The Twelve Days Of Christmas

Running Time: 4:40

Released On: White Noise Christmas III - Various Artists (24 tracks)

Label: Default Standard Records (DSR#2024)

Release Date: 22nd December 2023

Format: Download

Buy Link: Bandcamp

The Sad Bit...

It's been a long time coming, I know. It's been four months since the last new Magic Bullet recording, back when we did Taking The Piss In The Name Of Art for International Strange Music Day in August, and five months since we last had a track released, when Пятьсот was included on Broken Tape Record's mega International Experimental Music Compilation (500 Way Split) in July. I seriously lost my way there for a while. The passing of my birth mother in June had a far more profound effect on me than I had ever imagined. We'd only known each other 15 years, so we obviously weren't going to be as close as if she'd been able to keep me from birth, but there was definitely love there on both sides. On top of that, I found myself suddenly becoming deeply conscious that now both of the people who gave me life had gone. It was like I had lost my tether to the world. I have Asperger's, or Autistic Spectrum Disorder as they like to call it these days, as if that doesn't make processing things hard enough. And total losses for the year were four dear friends, one uncle and a mother. Coupled with the fact I also suffer with depression, maybe it's no surprise my creativity completely abandoned me in the latter half of 2023. I honestly felt like shit most of the time. Okay, tissues away now...

THE MAGIC BULLET FESTIVE JUKE BOX

   Silent Night (3:06)

   (Session for Neil Crud On Tudno FM, 16th December 2019)

   We Wish You A Merry Xmas! (3:03)

   I Want More Toys! (1:16)

   Stille Nacht (Longer Artier Mix) (8:25)

The Happy Bit...

First, I'd like to say many thanks for all the kind words and supportive communications I received over the course of those months, it helped, really, I feel much better now. I had needed something to put the spark back, and as luck would have it, an extra boost came from Don Campau in the Autumn when he offered me the vacant first Saturday in month spot on the KOWS Radio Summit. Thus was born Dr. Magic's Audio Lab and thus the Magic Bullet came back from the dead. When I saw the call out from Default Standard Records for a Christmas compilation, it seemed a perfect way back. We'd never had a release on that label previously, plus there was the guilt thing because of not having completed the Project M Melophobia collaboration for them over such a long period of time. One good bickering session later, Skit and meself agreed that The Twelve Days Of Christmas (1100 is 12 in binary, but you knew that, didn't you?) would be the subject of this year's... um... festive re-imagining, yes, let's call it that. So, a Christmas standard, as interpreted by machines, that was our concept, this was the result. I'm pleased to say it was extremely well received by Mr. Cosmos at DSR and we get pride of place as the opening track on the album. Sniff...

ΚΟΛΛΑΒΟΡΑΤΙΣ