Interview with Martyn Bates. It has been translated into french and back again by different people, so some of the original intentions and meanings may have been somewhat distorted. (Les Inrockuptibles, no. 14, 1988)
Mood Music by Andrew Jones (Option magazine, 1989)
“As for my melancholia … People see it as introspection, as if that’s necessarily a bad thing, as if it’s wrong to be contemplating. My musics never meant to be depressing or anti-life or negative, even if it seems evocative of that mood. […] – there’s beauty in a sad song. Why shouldn’t there be?” – Martyn Bates
In Therapie Met Martyn Bates. Interview by Gerhard Horrman and photo by Jos Wijnen (Martyn Bates photo) (Muziekkrant Oor, #2, January 26 1991) (Dutch)
Interview with Martyn Bates for the french magazine Omega. Interview by Spahi Amadeo was done in 1995. Text has been translated from french to english by Yves Ludwig – thank you! (Omega Magazine, Autumn 1996)
The french original article.
“Eyeless In Gaza could and should continue forever as long as Peter Becker an I both continue to enjoy our unique connection – it feels like it should last forever, this special link; ‘I dreamed I saw you, walking, walking in the world..... .’” – Martyn Bates
VPRO R5 ’De Avohaen’ – ”Special – Martyn Bates”
Martyn Bates presents his song settings of James Joyce’s full cycle of poems Chamber Music (see the biography for more info about this) and also his collaboration with Mick Harris on Murder Ballads. I list what appeared in the program and Martyn’s comments (though not the comments by the program’s host). The program was aired on the Dutch radio on April 25th 1996.
Martyn Bates. Interview by Simon. (DDD fanzine, July 1997)
“… my absolute favourite poets have to be: DH Lawrence and Dylan Thomas” – Martyn Bates
Mick Harris & Martyn Bates. Interviewed by Aldo Chimenti. The interview was done in the Spring of 1997. (Rockerilla, August 1997)
The Italian version.
“On setting out on ‘Passages’, both Mick and I were conscious of trying to steer this so-called isolationist cul-de-sac from out of its dead-end and into a brighter, broader and far more open field” – Martyn Bates
Max Eastley: Images of Sound. Interview with Max Eastley with comments on Songs of Transformation by Fergus Kelley (Avant, late 1997)
Murder Ballads (Incest Songs) – Press release (incl. short comments by Mick and Martyn). (Musica Maxima Magnetica, June 21 1998)
Die Wiedergeburt der Poesie. Interview with Anne Clark regarding Just After Sunset by Bettina Glas. (Orkus, 1998) (German)
Anne Clark & Martyn Bates. Interview with Anne Clark regarding Just After Sunset. (Zillo, 1998) (German)
Ostia interview with Martyn Bates by Spahi Amadeo. (Ostia, March 2001)
Martyn Bates – Gorge des Ployés. Article on Martyn Bates by Spahi Amadeo. It was meant for publication in the Avila magazine, but is as yet unpublished (apart from here). (pdf, French)
Interview with Alan Trench on Twelve Thousand Days and the future. This review was also published at Ikonenmagazin.de with some nice photos. (Martyn Bates was also meant to be interviewed.) (Fluxeuropa.com, January 23 2004)
A later interview with Alan Trench. (Funprox.com, November 20 2005)
Martyn Bates – Bain chargé de mystère. Interview with Martyn Bates by Barberousse & Yannick Blay. (Elegy, October 2005) (French)
Interview with Eyeless In Gaza for Postwave.gr in Greece. Interview by: E.Giannakopoulos, M. Karagkouni, K. Brellas. (Postwave.gr, November 13 2006) (Greece language version at the Postwave.gr website!)
To Fuck Up Tradition – Interview with Folk Musician and Publisher Alan Trench with interesting information relating to Twelve Thousand Days. (African Paper, March 2012)
Rupert Loydell have made an interesting interview with Martyn Bates – Fireworks & Jewels, The Dancing Body: Playing the Living Instrument with Martyn Bates. (International Times, 2015)
Martyn Bates comments on Dissonance in connection with the 2007 re-release on Beta-lactam Ring Records (2007)
‘Ambivalent 15’ chart published in the March issue of The Wire.
Tears to My Thoughts. A huge Italian article on Martyn Bates by Paolo Bertoni. (Blowup #183, June, 2014) (Italian)
Events
Reverb, Islington – review of Martyn Bates’ first performance in London for over three years by Bob Stafford (Melody Maker, March 25 1989)
The Spirit and Sound of the Atonal Underground (Twelve Thousand Days) performance at Small World Festival, Tattershall, Lincolnshire (August 20-22, 2004) by Noise!
