New: Ochr 1 Ochr 1

-Welcome to a brand-new series

-of Ochr 1.

-Here's what's coming up

-over the next few weeks.

-We start with a band who are

-promoting their new EP, Huno.

-Here are Ysgol Sul.

-We're in Monnow Valley,

-Monmouthshire...

-

-www.monnowvalleystudio.com

-..near the site for this year's

-National Eisteddfod.

-It's one of Britain's

-most famous recording studios.

-Its walls have heard bands like

-Oasis, Pulp, Black Sabbath...

-..Super Furry Animals...

-..and the Pigeon Detectives.

-Monnow Valley

-was a rehearsal facility...

-..for the famous Rockfield Studios,

-owned by Charles and Kingsley Ward.

-When the brothers fell out

-in the 1980s...

-..Charles took over Monnow Valley...

-..and turned it into

-an independent recording studio.

-Me and Bo are the in-house team

-here. We live above the studio.

-We spend most of our days

-tracking bands.

-A lot of people bring in

-a whole album's worth of drums...

-..to make use

-of our pretty-well-known drum room.

-It's hard to get a bad drum sound

-out of it.

-Since coming here, we've worked

-with a range of artists.

-Everything from metal to folk

-to dance and pop.

-Recently, we've had in a Welsh group

-called Future of the Left.

-We did their latest record

-which was good fun.

-Ochr 1 have decided to bring

-some Welsh artists together...

-..to record a cover

-of a well-known Welsh song.

-They'll have a choice

-of three songs...

-..but won't know what the choice is

-until the day itself.

-Here's the first recording studio.

-The lads here

-are busy setting up the drums.

-Alright?

-They don't understand Welsh.

-This is the main part of the studio.

-This is where

-a lot of our artists...

-..will come up with ideas

-for our cover.

-Jamming a little. Rehearsing.

-There's a piano here.

-The room has obviously been created

-for recording.

-It's a flat and crisp sound.

-And this O

-is obviously especially for Ochr 1.

-There's a ghost here. Is that true?

-There's a ghost here. Is that true?

-

-You've heard of him - the Colonel.

-It's the Colonel's wife, actually.

-The Colonel used to reside here.

-Long before the days of this studio.

-Apparently,

-he murdered his wife in Room 3.

-Liam Gallagher was haunted

-by a ghost while he was here.

-It might've been down to the rest

-of the band. Some fishing wire.

-The jury's out on that one.

-This is the control room.

-It's where people come to escape the

-thing they're meant to be doing...

-..to pretend

-they're doing something important.

-In reality, this is where

-a lot of the magic happens.

-This is where the artists

-will come while they're recording.

-I'm sure many bowls of Corn Flakes

-and cocaine have been consumed here.

-But in our case...

-..it'll be the artists

-mulling over which cover to choose.

-I heard that Monnow Valley is going

-forward with plans for a new desk.

-It was in the Hit Factory originally

-I believe.

-It's had Michael Jackson

-through it.

-Rick Rubin produced Red Hot

-Chili Peppers albums through it...

-

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubin

-..as well as Adele

-and various other things.

-Not a bad addition.

-Just to add to the history

-and the long name list...

-..that's used our equipment

-and our gear.

-Some background

-about Monnow Valley...

-..and what we'll be doing

-over the next few weeks.

-Join us after the break...

-..where we'll review some of the

-recently released music in Wales...

-..and a video from Ani Glass.

-

-https://twitter.com/anisaunders?lang=en-gb

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-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-Welcome back.

-Coming up, a review of some of

-the last few months' releases...

-..as well as another song

-from Ysgol Sul.

-First, here's one of the best

-pop artists in Cardiff, Ani Glass.

-That video can be seen

-on Ochr 1's YouTube very soon.

-I went to The Parrot in Carmarthen

-recently...

-..reviewing new Welsh music

-with three fans of the scene.

-We're here

-for the new series of Ochr 1.

-We're going to review

-some recent and upcoming releases.

-I'll start

-with Y Ffug's long-awaited album.

-Miriam, what were your impressions?

-It was quite a feat

-to follow the EP.

-I love the album.

