Tuesday, October 28, 2008

SPIDERS ON PHASING-THE SCORPIONS STUDIO OUTTAKES 1-6, 7-15, LP, 2000, GERMANY





This fabulously fucked sounding gem contains German post-NDW avant electronica maven Felix Kubin's collaborations with both Tim Buhre (whom he used to work alongside in the atonal post-industrial ensemble Klangkrieg) and, significantly, Asmus Tietchens. It's not stated anywhere which side Tietchens is involved in (or indeed of his involvement at all), but sonically, it's plain that side B's cycles and reverb-y detournments bear Herr Tietchens fingerprints. Every detail of the packaging is formulated for maximal confusionist amusement, beginning with designing it to appear to be a Scorpions bootleg (dig the morphed photo showing Tietchens manning the boards on a Scorpions session!), and said confusionist amusement is underscored by the sonics within, a deliciously damaged agglomeration whose formulations push a proactive grotesquerie that's been a latent gene in the larger body of work that Kubin's cobbled together in the intervening years, initially evident on early projects under his own heading like 1999's Jane B. Ertrinkt Mit Den Pferden 10" and latterly on projects like his Idiotenmusik 7". The queasily e.q.'ed source sonics on side A (presumably his work with Buhre) are rudely squeezed through the tubes of assorted jerry rigged electronic Rube Goldberg contraptions, before being alternately tweezed, suction pumped, squashed, vacuum sealed or inflated to capacity, all parts popping and pinioning like the bolts on some cartoon of a overloaded machine about to burst. Meanwhile, as alluded to before, Side B's presumably Tietchens-involved activities dance a different sort of fandango; a syrupy malaised quease of effects melted easy listening dismemberings, Werkbund/Mechthild Von Leusch-like cavernously reverbed devolving metallic rhythmic revolutions and insistent dadaist vocal loops.

***************NEW LINK POSTED SEPTEMBER 2012***************

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VAS DEFERENS ORGANIZATION-DRUG BUBBLES, CD, 1999, USA







Continuing my posts of work from my own back catalog, here's one of our collective faves from our discography. Drug Bubbles was both the final document of the first phase of VDO's career (after which Matt would return to New Orleans from Dallas and initiate his solo Muz project, Doug Ferguson (R.I.P.) would turn his attentions to work on Yeti, David Fargason would join Liquid Sound Company and I'd undertake work on the first of Sound's two albums) and also represented a fundamental alteration in our usual approach, with tracks concatenated together into a dream logic pastiche from berserk live jams rather than painstakingly assembled layer by layer. Hard to know what the hell possessed us at the time (and it DOES sound possessed), but nearly 10 years after the fact, the resulting amalgam now sound like some sort of cosmic surrealist synth punk to these ears. Now there's a genre thats just waiting for someone to seize the mantle and run with it, eh?

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THE WIRTSCHAFTSWUNDER-TSCHERWONEZ, LP, 1982, GERMANY




Between us, Jim and I have posted numerous titles that Neue Deutsche Welle legend Tom Dokoupil has been involved in over the years, including Die Partei, Siluetes 61 and Radierer. The work to be found on this, the third LP from his multi-national unit Wirtschaftswunder (graciously provided by blog friend Felix Kubin, whose work in the project Spiders On Phasing I've also posted today) is every bit the equal of those iconic units, but while their impossibly clever post punk exploits may emerge from the more Ralph/Residential-indebted end of the NDW continuum, their restless muse extends well beyond the zany remit that may suggest. Tscherwonez (a soundtrack to Gabor Altorjay's film of the same name) over it's course takes in everything from Pyrolator and Andi Giorbino-like cartoonish candy coated electropop to stark Factory Records-like post punk angularity, with side-tracks into oompah and schlager kitsch, synth pop settings for horror film strings and campy carnival organ-a-go-go pop giddiness ala the L.A.F.M.S. outfit Human Hands. Sensational and essential.

