As you have perhaps discerned my website is less promotional tool , more dysfunctional archive for my own purposes. Although I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing I have to say as I like to rummage around second hand shops with all the potential for back from the dead surprise and even occasional disappointment as sharply focused insight into what you really want, need or like. I do stage the occasional intervention of which this is one in no particular or date order:
I've started drawing and making collages and now have a shop on this very site where I will be selling various iterations of a range of work, starting with a Bill Callahan zine - pre-orders are now open. I will add paper and dimension details very soon but it's going to be very nice and I'll also be doing some prints of selected images (at the end of the top menu)
Detail from zine above, Image copyright Clare Archibald 2023
The eagle eyed amongst you if you check out the shop will see that the trading name is Versions of Undefined. I have several things in motion and whilst I get that all in order I am kickstarting my thinking and doing with the zine and with a three times yearly show of the same name for the fabulous Tak Tent Radio. Check it out here https://taktentradio.com/?p=2653 . First show in April 2023, guest to be announced in another quickfire post at some point before then. You can also keep up to date with Versions of Undefined on Instagram (@versionsofundefined) and Twitter (@fromthestuff)
image copyright Clare Archibald 2021
I provided my first author photograph for the hardback copy of In Ascension, the new novel by my friend and truly excellent Scottish writer Martin MacInnes. I'd post the photograph but really you should buy and read the book from an indie bookshop or get it from the library and check out the back page afterwards yourself. https://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/in-ascension/
One of my highlights of last year was having the submission of my first ever text score accepted by the Center For Deep Listening as part of their year long celebration of Pauline Oliveros.
Towards the end of last year I also had a totally out of the blue invitation to go to the hills above Barga (the most Scottish town in Italy) as guest multidisciplinary writer of Write Toscana. I was funded to travel to take up this very generous offer, and to do some additional concluding book related research in Bologna, by Scottish Books International and it's actually quite hard to articulate what this opportunity meant to me on several levels. Needless to say I said yes when asked recently if I'd like to return later this year.
I also interviewed Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai about his book Spaceships Over Glasgow for the Quietus (more Mogwai related news soon)
Early last year I also wrote a text for performance in response to the Low track, Holy Ghost ,for On A Dark, Raging Sea, an anthology published in January this year. I wrote it before Mimi was ill and tragically subsequently died and it has therefore taken on new layers of meaning for me, then and now though it was very much about Mimi's creative spirit and talent and what it is to sustain yourself with individual creative process and the unknown. In some ways it was a rebuttal/reclamation of self help tropes but mainly it was testament to the power of true talent such as Mimi's to move the mind and body with full sensory listening activated. https://exileinthemargins.bigcartel.com/product/on-a-dark-raging-sea
Musician Penelope Trappes included my track 'night lull in asteroids of human' in her inaugural Nite Hive show of explorative experimental sounds by women for Camp Radio https://www.mixcloud.com/camp_fr/nite-hive-24th-january-2023/
I've still to put all the Birl of Unmap stuff together but we had a great year of generosity from listeners, buyers, radio shows and general goodwill. It was also nice to end the year in lots of favourite listen lists (one person said I managed to be entirely specific whilst also being absolutely mysterious which I loved) and it was chosen as one of the top ten drone albums of the year by A Closer Listen, best cassettes by the Quietus and music with a sense of place by Stationary Travels. Over a year on we're still being played on KEXP and BBC 6 Music and in some fine company and have been exceptionally lucky with it. It wasn't all straightforward but a lot of lessons were learned and new experiences had and it is work that I'm very happy to have made. I'm looking forward to Kinbrae's new album being out later this year as well as doing new things myself. If you listened, reviewed, shared or bought from either of our very excellent labels Full Spectrum or the Dark Outside then thank you
I have no doubt forgotten lots of stuff but there's always next time whenever that is.