Various – A Drop In The Ocean [12''] (1982, Lightbeat Records)

 

In 1982, Blackpool's Lightbeat Records released the 'A Drop in The Ocean' EP in response to the 'Blackpool Rox' EP featuring, amongst others, Section 25 and The Membranes. The EP featured two Blackpool bands highly regarded at the time: Zoo Boutique (wrongly named as "The Zoo Bootique" on the record) and The Velvasheens plus four other bands (The Elite, The Frets, Divert Off Centre and Pure Pink Paraffin) since at a time when Blackpool was a hotbed of talent such as Tunnelvision, The Tins, Sensible Shoes and One Way System. 

 

The Frets were a punk group from Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire who formed in 1978 with Bob Bright (vocals), Neil Perryman (drums), Lez Smith (lead guitar), Brian Perryman (rhythm guitar) and Jimmy Dean (bass). By the mid-1980s they were renamed Clampdown, a trio of Bob (guitar, vocals), Solly (bass) and Neil (drums). 

 

In 1979, Duncan Jowitt joined Section 25 as guitarist before forming Final Solution with David Foster on bass and Tony Ashworth on drums. Ashworth was replaced by Steve Grice and the band became Another Dimension. In 1982, with the addition of John "Sid" Hayward on synthesizers and Bill Fogel on guitar, the band changed name again to Zoo Boutique. Debut release (misspelt as The Zoo Bootique) was "Love Like A Clown" on this compilation. Became increasingly electronic rock when Fogel was replaced by Phil Denton on keyboards and released single 'Forgive and Forget / Happy Families', which, despite UK national Radio 1 prime-time airplay, failed to chart. After further personnel changes, the band split in 1985. 

 

Divert Off Centre was a post-punk band from Lancashire attempted to do something different, probably influenced by the New Avant sounds coming from Bristol rather than the straight ahead punk sounds of 1976. Formed in 1979, members were Tim White, Simon P. Jones (guitar), Phil Clare, Jak Knowles (bass), Jenny Lobell, Mark Wilkinson and Luke Smith. They later evolved as The October Group. Divert Off Centre only released the single 'The Oh So Diverse Plastic New Art', engineered by Robin Dalton and Chris Riley in 1982, actually a flexi in a fold out sleeve with the usual mystical sounding mumbo jumbo on the back.

 

Label: Lightbeat Records – LIGHT 002 

Format: Vinyl, 12", Compilation 

Country: UK 

Released: 1982 

Style: New Wave, Garage Rock, Art Rock, Post-Punk

 

Tracklist:

A1 The Elite – Trapped 

A2 The Frets – Hold Me Back 

A3 The Zoo Bootique – Love Like A Clown 

B1 The Velvasheens – I Walk Like I Talk 

B2 Divert Off Centre – Love In Ephemeral... I Confess 

B3 Pure Pink Paraffin – Titian Head 

 

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Richard Beswick, Simon Mayo, Philipp Wachsmann, Tony Wren – Chamberpot [LP] (1976, Bead Records)

 

This quartet is a proponent of a type of improvisational move between free-jazz influences and chamber instruments, formed in London by violinist Philipp Wachsmann (who had made his debut in the excellent, choral, 1973 'Balance'), holder of the newly formed Bead label, here along with Richard Beswick on oboe and alto oboe (English horn), Simon Mayo on clarinet and Tony Wren double bass. The restless and dizzying musical trajectories that emanate from this vinyl are indicative of the Bead catalog (a label of limited means, stopped at the vinyl era), as much as ever harbinger of theorems, impulses and hypotheses of form, open and synthetic, for the improvisation of those overflowing years, the flow of which incessantly and propertly flows to the present day.

 

'Chamberpot' uses woodwinds and chordophones, constituting of posed or schizoid dialogues, fragile effective tensions. Of simulated twirls, reactions and agonies between instrumentalists, breaking up, for example, a shrill and capricious violin soliloquy to blossom into a heated dialogue of clarinet, or within an erratic background of double bass or even into dense draperies of oboe. Or spilling together in convulsive rhythm, saturating the performance space. Different and contradictory accents, they mimic nimble, grave, full or in sing-songs, world spaces and times, light and shadow, in limpid ascents or in swirling climbs, observing each other as if in ecstasy or hurling themselves in sudden scuffles, according to structure or in improvisation. Whether it is a single track (the 20 minutes of A side), whose complex habitat is generated and percolated in multiple hypotheses, as a magnetic uninterrupted flow, or whether it is broken forms of more contracted breath, of unequivocal terminology but of avuncular and presumed scope, nervously felt ("Huge", "New", "Scare", "Hits", City", B side). [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]

