Equinox ft: Feral Five - Video Of The Week

Ralph's favourite video this week is Kiss by Equinox ft: Feral Five.

Taken from the album It's Hard To Be Happy When Your Head Is Full Of Sin available from Bandcamp.

The album features collaborations with:

Vince Clarke
Ashley Reaks 
Feral Five 
Dementio13 
Ceiling Demons 
Rosie Bans 
Snippet 
Radio Europa 
Nat Lyon 
Pulco 
Jay Stansfield 
Deux Furieuses 
Superhand 
Will Harris

Camera, lighting, editing and production by Jay Stansfield.

Equinox

Ralph covered the book release by the mysterious Yorkshire poet Equinox last year with the promise that an album featuring works from the book would appear featuring collaborations with a range of musicians.

Well that time has come to pass as It's Hard To Be Happy When Your Head Is Full Of Sin is now available in digital and CD formats. 

Nothing overly unusual in that I hear you say, however Equinox has teamed up with a number of indie musicians (including a good few Ralph's Life favourites) to provide unique soundscapes to his spoken word. More unusual still is the track Goodnight Vienna which features the skills of none other than synth pop doyen Vince Clarke.




The written word of Equinox takes no prisoners with subject matter ranging from male suicide to prostitution but with equal amounts of undying love and devotion, and its setting to music overlaid with the Northern intonations of Equinox gives the work another more meaningful aural texture.

Twist my arm for a favourite track from an album that is as intriguing as it is clever and it'd have to be Kiss (sorry Vince) which features Feral Five with its sleazy electro back-beat giving it a radio-friendly disco feel.

Contributing artists are: Ashley Reaks, Feral Five, Dementio13, Ceiling Demons, Rosie Bans, Snippet, Vince Clarke, Radio Europa, Nat Lyon, Pulco, Jay Stansfield, Deux Furieuses, Superhand and Will Harris.

Jay Stansfield

Variously described as - original, affecting and a tad bonkers, North West musician Jay Stansfield has consistently provided us with an eccentrically pleasing back catalogue of music. He's recently added to that with his third; and for me, best album Birth And Death.

It has an interestingly lo-fi feel (probably due to being recorded in his front room with only a microphone for company) from the start with the luscious My Last, My Grain which has it's electronic roots in everything from Yes and ELO to Pink Floyd and ELP. 












Using his musical influences as a backdrop to his life Jay Stansfield takes us on a powerfully melodious and organ filled journey. Second track in Sex On My Mind focuses on his vocal ability whilst Sometimes I Feel Like A Demon has a more aggressive almost punky soundscape.


His journey takes another musical turn with the lilting The Sadness and it has shades of The Moody Blues of the early 70's whilst the quirky intro of Soul Splitter is more reminiscent of Fiona Soe Paing as it falls into another vocal gem.

In his first three years as a solo artist Jay Stansfield has performed at Liverpool’s Sound City, supported Dodgy at one of their comeback shows and already performed a huge UK tour promoting his debut album LOVISM featuring vocals from Hannah Hird (Ellie Goulding / The Slow Club) including a support slot with Mike And The Mechanics on the Isle Of Man.

Jay Stansfield has received frequent airplay in the UK on Amazing Radio and was invited to record a prestigious session for Bella Union boss Simon Raymonde who is a huge fan. UK radio also includes Croydon Radio, AllFM, SevernFM and BBC Introducing in Lancashire and Wales plus of course Radio KC.

I'd intended to put this blog out a couple of weeks ago...but saved it for 2015 as it might just end up being my album of the year. I'll say no more, you decide for yourself...

With thanks to R.S.Connett

Every song has a complimentary piece of artwork by legendary artist R.S. Connett that fits together to form one giant piece of magnificence. 

Visit his website to view this Californian based artist's version of the universe.