet accessible lump of ear noise. It’s very busy yet un cluttered. Listen to it with headphones though and you’ll be amazed at the level of detail and the richness of the music comes alive. Fans of Moteer, Mobeer, Manual will lap this up!! This will make a superb addition to your 3″ family but be quick as the last 2 releases on the label sold out in hours!

Hessien usually occurs somewhere between the UK and Australia, somewhere between the hours of 11pm and 6am (Southern Hemisphere) & 9am and 8pm (Northern Hemisphere) Hessien is made up of acoustic noise artist Charles Sage (Australia) and Tim Diagram (UK). They collided through a coincidence and were pleased to note that the collision has produced an EP – ‘Skurjn’, to be released 29th January. ‘Skurjn’ is the first EP from Hessien, is limited to 100 copies (worldwide) and housed in hand-stitched cork sleeves (from a sustainable source)

The musical content is acoustically-challenged, inverted and lo-fi, an amalgamation of tanglible styles, pedal-work and mangled, modern conversions that combine the audible landscapes into one bigger image. Each song has been constructed from live workings and sketches of sound and field recordings, stitched together with fine acoustic thread and broken down into less accessible fragments to be built up again into mutual timings and compositions.

‘Skurjn’ will be available from Norman Records and eventually via digital form from Handstitched* Recordings. Hessien also have a single due for release shortly on Beko (digital single label) in France. Hessien can be found randomly recurring at short intervals around the Equatorial 3rd parallel-north in the early hours of the morning (or late at night, depending from which side you’re looking at it)

For more information and five songs that were found under the old hessian rug go here.

soon – hessien release some music on handstitched* recordings in the form of an ep called ‘skurjn’ – until then there are free songs over at hessiens’ website for download if you click this – if you find the music page – samples of ‘skurjn’ can be found inbetween other things*