→ ↑ → – Spaces [LP] (1981, Innocent)

Robert Randall and Frank Bendinelli's "Spaces" video art suite is based on recreating in video a set of well-known Australian modernist paintings by artists like Grace Cossington Smith, John Brack and Fred Williams. In each case, Robert and Frank brought a wry tongue-in-cheek approach to utilizing the then-still-new medium of video. Their agenda was to 'translate' the paintings by importing and transposing them into the realm of chromo-key, RGB and studio lighting. 

The brief given Philip Brophy for the required music was to match these 'video paintings' with background music which could play continually without any fixed beginning or end. Philip's tracks are generally minimalist in vein, with strong traces of all key → ↑ → preferences: Muzak, disco and electronics. Robert and Frank were keen to reflect the → ↑ → aesthetic world and its punk/new-wave stylistics. The 6th video "Expressive Space" recreates in hyper-graphic mode Philip and Maria Kozic's house at the time: chock-full of Maria's artworks, her toy collection, and Philip's massive record collection -all of which were filmed and chromo-keyed into the final video. [SOURCE: PHILIPBROPHY.COM]

 

 

Label: Innocent – NON-9 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: Australia 

Released: 1981 

Style: Experimental, Avantgarde, Minimal, Minimal Wave, Soundtrack

 

Tracklist:

A1 Video Space 

A2 Color Space 

A3 Synthetic Space 

B1 Total Space 

B2 Flat Space 

B3 Expressive Space 

 

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Various – Zerstückelte Denkkurbeln [LP] (1988, Schimpfluch)

'Zerstückelte Denkkurbeln' is a 1988 compilation album released on the swiss Schimpfluch label, run by Rudolf Eber (Rudolf Eb.er). Includes tracks from the german band P16.D4 -whose music bordered on the industrial and on the cacophonous-, Drängende Hebelkraft, Wash Your Brains, G*Park -the musique concrète project of Marc Zeier-, and some others. This limited release comes in a two-thirds LP cover with an info-sheet and a fork stuck to it. Included is a booklet consist of 13 sheets. Limited Edition of 300.

 

 

Label: Schimpfluch – SH 02 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Limited Edition 

Country: Switzerland 

Released: 1988 

Style: Abstract, Noise, Experimental 

 

Tracklist:

A1 P16.D4 – Essenz 

A2 4 Schizoide Musikanten – Bevor Dada Da War War Dada Da 

A3 Fam. Pigdog – Tumultous Food 

A4 Drängende Hebelkraft – Dedicated To Wilhelm Amok 

A5 Red Light District – Red Light Jimmy 

A6 P16.D4 – Azur 

A7 Hansi B. – Untitled 

A8 Aufstand Der Dilettanten – Der Apfelbaum Krümmt Sich 

A9 P16.D4 – Akzidenz 

B1 Sterea Lisa – Engel 

B2 Wash Your Brains – Runzelstirn Und Gurgelstock 

B3 G*Park – Klima 

B4 3 1/2 Stempelkissen – Vernichtungs-Gefahr 

B5 Wash Your Brains – Burgenholzer Revue 

B6 Drängende Hebelkraft – Roter Bereich 

B7 Schmachtfetzen AG – Marschmusik Für Walrösser 

B8 4 Schizoide Musikanten – Abgetakt Fliessend 

 

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Zeni Geva – How To Kill [LP] (1987, Nux Organization)

One of Japan's more eccentric and intriguing extreme music exports of the late '80s and '90s, self-professed "progressive hardcore trio" Zeni Geva (their name derives from an ancient Japanese word for "money" and a corruption of the German "gewalt," or violence) forcibly fused elements of heavy metal, hardcore, industrial music, noise rock, and the avant-garde, gaining no small underground recognition in the process. Having already made a name for himself via several experimental outfits (Absolut Null Punkt, YBO2) and collaborations with Merzbow earlier in the decade, vocalist, guitarist, and programmer K.K. Null (real name Kazuyuki Kishino) founded Zeni Geva in 1987, calling on guitarist Fumiyoshi Suzuki and drummer Ikuo Taketani to join him on debut album 'How to Kill', recorded live at Egg Plant, Osaka on March 29 and May 16, June 5, 1987 and released on Null's own NUX Organization label. Said album also featured a short-lived vocalist named Elle. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

 

Label: Nux Organization – NUX-R5 

Format: Vinyl, LP 

Country: Japan 

Released: 1987 

Style: Doom Metal, Experimental, Sludge Metal, Noise Rock

 

Tracklist:

A1 War Pig 

A2 Güystick Bodie 

A3 Dead Car, Sun Crash 

B1 Godkill 

B2 Slam King 

 

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Y Create – The Black Box [3xCass] (1984, Exart)

Y Create is the solo moniker of Hessel Veldman, but was also used to refer to a changing group of musicians connected to the Exart label, founded by Veldman and Nick Nicole in October 1982. A lot of their improvisations and compositions were recorded and several were released on the label. Apart from Veldman, musicians appearing on these sessions include Nick Nicole, Kees Beukelaar, Herman Te Loo, Jos van Ommen, Kees van Ede, Willem De Ridder, Jos Van Duijne, Peter Cornelissen and Gert-Jan Prins. 

