Aghavrick Acid by Local Gods

Aghavrick Acid was inspired by the microcosmic event horizons of the Béal na Bláth hinterland in deepest County Cork. This four track Compact Disc contains sticks, stones, animal bones, ancient monuments, radio frequencies, rolling thunder, disembodied voices, running water, postcolonial ghosts, blood sacrifice, birdsong and Bealtaine frost.

In other words there are two bangers about the War of Independence, a time-stretched hymn to the haunted Irish landscape and a psychedelic field recording made on a crisp May morning.

It is an edition of 60 jewel case CDs with a content-rich inlay + separate riso-printed map of the aforementioned hinterland.

CONTEXT

A nameless stream flows from the hills behind Kilmurry County Cork, winding through rich farmland and passing many ancient monuments. It joins the river Bride near Crookstown and the Bride flows into the Lee a few miles further east. A chance conversation with a freshwater ecologist revealed that the nameless stream was called the Aghavrick.

A tributary of a tributary of the River Lee seemed like an appropriate starting point for a record label about river valleys. And its proximity to a white quartz standing stone, various raths (fairy forts), a GAA pitch (Kilmurry), The Independence Museum (also Kilmurry) and significantly the Bealnablath 38KV Electrical Substation underscored the resonance of the location.

The centenary of the Irish War of Independence seemed an appropriate moment to release this work.

TRACKLIST

1. Aghavrick Acid

This is a dub track built from sampled tapes, Aghavrick field recordings, AM radio loops and a rural Irish drum kit of hazel sticks, driftwood, stones, cattle bones, turf and a goatskin lampshade.

2. Flying Columns

During the Irish War of Independence (1920) small units of IRA soldiers controlled the highlands of central Cork, notably the Third West Cork Brigade commanded by Tom Barry. This track samples an RTE radio news report on the last days of Bobby Sands from 1982 and contains Long Wave radio signals captured near Kilmurry in May 2019 + County Cork thunder and birdsong recorded in May 2020 by Rosemary Callanan.

3. The Ascendancy (An Chinsealacht)

The Protestant Ascendancy was ‘the political, economic, and social domination of Ireland between the 17th century and the early 20th century by a minority of landowners’ loyal to the English Crown. Despite our official independence from the British Empire, the Republic of Ireland is still haunted by the ghosts of The Ascendancy through language, architecture and structures of power.

This audio is a found sound taken from an unlabelled cassette bought in Deptford market in South East London (January 2020)... the tape contains an amateur recording of Church of England choral music from the 1970s. Conceptually the track references the idea of historic recurrence by literally repeating itself twice.

4. Bealtaine Frost (Milking Parlour Drone) [Aghboy Crossing]

A field recording made at dawn in early May 2019. The mechanical sounds of a passing car and the hum of a nearby milking-parlour form a counterpoint to the crushed velvet noise of the Aghavrick stream and shimmering dawn chorus of local birds. The artist left the scene during the recording and spooked a fox in a nearby field – upon returning to the equipment they were mildly stunned to find two nuts missing from the new tripod and five magpies sitting on a nearby wall.

See the woods, see the trees.