Transistor Six News

Jan/2003
Next up will be a lathe cut 7" on Black Bean and Placenta, the 2 tracks on it were recorded before I started work on 'Johnny Where's My Purse?' There will be very limited copies of this so you will have to act quick if you want one. Sign up for the mailing list and I will let you know as soon as they are out. The art work is hand made, and signed and numbered.

Also just out a track on the Noise Research Program comp, more details here

Look out for copies of Careless Talk Costs Lives, as I've been doing illustrations for them. Apart from that I've been working on some resin figures, expect a Transistor Six figure soon!

May18/2002
Lots of reviews are coming in now. Check the reviews section for new stuff from Splendid, Organ, Careless Talk Costs Lives, and Shredding Paper. I've been very happy that they have all been so positive, and that on the most part reviewers seem to understand what I'm getting at. Careless Talk did a great article on me in their april/may edition. Please support this paper, its a good read and its really showing the NME how it should be done. Slowly I'm starting to work on new material, it looks like I will mix and record vocals for the new tracks at Studio Gizard in Stoke Newington.

Jan/2002
The full length CD for Black Bean and Placenta is finished and will be out some time in the early spring. There are some promo's available, so if you can think of a good enough reason why you should receive one, email Transistor Six here.

The CD is called 'Johnny where's my purse'. Recorded and programmed entirely at home on her computer, Frances Castle AKA Transistor Six has taken the old attic sounds of 30's and 40's folk and country, sampled and snipped and stretched, them into something new. Snatches of dub, and old drum machines, strings and mellotrons, delicate hiss and creaking synths, make the end result something quite alarmingly strange and special. The CD cover sports full colour art work and an 8 page booklet of Frances' drawings. Collaborators include Sexton Ming, Steward, Printed Circuit, *The Guy Who Invented Fire, Jesse Todd Dockery and the Iditarod. The subject matter of the songs range from a story about a man who has a pale feminine hand transplanted on to his rough burley arm, to a song about a boy with a huge head, who at night receives ancient radio signals from outer space. Two Mp3s from the CD along with an unreleased track and realaudio files of older songs can be downloaded from the audio page of this site.

In other news....

The split single on catmobile is no longer happening as they have discontinued their singles club, hopefully the track 'Victoriana' will come out on something else in the not so distant future. However the Transistor Six remix of Printed Circuit track 'A1', is out now on the 'Reprints' CD from Catmobile.

* 'Guy' Who Invented Fire, (rather than 'Man' as it states on CD sleave.)

5/april/2001
The Split CD on Hubcity with the Iditarod will be out in August.
The split on Catmobile will be out after they have released the Figurine album, which I gather is just about to come out.

The full length CD for Black Bean is coming along well. There are lots of collaborations on this record. Jimmy Possession's musical project The Guy Who Invented Fire. Sexton Ming, Printed Circuit, Jesse Todd Dockery (who is a poet from rural Kentucky) and Steward (oh yes and there is a Steward/Transistor Six collaboration on the new Steward record 'Horse Laugh on My Ex' available from 555 records of Leeds) All the songs are started, some are nearly finished and waiting to be mixed, the collaboration with Sexton Ming is called 'I collect Plastic' and is very nearly done. I'm hoping to have the whole CD finished by the end of the summer. Hopefully it will be out before the end of the year.

5 jan 2001
All has been quiet for a while as far as releases go. The art work for the split CD with the Iditarod on Hubcity is nearly done and it looks great. As far as I know it will be out soon. The split on Catmobile will be out after they have released the Figurine album, which I gather is at the pressing plant now. I've had my head down these cold winter months working on the full length for Black Bean and Placenta. Its coming along well, all the tracks are now started and its slowly taking shape. There are lots of collaborations on this record. Sexton Ming, Printed Circuit, Jesse Todd Dockery (who is a poet from rural Kentucky) and Steward (oh yes and there is a Steward/Transistor Six collaboration on the new Steward record 'Horse Laugh on My Ex' available from 555 records of Leeds) also There will be slide guitars and virtual mellotrons and lots of stories to tell. I'm also planning a special cover displaying my art work.

Talking of art work, there is another stuckist show, on in London from Thursday 8 March to Saturday 17 March, at Artbank Gallery 114 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1, UK. Its to celebrate the publication of 'The Stuckists: the First Remodernist Art Group', published by Victoria Press on behalf of superHUMANism, distributed by Art Books International, available April 2001, 48pp, 16pp colour, Pbk 21 x 29.5cm, ISBN-0-907165-27-3, £9.95. Apparently it has international distribution so you will be able to get it every where.