'The Black Box' consists of three cassettes packed in a black box. No information on the cassette label or cover (completely black). Booklet in the box contains texts and collages but it is not clear whether these contain also the titles of the 6 sides.

 

 

Label: Exart – EA015 / EA016 / EA017 

Format: 3 x Cassette, C45, C60, C60 

Country: Netherlands 

Released: 1984 

Style: Minimal, Experimental, Minimal Synth, Dark Ambient

 

Tracklist:

A Untitled 

B Untitled 

C Untitled 

D Untitled 

E Untitled 

F Untitled 

 

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The Wild Flowers – Melt Like Ice [7''] (1983, Future Records)

 

Like Del Amitri, Wolverhampton’s The Wild Flowers became tired of a disinterested UK pop scene and looked to America for inspiration and appreciation. After two singles, ‘Melt Like Ice’ and ‘Things Have Changed’, and an album, 'The Joy Of It All', on Reflex in 1984, the fledgling outfit were dealt a blow when original guitarist Dave Newton left to form The Mighty Lemon Drops. The remaining members, Neal Cook (guitar, vocals), Mark Alexander (bass) and Dave Fisher (drums), eventually found a replacement in Dave Atherton, and the band duly signed to aspiring local label Chapter 22. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

 

Label: Future Records – FS 11 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM 

Country: UK 

Released: 1983 

Style: New Wave, Jangle Pop, Post-Punk

 

Tracklist:

A Melt Like Ice 

B The Chosen Proof 

 

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Visible – Essor Assuré [7''] (1981, Hawai)

Visible was a synth-pop and minimal wave duo formed in Troyes, France, by Pascal Tritsch (Guitar, Bass, Vocals) and Yves Thibord (Keyboards), that released two 7", 'Essor Assuré' (1981) and 'Indicible Fréquence' (1982) and a 12'', 'A Fine Aim In Life' (1983) all on the Hawai label. In 1982, Yves Thibord produced the EP 'Shangaï Express' by the French band of the same name, and in 1989 he collaborated by adding effects and samplers to the rai album 'Hana Hana' by Chaba Fadela and Cheb Sahraoui. They have appeared on compilations such as 'BIPPP: French Synth-Wave 1979/85' (2006) and 'Des Jeunes Gens Modernes' (2008).

 

 

Label: Hawai – HA 01 

Format: Vinyl, 7" 

Country: France 

Released: 1981 

Style: New Wave, Synth-pop, Minimal, Minimal Wave

 

Tracklist: 

A Essor Assuré 3:18 

B Et Sort Assuré 3:15 

 

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The Underlings – That Little Girl [12''] (1986, Midnight Music)

Who are The Underlings? No one else but The S-Haters. After a change of drummer, the band decided to change the name as well as they felt it wasn't appropriate for the music they made. But the sound is not quite different as The S-Haters records on Midnight Music, it tangles between goth rock & post punk music. 'Fatal Purpose' is the sole full length of The Underlings. Before this one, there's the 'That Little Girl' 12". The band split up for good after the album but a 12" called 'Centurion' was released as the epitaph of the band. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]

 

Label: Midnight Music – DONG 23 

Format: Vinyl, 12" 

Country: UK 

Released: 1986 

Style: New Wave, Indie Rock, Post-Punk

 

Tracklist:

A1 That Little Girl 3:46 

A2 Lemon Drops 3:55 

B1 King Leech 5:06 

B2 Resolutions Crack 3:09 

 

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Twelve Cubic Feet – Demo Tape [Cass] (1983, Not On Label)

 

After Exhibit A and a handful of interim projects Paul Platypus, Andrew and Matthew joined Fred, Sally and Glenna to form Twelve Cubic Feet, who recorded the bands second 10″ LP ‘Straight Out The Fridge’ on Namedrop Records. Included on this mini LP was the popular track "Evercare"; also credited on the sleeve artwork was Mark Flunder, an ex Television Personalities member associated with bands such The McTells, Hertford punk band Onslaught, as well as The Marine Girls. 

 

After this Twelve Cubic Feet 10″ and a cassette release they fell in with Alan McGee’s Creation / Communication Club crowd, and met Dave Evans (Biff Bang Pow) who replaced Matthew on bass. The late Duncan Jack (What is Oil?) replaced Glenna on guitar, Dave Morgan (Take It, The Loft) came in on drums shortly Twelve Cubic Feet cut a final Joe Foster-produced demo. Plans for a new band foundered, and Paul checked into a commune (temporarily); Fred went to university, Dave Morgan got famous, Dave Evans became a roadie for The Jesus & Mary Chain, Shop Assistants and later, Belly; Sally sang in Khmer Rouge, and Matthew and Dan formed Solid Space. [SOURCE: NTS] 

 

Label: Not On Label (Twelve Cubic Feet Self-released) – none 

Format: Cassette 

Country: UK 

Released: 1983 

Style: Punk, Post-Punk, New Wave

 

Tracklist:

1 Tiptoes 

2 Discord 

3 Jaywalking 

4 Second Ending 

 

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