NEM#151: Cathal Coughlan (Fatima Mansions, Microdisney): Pyschogeographic Tales

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Cathal started in Ireland in 1980 with Microdisney, and after five albums with then broke that up to form Fatima Mansions in 1988. After seven albums with them, he started a solo career and has now after a decade-long hiatus (during which he released a few collaborations) has come back with his sixth solo release Song of Co-Acklan. We discuss “Unrealtime” and (in closing) hear the title track from that album, plus “Denial Of The Right To Dream” from The Sky’s Awful Blue (2002) and “Valley of the Dead Cars” by The Fatima Mansions from Against Nature (1989). Intro/outro: “Town to Town” by Microdisney from Crooked Mile (1987). For more, see cathalcoughlan.com.

Watch the video for another single from the new album, “The Knockout Artist.” …And another, “Owl in the Parlor.” Here’s a video for another tune from The Sky’s Awful Blue, “Amused as Hell.” Here he is live in 2019. Here’s a big early single from The Fatima Mansions. Here they are live in 1994. Watch Microdisney live back in the day and in a recent reunion. Hear all of “Town to Town.” A project we didn’t talk about was Bubonique, Cathal’s early 90s duo with comedian Sean Hughes.

Photo by Gregory Dunn. Audio editing by Tyler Hislop.

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