PETER JEFFERIES " A Chorus Of Interludes " (NZ, 1996)

AJAX Records release including compilation tracks, singles, collaborations and rarities from 'La Folie' favourite kiwi artist, Peter Jefferies.

PETER JEFFERIES (with ROBBIE MUIR) - Swerve


A Chorus Of Interludes

FETUS PRODUCTIONS "Luminous Trails" (NZ, 1985)

JED TOWN's uncomfortable, nightmarish, but subliminally attractive structures of industrial mess and pop ugliness.

For JED TOWN and FETUS PRODUCTIONS see also my previous note on FETALMANIA

LUMINOUS TRAILS
(10 tracks, approx 38 min)

BILL DIREEN: Buildings on a velvet land

Poet, author, playwright, and perhaps the greatest less discovered songwriter of NZ's diy culture, BILL DIREEN is responsible for some of the most important episodes of early lo-fi days. His '80 - '84 works - under various monikers (Builders, Bilders, Die Bilder, Bilderine, Soluble Fish, Urbs...) - spirited by haunted velvet psych visions and kiwish post punk rawness, place him at equal height to JEFFERIES bros, ALASTAIR GALBRAITH, CHRIS KNOX, SANDRA BELL...

The introductory compilation, we prepared here, includes selections from:
"Six Impossible Things", 7'', 1981
BILDERS - "Soloman's Ball", 7'', 1981
DIE BILDER - "Schwimmen In Der See", 7'', 1981
BUILDERS - "Beati/en Hearts", LP, 1983
BILDERINE - "Split Seconds", LP, 1984

Musicians : Bill Direen (voc, lyrics, composition, piano, guitars, percussion etc), Malcolm Grant (drums), Campbell Mclay (bass), Peter Stapleton (drums), Allen Meek (keyboards)... and also Steven Cogle, Maryrose Crook, Liz Silver, Lisa Siegel, Hamish Kilgour, Tony O'Blaney, Alec Bathgate, Chris Knox and others...

*Some of the material derives from 90's Flying Nun reissues.
For a complete discography see here.

Bill Direen

(22 tracks, approx 70 min)

THE MAGICK HEADS "Before we go under" (NZ, 1995)

Line up:Robert Scott (guitar,bass vocals) / Jane Sinnott (vocals) / David Mitchell (guitar) / Jim Strang (drums)

Ενθύμιο από την μέση (και λίγο ώριμη) ηλικία της πάλαι ποτε περίφημης ανεξάρτητης νεοζηλανδέζικης σκηνής, τοτε που μπορεί να μην μεγαλουργούσε πια τακτικά, συνέχιζε τουλάχιστον όμως να ασκεί καίρια την πολιτική της ανακύκλωσης (προσώπων, σχημάτων, ιδεών)... αλλα και της όπως πάντα παρεϊστικης ανάμιξης, λίγο πολύ, όλων σε όλα... διατηρώντας την μνήμη του εαυτού της φρέσκια και ζωντανή.
Έκτοτε, και όσο οι παλιοσειρές επαναλαμβάνονται, εξαντλούνται και βγαίνουν στη σύνταξη, τόσο περισσότερο αναρωτιώμαστε αν οι υπό εξαφάνιση πιγκουίνοι του νησιού είναι πράγματι είδος σπανιότερο απο την λεγόμενη καλή νεοζηλανδέζικη ποπ.

BEFORE WE GO UNDER

SANDRA BELL: Relentless Visions

Sandra Bell`s poetic, sensitive and angry female approach to life and reality refreshed and finally expanded the 90`s post folk art beyond separations among experimentation, noise and lyricism. Highly recommended to explorers of NZ undeground, fans of A. Galbraith, Jefferies bros, Xpressway label, etc.
After a long discographic absence SANDRA BELL released this year her fourth LP, extracts of which you find at my space.

