I bought this from Sylvia when she played with British Summertime Ends (an avant-folk trio, m'lud) at Over The Top (a.k.a. Mick Beck's back room) in Sheffield in February 1999. I really wanted a British Summertime Ends album, but they didn't have any. They're very rare. More about that another time.
Sylvia Hallett is, I believe, one of the long-time stalwarts of the London Musicians' Collective, who put on great gigs, mostly for the improv scene.
The music is hard to describe. It includes chanson-style songs accompanied by accordion that remind me a bit of the cabaret style of Jane Bom-Bane, as well as elements of performance art, particularly in the way that texts are set to sparse music.
In live performance, Sylvia sometimes plays a bicycle wheel. There is definitely the sound of a bicycle wheel on this album, though when it's identifiable, it's not being played. If it was being played of course, it might not be identifiable, because not many of us recognise the sound of a bicycle wheel being played. Un petit paradox, non? I'm beginning to wish I hadn't mentioned it now.
Entry for this album on Peter Stubley's excellent European Free Improvisation site
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