Greater Than One – Duty And Trust [Cass] (1991, ROIR)

Appropriately enough, the London industrial band Greater Than One was made up of two vocalists / keyboardists / programmers, Lee Newman and Michael Wells. Not as heavy as many industrial groups, and with perhaps more of a sense of humor, the duo debuted in the mid-'80s with a series of limited-edition and/or cassette-only releases, including 1987's 'All the Masters Licked Me'; their first widely distributed album was 1988's 'Dance of the Cowards'. This was in turn reissued by Wax Trax! in the U.S. in 1989 as 'London', a two-disc set featuring six extra tracks. 'G-Force' (1989) and the 'Index' EP (1991) followed before Greater Than One and Wax Trax! parted ways; the duo returned in 1992 with the cassette only release 'Duty and Trust' for ROIR, a fantastic album because it culls together some of the weirdest and most obscure tracks that Greater Than One ever produced. Very dark, moody, Gothic and industrial sounding stuff. Not at all beat oriented like most of their other material is. Perfect for late night listening. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

 

Label: ROIR – A-200 

Format: Cassette, Compilation

Country: US 

Released: Oct 10, 1991 

Style: Ambient, Experimental, Industrial, Dark Ambient, Sound Collage

 

Tracklist:

A1 Deep Shake 7:05 

A2 Liberation 6:39 

A3 Brick Lane 2:28 

A4 The Dark Streets Of London 5:37 

A5 The Rose, The Cross & The Flag 5:45 

A6 Crisis 3:14 

B7 Trust 32:23 

 

Notes:

Tracks A1 and A2 are previously unreleased. 

Track A3 and A6 were previously released on CD album 'Dance Of The Cowards' (1988). 

Track A4 was originally released on the LP compilation 'Dry Lungs III' (1987). 

Tracks A5 and A6 were originally released on the cassette compilation 'Insomnia Vol. 2' (1988). 

Track B7 was originally released on the 12" 'Trust' (1990). 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Fushitsusha – Radio Code [Cass] (1989, AQM)

Japanese guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist Keiji Haino had been a prominent figure in the Tokyo underground since the mid-'70s before forming this incredible group that stands as one of Japan's most inventive and extraordinary and powerful groups of the era. Their work draws on noise, rock, free improvisation, and psychedelia, yet they sculpt their group sound in a fashion that their music is relative to few forms. In fact, the sound of Fushitsusha could best be described as contemporary Japanese music as some of their modalities and vigorous improvisational manner reflects the Japanese folk and traditional formulas. On the other hand, the electricity and refined indulgence of their feedback drenched albums and live concerts bares similarities to early Sonic Youth and the Swans, yet is as challenging as avant-garde improvisation. Sonny Sharrock's 'Black Woman' and Peter Brötzmann's 'Machine Gun' are good points of reference, as are Captain Beefheart, Guru Guru, or even Can. 

 
Fushitsusha is part of a continuum in Japanese avant-garde music that was developing in the '60s with noisy improvisational groups such as Group Ongaku, Taj Mahal Travellers, and, most notably, New Direction Unit, who were versed in a free-form noise dialect that went beyond the free jazz movement to higher and more unsettling places. Where Fushitsusha fit into the spectrum of rock, noise, and avant-garde could be pondered for hours. The conclusion, in most cases, could only be that they are a phenomenon of an incredibly creative force in leader Keiji Haino, who has forged some of the most magnificent avant-garde recordings of the '90s seemingly out of blood, sweat, and tears. As a solo performer, he has such an extraordinary and singular approach one could only compare him to an artist like Cecil Taylor, as his work is all-consuming, brutally passionate, and individual. 

 
Fushitsusha recorded their debut album in 1989; however, it is rumored that the group existed in various incarnations from as early as 1980. 'Radio Code' is a studio session by Keiji Haino and members of his band, Fushitsusha ("Tribe Of Outcasts", roughly translated). Often considered a "walking encyclopedia" of rock, blues, classical and other musics, Haino has developed a personal synthesis of Japanese and Western influences that is extremely rare; his work has lastingly influenced more musicians than anyone of his generation. Haino describes the general sound of Fushitsusha as a cross between blues and Gregorian chant. All lyrics are improvised in archaic Japanese, chosen equally for its sound and its nuances, and in control of these again Haino is a master. Produced by Keiji Haino and John Duncan. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

 

Label: AQM – none 

Series: Radio Code 

Format: Cassette, C90 

Country: Netherlands 

Released: 1989 

Style: Experimental, Noise, Spoken Word

 

Tracklist: 

A Untitled 

B Untitled 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Esqueletos – Radio 222 [7''] (1983, Flush! Records)

 

Esqueletos was an excellent power-pop trio from Madrid with a fleeting career and little fortune, despite having an enormous talent to elaborate masterful exercises of fast and vibrant pop. Their only released the 7" single 'Radio 222', one of the undisputed Spanish pop 'anthems' of 1983. Led by guitarist and vocalist José Battaglio, the group was formed in 1982 as RPM together with Enrique Martín (bass and backing vocals) and Miguel de las Casas (drums). 