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AKTUALA-S/T, LP, 1973, ITALY



Following my post of their third and final album Tappeto Volante (as well as Jim's post of Aktuala member Lino Capra Vaccina's "Antico Adagio" LP and Spacefreak's post of the related project Telaio Magnetico) here's the debut outing by this band of Italian mages dating from the period before Trilok Gurtu joined their ranks; their blissed, blasted and acutely attuned acoustic astral excursions tapping a vein of tranquil psychedelic knowing thats poised between the ethno-tripping end of the krautrock spectrum ala Embryo, Between and Agitation Free's Malesch and the exploratory acoustic probings of American outfits like Entourage Music and Theater Ensemble, Arica and Seventh Sons.
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BEN REYNOLDS-GREAT TONGUE MEDITATIONS, 3" CDR, 2005, UK




Sluicing sheets of string scrape amalgamate with hazing cascades of harmonic blur, all of it hovering a few inches off the ground in a mode not entirely dissimilar to Matthew Bower's earliest work under the Hototogisu moniker on this beautiful E.P. from U.K. left field freak folk/improv mover Reynolds, whose heavy lidded ethno acid exploits in the supergroup Helvetica Is The Perfume Of The City I posted last week.

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Monday, October 27, 2008

Irsol - First Contact+Half Life,tapes,1983,UK




Here 's an early 80s top notch recording in the electronic/exdperimental minimal synth field. Irsol have released those 2 tapes in the Adventures In Reality label . Minimal experimental electronics , like a strange mixture of Snowy Red early recordings with late 70s Cabaret Voltaire,Thomas Leer and the more popish Nocturnal Emissions recordings.The sound is sometimes dark and harsh (in the DOA/20 Jazz Funk era TG vein) and in some parts closer to synth pop in UV Pop/Snowy Red vein.
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PS: This post is especially for my friend TAX .I know he looks for them years now!

Field-Sun,tape,1984, UK

Fabulous electronic/minimal synth tape from this Essex based band. Recordings date from 1982 to 1984.Band members were one Brian Field and in only one song contributes someone David Nash. Minimal synth weirdness here, reminding "Nag Nag Nag" era Cabaret Voltaire , early Thomas Leer/Robert Rental even 23 Skidoo and early Clock DVA in parts.
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Cord Of Life - Winterland,tape,1986,UK

Another 80s electronic gem released in a bunch of copies only in tape format.Cord of life were David Bennet and Andy H. and that's all i know about them. This is a dark spacey electronic tape in the ICR school vein, yet more "popish"at parts.
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Dave Jones - Midnight At The Birlec,tape,1983,UK

Another spacey electronics gem from the early 80s ICR tape catalogue.Dave Jones ,has released 3 more tapes(coming soon) and contributed in many compilations (Intergration, Rising from the red sand, etc.). Berlin school spaced out electronics here with experimental edges. Hearing all this ICR tape releases from early 80s i wonder if it's fair talking about ICR school , the same way we talk about Berlin school electronics....
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Interpretace - Vodka'n'roll,tape,1983+Tschernobyl,tape,1986,Czech Republic


Absolutely fantastic improvised/experimental band from Czech Republic. INTERPRETACE was on Randy Greif's Swinging Axe Production list from 1986-7 under the moniker DISHARMONIC BALLET and before velvet revolution in 1989 was in Petr Cibulka's list (charta activist)this list was then supported by Joan Baez ...Improvised experimental stuff here, reminding ,to me at least, a strange mix of Recommented Records early 80s sound with US post industrial weirdness. Excellent by all means,at least worth a listen.
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Friday, October 24, 2008

Rick Crane-A Long Week In Houston,tape,1982(?),UK

Absolutely fantastic and totally unknown first attempt by a guy called Rick Crane(not to be confused with the well known country-pop artist),who later released a couple of tapes for Colin Potter's ICR label in 1983(coming very soon).I think this one is from 1982. Floating space electronics ,experimental in some parts, that would really appeal to all Berlin school electronics fans.2 side long pieces, one totally instrumental , the other one featuring taped voices , inspired probably by the masterpiece movie "2001, a space odyssey".Absolutely stunning.Thanks Peter!
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Berlin Diary-Vol.1-4,tapes,1987-88,Germany

Vol.4:Home away From Home
Vol.3:Not what I meant
Vol 2:D.O.R.
Vol.1: Victory Weapon One
Exciting release from M. Finnkrieg and Henry Hektik + Tom Sutter from Regicide Bureau.This was an 8 Tape series recorded at Deaf Eye Studios in Berlin during the late 80's.
Absolutely fantastic "art damaged" minimal synth, with experimental edges.Thanks to anemiccinema for the rip. Hints of "Advantage" era Clock DVA, mid 80s Severed heads, and of course all the great Berlin school electronics scene and early 80s experimental side of minimal electronics.Plinkity plonk synthetic sounds combined with great spacey soundscapes creating a dark cosmic voyage atmosphere.
get them all here , here ,here and here.