Sept 10 2000
Not a lot of news, been keeping my head down all summer, sweating hard at my job making computer games, and every spare minute working on the full length CD for Black Bean and painting, painting, painting. Writing songs away from the computer, because my eyes hurt at the end of the day. Waiting for the Catmobile and Hubcity singles to come out. Painting as much as I can for art shows, in october. There will be another Stuckist show and I am helping organise an art show to be Held at Camber Sands for the Wild Weekend. There will be a Transistor Six interview in the next issue of Robots and Electronic Brains. There was a really cool review of the Elefant single in Record Collector magazine.(see reviews section). There really will be a new site up at www.transistorsix.co.uk soon, I own the domain, but finding the time to make a site is proving hard. I just have to work on art and music first. I really hate these geocities ads.

July 31st 2000
The post Office tower EP has been generally well received with plays on Radio 1's Steve Lamacq show. The Hub City and Catmobile Splits are both finished and should be out soon. Work has started on a full length CD, which Black Bean and Placenta will put out, though I really have no idea how long this will take to complete. Expect remix's by Steward, Printed Circuit and others and, collaborations with Sexton Ming and Ella Guru. Another Stuckist Art Show is planed for the end of October 2000. There should also soon be a new Transistor Six web site complete with our own domain name, yes we're finally decided escape Geocities and get a decent place on the web. There will be links here to the new site as soon as it is up.

15th March 2000
The 'Post Office Tower EP' on Elefant is out now. The tracks for the Hub City split, are nearly done... just the final mixes and track listings to be sorted now. The track for the catmobile singles club, is half way finished. Moving house and studio space is slowing things down a bit but Transistor Six should be back working on music and pictures soon.

21st Nov 1999
Been working hard on tracks for the Hub City split, also designing cover art for the catmobile singles club. Transistor Six will now be on the second single, along with female computer wizz 'Printed Circuit'. 'Always Mock Tudor' the song that was to go on the Red Carpet Ring comp has found a new home on the Intellectos comp. Stuckism has been hitting the headlines here in the UK through out the summer with articles in most of the major newspapers and an exhibition in Transistor Six's home turf of Shorditch. The Elefant single should be out soon.

3rd August 1999
John Peel has played the single twice on his show. I am now working on tracks for the Hubcity split single with the band Iditarod, a couple of the tracks will probably be collaborations, using the Internet and sending 4 track tapes across the Atlantic. We have started 2 songs and they are going well. I am now an active member of the Stuckist art movement that made the front cover of the 1st August Sunday Times Culture magazine. Other members of the group include Sexton Ming, Ella Guru, and Billy Childish .

15th June 1999
The single for Elefant is now finished. It will probably be out late this summer as part of their singles club. The cover art is one of my paintings. I am now working on tracks for a full length CD on Black Bean and Placenta and for a split single on Hub City Records. Also a split single, singles club, 7" for catmobile records. 'Always Mock Tudor' will now be coming out on the 'Morgan Leah' compilation. A track called 'Organ?' Will be appearing on the next Super 8 Records compilation. There will also be a (yet undecided) track on the first Intellectos comp.

5th March 1999

The next Transistor Six single will be on Elefant Records, it will be for their singles club and on coloured vinyl, and inclue the tracks 'Graham Goofers Singing Machine' and 'The Post Office Tower'. 'Organ?' will now be comming out on a Super 8 Records compilation.

22th Jan 1999

The 25c Soul Project is now out, including the Transistor Six song 'Moe Tucker'. We will be contributing a song to a compilation CD due out on Super-8 Records in the summer. Still working on tracks to send to Elefant, and 1000 Guitar Mania. Getting good responses from the single, fuzzy box records want to hear more Transistor Six. Will be sending them tracks in the next few weeks. The video for the Black Bean video comp is now finished, filmed out and about in London on my Gameboy camera, it is set against the song 'Always Mock Tudor'. The Primeros Pasitos compilation CD should be out in early march they have a cool new web site here. Will be recording full length CD for Black Bean and Placenta when all the other stuff is finsihed. And Hey Transistor Six got voted into the Tokyo Rough Trade Top 20 of 1998.

25th Nov 1998

At last! the first Transistor Six single is out on Black Bean and Placenta See 'Records' section for track listing and ordering info. Corey Bowl's Compilation which is to contain the track 'North of Finsbury Park' is now due out on 22 Feb. Japanese Label '1000 GM Records' have expressed an interest in putting out a split single sometime in the spring. Stay tuned for more info.

