The Reputations – I Believe You [2x7''] (1980, Blueprint)

By 1979, the London group The Young Ones had changed their name to The Reputations, continuing with the same line-up but moving into a slightly different corner of the British power pop and new wave scene. The band consisted of Paul Lewis (vocals), Richard Bull (guitar), John Holliday (bass), Martin Broad (drums) and Paul Wickens (keyboards). Their earlier incarnation had attracted some attention with 'Rock 'n' Roll Radio', a 1978 single issued by Virgin Records, but the change of name brought a much lower-profile recording career.

 
The double 7-inch set 'I Believe You', released in 1980 on Blueprint, was their principal release under the Reputations name. The title track, credited to Richard Bull and Paul Lewis, is among the songs associated with the group in later compilations. The release came towards the end of their short career, which ran from the late 1970s until 1980. The band split shortly after its appearance. 

The original Young Ones line-up had been documented in the British music press in early 1978, when the group was preparing its Virgin debut. The single was released on 17 March 1978 under the catalogue number VS 205, with "Little Bit Of Loving" on the B-side. Both tracks were credited to the band's members, and the record was produced under the name A Smart Young Production. The group also played live, including appearances supporting The Vibrators during that period. 

The personnel had some interesting careers after the group folded. Paul Wickens, better known as Wix Wickens, went on to become a highly regarded session musician and multi-instrumentalist, working with artists including Nik Kershaw, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and David Gilmour. His best-known association began in 1989, when he joined Paul McCartney's touring band, eventually becoming its musical director. Guitarist Richard Bull also continued working in the music business, later becoming involved with Incognito, the British jazz-funk and acid-jazz outfit led by Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick. Bassist John Holliday subsequently played with the much less widely known Escape Club. 

 

Label: Blueprint – BLUX 1001 

Format: 2 x Vinyl, 7" 

Country: UK 

Released: 1980 

Style: Mod, Classic Rock, Mod Revival, Power Pop, Glam Rock 

 

Tracklist: 

A I Believe You 

B Breaking Communication 

C All Day And All Of The Night 

D They Think I Don't See Them 

 

Other Versions:  

'I Believe You' (2×7", Single, Stereo) Blueprint [BLUATS 1001-1/1001-2] (Portugal. 1980) 

 

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Plan 9 – Live - I've Just Killed A Man I Don't Want To See Any Meat [LP] (1985, Midnight Records)

 

Recorded during the group's early years on the road, 'Live - I've Just Killed A Man I Don't Want To See Any Meat' captures Rhode Island's Plan 9 in concert, drawing on performances at several venues along the American East Coast. Released in 1985 by New York independent label Midnight Records (catalogue number MIRLP 107), the album followed 'Dealing With The Dead' (1984) and documented the band's live repertoire at a point when its mixture of garage rock and psychedelic influences was attracting attention beyond its home state. 

Formed in Rhode Island in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Eric Stumpo, Plan 9 grew out of a shared interest in 1960s garage rock and psychedelia. The original rehearsals took place at the String Instrument Workshop in Wakefield, where Stumpo was teaching. His partner Deborah DeMarco, who played keyboards and contributed vocals, was also central to the group's sound. Their approach combined fuzzed-out guitars, swirling organ parts, strong melodies and the raw energy of the American garage bands that had inspired them. The band's early recordings caught the attention of Greg Shaw, founder of Bomp! Records, leading to the release of their first single and the 'Frustration' EP on his Voxx subsidiary. 

The album's ten tracks were assembled from shows at the Rat in Boston, the Grotto in New Haven and the Living Room in Providence, with an additional recording from Washington D.C.'s 9:30 Club. Rather than documenting a single concert, the record was edited together from these different performances. The track listing opens with an introductory poem by Kenne Highland, associated with Boston's Rat Club, before moving into "Dealing With The Dead", "I'm Gone" and "Gotta Move". Other selections include "I Like Girls", "Step Out Of Time", "Looking At You", "B-3-11", "Try To Run" and a version of "I Can Only Give You Everything", originally recorded by Them. The combination of original material and garage-rock favourites reflects the band's concert repertoire during this period. 