An introductory compilation to Sandra Bell

tracks:

01.manai (Dreams of Falling)
02.floating aground (Dreams of Falling)
03.the country girls (Dreams of Falling)
04.seas of the moon (Shrew`d, flying nun compilation)
05.with the rain (chord, 2x7``, 1993)
06.underground (Net)
07.caitlan (Net)
08.walking (Net)
09.7 day descent (City of Sorrows)
10.below normal zero (City of Sorrows)
11.eternal fire (City of Sorrows)
12.come to me (City of Sorrows)

compiled by LFDJ

LPs:
"Dreams of Falling", Xpressway, 1992
"Net", IMD, 1994
"City of Sorrows", VHF, 1999
"White Nights", Powertool, 2008

First three LPs available from her site:
http://www.sandrabell.net

Chord, 2x7``, 1993


from "Net" artwork

PETER JEFFERIES & JONO LONIE "At swim 2 birds" (NZ, 1987)

As requested, here it is the album Peter Jefferies (percussions, piano, tapes etc.) and Jono Lonie (guitar, violin, percussions etc) made in 1987. Noise ambience, minimalism, pianoscapes, experimental moods, open forms... a homemade instrumental sound related with so many fields, seeking for free combinations among several elements and defending both antithesis and co-existence.

AT SWIM 2 BIRDS

CHRIS KNOX " Yes!! " (NZ, 1997)

The usual lo-fi-folk-pop-garage recipe for writing simple, homemade, sarcastic, critical, self-ironic and yet sensitive songs, by using cheap tricks and poor means is not always inspired.
" YES!! ", his 1997 release, sounds a bit "tired" and at times boring. The bonus disc though, that escorts " YES!! " is (in my opinion) more interesting. It contains, prologued by CHRIS, ten songs himself like to perform live. Some of them deserve placing in a possible anthology. If an anthology were enough in his occassion...

Get a listen of some bonus disc selections here. (23mb)

Tracks:
Song of the would-be messiah / Consdicuous consumption / Maxillofacial homocraft /
The counsellor`s song / The grip /

PETER JEFFERIES "The Last Great Challenge in a Dull World" (NZ,xpressway,1990)

THIS KIND OF PUNISHMENT paused activities in late 80`s... but Jefferies brothers didn`t stop heading avant garde/alternative/exp-lofi world releasing other new amazing works. THE LAST GREAT CHALLENGE IN A DULL WORLD (following the collaboration with Jono Lonie: "At Swim Two Birds", 1987) is the first of Peter`s highly challenging solo LPs. And rather the best, ...considered that this man`s artistic power is more influential when focused on piano-voice songform core.

The "last great challenge..." posted here after a request.

Last Great Challenge in a Dull World (67 mb)

PETER JEFFERIES "Closed Circuit" (NZ, 2001)

Compared with its predecessors (SUBSTATIC,1998 & ELEVATOR MADNESS,1996) "CLOSED CIRCUIT" is a more song orientated work. Peter concetrates his acoustic-electric, art-minimal-noise aeshtetics in shorter compositions and the album, generally, sounds dense, more lofi, less experimental than past. Critical, yet poetic lyrics place him next to artists like Peter Hammill. He remains one of the last great romantics in a dull world...

Check also our previous post about Peter Jefferies "ELEVATOR MADNESS"

Closed Circuit (34 mb)

THE CLEAN vehicle (NZ,1989)

After the BATS and their "couchmaster" here it is another episode from the exciting NZ scene. Kilgour brothers and Robert Scott are THE CLEAN...and "VEHICLE" (2nd LP) was their own down under way to trust instinct and react instantly to the impulses of the surrounding. That`s why, i guess, vehicle recorded (and produced by themshelves) within 3-4 days (july 18-21, 1989).

13 direct, short, handmade velvet pop shots, fast to live and destined to risk only once whether getting you there.Vehicles...

Vehicle recorded at London and released by both Flying Nun and Rough Trade.

Riped from vinyl. Listen here (48mb)

THE CHILLS rolling moon 7`` (NZ, Flying Nun,1982)

Here it is "Rolling Moon", the legendary 1st single THE CHILLS cut for Flying Nun in 1982. Sound, of course, here is raw psych post-punk, hot, fresh, direct out of the core. Quite different from the more seeking pop perfectness turn the band took with "Brave Words". Without being necessarily a fan of fast electric, garagy sound, i prefer their first, up to the "The lost E.P." period. Well... i just think their flamethrowing is a bit flamelower after "The lost E.P.".

