As potent as any megalithic stone circle yet repellent to the New Age idiot

October 4, 2010 9:55 AM

Northumbrian Storyteller, No-age Musician and Ante-Folk singer Sedayne performs his own Primal Myth Reinvention of The Holly and the Ivy to the tune of Searching for Lambs.

Sedayne is also half of drone-folk duo (with wife Rachel McCarron) Venereum Arvum, who have a song on the definitive collection of the Dark Britannica genre, John Barleycorn Reborn.

His youtube channel is full of gems: from improvised songs filmed on-location to full music videos. His homepage is full of info on the traditional and electronic instruments he has been using to make music for the past 20 years, as well as some of his ancient and modern inspirations.

found via searching for electronic shruti boxes on youtube for this AskMe question.

posted by Potomac Avenue (11 comments total)

And I forgot to link to his homemade instrument closest to mine own heart, the Troll Pipe.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:57 AM on October 4, 2010 [1 favorite]

Thanks for posting this, interesting stuff. As a listener of drone, I still haven't figured out drone-folk (not very drone-like).
posted by melt away at 10:12 AM on October 4, 2010

Argh also the link from Venereum Arvum is supposed to go to their myspace blog page.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:13 AM on October 4, 2010

This is very good, thank you. What a haunting sound.
posted by mermayd at 10:47 AM on October 4, 2010

Thanks for the post, just picked up Venereum Arvum's A Pentacle of Pips.
posted by christopherious at 11:30 AM on October 4, 2010

This is excellent. I love droney music, and this strikes a nice balance between modern interpretation and hippie wankery, without being too British Folklorist.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:12 PM on October 4, 2010

"Ante-Folk"? Is that like Pay-to-Play?
posted by Sys Rq at 12:17 PM on October 4, 2010

Is this *guaranteed* to repel New Age Idiots? Like, if I have some around my house I can play this and make them go away?

If I listen to this and am not repelled, is that a guarantee that I'm not a New Age Idiot, or are there further tests I must undergo to prove my worth as a human being?

Is there any help to be had for New Age Idiots, or are they forever doomed to lack the taste and sensibility with which the rest of us, including No-Agers, Ante-Folk fans, and Drone-Folk fans?

This is all so confusing; I just want to make sure I'm one of the right kind of people and not the wrong kind of people. It sounds like this is a good way to tell. I hope this music is touchstone enough, and that I am not repelled by it!
posted by edheil at 1:04 PM on October 4, 2010

er, with which the rest of us *are blest.*
posted by edheil at 1:05 PM on October 4, 2010

Okay, so does Jeff Lang's "House Carpenter" fall under one of these genres? It seems like it's arranged in a more modern style than the tracks in the John Barleycorn Reborn link. If not, which genre is it?

And Jolie Holland's "Mad Tom of Bedlam"?
posted by Grimp0teuthis at 1:44 PM on October 4, 2010

This guy is great-- reminds me a lot of Tim Eriksen, who specializes in Shapenote and the music of early America.
- Occom's Carol
- The Dying Californian
- Amazing Grace (to the tune of Fiducia)
posted by The White Hat at 4:26 PM on October 4, 2010 [1 favorite]