The first taste of Marcus Hamblett’s new album, Detritus, landed on Spotify etc on Friday. Mary Anne Hobbs premiered it on her BBC 6 Music show and called it one of her favourite albums of the season! The lead track, Lost At Sea, features the unmistakeable voice of Kate Stables from This Is The Kit, who Marcus also plays cornet with.  Listen to it on Spotify or other platforms now!

It’s an upbeat number – drones, guitars and drums creep in from behind ambient studio chatter to settle into a groove that will spellbind fans of Can, Stereolab and Aphex Twin alike.

The album features contributions from James Holden, Colin Stetson, Emma Gatrill, Ben Lanz (of The National, Beirut, LNZNDRF), Mathieu Charbonneau (of Timber Timbre), Tom Heather (of Eyes & No Eyes, Woodpecker Wooliams), Helen Whitaker, Kev Nickells, Etienne Jaumet (of Zombie Zombie) and more. It’s out November 15th via Willkommen Records and you can presave or preorder it here.

You may well have already watched or listened to Marcus Hamblett without knowing it. A highly sought-after session player, collaborator and enabler, Hamblett’s CV boasts a multitude of projects with high profile acts including Villagers, James Holden, Laura Marling, This Is The Kit and more.

Emma Gatrill will tour the UK and Ireland in support of Willkommen favourites This Is The Kit. She’ll also be playing a bit of bass clarinet and/or saxophone with them. In Cork, Glasgow and London there will be no EG opening set but she’ll still be playing with TITK. Seamus Fogarty also supports from Birmingham onwards.

10 Jan – The Joiners, Southampton tickets
11 Jan – Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis tickets
12 Jan – St Petroc’s Church, Bodmin tickets
13 Jan – Brunel Goods Shed, Stroud tickets
14 Jan – Leaf, Liverpool tickets
16 Jan – Cyprus Avenue, Cork tickets (No EG set)
17 Jan – Whelan’s, Dublin tickets
18 Jan – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds tickets
19 Jan – O2 ABC Glasgow, Glasgow tickets (No EG set)
20 Jan – Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh tickets
21 Jan – Lancaster Library, Lancaster tickets
23 Jan – The Sage Gateshead, Hall 2, Gateshead tickets
24 Jan – The Glee Club – Birmingham, Birmingham tickets
25 Jan – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London tickets (No EG set)
26 Jan – J1, Cambridge Junction, Cambridge tickets
27 Jan – The Con Club, Lewes SOLD OUT
28 Jan – 02 Oxford Academy, Oxford tickets

Two extremely exciting supports announced for our upcoming shows – on October 7th Eric Chenaux will support Matana Roberts at the Prince Albert and on November 24th Cristobal and the Sea will support This Is The Kit at The Haunt. Tickets selling quickly for both shows already and I expect they will sell even more quickly now. Check WeGotTickets for both or go to Resident in Brighton.

In the past we’ve created several collaborative Willkommen projects for free download over the Christmas period.

This year we asked as many Willkommen related artists as possible to simply contribute thirty seconds of sound. I stitched them together in the order in which they arrived to make a sonic patchwork quilt. The result is incredibly diverse and beautiful despite the random nature of its composition and form.

Thank you to the following people for contributing:

Alessi Laurent-Marke (Alessi’s Ark)
Woodpecker Wooliams
Said Speaks
Landshapes
Marcus Hamblett
Soccer96
Eyes & No Eyes
Hamilton Yarns
Thomas Heather
Danny Green (Laish)
Gravenhurst
John Smith
Fiona Sally Miller
Nick Hemming (The Leisure Society)
This Is The Kit
Rachael Dadd & Ichi
Rozi Plain
Birdengine
Helen Whitaker (The Leisure Society)
Steve Aston Trio
Rowan Coupland
Turbo & Silke (Martha Rose / OCDC)
Jacob Richardson (Sons of Noel and Adrian)
Emma Gatrill
Chimes (Christian Hardy)
Mary Hampton
Alphabets Heaven
François Marry (François & the Atlas Mountains)

Here are a few links to past collaborative projects for free download on last.fm:

• Willkommen Covers The Sleeper – various artists covered each song from The Leisure Society’s debut album. Originally released as a free Rough Trade bonus CD.
• Willkommen Foxswap – various artists covered each other’s songs before the Foxtrot festival
• Willkommen Christmas 2008 – again various Willkommen related bands covering each other’s songs

This February and March, Rozi Plain hits the road with This Is The Kit. We really highly recommend both of these bands, so don’t miss them. Rozi’s not doing Manchester or Brixton.

25th Feb: Norwich Arts Centre
26th Feb: Sheffield The Shakespeare
27th Feb: Durham The Fishtank
28th Feb: Manchester Marc Riley session for BBC 6music
28th Feb: Manchester Band on the Wall
29th Feb: Birmingham Kitchen Garden cafe
1st Mar: London Windmill Inn, Brixton
2nd Mar: London Manero’s bar
3rd Mar: Bristol Colston Hall 2
4th Mar: Stroud The Prince Albert Pub