 

Label: Bead Records – BEAD 2 

Format: Vinyl, LP 

Country: UK 

Released: 1976 

Style: Free Improvisation 

 

Tracklist:

A Sleek And Healthy, A Hippo Strolls Along The River Bank 20:08 

B1 Huge 4:18 

B2 New 5:29 

B3 Scare 4:32 

B4 Hits 9:38 

B5 City 1:53 

 

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Zaza – Zaza [LP] (1982, Blow Up)

 

ZaZa (born June 5, 1951 as Peter La Bonté in Munich) is a German pop singer. He became known in 1982 with the song "Zauberstab", which is now considered a classic of the Neue Deutschen Welle.With it he rose in August 1982 in Germany to number 8 in the single charts. The song's lyrics, which were perceived as salacious -in the chorus ZaZa sings "wenn ich Dich kriege, zeigt dir mein Zauberstab die Liebe"("when I get you, my magic wand will show you love")- led to several radio stations banning the song from their programming. In the film "The Flambé Woman", however, the title was played. For ZaZa it remained the only big hit. The follow-up single only just made it into the charts, further successes failed to materialize. 

 
The entire records is full with unique rhythms, percussive machines which keep the club move; weird new wave with strange vocals and absurd child's synthetizers and unconventional saxophone sounds, containing some touch of Kraftwerk in the "Vorbei Ist Vorbei" track. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA] 

 

 

Label: Blow Up – INT 145.504 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo 

Country: Germany 

Released: 1982 

Style: New Wave, Electro, Synth-pop, Neue Deutsche Welle

 

Tracklist:

A1 Tango D'Elite 5:29 

A2 Caprifischer 4:47 

A3 Die Seltsame Reise (Cruise Missle) 3:58 

A4 Licht Von Kairo 6:00 

B1 Zauberstab 4:00 

B2 Dschungel Liebe 6:57 

B3 Joker 2:10 

B4 Vorbei Ist Vorbei 11:08 

 

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The Young And The Useless – Real Men Don't Floss [7''] (1982, Rat Cage Records)

The Young and the Useless were an American punk band formed in the early 1980s that consisted of Adam Trese, Arthur Africano, David Scilken and future Beastie Boys member Adam Horovitz. They were managed by former Beastie Boys manager Nick Cooper. Their first recording 'Real Men Don't Floss' was released by Ratcage Records. It is rumoured that they recorded a second album, but it was never released and its whereabouts is unknown. They played shows in New York City clubs including: A7, CBGB, Rock Lounge, Mudd Club, Club 57, Rock Hotel and 2+2; and played with Bad Brains, The Stimulators, Dead Kennedys, Ramones, P.I.L., Hüsker Dü, The Mob, The Necros, Adrenalin O.D. and The Beastie Boys. 

 
On Friday, November 13, 1982, The Young and the Useless opened for the Beastie Boys at a concert produced by Philip Pucci, in honor of his birthday for the purposes of his short concert film of the Beastie Boys, "Beastie". Pucci held the concert in Bard College's Preston Drama Dance Department Theatre. This performance marked both The Young and the Useless' and the Beastie Boys' first on screen appearance in a published motion picture, although the segment including The Young and the Useless was not included in the film's final edit. 

 
By late 1984, due to the local success of Beastie Boys' 12" single, 'Cooky Puss', the group had fallen apart, as Adam Horovitz began to spend more of his time working with The Beastie Boys. On October 28, 1984, they played their final gig at Club CBGB in New York City. 'Real Men Don't Floss' was their only official recording, released on Rat Cage in 1982. All tracks written by The Young and The Useless except "Funky Music" which is a loose cover of "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]

 

 

Label: Rat Cage Records – MOTR 24 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, EP 

Country: US 

Released: 1982 

Style: Hardcore Punk, New York Hardcore

 

Tracklist:

A1 Young & Useless 

A2 P.M.H. 

A3 The Wave 

A4 Home Boy 

B1 Rise And Shine 

B2 Funky Music 

 

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WAQ – Mira Por Donde [12''] (1983, MR)

Waq is one of the forgotten bands of the early 80s, formed in Madrid in 1981 by Miguel Bañuelos (vocals and synthesizers) and Antonio González (guitar, bass, drum machine and vocals). They have been labeled as naif synth-pop, making simple songs with ingenious texts backed with good bases of keyboard and guitars. 