Thursday, October 23, 2008

V/A-GANZ EINFACH, LP, 2002 (RECORDED: EARLY 80'S), GERMANY





Alongside Kernkrach and, slightly later, Vinyl-On-Demand, Was Soll Das? Schallplatten was among the very first imprints to begin to document for posterity the vast array of brilliant and uncompromising musical activities initiated during the 80's within the milieu of Germany's cassette culture underground, a subculture that erupted in tandem with the advent of the more public face of the Neue Deutsche Welle (D.A.F., Einsturzende Neubauten, Der Plan et.al.) and whose artistic output was heretofore destined to decay into demagnetized oblivion. Issued in an edition of 100 copies, Ganz Einfach was the very first release on Was Soll Das? Schallplatten (nowadays known as WSDP and closing in on 40 reissues, last I checked) and consists of a cherry picked selection of art damaged underground craziness culled from assorted tapes, a tack that the Kassettentater series of LP's would pursue to similar ends. I've flown the flag for NDW since I started posting on M.S. and the batch here is genuinely stellar. The sensibility of Franck at WSD?S/WSDP seems to privilege the more feral, freaky and noisy manifestations of the NDW zeitgeist and the best bits here (though it's all largely excellent) are the proactively damaged ones, from Tagesschau's post-industrial robot chant to Der Hassliche D's Bomis Prendin-like tinker toy art grind and from the dead eyed cold wave flatline of Chemische Ameisenscheisse to Solide Einsamkeit's poignantly Tuxedomoon-y art wave.

***************NEW LINK POSTED OCTOBER 2012***************

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THE INVISIBLE COLLEGE-THE LUXURY OF HORNS, TAPE, 1981, AUSTRALIA





This exceptional slice of lost Aussie underground experimentation was both produced by Laughing Hands (whose phenomenal tape "Nights" I posted last week) and issued by the same cassette label that released Nights, namely Rash. The sonic terrain staked out by The Invisible College is a slippery one; their approach leaving the listener suspended in a nocturnal no-man's land between the more rhythmically driven end of Randy Greif's spectral fourth world inversions, Ashra's percolatingly buoyant guitar and synth sequence-y interweavings and the eerie post punk instrumental wanderings of The Anti Group. Some genuinely striking work here that falls between many poles and is all the better for it.


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OLAF SCHIRM-SYMBOTER MUSIC, TAPE, 1981, GERMANY













Spare but solid Neue Deutsche Welle minimal electronic moves from this forgotten synth pop operative that starts out a mite bare boned and insubstantial but gradually evolves into a winning display of vocoded synthetic plink ponk, especially when it's aesthetic remit unexpectedly expands to encompass inflections of cod-kosmiche trippiness that come off like some Teutonic spin on Aussie Ian Macfarlane's exploits in cosmic camp.


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HELVETICA IS THE PERFUME OF THE CITY-S/T, 3" CDR, 2004 + CARDIGAN ARMS, LEEDS, 221104, 3" CDR, 2004, UK






Two blasted and thrilling string scrape and percussion tumble kosmiche improv meelees from this UK improv avant supergroup featuring Phil Todd, Andy Jarvis, Ben Reynolds, Alex Neilson and Isobel Campbell, both recordings issued in minute formats and minute numbers. Anyone with an ear cocked to the shifting solar winds of the freak folk universe will recognize several of the aforesaid as prime movers of this subcultural continuum and Helvetica Is The Perfume Of The City's grasp of the great cosmic eternal on both of these outings is palpable.

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OPTICAL*8*2-THE LAST WALTZ FROM DISTORTED HONKY-TONK, CD, 1992, JAPAN






Originally conceived of as being God Mountain label head/experimental synthesist/trannie Hoppy Kamiyama's New York-based unit (and which was latterly reconstituted with a Japanese line-up), The Last Waltz From Distorted Honky-Tonk was the striking second album from Optical*8 (and with the *2 appended to their moniker here as a result) in their initial international incarnation. With avant string slinger Marc Ribot prominently featured, we're here treated to one continuous 40 odd minute sprawl of sound that segues between a floppy assed mutant funkiness thats cross-cut by the clattering David Moss-like filagree emanating form the combined forces of Douglas E. Bowne's drums, E.J. Rodrigues's percussion and Steve Eto's metals and garlanded with Kamiyama's key squonk, twinkle, wheeze and wheedle and passages that splay out into a soupy sprawl of seasick improv incident.

