Pennod 11 Ochr 1

-Everyone stop having fun,

-the summer's over.

-No more festivals for anyone,

-thank you.

-Don't worry too much,

-here's what's coming up.

-We start in the studio with a band

-who release their material secretly.

-You have to contact them on Twitter

-to get hold of their stuff.

-That shows you

-how easy it is to get on Ochr 1!

-Please welcome Dau Cefn.

-More from Dau Cefn later.

-We'd planned on celebrating Topper

-getting back together...

-..with an Ochr 1 special.

-We were told young people wouldn't

-be interested in such things.

-So, Hedydd Ioan filmed an item

-for us instead.

-Hedydd is 13.

-Mr Evans,

-what are you doing here today?

-Rehearsing.

-With who?

-With who?

-

-Topper.

-Do you remember the old boppers?

-Recently, Topper reformed,

-one of Wales' most popular bands...

-..in the late '90s and early '00s.

-They played to a crowd

-at Festival No.6 in Portmeirion.

-Are you looking forward

-to coming back as Topper?

-Yes, it sounds better

-than it did first time round.

-After forming in 1992

-under the name Paladr...

-..the band changed their name

-to Topper...

-..after recording their first EP

-with Ankst, Arch Noa.

-The record was produced

-by Mark Roberts of Catatonia.

-Why did you reform now?

-It's amazed us

-how the songs have endured.

-It doesn't feel like

-we're playing old, old songs.

-The sound still feels live.

-Topper went on

-to record three albums...

-..as well as a live session

-for John Peel.

-They played their last gig at one

-of the era's most popular festivals.

-Our last gig was in Miri Madog.

-That was back in 2005.

-Eleven years ago.

-Why choose to come back?

-Passion!

-We missed Topper!

-Passion, and we've had

-eleven years to rehearse!

-Topper has reformed.

-But we're just not making

-any promises at the moment.

-We're taking every day as it comes.

-We've been offered more stuff

-on the back of Festival No.6.

-The lads from Topper

-have arrived to join me.

-Dyfrig Topper,

-for the first time in years...

-..I get to say Topper's here!

-Yes, it's a bit

-of a strange situation.

-What happened?

-We started toying with the idea,

-I think it was last year...

-..of doing a gig.

-I remember that.

-We were offered Festival No.6.

-Everyone agreed to do it.

-It was that simple.

-Before their performance

-at Festival No.6...

-..they made

-a special guest appearance...

-..at a gig

-in Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda.

-There's a definite excitement

-back in the Welsh music scene.

-It's more like it was in the 1990s.

-Please give a warm welcome

-to Topper!

-After Festival No.6,

-we're going to see what happens.

-Some of us

-have families and children.

-We've been offered

-a few things on TV.

-I think we're going to do those.

-We've been offered gigs to do,

-but there's no pressure.

-If we celebrate

-after Festival No.6...

-..we might call it a success

-and leave it for another 15 years!

-Yws Gwynedd has released a song...

-..about how we're all obsessed

-with our phones.

-Here he is with Sgrin.

-.

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-Recently, Sain have released an app

-for streaming Welsh music online.

-Here's some more information

-about the service.

-Robin, tell me a little bit

-about Apton.

-Apton is the first

-Welsh streaming app.

-We felt that we needed to move

-with the technological times.

-There was an opportunity

-to make something of it...

-..in terms of Welsh music

-and we help each other.

-With so many options

-of how to listen to music...

-..why should people buy Apton?

-In the same way

-the other streaming apps work...

-..there are playlists

-you can create yourself.

-You can also use it offline.

-We've tried to offer something

-a bit more exclusive.

-There's a complete catalogue

-of Sain's vinyl.

-That's never been released on CD.

-You get 30 days for free.

-From then on, it costs 6 per month.

-That's the basic package.

-There's an option to upgrade to

-the premium package for 9 a month.

-From that one,

-you can access the vinyl catalogue.

-It's an old archive

-that hasn't been released.

-Do other labels contribute

-their material to the app?

-Yes, they do.

-It's important to note, that doesn't

-mean it's exclusive to Apton.

-It will still be available

-on Spotify etc.

-But that's a part of it.

-It's the same idea

-as fair trade, in a way.

-We're trying

-to support the artists too.

-We're hoping to pay our artists...

-..thirty times more per play

-than Spotify does.

-That's a big difference

-when you think about it.

-Much of the success

-of these things...

-..come from how they work

-and how they are to operate.

-Have you seen a test?

-Yes, I've played around

-with the prototype quite a lot.

-It's really good and slick.

-It's very visual.

