Xerox jigsaws, the truth of Lo-Fidelity and why you should hunt down the Yeti.

I admit it. I am a self-aggrandizing ‘muso’ who thinks he knows where to look for the things he likes. More often than not it is The Record Shop; I am that sad bloke in the corner, nodding sagely from behind my headphones. Then there’s The Internet; it suits my self imposed cultural dictatorship, enables me to cherry pick like never before and to bypass a lot of the clutter. This probably makes me even more unbearable - sorry about that.

It wasn’t always so easy to disseminate information. Time was, if you wanted hand picked monochrome subject matter unconcerned with fashion, you would have to search out a fanzine.

*Zines*… (Historical):

Xerox jigsaw puzzles painstakingly assembled, corrected with Tippex and glued together by hand en route to the record shop. Fanzines used to be such ambitious works of love that you knew it was either going to be made by someone worth speaking too, or by someone who would have difficulty speaking in public – often both.

You see all that really matters in music is ‘truth’ – you have to mean it. Style, genre, audio quality are just window dressing – the power is in the sound of a human being committing themselves, whether that’s through opera, punk rock or gospel music.

Fanzines were things made with religious zeal by people who were inspired to spread the truth they found in music. Why else would you stay up all night ‘cutting and pasting’ in ‘meat world’ - a galaxy far, far away from the coming magic of Photoshop and the Internet? 

Yeti the ‘general interest magazine for people with minority interests’ was founded by genial obsessive Mike McGonigal in the year 2000. For me it is the pinnacle in the evolution of the fanzine. It’s a stylish coffee table book the size of a paperback that comes with an eclectic audio CD packed with lost treasures.

You know that band you were in? You know that one decent track you lost in the hiss of a Ferric Oxide cassette? Well the chances are Yeti have the demo tape. McGonigal is the curator at a ‘museum obscura’ finding wonder in his work at every turn. Rescuing scratchy acetate recordings, bedroom demos and hastily arranged live sessions from the most unlikely of sources.

A gospel DJ with a ridiculous knowledge of American roots music, he seems to revel as much in songs aimed at the Lord as he does in songs by suburban kids who believe in nothing. He manages to combine these oddities with such conviction you just have to strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.

Blind Willie Johnson – Dark was the night, cold was the ground (Yeti 5)

 Take a deep breath my muso brethren, Im going to invoke the name of John Peel.

I do so with reverence simply because I cant think of another DJ who could make me listen to a two minute recording of water falling into a bucket wedged in between a vintage gospel 78 and a ‘No-wave’ demo by an earnest young college drop out and still make it seem worth my while. I imagine Fabric will be on the phone to him as we speak.

There are some genuine discoveries to be had too; Dum Dum Girls, Wooden Shjips, Iron & Wine, Grouper and the Jacuzzi Boys are all upwardly mobile groups who first came to my attention via Yeti. The most precious discoveries however are often reclaimed from dusty old recordings found in thrift shops and long forgotten private collections. 

Wooden Shjips – Out of my head (Yeti 7)

 The music is only one part of the package however. Exercise book prose, vintage transcriptions, opinion and poetry (from people who you almost certainly haven’t heard of) are all championed within the delightfully illustrated pages of Yeti.

One typically left field feature was a collection of photographs of a long deserted funfair ‘Shiga Prefecture’ in Japan. They were introduced by Olivier Malosse with the following byline:

“‘You might have seen these images on the internet. 'If you are like us, you thought, “Golly, it sure would be better to see these things smaller, and in black and white!” So here they are, person like us.”

This is the essence of Yeti.

Today I can send my demo around the world in an instant, find a fellow fan of anything, anywhere, at anytime, but I’m often unsure of what it is I’m really searching for – and really don’t know who to trust to help me find it. Meanwhile so many demo tapes and live recordings are slowly disappearing into the outdated dissonance of chrome cassettes and crackling test presses.

I’m glad there’s someone like Mike McGonigal out there cataloguing all the things I didn’t know I was missing. He is a guide worth trusting because if nothing else his magical mystery tours always avoid the standard tourist traps.

The word is that Yeti may soon move away from their 20+ track compact discs and into limited 7-inch vinyl runs, this pleases my plastic addiction but Ill morn the passing of such a welcome bulk delivery of oddness.

As for the rest of you – well there’s 10 timeless back issues available, packing an amazing 244 songs and interludes you simply wont find anywhere else.

Do yourself a favour and hunt down the Yeti this year.

Iron & wine – Peng! 33 (Yeti 2)

You can order your copies here ...
http://www.yetipublishing.com/
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