Pitchfork

[Posted Thursday, October 16th, 2003 04:00:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

XTC's Andy Partridge is up to a lot: it's basically up to you whether or not you want to bother keeping up with him, since his activities randomly range from out-of-nowhere-genius to completely reprehensible. His newest project is apparently some sort sort of bizarre poetry/soundscape concept album called Orpheus - The Lowdown, about a modern-day, well, Orpheus. It's a collaboration with Peter Blegvad, who created the comic Leviathan, but is also a longtime musician with a bandography that includes out-there outfits like Slapp Happy, Henry Cow, and the Golden Palominos, not to mention an illustrious solo career. According to XTC fansite Chalkhills, the mini-album will be released on November 10th on Andy's own Ape House Records in the UK, and on November 19th through Pony Canyon in Japan. No word on a U.S. release. The tracklist:

01 Savannah
02 Brown Out On Olympus
03 The Blimp Poet
04 Night Of The Comet
05 Necessary Shadows
06 Galveston; Beetle
07 Heartcall
08 Noun Verbs
09 Eurydice
10 Divine Blood
11 Steel Bed

This news comes not long after XTC's official site announced that a long-in-development collaboration with Robert Schneider has fallen through. Supposedly over 30 songs were recorded with Andy and the Apples in Stereo frontman, and there are no plans for any sort of release. Our collaboration went great; we recorded dozens of songs; it's never coming out. Check.

Perhaps most interestingly, XTC's psychedelic alter-egos The Dukes of Stratosphear have woken from a 16-year slumber and, like Rip Van Ruben, stumbled directly into a recording studio to lay down a brand new song called "Open A Can (Of Human Beans)" exclusively for The Wish List, an upcoming comp in aid of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, also featuring Graham Coxon, Martin Newell, and frequent Partridge collaborator Harold Budd.

One item we haven't heard one whit about in months is XTC's next record, which was at one time known as Tunes To Help You Breathe More Easily and later, after a little good-natured curiousity got out of hand, Tunes We Hope You Internet Creeps Choke On. Mood swings, guys!