From the upcoming e.p Rough music on the lovely Frontand Follow records.

Released: 19.11.12 (download)

Version 6 in the Collision/Detection project.

More information here

The community tradition of “Rough Music”, where a village, town or district would attempt to drive away a known cheating merchant or violent husband through a barrage of singing and use of found instruments forms a large part of the EP, but the final words go to his female partner.

‘Him’ (trk 1) is an unattributed lyric from a piece of ‘rough music’ from England in the nineteenth century. It features the use of the instruments of hell as an aid to community vengeance. It is uncertain how vigilant, effective and morally consistent such actions were. Her (trk 4) is an adapted version of the traditional folk ballad “Go from my window”. Shirley Collins sung it much more beautifully. The repeated instructions to the unwanted lover indicate his persistence….The Devil’s in the man. A spectral presence in the performing and recording of this project, and all our other work, was Dorcus. The vengeful spirit of this abandoned Cornish woman is said to haunt the mines of St Agnes where she committed suicide, and this EP is dedicated to her.