Edinburgh Annuale 2012

4 stars

In terms of how art happens at a grassroots level, both Creative Scotland 
and the Scottish Government are as clueless as each other. The importance 
of Edinburgh Annuale to the city’s independent artistic infrastructure, on the 
other hand, cannot be overstated.

This year’s edition sees some thirty-odd events in co-operatively run 
spaces such as Embassy, Rhubaba, The Old Ambulance Station, Superclub 
and Whitespace, as well as an ever-burgeoning network of flats, shops, 
tunnels and lecture theatres, plus online exhibitions and publications, 
one of which glories in the name, ‘Jelly and ice cream when Thatcher 
dies?’ All of which, under the Scottish Government’s idiotic changes to 
Public Entertainment Licence laws, are technically illegal.

But no matter, at least there’s still music. Or is there? Because, 
while the twenty-four twelve-inch square LP record covers lined up in 
long-standing indie emporium Avalanche Records blend in perfectly with 
the racks around them, look closer and each is actually a meticulously 
observed depiction of crucial albums that lay unreleased by bands that 
never were.

While one can easily imagine the stack-heeled glam racket of Douglas 
Morland’s glitter-spattered Three Day Week, Ian Smith’s ‘A Spoonful of 
Sugar’ casts Situationist stooge Monty Cantsin as a spoon-playing 
showman covering Bohemian Rhapsody and I Kissed A Girl. Elsewhere, 
Optimo’s Jonnie Wilkes pastiches the uber-exclusivity of micro-label 
limited edition presses by way of a make-believe compilation of east 
European electronica.

With an accompanying biography for each bespoke artiste, all this 
resembles Bill Drummond and Mark Manning’s release of a set of 7” 
singles by non-existent Scandinavian acts all recorded by themselves. 
Wannabe soulster Mingering Mike, meanwhile, mapped out a whole 
make-believe career for himself via a series of hand-drawn album covers 
with accompanying cardboard discs that were discovered en masse in a 
car-boot sale. As a soundtrack to imaginary times, it’s silent but 
deadly.

Edinburgh Annuale runs until June 24th

The List, June 2012

ends