Jo Bartlett, one half of legendary electronic/folk duo, It’s Jo and Danny, has released her first solo LP – the spookily titled Ghost Tapes 1 to 9.*
A life in music: Jo Bartlett
Jo and I chatted as part of Paul Dupree’s show on City Sound Radio. Please listen here to our discussion about the new LP and her instrumental role in the UK festival scene. This includes the Green Man festival and a new event, The Wake. Jo, with her partner Danny Hagan, established both. The inaugural The Wake has already sold out. We also listened to some fantastic music Jo has been involved with.
Debut solo LP
It’s somewhat surprising this is her first solo LP proper. Given her heavy involvement in the music industry since her teenage years,
She said: “It’s the first time I have done absolutely everything on the recording. The music, lyrics, played all the instruments and recorded everything at home on my laptop. Using analogue drum machines and synth sounds.”
Overview
Ghost Tapes 1 to 9 is a reflective piece of work, with hints of vulnerability, from the uniquely exposed position the solo performer must adopt.
Jo is a veteran of the unsparing machine that is the music industry. While she has had much success, it seems she hasn’t emerged unscathed. The listener can easily imagine her frustration with an environment that led her to writing a song such as ‘I Don’t Want To Hear Any More Music’.
The LP is playful and witty with tales that will make you smile, such as ‘She’s Got The Music’. It’s a triumph and whets the appetite for ghost tapes 11 to 20.
*Ghost Tape Number 10
As Jo explains in our radio chat, Ghost Tape 10 was a psychological weapon, part of Operation Wandering Soul, devised by the US military in the Vietnam War.
The recordings consisted of ‘eerie sounds and altered voices’ and were intended to play on the spiritual beliefs of the Việt Cộng troops. Operation Wandering Soul was not a success.
Head over to Jo’s lovingly compiled and comprehensive blog about her incredible life in music: https://indiethroughthelookingglass.com/ Also check out her Bandcamp page.
2 replies on “Jo Bartlett – Ghost Tapes 1 to 9”
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