Gog’s Bollocks – Rhys Mwyn
[originally published yn Cymraeg (in Welsh) in Soundnation zine March 2005]
I was reminded again this week of the state of our music scene. I was chatting to a friend who grew up in Wales about the creative situation. He said that he enjoys listening to different or new bands, but that he feels it’s too often the same possibilities over and over again.
This reminded me of one question that keeps popping up – why does the Welsh scene keep recycling the same names? Are Super Furry Animals really the only Welsh-language band, in the same way that Coldplay or Green Day are seen as the only English-language bands that ever get played on the radio?
Maybe it’s because of the “debut album” idea – well, there’s a rather unhealthy path of opinion in our culture that gives priority to Welsh-language albums. We’re still too obsessed with an album as a statement, instead of recognising an acoustic / electronic mix as a valid creative expression. It’s taken a long time for DJs on HWFM to let go of old habits – we still remember that!
The second album has to prove it’s been created organically / honestly, and it has to be Welsh in the “proper” way according to Tecwyn Ifan. It has to be from Y Dyl Mei or Sain to be taken seriously / to be supported. It’s taken a long time for this “hen steil” (old style) mentality to let go – the idea that an album must be recorded “properly”.
Now that Noson Lawen shite has moved forward with Sain. I wonder about the albums being released today: do they really reflect the society we live in, or are they just repeating the same old ideas because no one dares to believe the public might be ready for something new?
There are 11 tracks on the record, but I don’t care how many tracks have been recorded – how cool is that? – it’s a pity that more emphasis is still placed on the number of songs on a disc than on whether the songs actually belong on the album.
Final point – when will we see an album here that truly has style?