5th Nov 1998

Still Working on three tracks to send to the Elefant label. They are all about half way through. Also working on a video for the Black Bean and Placenta video comp, the video will be filmed entirely on a Gameboy camera. Rough Trade in Japan have requested copies of the first tape 'Green Vegetable Monster'. Crosspatch distro will now be distributing it in Canada.

30th Sept 1998 'Transistor Six and the weird tale of the American Moral Minority'

'Bealezbub Spice'

The image on the left that was to be the cover for the Red Carpet Ring Compilation 'National Phonographic' is no longer to be used. The email copied and pasted below was sent by one of the other bands on the comp to Paul Vittum (president of Red Carpet Ring) and because of it he has decided against using my design.

"Dear Paul, My mom sent ... a copy of the cover for the album. And after talking with him, we both felt like we should talk to you about it. First of all, as a Christian, I think the cover is pretty offensive. It is not a very good witness. And secondly, to be honest, the artwork isn't good. I have been very impressed with the artwork and music that RCR has put out so far. It has all been done in the spirit of independent music. But the cover that this girl has done looks more like a Spice Girls cover done in the spirit of Girl Power. I hope you know that this has no reflection on you or your record company--I just wanted to tell you how I felt about her artwork. I have attached a file for you to download of a sample cover that I put together for you. If it's not too late I beg you as a fellow supporter of independent music, to think seriously about this. I would be more than happy to make any changes to my artwork. And I'm not even saying that you should switch to mine---however, I am saying if it's not too late---to please switch to something else. Thanks so much,
....
P.S. I am sending you another cover option in another email"

I think most intelligent people will find the above words quite peculiar. Let it be known that I offered, as a compromise to take the religious images out of the back ground. Paul had initially asked me to put them in, so I had. They are not images I would usually use. However I was not willing to remove the 'vagina' from the main character as was suggested. As for the 'spirit of independent music' lark, it seems the packaging of indie music has become so stale that there is now an 'expected' staple style that qualifies being indie.

Other examples of offensive artwork you shouldn't be looking at: the last Arab Strap LP and Michelangelo's david.
For even more sinful artwork click here.
Oh and by the way we had a wonderful time in New York, even had lunch with Quentin Crisp...
Mr Crisp taken with my Gameboy camera, at the Cooper Squaure Restarant, NYC, sept 98.

7th Sept 1998

Last week Transistor Six put the finishing touches to the song 'Always Mock Tudor' for the Red Carpet Ring compilation. The single on Black Bean and Placenta has been delayed and should see the light of day in the next few weeks. Its now holiday time and we're off to New York with Ella Guru and Sexton Ming.

14 Aug 1998

I have finished the cover for the Red Carpet Ring compilation. If you click on it you can see it in high resolution.

31st July 1998

The first Transistor Six single will be out sometime in August it is to be on the Black Bean and Placenta record label. This is what the cover will look like.

Elefant the Spanish Label want Transistor Six to do a single for their 'singles club, As soon as work on the track and art work for the Red Carpet Ring Compilation is finished, I will be 100% focused on writing and recording stuff for this.

As mentioned above there is also to be a track on the Red Carpet Ring compilation, Transistor Six is also designing the cover for this. Other bands that will appear are: Stinky Fire Engine, Bricando de deus, Mars Hill, Broken Tree Fort, the Shermans, the Princeton Reverbs, Watoo Watoo, Aikagi, My Place in Space, Police Cat, Peach Bald 60minutes, Joe Fredrick, Skywriter, Clean Boy * Messy Girl, Yars Revenge, and Brideshead.

Transistor Six will also have a song on the next Black Bean and Placenta compilation. The song is called 'Graham Goofer And His Singing Machine'. Its a song about a 15 year old boy who builds a machine that can sing.

Transistor Six are also taking part in the 25c soul Project We submitted a song about Moe Tucker from the Velvet Underground doing some gardening, it was really just a bass line and some vocals, so we are keen to see how the guys from Georgia have finished it off.

There will be a track called 'North of finsbury Park' on the Morgan Leah compilation album, which sounds like it is going to be slightly delayed as Corey Bowl is looking for funding and accommodation.

There is also to be a track on the latest Robin Hood Compilation tape, which comes with the fanzine 'Next Year We'll Be Robots'. The track is called 'Sea Monkey Stampede' and is a manic, sample-heavy instrumental

There will be a track on spainish label 'Primeros Pasitos' Cafe Bizarre compilation.

There have also been promises of tracks on Gabe Zashin's compilation CD, and the swedish 'Jetboy' tape label.