The performances feature the characteristic Plan 9 arrangement of multiple electric guitars, prominent Vox organ and plenty of reverb. Deborah DeMarco's keyboards provide much of the psychedelic atmosphere, while Eric Stumpo's guitar work and vocals anchor the group's sound. The band's line-up changed over the years, with musicians including John DeVault, Mike Meehan, Harry Keithline and other contributors passing through its ranks. In an interview, DeMarco explained that the live album was recorded at several East Coast venues and subsequently edited together. Its release also fulfilled a contractual obligation to Midnight Records, allowing the group to move on to its new recording arrangement with Enigma.

 
Midnight Records was founded by French-born record dealer J.D. Martignon, whose New York record shop became an important meeting point for enthusiasts of garage rock, psychedelic music and punk. The label operated during the 1980s and built a catalogue around the American garage revival, releasing records by groups such as The Fuzztones, The Cheepskates, The Outta Place and Plan 9, alongside artists from further afield. Its interest in obscure 1960s sounds and contemporary underground bands made it a natural home for Plan 9's early recordings. Following this release, the band moved towards Enigma and Pink Dust Records, beginning a new phase with 'Keep Your Cool And Read The Rules' in 1985.

 
The LP also belongs to a particularly active period for the American neo-psychedelic scene, when independent labels and touring circuits were bringing garage-inspired groups to audiences across the country. Plan 9 had already built up a substantial live presence through years of touring, sharing stages with bands such as The Chesterfield Kings, The Slickee Boys, The Smithereens and The Fleshtones. 

 

Label: Midnight Records – MIRLP 107 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: France 

Released: 1985 

Style: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 Intro Poem By Kenne Highland (Rat Club, Boston) 

A2 Dealing With The Dead (Rat Club) 

A3 I'm Gone (Rat Club) 

A4 Gotta Move (9:30 Club, Wash D.C.) 

A5 I Like Girls (Grotto, New Haven) 

A6 Step Out Of Time (Rat Club) 

B1 Looking At You (Living Room, Prov. RI.) 

B2 B-3-11 (Rat Club) 

B3 Try To Run (Grotto) 

B4 I Can Only Give You Everything (Rat Club) 

 

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The Others – Lost In Time [LP] (1994, Misty Lane Records)

Recorded and released during the early 1990s revival of Sixties-inspired garage rock, 'Lost In Time' is the debut LP by Rome-based group The Others, issued in 1994 on Misty Lane Records (catalogue number MISTY 020). The album belongs to the first wave of Italian neo-garage releases that looked back to the raw beat, freakbeat and psychedelic sounds of the mid-1960s, drawing on the spirit of bands such as The Outsiders and other European garage groups of the period.

 
The group was closely connected to the Roman underground garage scene and to the activities of Massimo Del Pozzo, its frontman and the founder of Misty Lane Records. Del Pozzo was also a journalist, DJ and record producer, and his involvement in the band and the label helped establish a direct link between the Italian revival scene and the international garage-rock community.

 
The songwriting was largely handled by Del Pozzo, whose compositions combined British beat influences with the rougher American garage tradition. The album featured fourteen original songs, with arrangements drawing on the jangling guitars, primitive rhythms and occasional psychedelic touches associated with the classic Sixties underground. The influence of early Rolling Stones recordings was particularly noticeable, alongside lesser-known American and European garage groups. Bruno Apostoli, who played bass in the band, was also responsible for the album's carefully researched, period-inspired sleeve artwork. 

 
The line-up changed several times during the group's existence. Among the musicians who passed through The Others were guitarists Willy Faso and Fabrizio Napoli, bassists Roberto Letizia and Bruno Apostoli, drummers Andy Bartolucci, Davide Irpini and Giuliano Padroni, and keyboard players Stefano Orioli and Emilio Quaroni. Del Pozzo remained the central figure, handling vocals, guitar and much of the songwriting. 

 
The album appeared on Misty Lane Records, the Rome-based independent label founded by Del Pozzo in 1989. Initially established alongside the English-language Misty Lane fanzine, the project became an important reference point for the European neo-Sixties movement. Its catalogue brought together contemporary garage and psychedelic bands, rare Sixties recordings and specialist compilations, helping connect Italian groups with like-minded musicians and labels abroad. In 1997, the label created Teen Sound Records to concentrate specifically on contemporary garage and psychedelic acts. 