SIDE A rolling moon

SIDE B bite / flame-thrower

GET IT HERE (22mb)

THE BATS couchmaster (NZ, 1995)

Existing since 1982, THE BATS are one of the cornerstones of the legendary NZ underground. They come from Dunedin, "motherspring of miracles" for the 80`s (and not only) down under pop. Mainman Robert Scott has been also member of THE CLEAN, THE MAGICK HEADS, ELECTRIC BLOOD, and had played with THE CHILLS. Without breaking any new ground COUCHMASTER is one more link to the continuity of the constable post-punk/lo-fi/psych/homemade/pop values that New Zeeland, as no other country, has raised to the top. 

Couchmaster (70mb).

THE FETALS (a.k.a. FETUS PRODUCTIONS ) fetalmania (1994)

JED TOWN is a very little known hero of alt-postpunk-lo fi-experimental scene of New Zeland. Fetalmania is an ep from 1983 along with other FETUS PRODUCTIONS compositions from 80`s. Dark electronic / industrial sound, but with a strange 60`s edge. In fact, unclassified, unique.Obscure, although it should be one of the emblems of underground of all ages.

Με την άβολη και περα απο προφανεις κατηγοριοποιησεις μουσικη του, ο Νεοζηλανδός Jed Town κερδίζει "επάξια" θεση εκλεκτή ανάμεσα στους αγνοημένους και αφανείς ήρωες του μεταπάνκ σκηνικού. Επιλέγει όμως και ο ίδιος να κρατά το τοπίο θολό και στην αναδρομική αυτή, κατα καποιο τρόπο, κυκλοφορια της γερμανικής QDKmedia, συστηνεται ως The Fetals αντι Fetus Productions, όχημα με το οποίο συνέθεσε το FETALMANIA ep (1983), καθως και τις υπολοιπες εξαιρετες συνθεσεις που παρουσιάζονται εδώ, ενώ συμπεριλαμβάνεται και μια συνθεση του ως The Features.

Επι της ουσιας...η ηλεκτρονικη avant lo fi σκοτεινιά των 80`ς εχει την τιμητικη της εδω. Καταβυθιση εφιαλτική σ`ενα αμαυρωμένο ασταθή ψυχισμό που διέρχεται πεδια απομόνωσης, περιβαλλοντα αγχωδη, βασανιστικα. Και ομως...οι γκριζόχρωμοι τούτοι βιομηχανικοι βουρκοι δεν παυουν να συναντούν μέσα τους, την παρεμβολή ενός ονειρικού ξέφωτου που διαρκως παραπέμπει αλλού: σε ήχους ακουστικούς, σε φολκ δομες, σε αρτ μπαλαντες, στα 60`s, στους Beatles, στον ρομαντισμο, στην εκθεση σε μια μνημη που οσο περισσοτερο αναψηλαφείται, τοσο περισσότερο εξελίσετται σε καθοριστικό παράγοντα αντοχής. Η FETALMANIA με τον δικό της, εντελώς ιδιαίτερο τρόπο, συνοψίζει τα "εναλλακτικά" πεπραγμένα του σκοτεινού 80`s φάσματος χωρις τελικά να ξεθυμαίνει με την εξάντληση της εποχής. Ηχογραφημενη σε Sidney, London, Auckland, περιλαμβάνει 17 συνολικά συνθέσεις (αδυναμία του γράφοντος το" why " με το αλλόκοτο "φωνητικό " παιγνίδισμα των συνθετητών )...που η υπόγεια ποιότητα ήχου δεν θαμπώνει καθόλου την αινιγματική γοητεία τους.

Ο Jed Town εξακολουθει να γράφει μουσική.

Επισκεφθήτε τον στο my space . http://www.myspace.com/jedtown

Fetalmania

PETER JEFFERIES elevator madness (1996)

Few things for this important NZ musician and his 3rd , after disbandment of THIS KIND OF PUNISHMENT solo work, we told recently, (see post at blog: club amigos del .rar y ALF ). With songs like the closing track "sunset" still unfaded inside our heads, we repost the album, feeling by many ways this lyrical breath of dusk as a start.

ELEVATOR MADNESS