The World Of Echo signees’ new record is out Friday September 25th, drawing on dry-stone walls and Flann O’Brien to explore Ireland’s relationship with the Gaeltacht
Irish collective Trá Pháidín have announced their new album, Cloch ‘s Claí (Stone & Wall), out Friday September 25th via World of Echo (Tara Clerkin Trio), their first release for the label. Alongside the announcement comes a video for ‘An Béal Bocht’, which you can watch below.
The album takes its structure and its themes from the dry-stone wall, with each of its ten tracks standing in as a metaphorical stone. It’s a satirical look at Ireland’s relationship with its native language and the Gaeltacht, inspired in part by Myles na gCopaleen’s 1941 novel An Béal Bocht (also known as Brian O’Nolan, also known as Flann O’Brien), touching on tokenism, housing, gentry politics and ribbon developments along the way.
The video for ‘An Béal Bocht’, a collaboration between João Tudella, Dónal Dineen and the band, was shot around the Conamara Gaeltacht, taking in homes, schools, factories, barracks, the ruins of the cottage from John Ford’s The Quiet Man, and dry-stone walls left empty and derelict by progress.
Cloch ‘s Claí pushes further into the improvisational territory the collective have been building towards, drawing from ornamentation and accompaniment traditions in Irish trad music alongside krautrock, free jazz, post-rock, minimalism and drone. Because the arrangements shift with every performance, the band say the album captures just one version of a piece that’s constantly rebuilding itself.
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Cloch ‘s Claí tracklist:
- Tí Mhichael Phaddy
- An Béal Bocht
- Garbhóg
- Fidín
- Seachtain na Gaeilge
- Anglicize Everything
- Fothrach an Cheirtleáin
- To Hell or to Connacht
- Dance Paddy Dance
- Mionnán
Trá Pháidín are a mutable collective based “geographically, culturally and mentally torn between Conamara Theas, Cathair Chorcaí, Ciarraí, Uíbh Fhailí, Sligeach and Port Láirge”, active since 2019.
LIVE DATES
- 25 Sep – Féile Dorn San Aer, Gweedore, Co. Donegal
- 26 Sep – Seanscoil Sailearna, Inverin, Connemara
- 2 Oct – LSAD (Limerick School of Art & Design), Limerick
- 3 Oct – An Taibhdhearc, Galway City
- 31 Oct – Cape Clear Island, Co. Cork
- 7 Nov – Teach Damhsa, Glaise Beag, Corca Dhuibhne (Dingle Peninsula)
- 21 Nov – Expected Music, Walthamstow Trades Hall, London
- 6 Dec – The Button Factory, Dublin
- 20 Dec – Boole Library UCC, Cork City
- 25 Sep – Féile Dorn San Aer, Gaoth Dobhair, Dún na nGall
- 26 Sep – Seanscoil Sailearna, Indreabhán, Conamara
- 2 Oct – LSAD, Luimneach
- 3 Oct – An Taibhdhearc, Cathair na Gaillimhe
- 31 Oct – Oileáin Chléire, Co. Chorcaí
- 7 Nov – Teaċ Daṁsa, Ghlaise Beag, Corca Dhuibhne
- 21 Nov – Expected Music, Walthamstow Trades Hall, Londain
- 6 Dec – An Button Factory, Baile Átha Cliath
- 20 Dec – Leabharlann Boole, Cathar Chorcaí
On Cloch ‘s Claí, Trá Pháidín are:
- Conal Ó hAinmhuighe
- Ultan Ó Labhradha
- Peadar-Tom Mercier
- Micheál Fitzgerald
- Pól Ó Lionáird
- Ruairí De Búrca.
Cloch ‘s Claí was made with support from the DEIS Recording Grant and Ealaín na Gaeltachta, and is released digitally and on limited-edition vinyl on September 25th. Pre-order.
Trá Pháidín’s An 424 is a full length album written in honour of the bus that goes from Galway city to the Connemara Gaeltacht, inspired by the change of landscape from urban to rural nature.
The band always share an as Gaeilge version of their press releases so if you prefer that…
Is buíon de cheoltóirí é Trá Pháidín a bhfuil a bhaile, anam agus meabhair scaipthí idir Conamara Theas, Cathair Chorcaí, Uíbh Fhailí, Sligeach, Port Láirge ó 2019. Ag tarraingt uaidhe thobar an cheoil traidisiúnta, an jazz, folk agus ar pé tionchar eile a mbeadh cuma mhaith air sna cur síos, ach a n-uathúlacht féin á chaomhnú acu atá i bhfad ó aon fios ar an saol thart orthu ná iad fhéin. Is socra fós a gcur chuige chun úrcheol Gaelach a cruthú atá níos fairsinge ná an “conas atá tú?”.Le Cloch ‘s Claí, a gcéad cheirnín leis an lipéid Sasanach World of Echo, déantar fiosrúcháin ar na críocha is aineola fós dóibh. Bunaithe ar seanchas claíochaí bána, tugann an t-albam seo léargas aorach ar an ngaol idir Éireann, a teanga dúchais agus an Ghaeltacht. 10 rian atá uirthi, chuile ceann acu ina ionadaí ar chloch mheafarach, baineann Cloch ‘s Claí feidhm as gnéithe den tobchumadh atá i gceol tradisiúnta na hÉireann, ar nós, an t-ornáideachas, an tionlacan agus focla smartáilte eile a bhfuil breis is trí shiolla iontu. Leis sin, bíonn chuile babhta tógála ar chlaí éagsúil óna chéile mar aon le chuile cur i láthair beo – léiriú é an taifead seo ar chur i láthair amháin acu sin. Agus é spreagtha ag An Béal Bocht ó pheann Mhyles na gCopaleen, cuimsíonn an claí seo téama áiread atá scapthí thar thírdhreach agus aigne na Gaeltachta – cur i gcéill, tithíocht, polatíocht na bpiardaí, chéirtleáine agus a thuilleadh den raic céanna atá le cloisteáil chuile lá ar an raidió. Toradh na tógala seo ná ceol a bhfuil blas de rejunal shtyles in tradishunal muzik, de carraig na Krauts, den snagcheol saor in aisce, den iar-rac, den chrónán agus den íostachas ann, ar bhealach atá nádúrtha, sreabhach agus lán le haimhreas múinte ó Iarthar na hÉireann.Ar Cloch ‘s Claí agus i dTrá Pháidín tá: Conal Ó hAinmhuighe, Ultan Ó Labhradha, Peadar-Tom Mercier, Micheál Fitzgerald, Pól Ó Lionáird, Ruairí de Búrca. Beidh Cloch ‘s Claí á eisiúint go digiteach agus mar eagrán teoranta LP ar an 25ú lá de mhí Meán Fómhair trí World of Echo. Tá an saothar seo cruthaithe againn le tacaíocht na Dámhachtana Taifeadta DEIS & le tacaíocht ó Ealaín na Gaeltachta.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