 
Before 'Lost In Time', The Others had already issued several singles and EPs, including 'Feel The Time / No More' (1990), 'You Better Know Why / Girl' (1992) and the 'Beware!' EP (1993), as well as appearing on the German Music Maniac Records compilation series 'Teen Trash'. Following the album, they continued releasing records throughout the second half of the decade, including 'Going Around With The Others' (1995), 'Dreams – The Woody Pad Recordings' (1997) and 'Everything's There!' (1998). Their activities continued until 2002, with Del Pozzo remaining closely involved in the Italian and international garage-rock circuit. 

 

 

Label: Misty Lane Records – MISTY 020 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: Italy 

Released: 1994 

Style: Folk Rock, Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Beat 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 Don't You Know 3:25 

A2 Walk Out The Door 3:06 

A3 Show Me Your Love 2:54 

A4 Anyway 3:16 

A5 Make Her Mine 3:22 

A6 Ghost From The Moon 2:35 

A7 Up On My Tree 2:13 

A8 Babe 2:53 

A9 Diggin' My Mind 2:16 

B1 Lost In Time 3:00 

B2 Gonna Leave You 3:28 

B3 Go-Go Daddy 1:36 

B4 T-Bone, Black 2:21 

B5 Luv That Gal 3:18 

B6 Luciana 2:07 

B7 It's A Nightmare 1:55

B8 So Alone 2:44 

B9 Providence 3:19 

 

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The Nails – Cops Are Punks / Big Star / Another Lesson [7''] (1977, Screwball Records)

Formed in Boulder, Colorado, in 1976, The Ravers were a five-piece new wave band featuring Marc Campbell on vocals and guitar, David Kaufman on keyboards, Artie Freeman on lead guitar, Jon Cormany on bass and Al Leis on drums. The group was part of the first wave of American punk and new wave acts developing outside the better-known scenes in New York and California, combining straightforward rock ’n’ roll with sharp lyrics and an increasingly punk-oriented attitude. Their debut release, the three-track 7-inch EP 'Cops Are Punks / Big Star / Another Lesson', appeared in 1977 on the local Screwball Records label, credited to The Ravers on some copies and to The Nails on others. Recorded at Mountain Ears Studio in Boulder as part of a nine-song demo session in May 1977, the record captured the band just before its move to New York. 

The title track, “Cops Are Punks,” takes a confrontational approach to authority, while “Big Star” deals with the experience of playing in a band that might be relatively unknown beyond its immediate surroundings but can still feel like a major attraction onstage. The final track, “Another Lesson,” stretches out a little longer, with lyrics directed at an unpleasant woman. The three songs were reviewed in the January 1978 issue of Trouser Press, which placed the release among the growing number of independently issued American punk and new wave records. The EP was also pressed with two different sleeves, adding a small variation for collectors. 

Screwball Records was a small Boulder imprint associated with the local independent music scene, and the release reflects the DIY approach of the period, when bands could document their material without relying on a major record company. 

In June 1977, the musicians relocated to New York and began playing clubs such as CBGB and Max’s Kansas City. They soon adopted the name The Nails to avoid confusion with another local group called The Ravers. The original lineup subsequently changed, with Leis, Cormany and Freeman departing by 1978. The band continued under Campbell and Kaufman, recording another Screwball single, 'Back Street Boys / Rock & Roll Show', that year before moving on to further releases during the early 1980s.

 

 

Label: Screwball Records – SBX 001 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, EP 

Country: US 

Released: 1977 

Style: New Wave 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 Cops Are Punks 2:32 

A2 Big Star 2:45 

B Another Lesson 5:12 

 

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Mosquito – Mosquito [7''] (1992, ERL Records)

 

Released in 1992 on ERL Records, the 7-inch single 'Mosquito' introduced a loose collaboration between three musicians from the American underground: Steve Shelley, drummer for Sonic Youth, Jad Fair, the offbeat singer and guitarist behind Half Japanese, and Tim Foljahn, guitarist and songwriter associated with Two Dollar Guitar. The record, also listed as 'Down', features four tracks: “Down,” “Pretty Lil’ Thing,” “Fat Man Walks” and “Oh No, Oh Yes, Oh No.” 

