Richard Youngs plays Advent

“Advent remains the most potently concentrated document of Youngs' peculiar and captivating talents.” – Pitchfork For the fourth year running Richard Youngs performs his debut album, Advent, on Advent Sunday nearly three decades after its initial release. It has become something of a tradition at Old Hairdresser's and we can't think of a better way to celebrate this time of year... With hundreds of solo and collaborative releases on countless labels (including his own “No Fans” label) Richard’s music has been heaped with accolades since the 1990’s. Whether through his collaborations with the likes of Simon Wickham-Smith, Jandek, Neil Campbell or Makoto Kawabata, or in his solo work encompassing the starkest minimalism, lush acapella and acousticballadry, Richard adds a touch of humanity to any project he’s involved with. “THE iconic figure of the modern UK underground … Richard Youngs evolves in the shadows where most won’t look, but those who do will forever be dazzled and amazed” – The Quietus

RICHARD YOUNGS ON ADVENT “December 1988. I was a maths student in Nottingham. Oppressed by the burden of group theory, I caught a train to my dad's house for a long Christmas break. I had no plans other than to escape education. Within days, however, I had recorded Advent. It just happened and I was puzzled by my creation. At the very least, I thought I'd make a few mixes for friends and gift them. That seemed to be that.

Over the next year I kept returning to Advent, still trying to figure it out. I had a bit of spare money and thought it'd make an interesting LP. Since I had no fans, doing it myself was my only option. No Fans Records was born. There was no thought for the practicalities of what to do with 300 albums. It was vanity publishing. I would have laughed at the suggestion that original copies would come to exchange hands at inflated prices, that it would be re-released, be performed well away from the Home Counties, and be something that people wanted to listen to.

Over quarter of a century later, and I still like Advent.

Traditionally, Advent is a season of hope. With the apocalyptic outlook of a 22 year old who grew up with the Cold War, I never saw it like that back then. Middle-aged now, I hear it as the beginning of my music making and the end of doing maths. It's a celebration.