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John Barleycorn reborn......dark Brittania
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Mark Coyle
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Re: John Barleycorn reborn......dark Brittania
Dec 21, 2007, 12:22
Hi

this is Mark Coyle who compiled and prepared the John Barleycorn Reborn set.

It's worth perhaps mentioning a few clarifications.

The label had the 'dark folk' concept before I got involved. Some of the music has a darker touch, but I evolved the concept to look an largely undiscovered folk from the UK and studiously ignored the neo-folk scene largely with artists linked to the right wing, heathenism etc. I used it as a description like 'the dark ages' - a time of cultural development that because it wasn't written down is thought not to have happened, a bit like the view of the media about underground folk, unless it is on Radio 2 they think it's non-existent. The music doesn't sound like that area and much of it isn't dark per se, it covers traditional song, folk rock, psychedelic folk, rural instrumentals, pagan song and many other areas.

I tried to pick new or emerging artists smattered with more established ones who are developing into new areas. There are no bandwagon jumpers here, all have been making music in this area for a while but without anyone taking much notice apart from mico-labels / self releases / CDr distribution and sometimes my Woven Wheat Whispers service.

One of the key reasons for taking this on was to ensure the 'dark folk' tag didn't become used for occult / nationalistic / right-wing purposes which it so easily could have.

There are articles, additional booklets, conceptual essays and more to give a rounded view in the sleevepack (which can be downloaded electronically from WWW for free).

The idea of the 'John Barleycorn Reborn' concept was to cover the organic (rather than media led) emergence of the music once again.

The music stays away from gimmicky aspects, song titles like 'Wicker Man' might draw you to think of the film, but it actually looks at the original Roman writings and the experiences possibly of the early British. 'Spirit of Albion' is written from a pagan druidic perspective rather than a nationalistic and so on. (I'm not a pagan or have any links to them, but recognise they are part of the broad range of music and that folklore/traditions have great resonance to them).

There is an 'otherness' if not darkness to the music, I have encouraged the artists in the brief to explore folklore, myth, tradition, festivity, arcane imagery (green man, three hares etc), seasonal customs, community rites, forgotten lore, aural history etc. The songs were then compiled across moods to give a flow to the music. I wanted to capture a sense of folk as an unreconstituted form of music stemming from the people, rather than a codified sound driven by media conventions.

I hope this helps clarifiy some aspects. Thanks for your time.

cheers
Mark Coyle
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