Shelley had become a central figure in the New York noise-rock scene through his work with Sonic Youth, joining the group in 1985. Fair had spent years developing Half Japanese's deliberately unpolished approach to songwriting, built around eccentric lyrics, unconventional melodies and a do-it-yourself attitude. Foljahn brought a different sensibility through Two Dollar Guitar, whose music drew on blues, country and stripped-down alternative rock. Their collaboration gave Mosquito room to move between these influences without sticking to a single style. 

The 1992 single captures the informal, experimental side of the project, with loose arrangements, unusual vocal delivery and a homespun approach to blues and roots music. Rather than following the dense, distorted sound associated with Sonic Youth, Shelley plays within a more ramshackle setting that leaves space for Fair's peculiar vocal phrasing and Foljahn's guitar work. The band's interest in rough textures and unconventional song structures would continue across its subsequent releases. 

Although Mosquito's best-known albums appeared in 1993, the ERL Records single belongs to the project's earlier phase. The group went on to release 'Oh No Not Another Mosquito My House Is Full of Them!' through Psycho-Acoustic Sounds and 'Time Was' through Smells Like Records, followed by 'Cupid's Fist' in 1994. The later material explored a similarly unpredictable mixture of alternative rock, country, blues and fragmented experimental pop. 

 

Label: ERL Records – ERL-009, ERL Records – ERL #009 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM 

Country: US 

Released: 1992 

Style: Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, Noise Rock, Punk Blues, Cowpunk 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 Down 

A2 Pretty Lil' Thing 

B1 Fat Man Walks 

B2 Oh No, Oh Yes, Oh No 

 

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Lawrence Lange – Surfin' Kansas City [7''] (1985, Titan Records)

 

Released in 1985 on Titan Records, 'Surfin’ Kansas City' was the sole 7-inch single by Lawrence Lange, a New York-based project that took the familiar language of surf rock and transplanted it somewhere far removed from the Pacific coastline. The joke was built into the title: Kansas City and its Midwestern surroundings were hardly known for their surf breaks, but that geographical mismatch provided the perfect setup for a playful musical tribute. Rather than simply turning the idea into a novelty record, Lange and the accompanying musicians approached the material as a knowing pastiche, drawing on the sounds and imagery associated with instrumental surf music while keeping the performance lighthearted. 

The record was built around Lawrence Lange, who handled guitar, lead vocals and backing vocals, alongside Hy Mayer on drums, Dean Vallis on bass, Dianne O’Neill on piano and Mark Smith on backing vocals. Lange’s guitar work provided the natural centre of the arrangement, while the rhythm section supplied the forward motion associated with surf and early rock ’n’ roll. The piano and vocal contributions broadened the sound beyond a strictly instrumental surf revival, giving the single a slightly offbeat character. Its references to surf culture worked as part of the musical joke, with the group leaning into the style rather than treating it as a faithful period reconstruction. 

The single was recorded at Playwright Presentations Inc. in New York City and paired “Surfin’ Kansas City” with “Close Your Eyes” on the B-side. The flip offered a different side of the project, moving away from the surf-pop concept towards a melodic piano-led ballad, with a softer arrangement and an emphasis on vocal harmonies. Together, the two tracks showed how Lange could draw on different strands of American pop, from surf-inspired guitar music to the tuneful power pop that remained active in the independent scene during the 1980s. 

The release appeared on Titan!, a small American label associated with the power-pop scene and its network of melodic, guitar-driven records. During the mid-1980s, labels such as Titan! helped keep the sounds of 1960s pop, British Invasion groups and early power pop in circulation, even as mainstream rock moved in other directions. “Surfin’ Kansas City” later reached a wider audience among collectors through its inclusion on 'Shake Some Action, Volume 4: USA', a compilation devoted to American power pop, mod and new wave rarities from 1975 to 1986. 

