Tyrchu Sain (Vinyl & Cassette) (Special edition limited bundle)

Limited Edition

Special Vinyl edition with Beat Tape cassette - Heavyweight 180g Vinyl / Eco-freindly Vinyl, with Obi-strip & Very limited Beat Tape cassette

Welsh beatmaker Don Leisure has cemented his name as one of the most forward thinking and experimental beatmakers & producers within the current musical ecosystem. As well as being 50% of Darkhouse Family (alongside Earl Jeffers) he has collaborated with the likes of Angel Bat Dawid, Gruff Rhys, DJ Spinna and First Word label-mates Amanda Whiting & Tyler Daley (Children of Zeus). Garnering serious support from Lauren Laverne, Tom Ravenscroft, Huw Stephens, Gilles Peterson, Huey Morgan, The Vinyl Factory, Clash, Uncut and many more.  A dedicated student of music, over the years Don has amassed a vast encyclopaedic knowledge of music genres and subcultures, including a fascination with Welsh psychedelic folk music from the mid-20th century. This introduction was made by respected musician, producer & selector Andy Votel’s 2005 two-part compilation series ‘Welsh Rare Beat’ (in collaboration with Gruff Rhys and Don Thomas), comprising twenty-five tracks from Sain Records’ back catalogue. Now the oldest independent record label in Wales, Sain is a wildly influential bastion of home-grown Welsh talent, co-founded by Welsh-language folk singer Dafydd Iwan, whose music has seen a cultural resurgence in recent years with his 1983 song Yma o Hyd (We’re Still Here) becoming a huge anthem for Wales football fans. Set up in the Welsh capital, many of Sain’s early releases were recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire, but in the early 1970s the record company moved to the Caernarfon area and opened their first recording studio in 1974 near Llandwrog.  Announcing a huge digitisation project throughout 2024, Sain Records took on the mammoth task of painstakingly digitising their entire back catalogue spanning 55 years, working in partnership with the National Library of Wales the resulting archive then be submitted for to the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, preserving them for future generations to enjoy. Taking this period of rediscovery as an opportunity to reimagine their impressive inventory, Sain invited Don Leisure to dig into their musical treasure chest, creating a sprawling sonic tapestry from the dusty gems within.  On this exhilarating excursion, Sain Records founder Dafydd Iwan explains: ‘Imagine someone gave you access to over 50 years of Welsh popular music – almost all of it unknown to you before. It would be a strange experience of discovery, an unknown territory which could baffle and excite. This happened to Jamal (Don Leisure) - and he was captivated by a world of music he barely knew existed, and when he was asked to distil the experience into one album, he immediately warmed to the idea. And this is the result - a kaleidoscope of sounds to encapsulate a half century of Welsh music. To call it unique would be superfluous: no-one could ever recreate this album. Listen, and enjoy.’.

The resulting product is ‘Tyrchu Sain' (translating to ‘Digging Sain’), a fearless and exploratory album, which sees Don put his signature unparalleled and unpredictable skills to work, weaving together moments of forgotten beauty into celestial and otherworldly compositions. The record features appearances by artists from Wales who have a similar obsession as Don Leisure in these classic Welsh rarities including Gruff Rhys, Carwyn Ellis, Earl Jeffers Amanda Whiting and Boy Azooga. First single ‘Cynnau Tân’ sees Don join forces with Carwyn Ellis on vocals (who has recently collaborated with Coco Maria as part his Rio 18 project, and whom Don calls “one of the most interesting voices in Welsh music today”) the duo take a trip down a sonic rabbit hole. With the English translation meaning ‘Light A Fire’, its smouldering 60’s tripped out atmospheres meld with delay-soaked, spiralling vocals and a hypnotic chord sequence to incredible effect. On the pair’s collaboration, Carwyn explains : “It’s been an absolute pleasure collaborating again with the Don. He contributed to our latest Rio 18 album, so it was nice to return the favour. His knowledge of old school Welsh records is obsessive, bordering on excessive!”.  Seconds single ‘Tyrchu’ features the soft spoken vocal stylings of Gruff Rhys over a gently rolling, tape saturated and expertly chopped instrumental, creating (in Gruff’s own words) ‘Shiny new beat-treasures with ghostly reflections of Welsh pop’s past - skillfully dug from Sain Records’ deepest veins’.  Jessy Allen, who lends her spinechilling vocals to album opener ‘Y Dechrau’ says: ‘Don’s album is a real gem, that honours and celebrates the past, whilst harnessing the future sound of Welsh Language Music. I am so excited for everyone to hear it.’