 

In the middle of 1981 Miguel convinces his friend Antonio González to start the band, rehearsing that summer songs like "La Monja", "Smoking Rosa", and "Osa Mayor". On March 1982 they give their first show in Rock-Ola and on the following month they register their first demo in RNE. On June 1982 they recorded the videoclip of '"Ladrones de Juguetes", their most celebrated song, in the TVE show "Pista Libre". The next day Paco Martín, boss of the record label MR, called them to record his first EP.  

 

Antonio is called to the military service, so Miguel asks Guillermo Caso to take care of the guitars. On August they recorded 'Las Cebollas' on Doublewtronics. Miguel is also called to serve the country and in a permit (February 1983) they recorded "Toros Blancos" for a compilation, and another EP, 'Mira Por Donde'. [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVA OLA 80]

 

 

Label: MR – MF-600838 

Format: Vinyl, 12" 

Country: Spain 

Released: 1983 

Style: Synth-pop, Minimal 

 

Tracklist:

A1 S. I. 4:33 

A2 Nudo En La Garganta 2:41 

B1 Triturado 2:37 

B2 Lazibones Atravesando El Océano 2:31 

 

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Vagina Dentata Organ – Cold Meat [LP] (1986, WSNS)

 

Vagina Dentata Organ is an art and noise music project by Jordi Valls. Valls is from Catalonia in Spain and cites the influence of the surrealists, especially Salvador Dali on his work. His albums could be classed as especially bleak field recordings, dealing with subject matter such as sex, death, violence, etc. Valls work is also concerned with the fetishism of art in general and record collecting particularly, with his records being pressed in very small numbers. Vagina Dentata Organ have provoked outrage on a number of occasions, firstly with the release of infamous recordings of the last few hours of the Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana. VDO's performance in 1984 on Spanish TV programme "La Edad de Oro" caused a public outcry as it included the destruction of three paintings. A video documentary on the first 3 VDO albums was made by Julian Alvarez and won first prize in the 26th Semana de Cinema in Barcelona. In 1997 Arts and culture magazine "Life Without Sex" dedicated a whole issue to Vagina Dentata Organ. More recently Jordi Valls has concentrated on paintings rather than recording, producing a large number of portraits of supermodels with his own blood. The 'Cold Meat' LP (WSNS 004 33) consists of processed recordings of human orgasms.  

 

Jordi Valls has collaborated with industrial music groups Throbbing Gristle (who he organised an early show for in Barcelona), Psychic TV (starring in their video for "Catalan" which was directed by Derek Jarman) and Whitehouse (performing spoken word duties on their "Psychopathia Sexualis" album). [SOURCE: LAST.FM]

 

 

Label: WSNS – WSNS 004 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Picture Disc 

Country: UK 

Released: 1986 

Style: Experimental, Musique Concrète

 

Tracklist:

Sex Star I 

A1 Untitled 9:48 

A2 Untitled 7:52 

Sex Star II 

B1 Untitled 4:32 

B2 Untitled 10:53 

 

Notes:

Artwork includes autopsy photos of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. 

Limited edition of 1000 copies pressed. 

 

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UJ3RK5 – UJ3RK5 [12''] (1980, Quintessence Records)

UJ3RK5 (pronounced "you jerk," -the five is silent) was a Vancouver-based band from the late 1970s. Their style was post punk/new wave, but was more art rock than synth pop. UJ3RK5's short-lived local success was influenced by the music industry's infatuation with Martha and the Muffins-styled male-female bands. The band included local artist celebrities Ian Wallace, Jeff Wall and Rodney Graham, as well as Kitty Byrne, Colin Griffiths, Danice McLeod, Frank Ramirez and CBC Radio host David Wisdom. Their eponymous debut album, portraying the pioneers of Vancouver's school of so-called 'photoconceptualism' or 'post-conceptual photography' in a rare moment of unison, sported an unlikely hit single titled "Eisenhower and the Hippies" -a song inspired by a work of American conceptual art proponent Dan Graham. The band was a rather short-lived affair, allowing the members to concentrate on their art careers instead. 

