Like all good parables Jane Weaver’s sixth solo album, a concept album called ‘The Silver Globe’, is as multifaceted as it is beguiling. Part coming of age / part cautionary tale and part romantic paeon, this twelve track synth ridden post-apocalyptic prog pop opus is based on tightly embroidered, non-linear recurring themes and inspired by esoteric stories, cosmic imagery and refiltered past experiences.

Written from the optimistic vantage of a long-standing female independent artist, in an desperately evolving industry, Jane’s latest set of self penned pop abstractions combine mechanical rock / recycled European cinema / empyrean vocalisations and an arsenal of rescued vintage synths to create a futurist narrative backdrop of a allegorical post apocalyptic landscape.

‘The Silver Globe’ features collaborations with David Holmes, Australian space rockers Cybotron, Damon Gough (Badly Drawn Boy), Suzanne Ciani and Andy Votel, as well as a recycled chunk of an 80s Hawkwind track.

As well as being voted our album of 2014, by the end of last year, ‘The Silver Globe’ had earned a Worldwide Top Ten Track Of The Year accolade by Gilles Peterson, gleaned across the board full-stars and thumbs up from the music press, benefitted unanimous repeat plays from virtually every specialist DJ on BBC6 Music (amongst many more global radio stations), found DJ mix support from Andrew Weatherall and filled most of the pages in a twelve month diary with gig and festival requests. Meanwhile, Jane’s own Bird Imprint (via Finders Keepers) has worked around the clock to keep up with stock demands of her new (and old) music. Album collaborators such as David Holmes, Andy Votel and BC Camplight share gushing pride in the project and with this unanimous critical support (and long earned respect) Jane has reacted in the only way she knows best - to keep creating.

Barely six months since its initial release Jane releases an expanded edition of ‘The Silver Globe’, including a second full-length disc called ‘The Amber Light’, which follows the original album with the same dedication and adventurous zeal.

With a title that alludes to the toils of trepidation and a running theme of industrial procreativity and DIY handy craft, ‘The Amber Light’ carves a niche between new age motivational music, Radiophonic folk and snarling Krautrock, echoing the kosmische stylings of ‘The Silver Globe’ with the punk urgency of 80s domestic-synth pop. Featuring four brand new songs, three exclusive instrumental themes (including a commissioned theme from an American vampire film) and three new collaborative re-workings / duets based on tracks from ‘The Silver Globe’, this extensive package harbours co-production work from Tom Furse (The Horrors), Andy Votel, Suzanne Ciani, members of Demdike Stare and original ‘Silver Globe’ inhabitants Pete J Phillipson and Martin King.

Originally scheduled for release on Halloween 1985 this privately pressed all female post-punk / broken-folk collective concept LP was resurrected from the ashes of the original line-up of The Fall and Velvet Underground singer Nico’s Blue Orchids backing band at the command of pioneering Manchester female punk icon Una Baines before disappearing into the annals of UK punk purgatory.

Comprising all the DIY traits and snarling attitudes of Manchester’s smartarsed punk retaliation, with haunting mechanical folk, pastoral drones and a back story that unites sleeve artist Linder Sterling (Ludus), Spider King, Martin Hannett, Tony Baines, Martin Bramah and John Cooper Clarke with the 16th Century Pendle Witches, this virtually unknown LP is a vital missing piece in Manchester’s self-help anti-pop industry. Lost in the ether, lauded by collectors and likened by Mark E. Smith to the Third Ear Band this unclassifiable arty-fact renders tags like Pagan punk utterly redundant.

Seemingly unaffected by the passing years since its original release, ‘Furia’ stands alone as a unique vision and testament to its communal casting of fragile mischief - set apart from the era of its conception and eschewing tags like avant-folk, pagan-punk and pastoral-drone by existing within its own spectral significance. It’s hard to imagine a similar record from then but certainly wholly conceivable that such a record would come to pass now.

TRACK LISTING

Ceaseless Effort
Bridget Of Ireland
Sheila / Beats In My Heart
No Romance
Strength (I)
Holy Hymn
Who Am I?
Ritual
Strength (II)