JOE CROW "Compulsion", 7`` single, (UK, 1982)

Track "Compulsion" was one of the peeks of the famous "PILLOWS & PRAYERS" compilation (CHERRY RED, 1982).
Here it is accompanied by "Absent Friends", the b-side of that 7`` release.

COMPULSION (14mb)

SAMY BIRNBACH & BENJAMIN LEW "When God Was Famous" (BEL, 1989)

in the green morning, before

love was destiny,

the sun was king

and god was famous

D SCHWARTZ

BENJAMIN LEW (electronics), SAMMY BIRNBACH (vocals), MICHEL BERCKMANS (oboe, bassoon), ANNELI DRECKER (back. vocals), PETER PRINCIPLE (guitar), AURELIA BOVEN (cello), GILES MARTIN (engineering, production)

tracklist

01.pourquoi que vis [BORIS VIAN]
02.kommt [GOTTFRIED BENN]
03.the wheel [W.B. YEATS]
04.an upbraiding [THOMAS HARDY]
05.men with coats thrashing [MALCOLM LOWRY]
06.response [BOB KAUFMAN]
07.what is to be given [DELMORE SCHWARTZ]
08.ravenna 1 [HERMANN HESSE]
09.hotels [GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE]
10.mandorla [PAUL CELAN]
11.plis [PAUL ELUARD]
12.in the green morning, now ,once more [DELMORE SCHWARTZ]
13.little birds sit on your shoulders [KENNETH PATCHEN]

when god was famous (42mb)

THE MULTICOLOURED SHADES " House of Wax " (GER, 1985)

The first LP from one of the finest 80`s german psychedelic revival bands. Both electroacoustic and garagy.
There are also two more LPs "Sundome city exit"(1987) , "Ranchero!"(1989), the selftitled debut 12``(1984) and the EPs "Teen sex transfusion"(1986), " 2000 light years fromhome"(1987).

Line up: Michael Doering (bass), Pete Barany (vocals), Martin Heimes (drums), Detlev Bizer (organ), Heinz Werner Maleike (guitar).

HOUSE OF WAX (79mb), 256kb

LOUIS PHILIPPE " Appointment with venus" (UK,1986)

Before he started writing songs, the talented Mr LOUIS PHILIPPE (born 1959 in France as Philippe Auclair) was a university teacher, documentary director, writer... His first music attempts (with "THE BORDER BOYS" and "THE ARCADIANS") released from Brussels based label Le Disques Du Crepuscule circa 1984-85.
That time, MIKE ALWAY had just founded el records (el-Benelux) which first releases supported by Le Disques Du Crepuscule. So Louis Philippe joined el records and after the 12``single "Red roses and red noses" , he released "Appointment with Venus".
"Ivory Tower" and "Yuri Gagarin" were the other two LPs, this romantic "latin-englishman" made for el before the demise of label.

APPOINTMENT (53mb)

C.W. VRTACEK "Learning to be silent" (US,1986)

Member of bands like FOREVER EINSTEIN, BIOTA, and collaborator of Cutler, Didkovsky, DiMuzio... C.W.VRTACEK (a.k.a. Charles O` Meara) is a musician mostly related with the experimental, avant-prog field. He has released also many solo works which reveal a wide variety of styles, moods and influences.
"LEARNING TO BE SILENT" (1986, Leisure time records, Cordelia records) & "WHEN HEAVEN COMES TO TOWN" (1988, Recommended rec) are two albums that represent his acoustic, melodic side. Recorded at home with simple means and instruments (guitar, piano, sparse electronics, ambient sounds...) are a kind of meditative lo-fi new age landscape paintings, darkened by melacholic moments, invaded here and there by narrations and environmental samples.
Both albums reissued together on one cd, titled "SILENT HEAVEN" (1996, Cuneiform).
This post gives for listening the "LEARNING TO BE SILENT " LP. Tracks though, are taken from the cd reissue which is one track poorer than the original issue.

when heaven comes to town, 1988

silent heaven, cd 1996

LEARNING TO BE SILENT (46mb), 192kb

PEOPLE IN CONTROL " When it`s war ", 7``, (UK,1980)

I remember the song "when it`s war" as one of the finest moments of the several old and new crammed disc compilations. It is originated from early 80`s days, when the terms "new wave", "avant-garde" were nearly synonyms and crammed disc used to introduce us to so many new, unknown and amazingly pioneering works.
Searching, i found out that Charles Bullen (THIS HEAT) and Martin Frederix (FAMILY FODDER, ON-U-SOUND label) were involved with this short lived project, PEOPLE IN CONTROL.
Apart this 3 track EP, i haven`t listened to (or known) anything else from this band.