 

 

Label: Quintessence Records – QEP 1207 

Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, EP 

Country: Canada 

Released: 1980 

Style: New Wave, Synth Punk, Post-Punk, Art Punk, Zolo

 

Tracklist:

A1 The Anglican 

A2 The Locator 

B1 Eisenhower & The Hippies 

B2 Booty Dread 

 

Notes:

First pressing on Quintessence Records. 

Reissued in 1980 by Polydor Canada (PEP 301)

 

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Tändstickorshocks – Allan Vogelan Hebban Nestas [7''] (1980, King Kong Records)

 

Tändstickorshocks were a part of the "Red Rock" collective, formed in the Netherlands by four bands: Rondos, Rode Wig, Sovjets and Tändstickorshocks. They did gigs together and shared their equipment and the place where they practice. Rode Wig and Sovjets never released material. 

 

All the tracks of Tändstickorshocks are short, depending on the lyrics and information given sometimes a few seconds. Their style was supposed to be punk, but being fed up with punks who only wanted to jump, destroy and being entertained, their style became more influenced by artists such as Punishment Of Luxury, Lydia Lunch, Teenage Jesus And The Jerks and The Pop Group. Also to irritate the punks who were called Discopunks. But it was mainly because of their inability to play the instruments. [SOURCE: BACTERIA] 

 

 

Label: King Kong Records – 5 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, 45 RPM 

Country: Netherlands 

Released: Apr 15, 1980 

Style: Punk, Post-Punk, No Wave

 

Tracklist:

Allan Vogalan Hebban Nestas (45rpm Side) 5:04 

A1 To Hell With Shell 

A2 Religion Part I 

A3 Kill For Peace 

A4 Tradition 

A5 Religion Part II 

A6 School Army Working Dying 

VI Taenkar Anderledes (33rpm Side) 6:30 

B1 Crisis 

B2 VI Taenkar Anderledes 

B3 T Rights 

B4 Song For A Guy 

B5 (Interlude) 

B6 It Stinks 

B7 The Wall 

 

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The Snipers – Three Peace Suite [7''] (1981, Crass Records)

The Snipers formed in late 1979 in Oxfordshire. The band compromised of Russel Bowers on vocals, Dave 'Bungi' Hounslow on guitar, Steve 'Wacker' Harris on bass and Mark Taplin on drums. They were inspired by Crass to start a band, even though none of them could play and none of them had any equipment (what they did find was crap, such as a Colombus bass, homemade guitar, half a drum set and a 15 watt practice amp). They were going to originaly be called The Sinyx, but changed it to The Snipers upon finding out that it had already been taked. Early practices were done at Russel's parents garage.

 
It took at least ten months of writing songs and practicing before they played their first gig at a Christmas party in the Victory Hut, a community centre from Brize Norton (a leftover hut from World War II). The Snipers then recorded their first demo in Bourten, Gloucestershire possible around 1980. They shared it with their friends and sent one to Crass. Crass pulled their track "War Song" for 'Bullshit Detector 1'. A second demo was recorded, three of those tracks ended up on their 1981 7" 'Three Peace Suite' for Crass Records, and the other three on a compilation they were to release later on during 1982. 

 
On 'Three Peace Suite' one can tell The Snipers weren't going for The Exploited / GBH crowd with this single; more avant-garde than punk, the opening track is a slow-building industrial-esque experiment with spoken lyrics while the other two are a little more conventional though still highly abstract, with "3 Piece" playing a jangly indie-ish guitar. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC] 

 

 

Label: Crass Records – 321984/4 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, EP 

Country: UK 

Released: Dec 1981 

Style: Punk, Anarcho-Punk, Post-Punk

 

Tracklist:

A The Parents Of God 

B1 3. Piece 

B2 Nothing New 

 

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Red Transistor – Not Bite / We're Not Crazy [7''] (1990, Ecstatic Peace!)

 

The assaultive New York trio Red Transistor were comprised of guitarist Rudolph Grey, drummer Mark Edmands and VON LMO (in his pre-Strazar days) on guitar, vocals, shortwave and organ. In existence from September 1977 until the following August, they performed at CBGB’s and then spent a period performing Sunday nights at Max’s Kansas City. They were an original blast of shattering, repetitive guitar with unswerving drumming that drove down the centre as the whole shebang was forced over the wall by LMO’s second guitar and/or various electronic accompaniments. 

"We're Not Crazy" is a loud and noisy torrent of punk dishevelment with a hurricane of guitar and over-tracked "organ", which is a series of  louded-out computer-type noises chirping in and out and on top of everything, and the title of the song shouted/screamed until the end as if trying to convince someone otherwise. 

