Graham Massey has kindly donated some new Toolshed MP3 tracks to download , featuring some live and demo tracks.

Check out the 'Sound & Vision' page for more info.

Tracks:

• Satellites Are Spinning (Live At Belfast - 28/04/04)
• Radox (Live At Bridgewater Hall - 13/09/03)
• Kirk (Live At Band On The Wall - 14/04/99)
• Lanchester (Studio 8 Track Jam)

The Milk Factory website has an interview with Graham Massey on their website (update: no longer available), and very interesting reading it is too. Here's what they have to say about the interview:

"When Graham Massey dropped us an email to say he liked the site, we couldn’t let the opportunity of an interview go. Not only did he accept, but he’s given us an almost down-to-the-minute run down of his career from way before 808 State. From his days working as a sound engineer for the Broadwalk in Manchester to spending too much time at the Hacienda, the explosion of the Acid House movement, working with Björk and Bernard Summer, and how Prebuild came about, this is, dare we say, essential reading. So, get yourself a large drink, put your arse on your most comfy chair, and enjoy!"

Also check out the Manchester Music District Archive website.

From ninjatune.net: More Homelife, and the brand new album from the Mancunian collective is very nearly here. Released on the 30th August 'Guru Man Hubcap Lady' is a spectacular mixture of musical ingredients, blending unique, beautiful melodies inspired by Eastern, Latin, Folk, Classical and Modern music. So, as you can see Homelife aren't interested in conforming to perceived norms, to genre, to standard recording techniques, to even having a proper line-up. What they do though is come together to make a kind of pop music for all those people who thought that somehow pop music was over.

We are going all digital on your ass and releasing the Homelife single exclusively as a 'digital download single'. 'A Casa' and 'Heaven Knows' will be available from the 16th August on playlouder.com bundled with the 'A Casa' video to put straight on your hard drive. Taken from the forthcoming album 'Guru Man Hubcap Lady' released on the 31st August, Homelife bring us stunning tunage blending classical training, folk, eastern melodies, latin rhythms and just about anything else you could think of into a surprisingly accessible pop whole.

From Playlouder.com:

"It's Download Monday again and what thrills we have instore for you!

Dear readers, we have none other than two excellent tracks from peculiar Mancunian Ninja Tune collective Homelife. They blend only the finest genres to create their very own unique, ground breaking fried jazz (don't scoff, you'll all be saying it next week). Sounds identifiable include Eastern, latin, folk, dub, electronica, bongos, and possibly some flatulence - sort of like Primus having sex with Julie Andrews in Frank Zappa's moustache. Go on, admit it to yourself, you find that image very sexy indeed.

'A Casa (The House)' is taken from the group's brand forthcoming 'Guru Man Hubcap Lady' album, and whadda ya know, so is 'Heaven Knows'.

You can get them both here for a meagre 2 quid, which is a bargain at twice the price.

You want us to chuck in a video as well do you? And you want it to be weirder than Michael Jackson done up like a minotaur at a fancy dress party? A special minotaur that's half horse / half fish?

You drive a hard bargain my friend..."

Graham Massey joins Homelife for a gig at the London ICA on 16th September, but not for their gig at Manchester Academy 3 on 23rd August.

As part of the newly opened (for 1 month only) XfM Manchester Radio Station, on Monday August 23 X-Posure Live will feature The Earlies, Homelife and Aidan Smith at the Manchester Academy 3 – tune into X-posure to win tickets.

"Dedbeat presents Homelife plus support

Performance:
Thu 16 Sep 2004.

'the joyous missing link between Aphex Twin, Jim O'Rourke and Gilles Peterson' i-D

Homelife is not a definite entity. It's hard to pin down their sound, how many people are in the band or even which band they are in! What we can say for certain is that they are a fantastic, jazz and funk based, multi timbered bunch who will fill your heart with joy and your feet with rhythm, marshalled by reluctant foreman Paddy Steer. And with 15 to 16 contributors on the most recent album for Ninja Tune, we can assure you there'll be plenty to look at too. So in summary, a loose group of 8 or so members come together to make pop music for all those people who thought that somehow pop music was over. Don't miss the marvellous Homelife.