 

Label: Titan Records – 1424 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM 

Country: US 

Released: 1985 

Style: Power Pop, Surf Rock 

 

Tracklist: 

A Surfin' Kansas City 2:59 

B Close Your Eyes 2:01 

 

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King Snake Roost / Bloodloss – School's Out / Nutbush City Limits [7''] (1988, Aberrant Records)

The split 7-inch pairing King Snake Roost and Bloodloss brought together two Australian underground acts whose music grew out of the country's punk and post-punk scenes. Released in 1988 on Aberrant Records, the single featured versions of “School's Out” and “Nutbush City Limits”, songs originally associated with Alice Cooper and Ike & Tina Turner, respectively. Both tracks offered an opportunity to approach familiar rock material from the perspective of Australia's increasingly abrasive noise-rock underground. 

Formed in Adelaide in 1985, King Snake Roost relocated to Sydney in 1987, developing a sound built around distorted guitars, raw vocals and an unruly mixture of punk, blues and noise. Guitarist Charlie Tolnay, previously a member of Adelaide punk outfit Grong Grong, was central to the group's history and also connected King Snake Roost with the wider local underground. The band released its debut album, 'From Barbarism To Christian Manhood', through Aberrant in 1987, followed by 'Things That Play Themselves' in 1988. Their music placed them alongside Australian noise-rock contemporaries such as feedtime and Lubricated Goat, while their live appearances with American groups including Big Black, Sonic Youth and Mudhoney helped connect the Australian scene with the international underground.

 
Bloodloss had formed in Sydney in the early 1980s, with Sharron Weatherill, Renestair E.J., Jim Selene and Martin Bland among the original members. After an early period of activity and a spell under the name Zulu Rattle, the group reformed in Adelaide in 1986. The new line-up included Charlie Tolnay on guitar, creating a direct link with King Snake Roost. Bloodloss combined post-punk abrasion with blues, jazz and primitive rock influences, and its 1988 album 'Human Skin Suit' appeared around the same time as the split single. Their changing line-ups and connections with musicians from bands such as Lubricated Goat reflected the close-knit, frequently overlapping nature of Australia's underground music community.

 
Aberrant Records was closely associated with this Adelaide and Sydney network, releasing records by King Snake Roost and other Australian punk and noise-rock acts. Its catalogue documented a strain of independent music that favoured rough-edged production, unconventional songwriting and uncompromising performances over mainstream polish. 

 

Label: Aberrant Records – Crack 1 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single 

Country: Australia 

Released: 1988 

Style: Punk, Garage Rock, Noise Rock, Pigfuck 

 

Tracklist: 

A King Snake Roost – School's Out 

B Bloodloss – Nutbush City Limits 

 

Notes:  

Released by Aberrant Records though there is no label logo nor any further information on the release itself. This single was given away free with issue #22 of the Australian 'B Side' magazine/fanzine. It doesn't have a cover date but it came out in the first quarter of 1988. Copies of the single alone were also available (later) from Aberrant. As noted, there is barely any information on the labels or picture sleeve but this is rectified in the magazine which provides lineups and recording dates. 

 

King Snake Roost track recorded Sept 6 1987 at Sound Barrier Studios, courtesy of Aberrant Records.

Bloodloss track recorded July 1987 at Soundtrack, courtest of Greasy Pop Records. 

 

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James M. Shepard – Collisions [Cass] (1988, Iron Press)

Released in 1988 on Iron Press, 'Collisions' belongs to the cassette-based side of Jim Shepard’s musical output, rooted in the underground scene of Columbus, Ohio. Shepard was best known for founding Vertical Slit in the late 1970s and later forming V-3, but his solo recordings gave him plenty of room to explore rougher, more experimental territory outside the usual band format. His approach combined abrasive guitar, feedback, unconventional song structures and lo-fi recording techniques, often blurring the line between rock music, noise and sound collage. 

Iron Press was closely associated with Shepard’s independent recording activities, providing an outlet for material that circulated far from the mainstream record industry. Small-run cassettes and self-produced releases were an important part of his working method, allowing him to document ideas and experiments without the restrictions of conventional studio production. This DIY approach also connected his solo work with the wider Columbus underground, where musicians moved between punk, art-rock and experimental projects. 

