Music created from the sounds of vintage toys: wind-up toys, tin robots, glockenspiels, dolls, Speak and Spell machines, musical boxes, chimes, Meccano, clocks, clackers, squeaky toys plus more.

Pure, processed and complemented.

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE AT A SPECIAL PRICE AT:
mortalitytables.bandcamp.com/album/ghosts-of-christmas-past-music-from-vintage-toys

All proceeds from this release will go to CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably: thecalmzone.net


REVIEWS:

"It is often the case that Christmas music ends up being quite saccharine and campy without consideration for the more haunting aspects of the holiday. Fortunately, his new album from Dave Clarkson dives into this with an exploration of the very personal past, namely the childhood presents received during this holiday. Sampling a number of vintage toys such as wind-up robots, talking dolls, music boxes, and the sounds of the legendary speak-and-spell; Clarkson delves into the subject in a way that is both nostalgic and eerie. The manner in which these sounds are structured into fully fleshed out pieces in both intriguing and masterful, stirring up all manner of emotions of which some are slightly playful while others are atmospheric and evocative. On the darker side, we have "Talking Tears" which utilizes the pre-recorded speech of a talking doll singing out the classic nursery rhyme Ring Around The Rosy (a nursery rhyme with its own sordid history) alongside deep and dark atmospheric pads. But the the song later morphs into something a little less dark before producing a refrain to this unsettling rhyme. Then we move on to "Speak and Spell (AI v2.1)" which has a less ominous feel as the lo-fi percussion keeps a slightly energetic beat alongside a somewhat bouncy bass part. But the messages coming from the Speak-and-Spell give a different vibe as it utters out phrases like "enough is enough" and "I was serious." It gives the otherwise energetic track a weird undertone that is hard to put my finger on. The album ends us on "Dream of a Child," which features the voice of a child singing out Humpty Dumpy as oddly oscillating synths play out in swelling fashion. It really seems to bring the album back to the fact that this is not supposed to be a comfortable Christmas listen, but it may be the one you should hear"
Fringes of Sound, 23 Dec 2023

“A symphony of existential speak 'n spells and robotic glockenspiels, antique clocks and ancient music boxes, all wrapped in an unheimlich aura of delirious reverbs and a sea of glistening analog noise. Like the ghosts of Christmas Morning circa 1850 - 1980 brought to mechanical uncanny life, like the Sorcerer's Apprentice bringing all the wind-up toys and primitive circuitry to clockwork life.”
Bandcamp Friday picks of December 2023



BROADCASTS:

'Squeak and Yell' on Dark Train, Warminster Radio, 23 Nov 2023
'Talking Tears' on Bepi Crespan CITR Radio, 01 Dec 2023
'Speak and Spell (AI v2.0)' on Homebrew Electronica, Mad Wasp Radio, 03 Dec 2023
'Dream of a Child' on More Realistic Goals, Reform Radio, 09 Dec 2023
'Here Is A Box, A Musical Box' on Flickering Lights, CAMP Radio, 09 Dec 2023
'Wondering Star' on Jazz Cruise Lifeboat Assembly / Graham Massey, Reform Radio, 11 Dec 2023
'Meccano Disco' on Electronic Odyssey, Radio Matlock, 16 Dec 2023
'Dream of A Child' on the Moderns, 17 Dec 2023
'Speak and Spell (AI v2.0)' on Bepi Crespan CITR Radio, 23 Dec 2023
'Squeak and Yell' on Bepi Crespan CITR Radio
'Meccano Disco' on Steve Barker's On The Wire, Radio Lancs, 24 Dec 2023
'Speak and Spell (AI v2.0)' on Dark Train, Warminster Radio, 25 Dec 2023
'Rise of the Wind-Up Tin Robots' on Daniel Blumin, WFMU, US, 26 Dec 2023
'Here Is A Box, A Musical Box' on Strange Lights, CAMP Radio, 02 Jan 2024
‘Meccano Disco' on Space is the Place radio, 04 Jan 2024
'Dream of A Child' on Space is the Place radio, 04 Jan 2024
‘Talking Tears’ on Freak Zone, Stuart Maconie, BBC 6music, 07 Jan 2024
‘Speak and Spell (AI v2.0)' on Space is the Place radio, 10 Jan 2024
‘Rise of the Wind-Up Tin Robots' on Sonic Imperfections, ResonanceFM, 22 Jan 2024