Venue(s) : Theatre (standing).

Thu 16 Sep 19:30 Theatre (standing)

Full Price : £8.
Concession : £7.
ICA Members : £6. "

Homelife feature a number of band members of Toolshed in their ranks, including Graham Massey, Seeming Too and Paddy Steers.

Taken from Ninja Tunes' website:

"Homelife are supporting The Magic Band (of Captain Beefheart fame) on Thursday 24th of June. Described as ‘Manchester's secret weapon’ Homelife are utterly fabulous. The fifteen piece band produce idiosyncratic, rich heady brews of rootless music, no-one sounds quite like them. After 20 years dormant, four original members of Captain Beefheart's legendary group The Magic Band (arguably the most mind expanding rock 'n' roll combo ever) tour the UK stopping off at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall. Sounds like the perfect night (far) out. Call 0161 907 9000 for tickets or go to the Bridgewater Hall Site."

Also, there will be a new Homelife album out on Ninja Tunes in August.

There are two sample Toolshed MP3's on Alan Kroeger's website, courtesy of Graham Clark. Both are untitled tracks - as soon as I have identified them, I'll update here.

Also, on that page, is an MP3 of Graham Massey's remix of Gong's "Isle Of Everywhere".

Check them out - they're great songs!

A handful of quantities of the Twisted Nerve Jukebox 45 Singles"TN050/4", featuring Toolshed's "Love In Outerspace", are featured for sale at the Twisted Nerve website (select "Jukebox 45 Series 3-12" followed by "04 - Toolshed, Bronze/Fox & Hassle Hound").

Note: In order to successfully buy something, you may need to temporarily set your Internet Security Options to 'Low' - if you have any problems, please ask Twisted Nerve for further details.

These are limited in stock, so grab them whilst you can!

From Twisted Nerve's website:

"TOOLSHED formed at Toolshed club nights in Manchester as the house band run by Graham Massey (808state), growing into a psycho jazz techno orchestra which at one point numberd 28 musicians, with a firm back bone of composition (largely from Massey's cubase, but not adverse to a bit of Morricone, Duke Ellington or Elvis movie songs). Think school orchestra let loose in the the chemistry lab.

'Love In OuterSpace' - Toolshed have been playing this SunRa favourite since we started, everytime we play it it's different. It's a jolly tune that you can throw dark on and wont dissintegrate. This version was recorded live at the Queen Elisabeth Hall London last May features a 14 piece Shed, with 4 Drummers, Brass section, and Seaming on the vocals."

Taken from the BBC Music Live website:

"BBC Music Live is coming to Manchester to celebrate a concert in Belfast! Confused? Don't be. On Saturday 1 May, the Big Screen in Exchange Square will be showing the Belfast Beautiful Night concert live from 9pm and there's a host of acts to get things going!....

....From four, things start to heat up with a selection of Manc artists taking over the stage, including Twisted Nerve's Aidan Smith, Grand Central supremo Mark Rae and his silky vocal collaborator Veba, and Graham Massey's ever changing and immensely intense collective, Toolshed."

There was a webcam setup to capture images every 5 minutes from the concert, but no broadcast facilities live.

Toolshed *might* be on BBC 1 later on tonight at between 10pm-12:00pm (BST) and/or BBC Radio Ulster at the same time:

"Sat 1 May, 22:00 - 00:00 120 mins

BBC Music Live 2004 presents a rock and pop extravaganza, bringing the streets of Belfast to a standstill to celebrate the best of Irish artists and music. The artists include Westlife, Ronan Keating, Bob Geldof, Alanis Morissette, Ash, Jamie Cullum, Katie Melua, Divine Comedy, Gabrielle, Hot House Flowers, Moya Brennan, Zucchero, Kila and Brian Kennedy, accompanied by the Ulster Orchestra.

Presented by Patrick Kielty, the concert features classic songs, duets and audience sing alongs as the streets of Belfast are joined by city centre Music Live celebrations in Manchester and Birmingham, and a floating stage on the River Lagan."