WHEN IT`S WAR (10mb)

FOURWAYCROSS " Home " (US, 1986)

Founded in 1984 along with their own label MOTIV COMMUNICATIONS, FOURWAYCROSS was, next to SAVAGE REPUBLIC, a nearly equally important and influential chapter of the mid-eighties californian blend of post punk, local psych folk and british influence. They released an 8-track self titled cassette (1985) and two wonderful LPs: "FILL THE SKY" and "HOME" (1986). Following up output was much less interesting and an LP they made in 1989("ON THE OTHER HAND") was a darkwave, goth-pop orientated disappointing thing.
Other Fourwaycross/Motiv Communications related bands were: STEAMING COILS, BLISSED OUT FATALISTS, DOUBTING THOMAS (Tom Dolan`s band)...

FOURWAYCROSS: Biff Sanders, Tom Dolan, Steve Gerdes, Courtney Davies, Beth Thompson

FOURWAYCROSS-HOME

THIERRY ZABOITZEFF "Promethee" (FRA,1984)

PROMETHEE is the first solo work of bassist, cellist and founding member of ART ZOYD, THIERRY ZABOITZEFF. It`s the music he wrote for the interpretation of the ancient greek tragedy "Aeschylus`Prometheus" by "Le Collectif Theatral Du Hainaut". Zaboitzeff plays nearly all the instruments and uses a lot of electronics. Album consists of two 20 min (approx.) parts, one per side. A top,very recommendable work easily placed among the finest releases of ART ZOYD family.
Zaboitzeff left ART ZOYD in 1997 and continued as a solo artist writing music for modern dance, theatre, avant garde performances, happenings etc.

PROMETHEE (91mb)

V/A - Appointment With el : A Compilation

LOUIS PHILIPPE, 1986

"La Folie" inspired compilation introducing some more el artists. Among them PERSPICO ACUMINE (a.k.a. THE CAVALIERS), with tracks from the 1986 LP "A Perfect Action (English Cricket)", one of the most obscured and peculiar releases of the label.

Tracklist

01. THE CAVALIERS-the colchester express

02. VIC GODARD-nice on nice  

03. AMBASSADOR 277-the pop up man

04. ANTHONY ADVERSE-green park

05. FELT-get out of my mirror

06. GOL GAPPAS-Albert Parker
07. MARDEN HILL-oh constance

08. MARDEN HILL-anthem

09. RAJ QUARTET-whoops! what a palaver
10. LOUIS PHILIPPE-anna s`en va

11. LOUIS PHILIPPE-the orchard
12. SHOCK HEADED PETERS-ideal

13. MARDEN HILL-hangman
14. THE CAVALIERS-robinson moxon

15. THE CAVALIERS-the thin man from orpington

el

NON CREDO "Happy wretched family" (US,1995)

Non Credo - happy wretched family LP

Second La Folie round of avant-prog-jazz-retro-noir-goth plots based on the schizo-dream-art vision of duo.

THE CREAMS "The Creams and Nico" (UK,1994)

The diverse and constantly repeated ALAN JENKINS recipe for DIY pop imperfectness. This time the band (constisting of the same more or less musicians as his other outfits) is called THE CREAMS and the main obsession ( more obviously than before) is supposed to be VELVET UNDERGROUND but of course there are much more lunacies, parodies, self-irony, as usual.

THE CREAMS and NICO

MINIMAL MAN " Hunger is all she`s ever known " (US, 1988)

The fifth (third european) Patrick Miller`s LP as MINIMAL MAN
(check also previous posts of LFDJ about MINIMAL MAN)

HUNGER... (57mb)