Learn to Swim

There's hardly ever any interesting news out of Learn to Swim as they're usually busy making up music or watching DVDs. Mind you, this page is filling up quite nicely isn't it?

October 2005

• NEW SINGLE - Back after a long absence over the lazy hazy days of summer, we return to our irregular schedule with Daughters of Cargill and The Kids From Thatto Heath, a theme for suburban Lancashire.  Besides the title track, we present three remixes by others from the Learn to Swim roster including a rather fine piece of work from Wiskin and Semlay.

• DOWNLOAD CHART - Now updated to the end of September. Hair By Roger are still maintaining their virtually unassailable lead as most popular artist. They're also still owners of the most popular track but interestingly this has now changed from the very first track Drawing to last year's Arguing. Will their forthcoming third single take them even further? The biggest change in both charts is the sudden rise in Bagman's fortunes, jumping to third place in the artist rankings. Where are all these people coming from? Probably public libraries in Cornwall. 
  To see the chart for yourself, click here.

• RELEASE SCHEDULE - It's now a complete mess, but if you want to you can click here to see the new release schedule.

• OTHER NEWS - Acid Wilhelm is, despite press reports to the contrary, still alive. Sort of.

June 2005

• NEW SINGLE - This month's release is Lord Edward Bleeds from Learn to Swim's perennial mixmaster David Loophead. This includes two completely new tracks entitled Trees in Water and the enigmaticThe Third Secret as well as the proper release of the title piece which has been available as a bonus track for some time. If you haven't hear it, be warned that you may need a new sound system after this one. Click here to listen.

• RELEASE SCHEDULE - As things are starting to get back together, we've now updated the release schedule as far as October 2005. Watch out for the usual mix of newcomers and some old favourites returning for another stab at assaulting your ears. We're all very excited about the debut of Daughters of Cargill with The Kids from Thatto Heath and, perhaps the most hotly anticipated new act we've had for some time, The Bolts with their blistering 3-track single Turner's First Episode. Click here to see the new release schedule.

• CHART UPDATE - the Learn to Swim Chart has been brought up to date to the end of May. Hair by Roger are still maintaining a comfortable lead with both the most popular track and their unyielding status as most popular artist. Bagman, has, however, crept into the top 5 Learn to Swim acts. That should cheer the miserable blighter up a bit. 

• OTHER NEWS - No, still no sign of Griffin.

April 2005

• NEW SINGLE - This month's release is Cinecity by newcomer Pete Nitrous. Something of a diversion for us, Pete describes himself as a "performance artist working in heuristic auditory landscapes". Whatever that means, it does at least sound better than "writes bangin' choonz" (© Bagman, 2005). Anyway, the three tracks are available for download here. Enjoy them.

• DELAYS STILL LIKELY - As you may have noticed, things are moving rather slowly here at Learn to Swim of late. The coffee machine and the ring modulator are now both working but unfortunately Mr Wilhelm has been indisposed with, in no particular order, "man-flu", jury service, foreign travel, visitors, garden leave, recycling initatives and a further round of what he will only describe as "technical difficulties beyond our control" without specifying who "our" refers to. As a result the release schedule has changed yet again, but we hope to be back on track (or more accurately, the rails) sometime in June. We apologise for the inconvenience. Click here to see the new release schedule. 

• OTHER NEWS - We're still waiting for Griffin. The rehab is going well, though.

January 2005

• NEW SINGLE - This month's release, How we Used to See the Future by Oh Joyous Diner, is now available in the next couple of weeks. Three more tracks of "cheery bedroom electronica" with an eye towards the year 2050...as seen by the children of the 1980s.

• SITE UPDATE - You may have noticed we've done a bit of redecorating this month. As well as our nice new streamlined main site, the Bar has been replaced by The Lounge - something much cooler and more relaxed. You'll find reviews, links and other bits an pieces including, of course, the infamous message board. Drop in any time. Perhaps the best thing of all is our new download chart. If you've ever wondered what's the most popular track in the world of Learn to Swim or who's the favourite artist, now you can find out. We'll be updating it every month so you can spend time placing your bets at the bookies to see if anyone can possibly dislodge Hair by Roger from the top spot...while we try to calm down all the arguments this is going to cause back home. Poor Bagman's not going to be happy...but then he never is really. Click here to see the chart.

• DELAYS UPDATE - The refit at Learn to Swim's studio (known to all as "The Hessian Palace") is now pretty much completed though we're still having trouble with the coffee machine and the ring modulator. Click here to see the new release schedule. 

• Happy New Year to all those of you who regard it as a new year.

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