Taken from BBC Radio 3's "MixingIt" website:

"Toolshed

Toolshed is the project of 808 State's Graham Massey. It began as a club night in the Manchester Night and Day Café, and developed into a monthly gig featuring an array of musicians. The band can have up to 28 members when performing live. Tonight's line-up: Graham Massey (keyboards/guitar/saxes/programming); Seaming To (vocals/clarinet); Graham Clark (violin); Howard Jacobs (tenor sax/bass clarinet/congas); Paddy Steer (bass); Dave Walsh, Richard Harrison (drums)

Wok and Goblet (5.57)
Satellites are Spinning (Sun Ra) (5.47)
There Comes a Time (Anthony Williams) (9.12)
Urbaniak (7.33)
Mahaladin (4.49)

Satellites Are Spinning can also be heard on The Toolshed EP (Twisted Nerve TN053)
More details at http://www.finderskeepersrecords.com/shop/toolshed/

Mixing It fact: Graham Massey and Graham Clark recorded an improvisation together at the Night and Day Café for Mixing It in May 1997, as part of that year's Music Live Festival."

Toolshed is also taking part in a session for the BBC Radio 3 show "Mixing It" in Belfast on the 28th April.

at THE EMPIRE MUSIC HALL, 40-42 Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT7 on Wednesday 28 April 2004

Doors 7:30pm, first band on stage at 8:30pm, order: Toolshed; Jamie Lidell (of Warp Records) (10:00pm)

Highlights will be broadcast in Mixing It on Friday 30 April on BBC Radio 3, 10:15-11:30pm. The programme can also be heard at the Mixing It website:

Entry is free by ticket. Ring 0870 333 1918 for more details.

April 30th 2004:

Toolshed supporting Joe Zawinul @ Manchester's Bridgewater Hall on April 30th 2004 at 7:30pm.

Toolshed (7 piece) will be suporting Joe Zawinul at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester on April 30th.

Taken from the Bridgewater Hall website:

Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate

Joe Zawinul
The Zawinul Syndicate

Austrian born Joe Zawinul is deservedly renowned for his pioneering role in the jazz world with his fusion of elements of world music, rock and jazz. In fact, many of the worldbeat sounds we take for granted today, simply wouldn't exist without his revolutionary compositions and performances with Miles Davis in the late 60s, Weather Report in the 70s and 80s, and The Zawinul Syndicate in the 90s, evolving into the year 2002. At age 70, Joe Zawinul is still leading the way and has something fresh to say.
`One of the most dazzling jazz-based world-music ensembles on earth.` The Guardian

Tickets £16.00 £19.50

As a taster for the Toolshed album, due out later this year, there's an MP3 available to listen to from drummer Dave Walsh's webpage, called "Arugmenta". (Update: no longer available)

Toolshed will be playing The Empire Music Hall in Belfast on April 28th as a recorded event for BBC Radio 3's "Mixing It" programme, alongside Jamie Lidell (recent Warp signing)..

"Mixing It at Music Live

Mixing It records a special gig on 28th April from the Empire Music Hall, Belfast, featuring Jamie Lidell and Toolshed, with highlights broadcast 30th April on BBC Radio 3, 10:15-11:30pm

Jamie Lidell's live shows are an inspired one-man collision of live sampling technology and old-fashioned showmanship. Jamie was one of the featured vocalists in Matthew Herbert's acclaimed Big Band project, as well as being half of Super_collider with Cristian Vogel.

Graham Massey, formerly with 808 State (actually he's still in 808 State! - Nick), introduces his latest project: Toolshed; a seven-piece melting pot of cosmic jazz, twisted electronics, tribal rhythms and operatic vocals. Its line up for this event includes Richard Harrison (Spaceheads), Paddy Steer and Seaming To (Homelife).

Entry is free by ticket. Ring 0870 333 1918 for more details."

at THE EMPIRE MUSIC HALL, 40-42 Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT7 on Wednesday 28 April 2004

Doors 7:30pm, first band on stage at 8:30pm, order: Toolshed; Jamie Lidell (10:00pm)

Highlights will be broadcast in Mixing It on Friday 30 April on BBC Radio 3, 10:15-11:30pm. The programme can also be heard at the Mixing It website:

This will be roughly a 7 piece version of the band.