-Am I right to say

-that you're trying to get music...

-..from other bands

-in other minority languages?

-Yes, that is something

-we're looking for in the long term.

-That's just because the potential

-of the thing could be huge.

-At the moment, there's nothing

-like that for World music...

-..or for minority languages.

-We've been in touch

-with organizations like WOMEX...

-..and Welsh cultural events

-in America and Patagonia.

-If you think about it

-from that point of view...

-..it could be very exciting

-for the language.

-Has there been a big response?

-It's been great.

-I've been collecting names

-and email addresses.

-It's been great.

-We're releasing it

-at the end of September.

-We're just trying to get everyone

-ready for that.

-We need to make sure

-people know about it.

-I look forward

-to seeing how it looks.

-A warm welcome to the studio,

-Dau Cefn.

-It's a new set-up with a full band.

-Tell me about how it came together.

-I've been doing electronic stuff

-with Lindsay for years.

-We'd just stand there looking like

-a bad version of the Pet Shop Boys.

-I think it's possible

-that Lindsay lost the sounds.

-You had to do it live!

-He accidentally wiped the stuff

-off the computer.

-We've just started as the six-piece

-jazz funk collective...

-..or whatever it is.

-We've got some

-interesting instruments in there.

-It sounds a lot more organic than

-what I heard from you in the past.

-Is that deliberate?

-Yes, it isn't deliberate.

-As I said, we lost the master tapes.

-After that, we said,

-"Quick, we need to start a band."

-A really bad version

-of the Blues Brothers.

-Do you have an old police car?

-We have to get the band together.

-We have to get the band together.

-

-Picking Gwyn Maffia up in Bethesda!

-That's what it was.

-Fair play to Gwyn, he listened

-to stuff on SoundCloud.

-He really liked it and got into

-the mindset of what we wanted to do.

-We've just clicked since then.

-Since the two rehearsals we've had.

-Despite changing the sound,

-your lyrics are still strong.

-On the first hearing,

-they can sound slightly bonkers.

-But a lot more thought

-goes into them than I expected.

-Nobody usually writes them down.

-I've read through Machynlleth.

-There are a lot of sad elements

-in this.

-One of my favourite couplets is

-"I have no idea what I'm writing...

-.."I spend too much time

-in my parents' house hiding."

-What's with Machynlleth?

-Does it represent something wider?

-It's got a personal meaning

-for everyone.

-I do go to mum's house a lot.

-I go for tea and supper.

-I always think mid Wales

-gets ignored...

-..people frequently speak

-about the North and South.

-So, you're in the middle.

-Yes, I suppose.

-The emotional heart.

-No.

-Emotionally,

-I'm just a complete wreck.

-The other song you recorded today,

-Sipsi or Sipsiwn.

-Is that the plural?

-"Sipsiwn" - gypsies?

-I think so.

-Is it PC to say that?

-I'm not sure, that's what

-I was going to ask you.

-The words are quite witty.

-You talk about the gypsy

-who used to make tarmac.

-What's the story there?

-Lindsay wrote a tune...

-..that had

-quite a Balkan feel to it.

-He'd been discussing a guy he knew

-who'd been to Dover...

-..and got in with the wrong crowd.

-He ended up working for a gypsy

-building patios and what not.

-There's a tiny minority of bad ones.

-I don't want to get in trouble.

-This is a slippery slope.

-Obviously, there are others...

-What's that boxing champion called?

-I don't want to upset him.

-No, you don't want Tyson Fury

-coming after you.

-Yes.

-Tell us a little about the EP.

-Where can it be bought?

-It isn't being sold

-in the usual shops.

-We have a Twitter account.

-If you ask us for a CD,

-we'll post you one.

-It's an exclusive club.

-It's an exclusive club.

-

-It's not exclusive.

-Two people have asked for one.

-I've got a load of copies.

-They're all in the house.

-I've had to use,

-you know, those Sharpie pens...

-..Lindsay did the cover.

-He misspelt Machynlleth.

-He put Machynllech.

-That's what I've had to do.

-I've had to change the C into a T.

-I've called it an appetizer.

-We've got loads of other songs

-we're trying to do.

-Between going to work...

-..and being arrested by the

-Equal Opportunities People.

-If someone wants a copy,

-our Twitter handle is on the screen.

-There? There it is.

-Let's hope it will be!

-Thanks for coming in.

-Thanks for coming in.

-

-Thanks for the offer.

-I really enjoyed it.

-I hope people will enjoy

-the new band for many years...

-..as long as we're alive

-and kicking!

-Good luck.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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