-It's my cup of tea.

-I'm surprised they've moved away

-from the political...

-..and gone more angsty.

-One of the most profound things

-at the start of the album...

-..is Love is Stupid.

-It's quite true

-to what they do live.

-I was worried that they'd lose that

-by going to a new studio...

-..with new people.

-It's more energetic than anything

-they've done up to now.

-Though there are

-some synthy elements...

-..that are a bit more...

-I don't want to say

-the Super Furries...

-Cian and Daf

-of the Super Furries...

-..were involved

-in producing the album.

-It reminded me of the sound

-of someone like Blur...

-..before they went a bit more poppy.

-Are there any tracks

-which stand out?

-Byth Yn Stopio.

-It's heavy punk

-and then turns into something...

-..that's a lot more thoughtful

-and psychedelic.

-We should give it

-a mark out of ten.

-That's what Pethe does.

-We're trying to be like them.

-Out of ten, Gruff?

-I'd give it seven.

-Miriam?

-Eight.

-Eight as well.

-A good start.

-Let's move on

-to Y Bandana's new album.

-Here it is in all its glory.

-The cover is perhaps

-the first topic for discussion.

-Miriam?

-Miriam?

-

-I love it.

-I think it sums up Y Bandana...

-..the playful element in their music

-and their live performances.

-It suits them.

-It suits them.

-

-On to the music.

-Gruff, what are your impressions?

-Track six stood out for me.

-It's called Dwr Tan Can.

-I enjoyed every song.

-It's a good album.

-Nico, you've listened to it.

-Do you think it's a step forward

-for Y Bandana?

-It's the same sound.

-You could swap most of the tracks

-with the last album...

-..and you wouldn't know which album

-you were listening to.

-There are a few about girls and

-about going on the pull and so on.

-As a girl, how do you feel?

-Is it quite light?

-Yes, quite light.

-I didn't have a problem with it.

-It'd be the same for everyone.

-Compared to Y Ffug,

-there's a huge chasm.

-Y Ffug have a few songs, like Nos

-Sadwrn on the EP, about going out.

-But they discuss it

-in a much deeper way than Y Bandana.

-They take themselves out of

-the situation and talk about it...

-..rather than talking about going

-on the piss and ogling girls' legs.

-I think that both spectrums

-are needed.

-For the scene.

-Yes, the scene

-and Welsh music listeners.

-We need variety.

-We'll end the chat about

-Y Bandana with a mark out of ten.

-Seven.

-Seven.

-

-Eight.

-Six.

-Six.

-

-OK.

-We move on to Un Ffordd

-by Mr Phormula.

-What's good about this EP

-and what Ed does as Mr Phormula...

-..is not just his rapping talent

-but his music too.

-I don't think

-he gets the respect he deserves...

-..for the production side.

-From the first song...

-..you can hear

-that he uses a lot of samples.

-It's a talent

-and a way of working...

-..that's very different

-to Y Bandana, for example.

-Before I listened to it...

-..I was one of those

-who thinks hip-hop is not for them.

-However, he's won me round.

-It is clever,

-with the samples and the remixes.

-You can hear Saunders Lewis

-in one song.

-It's almost his first solo record...

-..that sounds like

-his Genod Droog stuff.

-The production sounds more crisp

-than anything else he's done.

-He's stripped it back.

-He's taken the depth and the rumble

-out and left it more pure.

-Do you feel that Welsh-language

-hip-hop as a genre is suffering?

-It's very easy to fall flat

-without it.

-Are we too middle class

-to do hip-hop?

-Maybe.

-The lyrics

-are quite political and patriotic.

-When you rap, you can't talk about

-love or going to the seaside.

-So, a mark out of ten

-for Un Ffordd by Mr Phormula.

-Gruff?

-Nine.

-Eight again.

-Eight again.

-

-Seven.

-Thank you for your time.

-Watch it when it's on -

-it'll be cut to three minutes!

-That's it for this week.

-To watch a chat

-between me and Ysgol Sul...

-..there's a link

-on Facebook and Twitter.

-We end with them singing

-Er Mor Brin Yw Nawr.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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