About

About YOU
About ME

About YOU

Are you articulate by nature? Do you like the idea of less is more? When everyone is going on holiday to this years ‘buzz’ destination, are you more likely to be going in the opposite direction? Are you often called ‘difficult’ even though you really aren’t?

Do you like nostalgia and the future? Do you like bands that are underrated and/or make intelligent music? Do you like esoteric things like cities, metro maps, record cover design, modern or minimalist architecture, abandoned airports, cafes, theme hotels, interesting museums, parks and libraries?

Are you curious, cultured and well travelled or do you want to be? Well then this blog might be for you. Sure, I am presenting things, suggesting things but I not telling my intended audience they ‘must’ or ‘need’ to visit or place or buy an album that I am writing about. They are merely suggestions which I hope will inspire but again independence is key here.

About ME (short)

I am a creative and educator born in Wales and raised in both New Zealand and the UK. Educated in the visual arts I turned to writing in the nineties, composing books and contributing to print and online media mainly in the field of travel and music (see the MEDIA page).

I am an all round creative skilled in: design, photography and content as well as editing skills in words and pictures. In addition I’ve run a parallel career in education and teaching in China and Europe (see the UNIVERSITY page). I have visited over 60 countries and 150 cities on 5 continents over 20 years travelling. I live and work globally.

About ME (EXTENDED MIX)

Born in Wales in what is now a hotel overlooking a roundabout (from which spiral many roads) seemed an almost natural precursor to what would become a nomadic existence. The journey then took me through Pacific darkness to backward seasons and shifts in hours and time.

I refer of course to New Zealand which left its mark by shaping me before casting me back home. Perhaps unsurprisingly my education and cultural identity suffered from the effect of constant continental drift! With many interests and influences drawn from arts, memory and travel – a ‘normal’ career path was never likely to occur.

Like Brian Eno, my education evolved from visual arts to include writing poems, stories and articles which would eventually morph into journalism, which co-exists with my return to visual work – as both photographer and designer. However, unlike Eno, sound was never pursued as most of what I wanted to create already existed.

Hearing colour in music enhances my relationship with it in terms of sound and visuals, but Synesthesia aside, my only involvement with music is by the written word with publications both physical and digital (All Music Guide as well as lyrics for Portugal’s O Atlas and American singer/songwriter Peter Kingsbery).

My work has allowed me to cover music and film, hotels, restaurants, travel, transport and gadgets for among others China Daily, Global Blue, Time Out (Istanbul) and with Qatar Airways inflight magazine.

The books that were born via my own publisher ‘equivocal’ are well documented. Still, I’m proud to have produced work which has been innovative and contemporary, being among the first to feature ‘strong language’ warnings, DVD style ‘making of’ featurettes and in some cases hidden content.

Some of the acts I have had and in some cases continue to have a connection with.

While my ideas for multi-disciplinary projects with musicians, animators and film-makers have never materialised I have at the very least been humbled by personal correspondence with luminaries such as musicians: Robert Fripp, Iva Davies and John Lloyd (Icehouse), Lloyd Cole, Jon Farriss (INXS), Pat Mastelotto (Mr Mister, King Crimson), Marcus Vere (Living in a Box), John Campbell (It’s Immaterial), legendary mixer and engineer Julian Mendelsohn, Martyn Ware (Human League, Heaven 17), Mark Tierney (Strawpeople) and Perry Blake.

Occasionally this extends to full bands! Jack Hues and Nick Feldman (Wang Chung), Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson (No-Man) as well as several members of Boom Crash Opera (Peter Farnan, Maz), and Cock Robin (Peter Kingsbery, Anna LaCazio and Clive Wright).

Music related graphic artists Keith Breeden (Scritti Politti, Pink Floyd) and Bill Smith (Genesis, Climie Fisher), Carl Glover (Marillion, No-Man), Paul West (Cocteau Twins, EBTG, Scritti Politti) and Aussie travel writer Peter Moore.

In addition to my creative work, I’ve run a parallel career in education teaching English and Inter-Cultural Communications at university level in China and English to teenager and adults in Europe (see the UNIVERSITY page for more details). I’m no less fascinated or inquisitive about the world now than I was as a youngster seeing the Arabian dunes, the mountains of Europe, the blue pools of California or the unearthly landscapes of China from the air.

So far I’ve been fortunate enough to visit over 60 countries and 150 cities on 5 continents living in a ‘marae’ and old railway station in New Zealand, a bookstore in Paris, a ‘lojman’ in Turkey, banks and churches in Spain. I like the idea of being a world citizen and live and work globally. Contact me… kelvinhayesglobal(at)gmail.com