A shimmering patchwork quilt of sound, ‘Tychru Sain’ traverses a shifting landscape of acid folk, eerie vocal melodies and interstellar soundscapes, propelled forth by crisp, head nod inducing drums and grainy textures. Breathing new life into compositions lost to time, and paving a path for new listeners to discover the magic that lies within. 

Track Listing:

01 - Y Dechrau (feat. Boy Azooga, Jessy Allen, Earl Jeffers, Andy Brown & Amanda Whiting) 

Don Leisure (production) Jessy Allen (vocals) David Newington (drums, piano synth) Earl Jeffers (additional synth) Andy Brown (bass) Amanda Whiting (harp) 
Sample Used - Bran ‘Nodau Hud’ SAIN1070M

02 - Chware Teg
Don Leisure (production) Sample Used - Heather Jones - ‘Plentyn Serch’ SAIN1047M

03 - Thema Osian
Don Leisure (production) Sample Used -  Phil Edwards ‘Tyred’ SAIN1019M 

04 - Tyrchu (feat. Gruff Rhys)
Don Leisure (production) Gruff Rhys (vocals + keys) Sample Used - Delwyn Sion ‘Aros yn Dy Gwmni’ SAIN106 
 
05 - Dŵr y Mynydd
Don Leisure (production) Sample Used - Sidan ‘Doli Glwt’ SAIN1017

06 - Geiriau Doeth
Don Leisure (production) Sample Used - Edward H. Dafis ‘Angau’ SAIN1053

07 - Tynged
Don Leisure (production) Sample Used - Endaf Emlyn - ‘Broc Mor’‘ SAIN1051M

08 - Trac Piano
Don Leisure (production) Sample Used - Shwn - ‘Mynydd Glas’ SAIN 1139M
Huw Jones - ‘Dwr’ SAIN1

09 - Cynnau Tân (feat. Carwyn Ellis)
Don Leisure (production) Carwyn Ellis (vocals) Sample Used - Meic Stevens - ‘Y Meirw Byw’ SAINC839 Hefin Elis - ‘Culhwch Ac Olwen’ SAIN1030

10 - Anturiaethau Pellach Capten Idole
Don Leisure (production) Sample Used - Injaroc ‘Capten Idole’ SAIN1094

11 - Pino ar y Bâs!! (feat. Darkhouse Family)
Don Leisure (production) Earl Jeffers (production / synths) Samples Used - Endaf Emlyn - ‘Un Nos Ola Leuad’ SAIN1206

12 - Brân Swît
Don Leisure (production) Samples Used -  Brân - ‘Y Crewer’ SAIN1038M, Brân  - ‘Y Gwlwyr’ SAIN1038M, Brân - ‘Breuddyd Hyd’ SAIN1120M, Yr Atgyfodiad - ‘Agor Dy Galon’ SAIN41

13  - Thema Nia (Ahmed)
Don Leisure (production) Samples Used - Nia Ben Aur - ‘Gerdded’ SAIN1019M

14 - Sidan Torri
Don Leisure (production) Samples Used - Sidan - ‘Di Enw’ SAIN1017

15 - Erlid Y Ddraig
Don Leisure (production) Andy Brown (bass) Samples Used - Y Tebot Piws - ‘Dilyn Colomen’ SAIN25

16 - Dwyrain Cymru
Don Leisure (production) Samples Used - Edward H. Dafis ‘Lisa Pont Ddu’ SAIN1034
Miri Mawr - ‘Stedffodd’ SAIN49

17 - Un i Dewi (feat. Andy Brown)
Don Leisure (production) Samples Used - Edward H Dafis - ‘Gwrandewch’ SAIN38B 
Y Tebot Piws - ‘Dilyn Colomen’ SAIN25

18 - Maen Llia
Don Leisure (production) Samples Used - Edward H Dafis - ‘Gwrandewch’ SAIN38B

19 - Tad a Mab (feat. Dafydd Brynmor Davies)
Don Leisure (production) Dafydd Brynmor Davies (drums) Earl Jeffers (bass) Samples Used - Eliffant - ‘W Capten’ SAIN1130M

20 - Diolch a Nos Da (feat. Dafydd Iwan)
Don Leisure (production) Dafydd Iwan (vocals) Sample Used - Hefin Elis - ‘Culhwch Ac Olwen’ SAIN1030