Releases
Wonderful World of Glass vol. 1 (GLASS 010, 1981, compilation-Lp) (1 review)
Letters Written (TRED 38, Oct 1982, 10”- (1 review)
The Return of the Quiet (BRED 81, Nov 1987, Lp/Cassette) & (Toy’s Factory tfck-88815, 1991, Cd) & (CDMRED 134, Oct 7 1996, Cd) (2 reviews)
Love Smashed on a Rock (Integrity IR 002/IR 002 CD, Oct 1988 (Lp)/Jan 1990 (Cd), Lp/Cd) (1 review)
You So Secret (IR 004, 1989, Ep12”) (1 review)
Letters to a Scattered Family (IR 005/IR 005 CD, Feb 1990, Lp/Cd) (1 review)
Murder Ballads (Drift) (Musica Maxima Magnetica eee 26, special project together with M.J. Harris, 1994, Cd) (3 reviews)
Chamber Music 1 (Sub Rosa SR81, Dec 23 1994, Cd) (2 reviews)
Mystery Seas (Letters Written #2) (A-Scale 018, 1995, Cd) & (Shayo 006, March 2006, Cd with “sound change” by publisher) (13 reviews)
Chamber Music II (Sub Rosa SR91, Jan 5 1996, Cd) (1 review)
Simon Fisher Turner’s Shwarma with contributions from Martyn Bates. (MUTE STUMM 151 CD, 1996) (1 review)
Murder Ballads (Passages) (Musica Maxima Magnetica eee 36, special project together with M.J. Harris, 1997, Cd) (1 review)
Imagination Feels Like Poison (ASR 022, April 1997, Cd + Lyric Book) & (ASR 022, Feb 1998, Cd – the “full edition” without the lyric book) (1 review)
Two reviews of Imagination Feels Like Poison – the book in ”literary occasional periodicals”: First by KV Bailey (Zene, May 11th 1997); Second by Roedd yn Ardderchog [?] (PQR, Spring 1997).
Murder Ballads (Incest Songs) (Musica Maxima Magnetica eee 40, special project together with M.J. Harris, June 1998, Cd) (3 reviews)
Murder Ballads (The Complete Collection) (Invisible inv 127, special project together with M.J. Harris, Nov 17 1998, Cd) (3 reviews)
In the Garden of Wild Stars (Musica Maxima Magnetica eee37, Martyn Bates and Alan Trench (Orchis) as Twelve Thousand Days, May 15 2000, Cd) (4 reviews)
Dance of Hours (NDN 27, April 4 2001, Cd (mini-album)) (2 reviews)
The Devil in the Grain (TRI 108/EFA 16918-2, August 17 2001, Cd) (2 reviews)
Leitmotif (The Folklore of the Moon vol. 4) (Hand/Eye H-E Moon 4.2, June 22, 2005, Cdr-Ep (100 copies)) (2 reviews)
At the Landgate (Shining Day shine 02, Martyn Bates and Alan Trench (Orchis) as Twelve Thousand Days, July 2005, Cd-Ep) (2 reviews)
To a Child Dancing in the Wind (Transgredient TR-03, collaboration with Troum, May 2006, Cd) (12 reviews)
Your Jewled Footsteps (solo and collaboration works 1979-2006) (Sub Rosa SR 257, September 15 2006, Cd) (10 reviews)
From the Walled Garden (Shining Day SHINE 05 CD, Martyn Bates and Alan Trench (Orchis) as Twelve Thousand Days, October 29 2006, Cd) (5 reviews)
Dissonance/Antagonistic Music (Beta-lactam Ring Records mt196, Martyn Bates as Migraine Inducers, June 15 2007, 2xCd) (10 reviews)
Songs of Transformation (Musica Maxima Magnetica eee 49, Martyn Bates & Max Eastley, August 24 2007, Cd) (2 reviews)
Unsung (A-Scale ASR 045, November 13, 2012, Cd) (4 reviews)
Arriving Fire (A-Scale ASR 048, March 24, 2014, Cd) (3 reviews)
Fireworks & Jewels / The Colour of Amber (A-Scale ASR 053, October 12, 2015, Cd) (2 reviews)
I Said to Love (A-Scale ASR056, December 14 2017, Cd/download) (2 reviews)
Last modified January 13th, 2020.
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