 

Battaglio and Enrique were the authors of their repertoire; an exquisite hybrid of pop-punk influences ranging from Ramones, The Clash, The Jam and Buzzcocks. After releasing their songs through a demo, the multinational Hispavox took notice of the trio from Madrid, and asked them to change their name (RPM had already been registered by another band) to record a single with Flush Records, the "alternative" sub-label that the multinational record company had created to re-launch Radio Futura to a public already enthusiastic about the "independent" wave. 

 

 As Esqueletos they released in 1983 a 7" with "Radio 222" and "Sólo Necesito un Poco de Diversión" and "Intrusos en mi Jardín" on the B-side. "Radio 222", the title track, was already very popular due to the enthusiastic radio airplay it had received. It is a song as catchy as it is danceable, a clear "hit" that fulfilled all expectations. In addition, the two tracks included on the B-side were no less catchy, as well as displaying an overwhelming youthful energy. But, incomprehensibly, Hispavox did nothing to promote the band, which led to the discomfort of their members, who soon after decided to separate amicably to undertake new musical adventures. Thus, in 1984, José Battaglio joined La Frontera, and later dedicated to production and collaborating with groups such as Los Vengadores and Fangoria. Enrique Martín joined Las Ruedas. [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVA OLA 80] 

 

Label: Flush! Records – 445 021 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM 

Country: Spain 

Released: 1983 

Style: New Wave, Pop Rock, Post-Punk

 

Tracklist: 

A Radio 222 3:05 

B1 Intrusos En Mi Jardin 2:38 

B2 Solo Necesito Un Poco De Diversion 1:54 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Din A Testbild – Triptychon [Cass] (1982, Not On Label)

 

Few bands of the German post punk/new wave era can lay claim to "cult" status, but Din A Testbild most certainly can. Formed in 1978 by Mark Eins and Gudrun Gut, the combo played a significant role in defining the avant-garde music of Berlin and were among the pioneers of Electroclash, long before the genre even existed. In the year they started out, Din A Testbild played at the opening of the legendary Berlin underground club S.O. 36 and in 1980 they appeared at Hamburg's first "In die Zukunft" ("Into the Future") festival, organized by Alfred Hilsberg. 'Abfall/Garbage', their first single, is emblematic of the entire West Berlin music scene from 1978–1982. The group also participated in the seminal "Geniale Dilletanten" event at the Tempodrom in Berlin (1981). Their contribution to German underground cinema and the art scene cannot be captured in a few simple words. Such is the measure of the cult and legend of Din A Testbild. 'Triptychon', a limited edition cassette of 100 copies, was recorded at Homestudio in Berlin/Friedenau' in 1982. [SOURCE: BUREAU B]

Label: Not On Label (Din A Testbild Self-released) – none 

Format: Cassette, Limited Edition 

Country: Germany 

Released: 1982 

Style: New Wave, Experimental, Neue Deutsche Welle, Minimal Synth

 

Tracklist:

A1 EXP. 

A2 Monkeys Memory 

A3 The Sky 

A4 Alimba 

A5 Smakman 

A6 Rusabel 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Circle X – The Ivory Tower [4x7"] (1993, Editions Anti-Utopia)

Some bands take a while to get to where they're going, while others find it and then spend time perfecting it, not giving a care if the world notices. Circle X falls into the latter category, originally consisting of singer Tony Pinotti, singer/guitarist Bruce Witsiepe, guitarist Rik Letendre, and his brother Dave on drums. Forming in the late '70s in Louisville, KY, the quartet then relocated to New York and fell in with the no-wave crowd (Mars, DNA, and the like). The result was a constant expansion of their sound and style, incorporating everything from performance art to synths and keyboards (with Pinotti in particular anchoring the latter) in the service of their edgy, often quite listener-unfriendly material. An album, 'Prehistory', crept out in 1983 on Enigma, but aside from random performance recordings, singles, and other projects (even a book), Circle X remained strictly out of sight, out of mind even for most extreme music fans until the early '90s. At that time, following a variety of side projects and some lineup shuffling, drummer Martin Kob replaced Dave Letendre, while Rik was firmly settled on bass. This lineup released a series of singles, collected and boxed as 'The Ivory Tower' in 1993, leading to only the second full album in the group's history, 'Celestial', appearing on Matador in 1994. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

 

