Reflections: Clang Sayne

Clang Sayne

The year in review with Clang Sayne…

Ahead of Clang Sayne’s upcoming trio of dates which includes a Monday night show in The Roundy, Cork, driving force Laura Hyland reflects on the best music, books and films experienced in 2017.

“In recent years I’ve been less concerned with what’s new in a given year. The music/films/books I seek out are more based on what I’m interested in at a given time rather than what’s new, so from that point of view, I couldn’t say what my ‘top 3’ of 2017 are in any category, but my favourite things over the past year are as follows:

Top 3 Albums
The Refusal of Time – a multimedia exhibition by South African artist, William Kentridge, the music for which was composed by Philip Miller, and featured spoken word excerpts written and recited by Kentridge himself. He tells these really magical stories about time, and the music is incredible – it’s got this really visceral, tribal feeling to it, but with layers upon layers of sound and space woven into it. It really gets across the sense of vastness of time since the world began.

Coin Coin Chapter 3 – Matana Roberts

Peasant – Richard Dawson

Top 3 Books
The Reenchantment of the World – Morris Berman. An analysis of western thought since the Renaissance; the shift in world-view that occurred around that time and its impact on socitial development since then, and a proposed new world-view, credible for the modern world and grounded in ecological sustainability. I waded through this book, and I feel like I need to re-read it a hundred times, but on first read, every page seemed to articulate things that I felt but had never managed to get straight in my head by myself. Perfect case of finding the right book at the right time.

The Caberet of Plants – Richard Mabey

The Humours of Planxty – Leagues O Toole


Top 3 Films
Mad Men – Matthew Weiner. Okay, so it’s neither a film nor is it new, but I came to it late and I love it! Given the behemoth that advertising has become (even in the past ten years as compared to when I was a kid), I find it really fascinating to see a portrayal of this time in 50s/60s America when it really started to take off as a way of life. That, and its cast of really believable and brilliant characters!

Cave of Forgotten Dreams – Werner Herzog

I am Cuba – Mikhail Kalatozov

Top 3 Events
Richard Dawson & Katie Kim, Whelan’s, Dublin. Recent gig put on by Enthusiastic Eunuch. I’ve long been a fan of Katie Kim but have only ever managed to see her live once before, and that time she had a band with her. On this occasion she played solo, and it was a mesmerizing set. Everything about it was simple and solid and brilliant. Richard Dawson was a titanic force of nature as always -words just fall short!

Fixity & The Bonk, Sky & The Ground, Wexford.

Laurie Anderson, Concert Hall, Dublin

Top 3 Songs
‘Oracao ao tempo’ – Caetano Veloso. Far from new – this was recorded in 1979. I first came across Brazillian singer, Caetano Veloso some years ago on the anniversary of the Tropocalia movement which I hadn’t heard of before. Then I forgot all about him again until this summer when a Brazillian friend played this song one day in her house. It has to be one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. I don’t speak Portuguese at all so I don’t really know what he’s saying (though she did translate it for me but I forget much of the details), but I listened to it so much this summer that I can sing along perfectly!

Not a song, but I love the opening track, ‘Underlight’ from Áine O Dwyer‘s recent album, Gallarais, recorded in Brunel Tunnel Shaft in Rotherhithe, London.

Pleasant Days – Claudia Schwab from ‘Attic Mornings’ EP”

Upcoming Clang Sayne tour dates:

• Sat 16th December – Black Gate Cultural Centre, Galway
• Sun 17th December – Fumbally Stables, Dublin
• Mon 18th December – The Roundy, Cork

For more on Clang Sayne visit:

– Clang Sayne’s album The Round Soul of the World is due for release on the 23rd March