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Dean McPhee has released a video for the track The Bradford Boar, a 15-minute piece which came out last month on the Folklore Tapes label as one half of the Pefkin/Dean McPhee split cassette ‘Ceremonial County Series Vol. V – Norfolk/West Yorkshire‘. Dave George, who works out of Proper Studio in Lancaster, filmed and directed the video. It was filmed on location at Spink Well, a wooded area of Bradford where the Bradford Boar reputedly used to terrorise local people until it was slain by a man named Northrop, who then cut out the boar’s tongue and presented it as proof to the Duchy of Lancaster (who had jurisdiction over Bradford at that time) so that he could claim his reward. The live scenes were recorded upstairs at ‘The Triangle’ in Shipley, a local venue and beer shop where Dean regularly plays. The track was recorded in one session with no overdubs and sees Dean laying down a deep hypnotic bass and kick drum pulse, over which he layers folk-influenced melodies and then later plays with a knife.
In the words of Dave George:
“The concept of the video was inspired by the Ben Wheatley film “A Field in England”. The black and white aesthetic coupled with long shots of the countryside created a tone of old English psychological horror that I felt fit the piece perfectly. There is also a nod to Twin Peaks in the long slow shots of tree movement, slowing down the viewer’s perception to absorb the track and hopefully infer a history of “what these trees have seen”. It was important to us that I shot the footage in the actual woodland location of the Bradford Boar tale. The only artificial aspect was the blood drips from the leaves which were made with a combination of Ribena and barbecue sauce; the magic of cinema”.
Order Ceremonial County Series Vol.V – Norfolk | West Yorkshire: https://folkloretapes.bandcamp.com/album/ceremonial-county-series-vol-v-norfolk-west-yorkshire
Subscription details for the series can be found below.
FOLKLORE TAPES CEREMONIAL COUNTIES
Over the last thirteen years, Folklore Tapes have gathered together many like-minded artists, each seeking out new forms to reinterpret our collective past into the present. To celebrate this endeavour, they’re gradually unfurling a project to weave the folklore, myth and legend of the 48 counties of England into a patchwork of sonic exploration. 48 Folklore Tapes artists have been commissioned on this magnetic pilgrimage, taking the label firmly back to their DIY tape origins. They present a 24-month tape subscription series, uniting artists and folklore in a unique and expansive collective project. The subscription includes 24x tapes (one posted per month) covering folklore from 48x English counties created by 48x artists (2x per tape). It also includes research notes, an original OS map clipping per tape/download code, a limited edition bound and embossed Ceremonial County Series Tape Housing Box (delivered within 5 weeks of subscribing), a research and photographic booklet (delivered at the end of the subscription) and an A2 Ceremonial County Map (delivered at the end of the subscription).
Note: Each tape can be collected individually each month or as one entire subscription and they are available via Folklore Tapes direct at www.folkloretapes.co.uk or via their Bandcamp at https://folkloretapes.bandcamp.com/ and via selected independent record shops.
Next in the series is David A Jaycock/Slug Milk – Ceremonial County Series Vol. VI – Cornwall/South Yorkshire (Cassette/digital -Cat no: FTCCVI). Release date: 19.07.24