Label: Editions Anti-Utopia – none 

Format: 4 x Vinyl, 7", Limited Edition, Box Set, Compilation 

Country: US 

Released: 1993 

Style: Experimental, Experimental Rock, Noise Rock, No Wave, Post-Hardcore, Post-Punk

 

Tracklist: 

1A 33/Puerto Rican Ghost (after MARS) 

1B The Pleasure Gallows 

2A Compression of the Species 

2B Fail Better 

3A Shiny Blue Orb 

3B Crooky Crain 

4A Some Things Don't Grow Back 

4B Champ Pourri 

 

Notes: 

4 white 7 inch 45 rpm records in a white box with one screenprinted mirror, one original photo and booklet. Edition of 100 plus 5 artists proofs. 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Bound & Gagged – Untitled [12''] (1980, Modern Method Records)

 

Boston's Bound & Gagged were surely a hit with the polka dot and pointy shoe set. Formed in 1978 by Barbara Britto (vocals), Trude Koby (bass, saxophone), Marcia Maglione (keyboards, percussion), Deni Ozan (drums), Wendy Stone (guitar, bass) and Martha Swetzoff (guitar, bass, vocals), their ennui-tinged female vocals, Beefheart-influenced art rock instrumentation and herky jerky rhythm's ala Flying Lizards will surely satisfy those with a soft spot for this period. This 12" is a very quirky catchy discombobulated punky no wave girl extravaganza. They have really interesting rhythms and often their songs have many different unusual parts, and layers but it works. The vocals are rather coy and sarcastic and strange. It's pretty depressing to think that this is the band's entire catalog and that they never really did achieve success because this is some intriguing stuff. At the very least check out "Chains and Polymers", and "Clutter". [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]

 

 

Label: Modern Method Records – MM 005 

Format: Vinyl, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, EP 

Country: US 

Released: 1980 

Style: Art Rock, Punk, No Wave, Zolo, Dance-Punk

 

Tracklist: 

Side 1 

A1 Clutter 2:15 

A2 Chains And Polymers 4:02 

Side A 

B1 Attack 1:35 

B2 Roach Motel 3:15 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Alternative – If They Treat You Like Shit - Act Like Manure. [LP] (1984, Corpus Christi)

Alternative, Scottish anarcho punks, first surfaced with the poppiest (and by far best) cut on 1981's execrable 'Bullshit Detector'. “Change It’, lifted from their demo, was a pretty crap song, but it had a tune and the whole LP was so miserable that even this innocuous ditty sounded good. So, having released their first recording via Crass, they spent the rest of their career being compared to them. With the addition of another vocalist (Linda 'Linger' Rotherham) they then shared a split cassette with Dirt and Reality Control ('Live 23.10.82 The Bunker'). The new band released 'If They Treat You Like Shit - Act Like Manure', an LP which is considered an anarcho punk classic. Highlights are "Where Are Your Hiroshimas?", "Till Death Do You Part", "How Many Times Sold?", "Now I Realize", and "Another Subversive Peace Song". A decently varied anarchopunk album that genre fans should dig but it welcomes outsiders too. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]

 

Label: Corpus Christi – Christ It's 13 

Format: Vinyl, LP 

Country: UK 

Released: 1984 

Style: Punk, Anarcho-Punk 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 Another Subversive Peace Song 

A2 Seen Through Tear Filled Eyes 

A3 Mannequin 

A4 Now I Realize 

A5 How Many Times Sold? 

A6 Love And Life 

B1 If You've Got It......Don't 

B2 Till Death Do You Part 

B3 Death Isn't So Sweet 

B4 Caroline's Carnival 

B5 Suffer In Silence 

B6 Struggling Through The Darkness 

B7 Ireland 

B8 Where Are Your Hiroshimas? 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

→ ↑ → – No Dance (Soundtrack From The → ↑ → Film) [LP] (1985, Present Records, Dumb Films)

 

→ ↑ → (pronounced as three clicks, often written incorrectly as "Tsk Tsk Tsk" or "Tch Tch Tch") was an Australian music, art and performance group, best known for their experimental music. They formed in Melbourne in 1977 and were led by Philip Brophy. The group performed music, produced artwork, films, videos, live theatre, multi-media, and wrote literature. The Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill's Community Music Centre, an artist run space focused on the performance of new sound art and experimental music, was the base for Philip Brophy's project, → ↑ →. Sometimes compared to Andy Warhol's Factory collective, the group provided experimental music (Brophy on drums or synthesiser), films, videos, and live theatrical performances exploring his aesthetic and cultural interests, often on a minimal budget. Musically the group touched upon a wide range of experimental styles including minimalism, punk rock, muzak, krautrock and disco, usually with no vocalist. 'No Dance' is the third LP by → ↑ →, originally recording in 1982 and remixed in 1985. It is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, mostly soundtrack pieces; the film deals with "the early-80s resurgence of dance in rock sub-culture which first arose during the punk explosion". [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]

Label: Present Records – PRE004, Dumb Films – PRE004 

Format: Vinyl, LP 

Country: Australia 

Released: 1985 

Style: Soundtrack 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 No Dance Theme ("It's A Really Great Record") 

A2 The Linn Dance ("The Prime Factor Of Manipulation Is The Production Of The Beat") 

A3 The Body Dance ("I'm Dancing With Myself") 

B1 The Modern Dance ("Fuck Ideology! Let's Dance!) 

