Digital download of Jackamo Brown's 2012 Album 'Oh No. The Drift Of The World'.
Tracklisting:
Part 1.
- Dust In My Veins
- In My Time
- When She Comes
- Five String Serenade
- Elena-Jane
Part 2.
- Prayer For Slow Death
- Cara Silas
- Lay Low
- Loren Ipsum
- When I Go
- Till One Morning Everything Burned
(all files in 320kbps MP3 format.)
Oh No. The Drift Of The World is a debut album that doesn't feel the need to shout loudly. In fact, it s probably one of the most stirringly intimate records you'll hear all year, a collection of bluesy, folky acoustic songs largely consisting of guitar and hushed, smoky voice; performed by the somewhat mysterious Jackamo Brown.
The album comes in two 18-minute parts, with ambient recordings linking and running through the tracks. It's an anti-shuffle record, its mood, feel and ethos coming from another, simpler time.
Recorded and produced YILA at Empire Studios in Hackney and mastered by Mandy Parnell at Black Saloon. The recording was basic: just a mic gaffer taped to Brown s guitar, a mic for his vocals and some room mics for capturing the street noise bleeding in through open windows and the guitar and organ that feature on three tracks. Further ambient sounds were recorded after the session by Jackamo in his local area.
Influenced by Bert Jansch, Dylan and Arthur Lee, whose Five String Serenade is covered on the album, Brown began recording music seven years ago, having written songs in private for years before that. Many of the tracks on the album date back to that time. The most dominant theme from the listener's perspective, I think, is of love lost or relinquished, says Brown. There are other cheery subjects like death and alienation thrown in too; as well as quiet nods to Russian Literature and Lorem Ipsum.
The idea of releasing the tracks did not come naturally to the reluctant performer. I never had any intention of pursuing a music career, says Brown. I still have no real desire to earn a living through music, or earn a living at all really. I have some issues with selling your art but there is enough distance between me now and the Jackamo of the songs and I jumped at the opportunity to give them a physical form. The offer to do so came from Scroobius Pip, who releases the album on his Speech Develpment Records label.
In the age of everyone knowing everything about everyone I was weirdly excited by the fact that, if you Google Jackamo Brown... you find very little, says the poet/rapper. As a fan of his work, I wanted to get some of his music recorded together, in one collection and as one piece. Outside of music, Jackamo Brown occasionally works in libraries. I always choose time over money and so spend the majority of my time dedicated to philosophy, literature and music and convincing myself that poverty is noble. I studied philosophy to post-graduate level and I am about ready to start work on a book.
One thing you shouldn't expect to see is Jackamo Brown performing live. I have never wanted the particular sort of attention that goes with a stage performance or the applause of a crowd (assuming anyone might applaud), he says. I did a live session of sorts for Jon Hillcock and played a live set at the Leigh Folk Festival in order to be sure I was not just rationalising a fear of performing live. I may, of course, change my mind down the line. We suspect he'll find many new devotees who hope he does.