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Saturday, October 18, 2008

Trust-Le Mutant,LP,1970,France

French pop-rock group ala Dynasty Crisis feat. Alain Markusfeld, Jean Schulteis and Jacky Chalard. Excellent fuzz parts, wonderfull vocals, complex compositions and overall a very entertaining album , lacking though the complexity of Alain Markusfeld's solo recordings.

***************NEW LINK POSTED SEPTEMBER 2012***************

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DXM (Deus Ex Machina)-SAD,tape,1987,Israel.

Excellent dark electronics tape from Israel this time. The title tells it all....sad electronic chants ,sometimes touching the edges of early 80s industrial bands ,much reminding some 80s Legendary Pink Dots recordings, and even L'aventure Imaginaire. Here's some infos on the band (some letters may not be readable as this is copy -paste containing hebrew characters):
"DXM (Deus Ex Machina) Founded in 1984 by four young Israeli members: Yariv Alter, Ronen Hoffman, Doron Solomons and shmulik Berkovich. The band led the way as soon as early storm media (mostly in Tel Aviv), they performed with a first gig titled "industrial phase" in "Penguin Club", used in all kinds of tools and industry as a music instrument. Despite the interest Shawerra, this was a one-time appearance.The tape, their first, RIP ( "rest in peace") absorption band between 1984 and -1985. Ronen Hoffman recorded the video tape recorder in his simple, except for one segment, Shauklt live. Subtitle Haakltat to define it as - "Industrial Dead Music" ( "Industrial music died"), the band Cirpha Note: "DXM did not intend to harm the feelings of anyone, nor to express some kind of opinion, political or social". For more information Hapnatha the band δξΰζιο interested to Piqtibita in Gaza ... Port not what any of the authors of the band played, but Puerto tools: metal, Mkedhota, Karen, a church bell, Tibetan dog, motor car, telephone, hairdryer, etc. ... included an hour of music and media difficult, especially where a song ballet renowned icons: "Iron Suffering", a combination of small-mail Playback organized by Xiu), Drill Oseokoat fracture. March 1985 was Haakltat light, limited editions Arroza manual, Obotepha special, that looked like snake skin, designing an adverse Alter.In July 1985, left the video tape called "Coma Live", documented the appearance of the band Ev"ak Clnoa Dan ". Haakltat, in black and white art, Hahapkoat was left in the band, "NIF".The audio tape of the second band, We Knew, came out in October 1985. It included only two sections, which lasted for about -18 minutes together, I sounded more like "Music" and less "noise" ξχεγξιδν. Bahkelta Hatarah Hagytrista Ili Hollander.In 1986, shortly after the attempted function band multi Participants (with keyboarder Abshi money, and more Hagytrista Ili Hollander), became a DXM Eshleshiyah, Cshlaletr Hoffman joined Ngniat Czech Karni Pustl him. Evakltat Sahuceah band at the end of that year, Faceless, Hataarho also Doron Solomons Ueeli Doron (as usual, with no graded credit). Haakltat included 60 minutes of music, along with Sholka "synthetic" along with "organic", in most sections in Weiatra band on the industrial sound harsh, in favor of songs Dycauniat murky atmosphere, Otopha Abambeint quiet, depressed Cncayati often.During the 1987 absorption band tape an additional 60 minutes, DXM Blues. The band, strengthening Ili Hollander guitar, absorption renewal Eshira "Garden", from the Faceless, his original tune to sing "Night ΰμιμιν" of Esrnihovsky Sol, a new song called "Nobody" and more. The band members decided to shelve the tape, parts Oshilbou just a few steps from αδτχεϊιδν.In late 1987 the band has video tape called "A Temporaray Video", long 30 minutes. Haakltat included a combination of video - εχμιτιν art, colored in black and white. Of Haakltat won Hakelif singing "Nobody" in second place in the competition δχμιτιν film festival in Haifa.At the beginning of 1988 the band took the tape Sad By DXM, that contained a 46-minute party to Shachclko between "positive" next to "negative". Haakltat showed much improved level of writing, recording performance of the band Shazra be Rebieyah. And