B2 The No Dance ("Speaking Without Moving Your Lips, Dancing Without Moving Your Feet") 

B3 The Megadance ("Meta-Mix / Culture-Clash") 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Various – Why March When You Can Riot?! [LP] (1985, Aberrant Records)

 

Hard to find Sydney based compilation featuring such luminaries as Johnny Dole and The Scabs (one of the first Punk Rock bands in Australia during 1977 and 1978), X, XL Capris, Local Product, Feedtime (postpunk trio formed in 1979 and active from 1979 and 1989 and again from 1994 to 1996), The Hard-Ons, Bedspreads and Beggars Court. It was released in 1985 by Aberrant Records, a Sydney based record label active from 1983-1991 and run by comedy writer, stand-up comedian, and script doctor Bruce Griffiths, and it was reissued in January 1989 by French label Ripost Records with a different sleeve. 

 

 

Label: Aberrant Records – NUMBA3 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Numbered 

Country: Australia 

Released: Nov 1, 1985 

Style: Punk, Punk Rock

 

Tracklist:

A1 Johnny Dole & The Scabs – Living Like An Animal 2:00 

A2 X – Home Is Where The Floor Is 1:42 

A3 Hard-Ons – School Days 2:35 

A4 Local Product – Die Hard 2:10 

A5 Feedtime – Don't Tell Me 2:32 

A6 Bedspreads – Face The Facts 2:29 

A7 Local Product – Pig Boys 2:13 

A8 Beggars Court – Chemical Slave 1:25 

A9 Hard-Ons – Squat House 1:37 

A10 Johnny Dole & The Scabs – Psycho-Analyst 1:45 

B1 X – Hate City 1:30 

B2 Beggars Court – 3 Minute Warning 2:59 

B3 Hard-Ons – Coffs Harbour Blues 1:57 

B4 Bedspreads – Judge Dredd 1:08 

B5 XL Capris – Skylab (Son Of Telstar) 2:38 

B6 Johnny Dole & The Scabs – Stuff Your Rules 1:52 

B7 Feedtime – Small Talk 2:34 

B8 Beggars Court – Lipstick Blues 2:38 

B9 Local Product – Magenta 1:19 

B10 X – TV Cabaret Roll 3:31 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Yeast Culture – Rena Leicia - The Exposition Of Nothing [7''] (1988, Petri Supply)

An experimental recording group in Seattle, WA started by UW DJs at KCMU Radio in the mid-80s. Yeast Culture did a lot of field recordings around the islands in Puget Sound, and in empty buildings. They inhabited a derelict 1950s apartment building known as Main Plant where shows were held and a shop was set up to sell noise records. Early records were made here. In the late eighties they moved to a downtown warehouse space, continuing the shop and publishing more records and hosting shows. Photography and screen printing and do-it-yourself tactics were used to create record covers and more. They developed a conceptual approach to sound recording, collecting together related field recordings to create produced work. Their sound sources ranged from closely miked natural specimens such as trees and water, to live electric plasma, empty industrial sites and historical military forts. Studio techniques included musique concrete style tape manipulations, custom editing processes, and gear and environments which were designed specifically for each project. The label started by Yeast Culture is Petri Supply.

The 7" comes with a shellac 10" and are packaged in hand-printed sleeves, coming with an eight page 10"x10" handmade booklet, all of which are contained in a black envelope with attached transparency artwork and paint splotch. The recordings on the 7" were made by collaging material from 114 salvaged 10", 78 RPM records. Each of the 114 copies of 'Rena Leicia - The Exposition of Nothing' comes with one of these original 10", 78 RPM records, though they have new labels to keep the original sources mysterious. The engineer (uncredited) was Jack Endino, best known for his production work with Mudhoney, Nirvana, Tad, Soundgarden, L7, Screaming Trees, and Hot Hot Heat, among others. 

 

 

Label: Petri Supply – ABO-1 

Format: Vinyl, 7" Shellac, 10" 

Country: US 

Released: 1988 

Style: Abstract, Experimental, Noise

 

Tracklist: 

A Untitled 

B Untitled 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE