Terrific BBC Article on “Epic Sleep-Talker” Dion McGregor and His “Dark Tales”

Thanks to David Robson for doing a splendid job sharing the story of legendary sleeptalker (and Torpor Vigil recording star) Dion McGregor!

The Dark Tales of the World’s Most Epic Sleep-Talker (BBC article by David Robson)

Who better to review an album of dreams . . .

I love this little article from the company that promises you “a better night’s sleep”!
http://www.urbanmattress.com/blog/sleeptalkingisfunnyandeducational/

The Equal Ground Says Dreaming Like Mad is “Great Entertainment”

Thanks to The Equal Ground’s Ted Rogen for this very positive and thoughtful review.
http://www.theequalground.com/indie-music-album-reviews/dion-mcgregor-dreaming-like-mad-with-dion-mcgregor

“Undiminished alchemy”—Bang the Bore’s Pete Coward Reviews Dreaming Like Mad

Pete Coward wrote about Dion McGregor for Bang the Bore in 2011. His ongoing curiosity about Dion’s somniloquies has yielded another perceptive article for that same adventurous blog. Here’s what he has to say about Dreaming Like Mad.
http://www.bangthebore.org/archives/5734

Digging Further Into a Surreal Oddball Dream Universe: The Sound Projector Reviews Dreaming Like Mad

Yet another splendid review of Dreaming Like Mad! Thanks to Nausika for this insightful piece.
http://www.thesoundprojector.com/2014/10/26/dreaming-like-mad-with-dion-mcgregor/

KFJC’s Thurston Hunger Reviews Dreaming Like Mad

KFJC 89.7 FM

KFJC 89.7 FM has long been an airwave voice for the somniloquies of Dion McGregor. This fine station has been at it again, featuring Dion’s dream world antics on several of its playlists. Thanks to all the hosts and programmers who’ve broadcast tracks from Dion’s album, including Thurston Hunger, who’s thoughts on Dreaming Like Mad can be found here:
http://spidey.kfjc.org/?p=21451

Media Funhouse on Dreaming Like Mad

Media Funhouse TV Show

Ed Grant of Media Funhouse* has written a compelling and delightful article about Dreaming Like Mad with Dion McGregor.

http://mediafunhouse.blogspot.ca/2014/10/review-new-album-by-sleeptalker-dion.html

* The blog for the cult Manhattan cable-access TV show that offers viewers the best in “everything from high art to low trash… and back again!” Find links to rare footage, original reviews, and reflections on pop culture and arthouse cinema.

An Announcement from McGregor Fan and TVR Supporter Michael Manasco

Thanks, Michael, for talking up Dreaming Like Mad and the newly remastered Dream World of Dion McGregor!

The Time Has Come for Dreaming Like Mad!

Praise Morpheus, the god of dreams: the new Dion McGregor album is finished at last!

Preorders for the CD will be filled the first week of July. Meanwhile, I’ll be making the download version available not just to those who preordered it but to those who’ve been awaiting the disc and will have to wait a little longer for it to be shipped.

Each unavoidable delay presented an opportunity to improve upon the layout and design of the album. This new release will be a worthy offering on the golden anniversary of The Dream World of Dion McGregor.

New orders for the album, in CD and download forms, will be filled starting the second week of July–a month shy of the tenth anniversary of The Further Somniloquies of Dion McGregor (the first “dream world” compilation from Torpor Vigil).

I can guarantee you, this new Dion McGregor release will be nothing to thumb your nose at!*

Steve Venright

* You’ll know what I’m talking about when you hear the dreams.

Annie Paladino “Dreama”s Again

Annie Paladino’s show inspired by the dreams of Dion McGregor

Annie Paladino is remounting her wonderful solo show Dreama, in Seattle. The show was “written” by Dion McGregor in his sleep: Annie inhabits his dream world as she vocally recreates some of the great sleeptalker’s somniloquies. Here’s the Facebook page, and the link to tickets:
https://www.facebook.com/events/234811356710684/
https://pockettheater.vbotickets.com/event/DREAMA__Theater_Solo/4589

NPR, USA Today, and Kickstarter Updates

Dion McGregor (from the archive of Phil Milstein; photographer unknown)

The awareness/fundraising campaign for the forthcoming Dreaming Like Mad with Dion McGregor album got a boost from Whitney Matheson in her USAtoday.com column Pop Candy, and tracks from the new album will soon be featured on the NPR program All Things Considered. For details, and to read other updates on the DLM Kickstarter campaign, the best idea is to go here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1823544782/dreaming-like-mad-with-dion-mcgregor/posts

Jill Battson’s Play About Dion McGregor

Kerry Zentner’s illustration for Sleeptalker—Jill Battson’s play about Dion McGregor

Thought you might enjoy seeing this program for the workshop reading of a play by Jill Battson. I’m hoping the time and resources will be there for Jill to resume this project.
http://www.dionmcgregor.org/Sleeptalker_BattsonPlayReadingProgram_2011.html

Dreaming Like Mad Pre-Release News!

Portrait of Dion McGregor by Kerry Zentner (based on an uncredited photo in the 1964 Bernard Geis Associates publication The Dream World of Dion McGregor)

The release of Dreaming Like Mad (Yet More Outrageous Recordings of the World’s Most Renowned Sleeptalker) is slated for late May. To raise funds for the final phases of production—and just to get the word out—I’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign (see link below). The CD can now be preordered on the TVR website. The download version will be available via iTunes upon official release in May.

I’ve just finished digitizing 27 somniloquies that were previously unknown to me. These were considerately restored to the archive of McGregor recordings by Patrick Ramsay after he discovered several tapes stored among Michael Barr’s belongings. Michael, who recorded Dion’s somnolent monologues during the 60s, died in 2009, passionate to the end about the mad dreams of his old songwriting partner and roommate. Several of these long-lost dreams are truly outstanding, and I plan to incorporate a few of them into the DLM track list.

Dreaming Like Mad on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1823544782/dreaming-like-mad-with-dion-mcgregor

Preorder the CD: http://www.torporvigil.com/012TVR/SectorPages/Store.html

DLM Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dreaminglikemad

Thanks for checking in. Drop by again soon for further updates.
Steve