By the late 1980s, Shepard had spent years developing this distinctive recording style through Vertical Slit and a growing body of solo material. His subsequent work with V-3 carried many of the same elements into a band setting, combining jagged guitar playing and unconventional arrangements with a more recognisable rock framework. Shepard continued recording prolifically until his death on October 16, 1998, leaving behind a large catalogue of releases, demos and recordings that extended well beyond his better-known projects. 

 

Label: Iron Press – none 

Format: Cassette, Compilation 

Country: US 

Released: 1988 

Style: Lo-Fi 

 

Tracklist:  

Collisions 

A1 The Voice 

A2 Collisions Cut-Up 

A3 Union View 

A4 Hostpital.. Hostpital 

A5 Bedview 

A6 All Dreams Must End 

A7 The Elevator 

A8 In The City Of Union (There Are No Trains) 

Strange Rifle Range 

B1 Clay Figurine 

B2 Something About The Queen 

B3 Bad Taste 

B4 Francis Bacon 

B5 Frontier Radio 

B6 A Crucial Glimpse Into The Nearest Hole 

B7 Havana Whore 

B8 Havana Sandwich 

B9 The Chinese Whores Living In Havana Beckon The Sailor Boys 

B10 You're In Pieces Fighting Life 

B11 The Great Collapsing Head Finale 

B12 One Minute She's On 

B13 Acid Bath 

 

Notes:  

Cassette came with a novella called "Collisions", the 2nd installment in the "Drapez" trilogy. Although the release is referred to as "Collisions", the tracklisting on the cover makes a distinction between "Collisions" on side A and "Strange Rifle Range" on side B. 

Tracks B2-B3, B5-B11 & B13 recorded in an abondoned bomb shelter in Munich. 

 

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Impact Test – Kill Kill Kill [LP] (1992, RRRecords, Damned Ship Works)

Formed in Wisconsin by Darren Brown during a period of inactivity for Boy Dirt Car, Impact Test provided another outlet for the industrial experiments associated with the American underground scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Karl J. Paloucek, also involved with Boy Dirt Car, joined Brown in the project, carrying a connection to the group’s earlier work into a different musical setting.

 
Released in 1992, 'Kill Kill Kill' appeared through RRRecords and Damned Ship Works, two independent imprints connected with the experimental underground. Based in Lowell, Massachusetts, RRRecords was run by Ron Lessard and had built a substantial catalogue of noise, industrial and experimental music since the 1980s, including releases by American underground artists and Japanese noise musicians. Its catalogue frequently explored the boundaries between conventional records and more unconventional sound experiments. 

 
Damned Ship Works provided a further independent outlet for the LP, placing Impact Test within the small-label network that sustained industrial and experimental music outside the mainstream record industry. The collaboration between the two imprints reflects the distribution networks through which obscure American projects circulated their work during this period, with releases often reaching listeners through specialist shops, mail-order catalogues and connections between underground musicians. 

 

 

Label: RRRecords – RRR 083, Damned Ship Works – DS 08, RRRecords – R R R #83 

Format: Vinyl, LP 

Country: US 

Released: 1992 

Style: Abstract, Industrial, Experimental 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 She Wears The Name Of God 

A2 Kisses For Blows 

A3 Devil's Rope 

A4 Darkest Afternoon 

A5 This Will KILL That 

B1 The Zone 

B2 Waiting Is As Waiting Does 

B3 Industria 

B4 Wise Shall Be The Bearers Of Light 

 

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Hostages Of Ayatollah / Manson Youth – Kaaba Kaaba Hey / Only Time Will Tell [LP] (1986, Zorro)

 

Recorded and released in 1986 on Berlin’s Zorro label, 'Kaaba Kaaba Hey / Only Time Will Tell' brought together two very different sides of the German hardcore scene. Hostages Of Ayatollah came from Velbert, near Düsseldorf, and had been active since 1981, while Manson Youth were a short-lived Berlin project whose members would soon become better known through Jingo De Lunch and other groups. The record appeared at a time when the German DIY network was increasingly connecting local hardcore bands with scenes elsewhere in Europe and North America, with fanzines, mailorder catalogues, independent labels and live exchanges doing much of the work. The split was also reviewed in the November 1986 issue of Maximum Rocknroll, giving both groups some exposure outside Germany. 

