united bible studies - the shore that fears the sea (Deserted Village/Deadslacktring, 2006)"Originally formed as a duo with an unhealthy desire to emulate the Incredible String Band,
United Bible Studies quickly evolved into a collective and laid the groundwork for the Deserted Village label and events. Since their formation in winter 2001 they have played and recorded sporadically-never settling on one recording method, never settling on one line-up. The new album "The Shore that Fears the Sea" shows a love of the unadorned beauty of Shirley Collins, Anne Briggs and Vashti Bunyan, Current 93, Coil and Sol Invictus, as well as the work of poets Edwin Morgan and WS Graham. Sparse folk sidles up to a more melodic take on improvisation and tales of loss and pagan longing abound. If they could exist anywhere, they would be playing in the Green Man when Sergeant Howie arrives.
Since their Sun worship ritual at The Mór Festival in 2003, the students have increased their activities. The set, which included radical re-workings of some of their quiet new folk songs has been edging towards a more Pharoah Sanders/ Emperor/ Can hybrid thanks to the new drums and horns helping them to blaze brighter in the northern skye. Live shows throughout Ireland and Britain including the Leechrum Festival have seen them wildly improvise with up to twelve members or play straight trad as a trio. Standard rock instrumentation is bolstered with theremins, fretless banjos, accordions, bugles... whatever comes to hand... Their philosophy is that all paths are equal, all approaches relevant. Members have sometimes met on stage for the first time.
Though inspired by Irish Folk music, United Bible Studies have always seen themselves in a global context. They've had a slew of releases on microlabels across the planet and have invited many like-minded artists to tour Ireland with them including Avarus, Fursaxa, James Blackshaw, Peter Wright, Corsano/Flaherty, Black Forest/Black Sea, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Pinkie and John, ZU, Daniel Padden, Josephine Foster, Mi and L'au and Pumice. UBS played as Damo Suzuki's backing band twice: First at the demented beer garden after-party of the Mór Festival 2004 which saw people dancing in tongues and using every solid object as a drum and a sold-out two-hour set in Galway in March 2005. For their last Irish tour they were Joined by Larkin Grimm from Rhode Island. United Bible Studies will support Finland's Circle for the Irish leg of their tour in May this year."
"los irlandeses
United Bible Studies llevan editando grandes discos durante los dos últimos años en numerosos sellos, además de en el suyo propio, Deserted Village. "The Shore That Fears the Sea," también en Deserted Village, es su primer cd propiamente dicho. llevaba un año oyendo hablar de él, mucho antes de que por fin cruzara el Atlántico, y la espera ha merecido la pena. estas nueve canciones están pintadas de oro, se elevan como una bandada de pájaros mágicos. algo que siempre me llama la atención de United Bible Studies es lo orgánico de su sonido. es como si todo estuviese inspirado en las cosas que le suceden a la naturaleza. me siento como un arqueólogo, desenterrando una y otra vez objetos antiguos de la profundidad de la tierra. cada vez que la voz del vocalista principal Dave Colohan asoma de entre las diminutas grietas del suelo, la música se convierte en algo pagano. pero lo más llamativo de "The Shore That Fears the Sea" si lo comparamos con los anteriores trabajos de United Bible Studies es la voz de Colohan. casi todo el material previo era instrumental, pero siempre con un sentimiento muy similar a éste. sin embargo, la decisión de UBS de experimentar con unas estructuras de alguna forma más tradicionales ha sido un gran acierto. la canción que da título al disco es sencillamente una gema folk. guitarras acústicas e instrumentos de viento bailan juntos en el valle mientras la voz de Colohan proporciona la armonía perfecta. en canciones como "Watching the Rain Reshape Gelway" y "Crofts of Copeland," los pasajes de libertad instrumental de sus anteriores trabajos aparecen de nuevo, una variedad maravillosa de arreglos y drones hipnóticos. en la primera canción, Colohan imprime a la música un trabajo de voces minimal, pero es en esa furiosa mezcla de instrumentación en contínua libertad donde más impresiona. United Bible Studies se ha convertido en auténtica bandera insignia de ese imperio en ciernes que es Deserted Village. "The Shore That Fears the Sea" contiene todos los elementos de los mejores grupos del colectivo (Murmansk, The Magickal Folk of the Faraway Tree, etc). ésta es la verdadera definición de lo que llamamos habitualmente forest folk. United Bible Studies viven de verdad entre los árboles. 9/10"
brad rose
una conversación con United Bible Studies