a breakdown of participants was more accurate: Yariv Alter (poetry, Bass, Guitars, Ί ????? εΰτχθιν, including asthma effect "), Ronen Hoffman (rhythm, too, the sound background, ρξτμψιν), Eyal Doron (bass) Ukrni Pustl (cello , Shira Ukoloat background). Despite its name, and also continued to be the general line of musical recordings's previous band, SAD was a little less depression, and included even a carol, Mawi δτΰαιν UK: "What do Eamelh drunk". However most of the material was, as usual, quite black, somewhat reminding of what has done more compact minimal success abroad.During that period began DXM win media attention in a more Oulbicoroat Mfrganota. She passed the impressions of the few However, just as "together", and spending more on the side of the visual show. At the end of 88 'band has more tape - Single, The Down, with four songs (C -13 minutes). Haakltat divided free and 100 who came to be the first band Ev"c Wta ", Tel Aviv, in October 1988. 46 minutes of the show were recorded video I Naive By DXM, she left in February 1989.Live joined the four members of the band (Alter, Hoffman, Doron Ofustl) three guests: Phone ςξιψο drums, Ori Kaplan αρχρετεο Ueraz crystal tenor guitar another. The band announced (on the cover Haakltat) that all revenue Mmchiratha Iukedshu paying a fine Shatele her municipality of Tel Aviv, for illegal advertising of the show. The show Ev"c Wta "recorded on video, and left at the end of 1989 Evakltat video.DXM absorption first songs in April 1989, on the occasion of the opening in the evening emergence of "a week of poetry" The first, held in the courtroom "China House". Absorption is the Ehanyah to two songs of the poet Ali Hirsch: "My Mother" Ou"m Semor number three ". Songs came out of the video I named Ali Hirsch audio, and video I also video, "Ali Hirsch live," documented the Hashira Evoa show "Step".Ahuhtamha DXM at the end of 1989 to record the "Third Ear", Sharza re-band, six cassettes, and marketing them in multiple copies, slightly bigger than the original independent marketing.In 1990 left the band Elmaofo one time called "Art Rock", which were integrated into the videos - art from the world, sections of the film and sea Onders, "Angels in my name Berlin". That same year, the band has created another tape, but decided to shelve it to concentrate on what has become the first albums to disk.The first disc of DXM, Grin, came out in 1993 Bahpka shared the "Third Ear" Ou"e Eno disc ". This album Shilb songs "simple," beautiful Alethoar Awngerdy Evakeay, jazz, hip - hop, rock Abalktronika, in English and Hebrew. Between sections Belto "Sweet Corner", "California Cashier", "velvet", "fetch" Ou"e nice here now ". First album that is not properly tape, was any reference in a completely different level Gaimoar Mbabar. The album Naraz Barrizat cardboard beautiful, with a booklet and photographs, and credits that were arranged entirely by Ronen Hoffman singing, organized, τθιτεπιν, and ριξτεμιν; ΰμθψτιο opponent (he added the name of his company to its design) singing, Ί ?????, and guitar; Eyal Doron Evvs Ukuntrvs; Karni Pustl Bdgymota Ouc voice 'to him; and Uri Kaplan αρχρετεο tenor Uelt. Recording the album guests attended, among them Ruth Rosenfeld singing, Yoram Bar guitar, Joseph χετεμεαιυ 'αρξτεμιν and more.The album was when he left rival Alter in the Netherlands, stay there until the end of the decade. Ronen Hoffman worked the same period a store records of the "Third Ear". He continued musical activity, but no longer as part of DXM although often played with the band members. The other partners in the training of the band continued to engage in music, especially the Karni Pustl, Israeli music fit in well, players αδψλαιν Ochsolanita"
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Ampnoise-Beyond The Spectacle,tape,1983,UK

Extrordinary "minimal synth go industrial" tape released in 1983.No infos about the band though. One more of those lost totally unknown treasures of the past.Reminding "20 Jazz Funk" era TG in some parts, early TUXEDOMOON, the synth punk period of Cabaret Voltaire ,yet totally unique! A real gem!Thanks again Peter!
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