Rusty Sheriff - Clwyd

In August 2025 I decided in a rare week with my family away that I would revisit places of significance from my formative years. These were destinations in the North of Wales (Clwyd), Cheshire and the Wirral, namely my birthplace, early homes, grandparent’s houses and local schools. The trip was layered with aims, questions and uncertainty. I wanted to see what I remembered, what remained, what had disappeared and what challenged me now. Couple this nostalgia with reflecting on my own identity in a time where nationalism and conflict are rife, I wanted to address my own patriotism and roots living far away these days in the south of England. Work had begun composing the musical elements of 'Clwyd' in January 2025 and had continued throughout the year in between other musical endeavours, 5/6 of the tracks here were written before the trip and the rest upon returning. It marks a return to breaks driven material built out of samples but fleshed out with live performances and further production back home at The Bathtub Studio and The Fishtank in Portsmouth. The themes of the trip are notable in the music and the year itself has felt reflective in terms of output, production and vibe - this is probably most notable on 'Aliasing' where I visit my grandfather’s old house on the Wirral. I based myself in Penmaenmawr for the trip. A town I hadn't previously visited, but with close links to the A55 North Wales Expressway, it felt logistically handy and homely in my summer house Airbnb, I enjoyed my time there, staying up late to sample radio frequencies on my scanner and taking in football at the local club. Other aspects of the trip held gravitas, particularly seeing the remains of my birthplace HM Stanley hospital, and the St. Asaph Cathedral which proved more moving than I had anticipated. My first home in Holywell still acts as home for the lady that bought it from my parents some 40 years ago, and my second home in Buckley still evoked several memories from home, school and the local town. Both houses of my Grandparents were interesting and the emphasis on driving was really felt moving between all these destinations. In terms of the film, I mixed modern day cameras, 35mm film, Polaroids, budget go pro style video, late 90's digital cameras, kids’ cameras, with old cine film footage shot by my father and found archives from online. The film isn't supposed to really make sense to viewers, the memories are mine and the destinations unimportant to others, but the journey from conception to completion was an important one to undertake, to live in those moments and debate those themes in myself to in turn inspire the music that you hear. 'Clwyd' is released on Prrk Industries on Tuesday 25th November 2025, my 46th birthday. It will be available digitally on Bandcamp as well as CD and cassette in limited numbers. https://rustysheriff.bandcamp.com/ Rusty Sheriff 11/11/25