 

"Not Bite" is more thrashing-around punk-noise -but beware of the non-stop repetition of the one-note downstroke guitar and asylum-screamed 'NOT BITE!' by at least two members howling straight through. This will either open up a big grin on your face and have you break down the walls of your own psyche in order to scream along, or you'll get really, really... REALLY angry and dismiss it from knowledge. 

 

This beautiful and extravagant piece of noise-history was recorded in December 1977 at Sorceror Sound, NYC. Originally due to be released in 1978, but shelved due to break-up of the band only a year after its inception. VON LMO went on to record under his own name. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]

 

 

Label: Ecstatic Peace! – E# 7 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM 

Country: US 

Released: 1990 

Style: Noise, Punk, No Wave, Noise Rock, Post-Punk, Art Punk

 

Tracklist:

A Not Bite 

B We're Not Crazy 

 

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Pink Military – Blood & Lipstick [12''] (1979, Eric's)

 

When Big in Japan disbanded Pink Military Stand Alone were formed around the nuclei of Jayne Casey and Nicky Hillon (Nicky Cool). They recorded the EP 'Buddha Waking Disney Sleeping' under that name, then settled on Pink Military. In the early 1980s the moniker was changed to Pink Industry when Jayne stopped working with Nicky Hillon. The first two tracks of this EP, "Spellbound" and "Blood & Lipstick" work the more dance-oriented side of the Post-Punk aisle. Both sport Krautrock-style grooves topped with gritty angular guitars a la Gang Of Four and are great underground/post-punk club fodder. The last two tracks "Clown Town" and "I Cry" remove the grooves and lean more to the darker experimental sounds of This Heat or Tuxedomoon. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]

 

 

Label: Eric's – ERICS 002, Eric's – Eric's 002 

Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM 

Country: UK 

Released: 1979 

Style: New Wave, Experimental, Post-Punk, Dance-Punk, Synth-pop, Art Punk

 

Tracklist:

A1 Spellbound 

A2 Blood & Lipstick 

B1 Clown Town 

B2 I Cry 

 

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One Plus Two – Once In A Blue Moon [LP] (1986, Homestead Records)

In the early 80's Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was a hotbed of indie pop DIY. One Plus Two was a direct outgrowth of that spirit. They appeared on MTVs Cutting Edge and opened for most of the memorable bands of the era. Most recently included on the Captured Tracks compilation 'Strum and Thrum'. 'Once In A Blue Moon' is more than a decent college radio jangle pop along the lines of early R.E.M. and its progeny. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]

 

 

Label: Homestead Records – HMS050 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: US 

Released: 1986 

Style: Country Rock, Folk, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Indie Pop

 

Tracklist:

A1 Late Last Night 

A2 Everything's Alright 

A3 Darkness 

A4 Hey Little Girl 

A5 You Can't Run 

B1 Can't Go Back 

B2 Heaven Up There 

B3 Letters 

B4 Midnight Train 

B5 You'll Be Thinking 

 

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Null – Sonic Erosion [Cass] (1989, Nux Organization)

KK.Null (born Kazuyuki Kishino) is one of the top names in Japanese noise music and in a larger context, one of the great cult artists in experimental rock. Starting his career in the early 80's by performing guitar improvisations in the clubs and streets of Tokyo, he continued by collaborating with Merzbow for two years, and joining the bands YBO² and Absolut Null Punkt. In 1987, he gained wider notoriety as the leader, guitarist and singer of the trio Zeni Geva, which he described as "progressive hardcore". Zeni Geva reached world-wide fame with their heavy and hypnotic sound, eventually releasing three Steve Albini-produced albums on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. After playing the guitar as his main instrument for some twenty years, Null has gradually moved towards a more electronic approach. These days he mostly states the "nullsonic" as his primary instrument. Nullsonic is something of a variation of Robert Fripp's 1970's instrument "frippertronics" -a combination of electric guitar and effects units, which elevated the effects to equal importance alongside the guitar. Null has gone even further by discarding the guitar altogether and making all the sounds with effects only. In recent years, he has concentrated his efforts increasingly on his solo material.

