A companion piece to the 'a hAon' album featuring different versions of four key album tracks, a radio edit of "Archbishop Beardmouth" and a superb remix by revered electro-pop pioneer Thomas Leer, plus three new versions of "Picadors", "Ballytransnational", and "There Goes Waterface"by Jacknife Lee with spoken word guest appearances from family and friends.
credits
released March 25, 2022
Cathal Coughlan writes...
Archbishop Beardmouth visits the ChemOlympics, in his full Byzantine-Slavic magnificence, the giant torso-curtain of hair announcing him. He is very gratified by what he sees.
Gone are the mandatory drugs tests and geopolitical skirmishes of yore, and in, instead, has come immaculate, chemically-enhanced performance. There's only the occasional moment when the live camera feed has to be cut, in order to enable the re-reading of the script, and perhaps the replacement of a competitor.
At these times, His Eminence loses interest in the spectacle, and becomes aware of the obsequious ravings of a young man seated below him, who points at a laptop screen full of animated bodies - devised, the young man says, by a special form of artficial intelligence. The youth tries to interest the prelate in buying into the "cryptocurrency" which will fund the growth of this technology, which is named "COPD-coin". The young man explains that he named it this way because it represents a shock to the international order.
His Eminence appears irked by this, and begins to grill the young man, "You wish to destabilise your own Motherland in this way? And you dare to approach the Lord God's representative with this treason?"
"No, no, Eminence", the young man remonstrates, "It shall be prevented from trading in the Motherland. Only in the sinful and subhuman parts of the world will it be allowed to operate. Because those people are stupid, and decadent."
The Archibishop raises an eyebrow and leans forward. "Well then, how much money do you need to raise from this scheme?"
Later, at the big reception for the dignitaries, there are home movie screenings. On the screen, we see vintage images of Ireland's famed one-time Orthodox Jansenist Papal ruler, Archbishop John Charles McQuaid (sometimes depicted in the company of his earthly proxy, Éamon de Valera).
He parades through a life of saintly self-love (since unfairly besmirched by individuals unfit to have breathed the same air as His Lordship) - from long-con shrine, to concrete basilica, to institution of pious incarceration. It could be said that we shall not see his like again - but let's give it a go. Viva crypto!
Telefís is a collaboration between Cathal Coughlan (Microdisney, Fatima Mansions) and Jacknife Lee (ex-Compulsion and
producer for U2, REM, Modest Mouse). During the lockdown period, the pair have created their debut album, ‘a hAon’, a wry, mischievous collection of songs that express a “corrosive nostalgia”. ‘We Need’ and 'Mister Imperator' are the first songs to be shared from this record....more
supported by 55 fans who also own “Archbishop Beardmouth At The ChemOlympics EP”
Difficult to pick a favourite but all are easily as good as anything on Song of Co-Aklan LP - Must be good as everytime I play it, it pisses my wife off. Darren L
supported by 12 fans who also own “Archbishop Beardmouth At The ChemOlympics EP”
A wonderful album of deeply atmospheric melodic instrumental music. The scope is varied but the sense of a scene (internal and external) being conjured is a constant. Damian is known for his presence in The Undertones and That Petrol Emotion but for those who recall his album (on Alan Mcgee's post Creation label Poptones) A Quiet Revolution, this is in that vein. Andy Waltzer