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Malcolm Cecil, the brilliant bassist, synthesist, producer, and engineer passed away on March 28th. He was best known for his work with his partner Robert Margouleff on four of Stevie Wonder's 1970s releases: Music Of My Mind, Talking Book, Innervisions, and Fulfillingness' First Finale. Cecil helped create the TONTO system used on many of Wonder's albums. TONTO was a large custom-built synthesizer system that combined modules from ARP, Moog, Serge, and Oberheim. It had a number of customized switch triggers and sequencers that allowed the modules to communicate with each other, years ahead of the MIDI protocol that arrived in the 80s. RIP Malcolm, and thank you for all the great music and inspiration! Tom

Hi everyone, been meaning to do this for ages. Long time fan and board lurker, finally got around to joining, looking forward to contributing on an occasional basis. Right now I'm off across to the Music Store to buy some more downloads (and a CD of GTHGA - my vinyl is worn out).

Gary does mention Bill. Sorry if published previously...

Hello there, here comes a technical question and it might sound stupid for someone. Bill was a producer of a 1997 (recorded in 1996) album Yablokitay (Яблокитай) of a Russian band Nautilus Pompilius where he recorded some guitar solos and played some other instruments as well. The abundance of the sounds used in the album amazed me: the sort of "tribal"drum sounds or creppy haunting ambient sounds and "evil" piano sound like in the song "Нежный Вампир (Gentle Vampire)", and of course the cry-like guitar solos in several songs. The Bill's work on this album is unbelievably great, to be honest and it is a pity no one knows about this work of Bill's outside the Russian community. So there comes that stupid question whether someone knows what guitar and synthesizer he might have been used at that time? :) Update: here is the link to take a look at the album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeWKxY8hO9U

Another terrific Youtube video from Julian Hanford 😀 "Let's Dance" / Return To Tomorrow These Tapes Rewind: Volume One https://billnelson.bandcamp.com/track/lets-dance-bonus-track Love the Fosse choreography...

The Last Lamplighter is Bill's latest album, the companion piece to Stand By: Light Coming... It is ONLY available as a digital download from Bill's Bandcamp page. All the artwork is available as PDF files for you to download, to make your own CDR should you wish! A fantastic album, one that you would be crazy to miss out on! Check out the album details and listen to the sample tracks on Dreamsville HERE..

After a day of Prokofiev's Steel Step & Prodigal Son, interspersed with several leisurely dips into The Unrealist alternating Hip Pocket Jukebox, have uncovered an absolute gem in Chimes & Rings! Cannot stop playing it (alternating Six String Super Apparatus) - it's 4:15 - one more play ...

“Signals From Realms Of Light” and “Model Village” were released simultaneously on this date in 2011. .

Did other members hear the recent playing of 'Do You Dream In Colour' on Guy Garvey's Radio 6 Sunday afternoon programme on (I think) August 30th? The track was selected by the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage who chooses a must listen to album each week and selects a track to play. Simon introduces the album and spoke about buying the 'Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam' album and offered some background into its creating / recording in a small village hall? Interestingly Guy Garvey had not heard of Bill and was going to investigate further music of his! I don't know whether the programme is available to listen to on a playback facility - possibly BBC Sounds? I also recall that Simon's chosen album the week before was David Sylvian's 'Gone To Earth' and the track chosen was one with Bill on guitar?

Watch it whilst you can and thank you, Ged, for the link ....

As the title suggests, this wonderful keyboard-based instrumental album, originally released in 2009 is now available on Bandcamp...if you missed out on the physical CD, you missed treat! Click this link to take you directly to Bandcamp Click on the album cover for further details about the album.

In case you have missed the notification, ‘The Jewel’ is now available to pre-order from Burning Shed. Make sure you get your order in to secure your copy as the number of CDs will be pressed depending upon demand!!!

I just now responded to a post on Facebook about the Cocteau Records album 'Signature Tunes' which compiled some of the tracks by other artists I had produced or had signed to my Cocteau label. (Most of you will be able to list these I guess.) Anyway, I thought my reply to the post may be of interest to aficionados here in Dreamsville so I'm copying my response below.... "That was an interesting period. I started the label with altruistic motives, trying to set up an independent label that could showcase bands and artists that I felt had an original and interesting outlook, but might not otherwise get heard. I was soon dealing with a deluge of demo cassettes, most of which were ok, some not so, and some really very good. But, I didn't realise how time consuming acting as A+R man to my own label would be. It's sad but in the end I just couldn't give enough time over for the music making of others. It impacted on my own productivity to a greater degree than I expected. Nevertheless, I managed to help launch the careers of a handful of artists, 'A Flock Of Seagulls' being perhaps the most commercially successful, (though I never saw a penny from any of that.) And 'Man Jumping' were one of my proudest signings. A wonderful group of musicians blessed with fabulous ideas."

If it took 2 years (I don't know the exact time frame) for the Delta variant to manifest, can we expect another variant in 2024 (just in time for the US presidential election)?

Do we have a release date yet? Already over excited!

Not sure of the exact release date, but I know it's June 1974. So Axe Victim is 45 years old this very month.

The Grind Tommy Bolin I walked all day tryin’ to find me work I must have knocked on one-hundred doors Would have swallowed my pride for some money And be satisfied sweepin’ the floors Mister Broken-Glass Mister Silver-And-Gold Mister Bustin’-My-Ass Mister All-You-Can-Hold… I always thought “Mister Broken-Glass” was actually “Mister Foster Grants”. .

Biographer James S. Williams describes Cocteau's politics as "naturally Right-leaning."[9] During the Nazi occupation of France, Cocteau's friend Arno Breker convinced him that Adolf Hitler was a pacifist and patron of the arts with France's best interests in mind. In his diary, Cocteau accused France of disrespect towards Hitler and speculated on the Führer's sexuality. Cocteau effusively praised Breker's sculptures in an article entitled 'Salut à Breker' published in 1942. This piece caused him to be arraigned on charges of collaboration after the war, though he was cleared of any wrongdoing and had used his contacts to his failed attempt to save friends such as Max Jacob.[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Cocteau#Later_years

Just uploaded a new journal entry dated 14 March 2021. It has 4 images attached. Click on 'journal' to read it...

First a declaration: Bill Nelson is the ONLY musician currently creating new, original music of which i am willing to happily purchase releases on the physical medium of CDs. (and in this case, a double-disc! 😃) As i am absorbing both CDs of Dazzlebox, i am struck once again by the meticulousness and care that Bill puts into his compositions/playing/arrangements. But this intrinsic craft is never at the expense of the direct heart in creation. Instruments dance and weave and flow purposely but also loosely and freely, organically. A deft, delicate touch when appropriate. Soaring, driving, circling guitars emotionally responding. The craft is evident, even as such sounds transcend its "box". Shimmering shapes signal the soul.

If you missed this stunning album when it was released back in 2011, it is now available as a digital download from Bandcamp.

Hi - just wanted to say thanks for composing Neptune's Galaxy - got us through some of the more challenging bits of covid - also wanted to say how much i love Dazzlebox, Altar Pieces, A Catalogue Of Obsessions & more recently - Songs For Ghosts - astonishly gorgeous xxxxxxxxx

Seems Bill is getting a mention in the current issue of Prog Magazine:

The new Netflix number 1 thriller series looks strangely familiar. Mr Nelson five decades ahead of the curve !

Prof Simon Warner got in touch about this new article he wrote about Bill and his involvement with the Beat artists and philosophy etc. https://simonwarner.substack.com/p/nelsons-column