‘Remembering Easby Abbey’ by King Champion Sounds | New Album, ‘Between Two Worlds’
Exclusive video premiere of ‘Remembering Easby Abbey’ by King Champion Sounds, featuring Ajay Saggar and Oli Heffernan of University Challenged alongside members of Dutch anarcho legends The Ex and a host of exciting guests, are back with an album that distils a lifetime love of underground music into a unique and bewitching opus.
‘Remembering Easby Abbey’ is taken from the upcoming double album, out via Hive Mind Records. Ajay writes : “It features the absolutely wonderful vocals of LA born and bred resident and artist MIA DOI TODD. She’s an incredibly talented singer / musician who has been plying her art for many many years. Her voice and delivery have drawn comparisons to Joni Mitchell / Laura Nyro / the Topanga Canyon folk scene….but I truly believe she has her own unique voice…once you hear it, you don’t forget it! This song was inspired by a tour I did with her many many years ago (Folk Implosion / alaska! / Mia Doi Todd….a three headed joint European tour). I was the sound engineer + tour manager for all 3 acts. When we were in England, I took them all to eat at my mum and dad’s place, and afterwards took them to Easby Abbey….very close to where my folks live. This 11th century monument is so enchanting and full of history and mystery. Anyway, Mia used that visit as the basis for this song….which is also enchanting and full of mystery. A real folk-psych killer jam!!! Below is the photo from that very visit many many years ago that we made to Easby Abbey…taken in 2003.”
King Champion Sounds release their double album ‘Between Two Worlds’ with the same insatiable appetite to experience the endless possibilities that are open to making music as they had with their previous four albums. Music as an open conversation. An opportunity to exchange ideas. To listen to each other. To be open-minded. To push boundaries and explore new worlds. Whereas elements of krautrock, electronica, free jazz and dub have always been part of the KCS armoury, they have never stuck to a formula in the music making process.
The core members (Ajay, Oli, Jos, Mees, Chris, Holly and Elsa) have kept themselves busy with many other projects and have brought their different experiences into this rich new album.
The open conversations extended to other artistes from around the world. Gerry Love (formerly of Teenage Fanclub) added beautiful vocals and instrumentation to ‘I’m In Between Two Worlds’…a song that expresses the transition that the world has been making in the last year of uncertainty…but with hope at the end of it all. Mia Doi Todd brought her incredible folk voice to ‘Easby Abbey Remembered’…a song filled with poignancy, as golden memories are retrieved and cherished. Sally Timms (The Mekons) adds her oh so warm and instantly recognisable voice to ‘Thou Hurricane’…a Popol Vuh inspired vision of dying civilisations and what happens when you cut down the last tree! Helping Sally on vocals on this track are Jon Langford (The Mekons) and Janet Beveridge Bean (Eleventh Dream Day). And Marieke McKenna brings the words from her diary, recalling a surreal escape to a millionaires yacht and the stark contrast it provided to the “real” world outside…a beautifully penned and delivered work from this Glasgow poet.
King Champion Sounds Official Website / Facebook / Bandcamp
Hive Mind Records Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp / YouTube / SoundCloud