 

 

Label: Nux Organization – NUX-19 

Format: Cassette, Limited Edition 

Country: Japan 

Released: 1989 

Style: Drone, Noise, Experimental 

 

Tracklist:

A Sonic Erosion 37:09 

B1 The Dawn Of Harsh 14:01 

B2 Heavenly Assault 10:21 

 

Notes:

Side A recorded live at 20000v, Tokyo Sept. 29 1989 

Side B recorded at Prima Natura, 1988 

 

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Monty Cantsin – Ahora Neoismus [LP] (1988, Maldoror Records)

Monty Cantsin is a multiple-use name that anyone can adopt, but has close ties to Neoism. Monty Cantsin was originally conceived as an "open pop star." In a philosophy anticipating that of free software and open source, anyone should perform in his name and thus contribute to and participate in his fame and achievements. In reality the name is most commonly linked nowadays to the activities of artist and musician Istvan Kantor. 

“I Am Monty Cantsin” is the unwritten anthem of the Neoists, it's a song even made to go to the barricades with it on your lips. Also in musical terms, much more accessible than what Monte Cazazza presented. After all, Monty Cantsin is intended to be an “open POP star” -so despite being colored by industrial terroir, the melody is catchy. But for a pop song, there are far too many threads here, lacking an expressive chorus, which is hardly a complaint, after all “I Am Monty Cantsin” captivates with its tangled structure, wealth of ideas and arrangements. The song even lived to see a duly artistic music video.

It's a pity that the whole album doesn't hold up to this level, because we would have a true, forgotten gem of the eighties avant-garde, capable of attracting new generations to neoism today. And so we only have an uncut diamond -which is not to say that there is nothing interesting on 'Ahora Neoismus' anymore. Immediately catching the ear are the pop culture-targeted “Every 6 Minutes” or the sample-enhanced “Love and Joy,” and even the dramatic “Headquarters,” which is perhaps the most critical of the set about the life of postmodern man. The lyrics can even be associated with the anti-consumerist ideas of “Fight Club” like “fuck off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect.” [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]

 

 

Label: Maldoror Records – MC-2 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: US & Canada 

Released: 1988 

Style: EBM, Synth-pop, Minimal Synth

 

Tracklist:

A1 I Am Monty Cantsin 

A2 I Believe In Neoism 

A3 Every 6 Minutes 

A4 My Blood Keeps Flowing 

A5 In The Swamp Of Neoism 

B1 Mass Media 

B2 Love And Joy 

B3 Headquarters 

B4 Long Live Neoism 

B5 Gloria Victoribus 

 

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Last Man In Europe – ... A Certain Bridge [7''] (1981, Cocteau Records)

Last Man In Europe were a UK Post-Punk band from the early 1980's. They released one 7" single, 'A Certain Bridge' (1981) and then changed their name to The Last Man in Europe Corporation and released an album in 1982 ('Songs From The Ark').

 

 The raw rhythm box chug and the swooping synth fading up recalled nothing so much as the sound of 1981 on an indie budget. The rhythm loop was a close cousin to the one in The Nails “88 Lines About 44 Women.” Eventually guitar, synths, and drums came to an agreement and the groove percolated along for a few minutes without much change. The vocals on the “A Certain Bridge” had a whiff of Positive Noise in his declamatory insolence. Only two bars of a portentous descending guitar figure that marked the [brief] bridge provided any variance here. The inconclusive song lasted almost six minutes to little change in tension, though to its credit, it seemed only 4:30 long. 

 

“T.V Addict” had a similar reliance on a programmed rhythm but the guitar and bass were much more prominent here; resulting in a sound that felt a little closer to early Bauhaus without putting their boot in. The song was presumably the sequel to The Normal’s “T.V. OD.” The final track, “Complications” featured a lurching beat that was front and center; dominating the guitar and synths. But it was the perkiest song here. The berserk and tasteless synth solo at the song’s surprising coda felt like a conscious attempt at some Enoesque thrills ca. Roxy Music. But that outburst showed, finally, some signs of life with Last Man In Europe. Their reliance on canned rhythms lent their songs a sort of plodding dullness that this one finally rose above to put the boot in. 

 

On the whole, the band’s debut single was typical of its time, but with not much in the way of dynamics in their arrangement; synth freakout solo at the end of the record aside. [SOURCE: POST-PUNK MONK]

 

 

Label: Cocteau Records – COQ 2 

Format: Vinyl, 7"

Country: UK 

Released: 1981 

Style: Alternative Rock, Synth-pop, New Wave, Post-Punk, Minimal Wave

 

Tracklist:

A A Certain Bridge 

B1 T.V. Addict 

B2 Complications 

 

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Karma – The Joke's On You [Cass] (1983, Not On Label)

Obscure Neo Prog band, formed in 1982 and playing around the Hertfordshire area, Karma would propably remained in obscurity if it wasn't the presence of later Porcupine Tree mastermind Steven Wilson on the line-up (guitars/voice),which also included keyboardist Tom Dussek, drummer Mark Gordon and bassist Pete Rowe. These 16-year old teenagers released a cassette entitled 'The Joke's On You' in 1983.

