12″ lathe Edition of 24. Numbered. Risograph Loose leaf cover and back art printed at LOOKYHERE. also available at bandcamp.
$60
Australian ex-pat, Ned Collette, came to our attention via circuitous routes, but the song cycle he created for Old Chestnut (FTR 362) was a classic of avant folk form, and its instrumental follow-up, Afternoon—Dusk (FTR 468), was brilliance of an entirely different type. Thus, when we asked him to participate in the QuaranTunes series, on Friday Oct. 9 2020, we had no idea what he’d be doing. We just knew it’d be damn good. And we was right!
Playing acoustic guitar Ned started off with a new vocal tune, then played his way through classic tracks from Old Chestnut and his 2014 LP, Networking in Purgatory. Shorn of their amazing arrangements, the tunes are still wondrous. Beautifully crafted, with an inherent darkness that never gets bogged down in mopery. There are hints of Victor Jara and Leonard Cohen in how some of the phrases and melodies turn, but those are just two of many influences that pop up momentarily, only to be submerged in the tide of Ned’s originalism.
Truly a beautiful set of tunes from this Berlin-based maestro. Note to fans: a vinyl reissue of Ned’s 2006 solo debut, Jokes & Trials, will be out very soon.
-Byron Coley, 2022
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