Hostages Of Ayatollah had settled into the Jah-Jah, Jacho, Micha and Torso line-up by 1982. Their early sound was heavily influenced by American hardcore and skate punk, but they generally worked with German lyrics and developed a fast, tightly played style that stood apart from more traditional Deutschpunk. Their '…Aha' demo appeared in 1983, followed by the 'Hallo Nachbar' EP in 1984, which helped them move from the local Velbert scene into a much wider network of shows around Germany and beyond. By the time of the split LP they were playing regularly in alternative youth centres, squats and autonomous spaces, and had become a familiar name in the German hardcore circuit.

 
The Hostages side of the LP was recorded during a difficult period for the band. Their momentum from the previous couple of years was beginning to run into the more mundane problems of work, training and military or civilian service, which made rehearsing and playing regularly harder. The recording was also badly affected by the mixing: guitarist Jacho later recalled that the whole album was mixed in roughly an hour and a half, and the original sound was considered so poor that the recordings were eventually remixed many years later. The material still documents the group's aggressive, thrashy approach, with Jah-Jah's vocals pushed over Jacho's guitar, Micha's bass and Torso's driving drums. 

Manson Youth were a rather different proposition. They were essentially a short-lived Berlin project involving Tom Schwoll, Sepp Ehrensberger, Finne and drummer Uwe, with Canadian-born singer Yvonne Ducksworth joining the line-up. Ducksworth was already involved with Combat Not Conform, while Schwoll and Ehrensberger had connections with other Berlin punk groups. The band did not spend much time functioning as a conventional live group: much of the instrumental material was recorded before Ducksworth worked out her vocal parts from tapes, and Sepp joined around the studio sessions. Her voice became a particularly distinctive part of the recordings, moving between urgent hardcore delivery, unusual phrasing and more melodic passages. 

The Manson Youth recordings are especially interesting because they sit directly between the early Berlin hardcore scene and what followed. After the split with Hostages Of Ayatollah, Ducksworth, Schwoll and Ehrensberger went on to form Jingo De Lunch in 1987 with Henning Menke and Steve Hahn. Schwoll had also been involved with Combat Not Conform, while Ehrensberger had played in Vorkriegsjugend and Zerstörte Jugend. The Manson Youth material therefore captures a brief moment just before several of these musicians moved into a more established Berlin punk and hardcore network. 

Zorro Records was based in Berlin and operated very much within the independent infrastructure of the period. Contemporary Trust fanzine adverts list Zorro releases alongside records by Vorkriegsjugend and other international and German hardcore acts, with mailorder handled from Petra Ostertag's address in Berlin-Kreuzberg. The label's catalogue reflects the way small German imprints functioned as part of a wider DIY network rather than simply as conventional record companies, putting local bands onto vinyl and distributing records through fanzines, mailorder and independent shops. 

The split's importance within that network is also reflected in the contemporary reception. Maximum Rocknroll described Hostages Of Ayatollah as pounding, tight and forceful, while singling out Manson Youth for their guitar work, urgent female vocals and lyrics. The record also circulated beyond Germany: it later appeared in John Peel's 1987 playlist, where "Der Spion" from the Hostages Of Ayatollah side was identified as coming from the shared LP. 

 

Label: Zorro – none 

Format: Vinyl, LP 

Country: Germany 

Released: 1986 

Style: Hardcore Punk 

 

Tracklist: 

Manson Youth Side:  

A1 Lineal / Set Up 

A2 Relations 

A3 Don't Lock Me Up 

A4 So Bored 

A5 Time Will Tell 

A6 Division 

A7 Sad Story 

A8 Food For Thought 

Hostages Of Ayatollah Side: 

B1 Barbara 

B2 Amok Bei Aldi 

B3 Schon Genug 

B4 Der Spion 

B5 Teheran 

B6 Nichts Zu Tun 

B7 Frontbericht 

B8 Im Park 

B9 Braucht Euch Nicht 

B10 Mullah Mullah 

 

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