 
Surprisingly for a bunch of kids, the album contains interesting compositions, typical example of the early-80's underground Neo Progressive movement. It is even a greater surprise that Steven Wilson's guitar remains on the background with keyboardist Tom Dussek being the driving force on each track. The overall style is close to early Galahad and Quasar, synth-dominated powerful progressive rock with symphonic traces, flashy synth soloing and some good guitar solos.Wilson's voice is rather amateur, what more reasonable for a kid about 16 years old trying to sing like a grown man. The production is very raw with a mediocre mix, but the keyboard work really shines through. 

A couple of tracks (''Nine Cats'' and ''Small Fish'') appeared later on the first Porcupine Tree works in totally different sounding and shorter versions. 'The Joke's On You' on the other hand contains all the good elements of the British New Progressive Rock wave, especially if you like the raw underground recordings of the age. Recommended but very hard to find. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]

 

 

Label: Not On Label (Karma Self-released) – KM01 

Format: Cassette, Stereo 

Country: UK 

Released: Oct 1983 

Style: Prog Rock, Neo-Prog

 

Tracklist:

A1 Intruder D'Or 3:50 

A2 Tigers In The Rain 7:50 

A3 Small Fish 4:55 

B Nine Cats 15:20 

 

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Junji Hirose + Yoshihide Otomo – Silanganan Ingay [LP] (1989, Tanga-Tanga)

 

It is a strange sensation reviewing the debut album of an already familiar artist. You recognize methods and sounds that are commonplace in the discography but not in the context of album. How do you react to that? The debut record of Otomo Yoshihide sets a clear standard for his off-kilter vinyl sample-based noise productions. Many of the bits and bobs used throughout this collaboration have been expanded on, cut up or reconfigured later in his career.

 
With 広瀬淳二 [Junji Hirose] manning the more analog noise producers,' Silanganan Ingay', meaning 'far east noise' in Tagalog, becomes a childlike exploration of sound experimentation. Nothing has a clear concept, everything is very immediate, evidenced by the fact that there were no edits, no overdubs and that everything was recorded live. This also gives the record a very peaks-and-valleys quality; the high points are very distinguishable from the low points. 

 
With toy music boxes over screeching guitars, turntables over saxophone, a James Brown record having a crazy BDSM-based love affair with pins, needles, a saw and an autoharp, there is no shortage of entertainment, though. Again, if anything, this debut says something about the raw talent of both men in their chose auditory field. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]

 

 

Label: Tanga-Tanga – R-001 

Format: Vinyl, LP 

Country: Japan 

Released: 1989 

Style: Noise, Experimental, Free Improvisation, Turntable Music

 

Tracklist:

A1 Noise From Far East 3:11 

A2 The Time To Live And The Time To Die 2:40 

A3 1.2.3.4. 1:22 

A4 6 And 14 Wave 5:25 

A5 Black And Blue 4:01 

A6 Green Bicycle 2:33 

A7 Intolerable Fellow 1:30 

B1 Short Tune 0:24 

B2 Mob? 3:55 

B3 For T.T. 1:53 

B4 Crying Sky 1:51 

B5 #7 1:15 

B6 Jalan 5:54 

B7 Don't Be Late! 1:41 

B8 Rip 3:25 

 

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Inzekt – Elektrische Heilwärme [LP] (1991, Schimpfluch)

Inzekt is the noise project of Peter Schmucki, member also of the techno project Tek Jam & Inzekt with Teddy Huber. As Inzekt he released the cassette 'Inkretion' in 1990, and the LP 'Elektrische Heilwärme' (1991), both on the Schimpfluch imprint, a label from Switzerland run by Rudolf Eber (Rudolf Eb.er). 

Label: Schimpfluch – SH 22 

Format: Vinyl, LP 

Country: Switzerland 

Released: 1991 

Style: Musique Concrète, Noise, Experimental 

 

Tracklist:

A Inzektrecording 91 01 04 

B Inzektrecording 91 01 04 

 

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