THE COLDHARBOUR DIARIES: i have just filmed a promo

THE COLDHARBOUR DIARIES: Jon feels like Madonna

I have just released a digital album, and—partly as an experiment to see if what people say about the current state of the music  industry—and partly to stoke my massive ego, I am actually trying to promote it for a change, but sharing my experiences with you guys in readershipland...

https://jondownes1.bandcamp.com/releases

I know how Madonna feels now, as her royalties come pouring in. I have now sold TWO copies of my new record, 'Coldharbour', and I am remarkably pleased with myself. For years I have just put my new music up on Spotify and basically forgotten it. Now, just for fun, I am playing the promotion game (and hoping that whatever I learn from these PR games will assist me in my day jobs with the CFZ and Gonzo). I have even started an EPK for anyopne who wants to review the record. Please email me on jon@eclipse.co.uk if that is the case, and please be nice. My ego is far too fragile for the sort of criticism that some reviewers dish out.  

Coldharbour, by the way, can be found here: https://jondownes1.bandcamp.com/releases

I think it is really rather good, but then again I would say that wouldn't I?

THE COLDHARBOUR DIARIES: Judy and the Aliens

 I have just released a digital album, and—partly as an experiment to see if what people say about the current state of the music  industry—and partly to stoke my massive ego, I am actually trying to promote it for a change, but sharing my experiences with you guys in readershipland...

https://jondownes1.bandcamp.com/releases

I received a very interesting snippet of knowledge the other day.

According to one of the books by Joan Aitken, a cold harbour was an unofficial place of safety, maintained by vagrants and vagabonds. I had been reading Aitken’s Cold Shoulder Road whilst I was mixing the album.

However my old friend Judy Ja’afar one time head honchess of BUFORA (the British UFO Research Organisation, if you didn’t know) thought I was being crafty in my titling:

“Project Cobra Mist run out of Orford Ness and East Anglia bases leased to America. Allegedly pulled in 69/70 but continued under the name Cold Harbour. There is much to tell, but not on here.”

Art imitating life again..

WHAT A GOOD LOOKING FELLOW

THE COLDHARBOUR DIARIES: A sale!

I have just released a digital album, and—partly as an experiment to see if what people say about the current state of the music  industry—and partly to stoke my massive ego, I am actually trying to promote it for a change, but sharing my experiences with you guys in readershipland...

https://jondownes1.bandcamp.com/releases

THURSDAY, 30th

I have to say that playing at being a record company mogul is both entertaining and frustrating. I truly have no idea how Gonzo Multimedia Grande Fromage Rob Ayling does it. Or even why he would want to. But I can proudly say that I can no longer say that I have not sold any coipies of the new album Coldharbour.

When I came downstairs this morning I opened my e-mails to find that I have actually sold one, and I am unreasonably pleased about the fact.

Hooray!

BUY THE DEBUT RECORD FROM XTUL (which is nothing to do with Jon, honest)

As many of you will know, the team behind the Centre for Fortean Zoology and Gonzo Weekly Magazine are also responsible for various other projects. These include a non-profit community record company called Wyrd, which specialises in putting out limited editions of peculiar little records that nobody else would be likely to touch with a metaphorical barge pole. And here we have news of the latest release!

After years of rumours, Xtul are finally releasing their first hardcopy EP. It is pretty much what you would expect from a band consisting of peculiar mutants, who live in a redoubt deep in the dank woodlands of North Cornwall. In The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis said that one should never trust something that used to be human, but isn’t now.

As Xtul consists of a man in a wheelchair with the head of an elephant, a little girl with goat’s legs and the statuesque woman with the face of a skull, (and most definitely does NOT include Jon Downes, although he will admit to having produced it and having played guitar on a couple of tracks) you probably shouldn’t trust this lot. The five track record tells a narrative story which explains how the elephant man and the goat girl came to be, and the story is told in a genre mashing mixture of hiphop, folk, prog and avant-something or other, with a smattering of musique concrète.

But you can find out more about them! All you have to do is read this book: 

Check it out on Amazon.co.uk

And you can buy this remarkable 5 track record, which has a running time of just over half an hour, from those jolly nice people at Wyrd, utilising the Paypal button below. Do not worry about currency conversion. Although, the payment is in GBP, Paypal will do any conversion necessary for you. Gosh, isn’t the 21st century wonderful?