Double vinyl compilation, sampling the catalogue of DEAD MAN'S CURVE, a good british independent label, active the period 1986 - 1988 and specialized mainly in obscure music from experimental and electro-industrial zones...
Bands are from UK, Europe, US and some of them can be counted easily among the most interesting or uncompromised ones in middle/late 80s underground scene.
Side One: Pop TWICE A MAN girl PORTION CONTROL coming for you baby RECIPE upriver BENE GESSERIT you can dance it THE HOLLOW MEN cathryn wheel THE SILOS shine it down
Side two: Twang CHRISTIANHOUND beast or booty HEAD ON STICKS in your backyard POPPI UK riot KILL UGLY POP hammer on honey HOME & GARDENfrom the life of king john
Side three: Angst CORPSES AS BEDMATES venus handcuffs BODHI BEAT POETS drugs...jack COPERNICUS from bacteria SMERSH herman TRESPASSERS W faraway fathers
Side four: Murder THE PSYCLONES another bridge BLISTERING MOMENTS 777, i guess LAST FEW DAYS megaphobia SMEGMA happy baby rhumba THINKING PLAGUE etude for combo
These Visitors (without article) are from Scotland. Not unknown in their time and definitely better than the average obscure scottish post-punk/DIY band appearing, for example, in compilations like "Kilt By Death:The Sound of Old Scotland". Infos talk about their reputation as a good live band, and some Peel sessions(?), but... Short life, small output, no full LP. VISITORS gone and forgotten quickly...
Σχήμα εξαρχής προσανατολισμένο στην ελεγχόμενα αντισυμβατική καλλιτεχνία, οι Tactics, αναδεικνύονται μέσα από την γεμάτη ενέργεια μετα-πανκ σκηνή του Sydney, κερδίζοντας τη φήμη που έκτοτε τους συνοδεύει χάρη στα άλμπουμς εκείνης της εποχής, "My Houdini" (1980) και "Glebe"(1981). Η συνέχεια είναι συναρπαστική, λίγοι όμως την παρακολουθούν. Με δεδομένες αποστάσεις από την καθιερωμένη ηλεκτρική νεύρωση, ο συνθέτης, τραγουδιστής, κιθαρίστας Dave Studdert και η - διαρκώς μεταβαλλόμενη - παρέα του διευρύνουν τον ορίζοντα των αναφορών τους. Τα ονειροϊσκιωτα βασίλεια της ποπ και φολκ ψυχεδέλειας που επισκέπτονται, για να συναναστραφούν παλιά πνεύματα, τους ωθούν σε ζυμώσεις ήχων ασυνήθιστες, απόλυτα όμως μεθυστικές. Πρωτόγνωρα ρίγη μελωδικής ευφορίας διαπερνούν τις συνθέσεις, πλοκές απρόβλεπτες εξυφαίνονται γύρω απ΄τους παράξενους ρυθμούς. Οι ερμηνείες αξιοποιούν πλήρως την ιδιότυπη φωνή του Dave Studdert, οι νεωτερισμοί δε θολώνουν διόλου την ενυπάρχουσα στον πυρήνα κάθε σύνθεσης αισθηματική αγνότητα των Tactics - αυτήν στην οποία επιθυμούν διακαώς να χρίσουν και μας συνεργούς.
Προσφέρουν λοιπόν επι τούτου την πιο διαχρονικά φωτεινή πανδαισία τους: το άλμπουμ"Blue & White Future Whale''(Folding Chair, 1986). Ένα ασύγκριτο καλειδοσκόπιο βιωμάτων, ανησυχαστικών διαισθήσεων και οραμάτων ταύτισης, μια συνταρακτική αποτύπωση των μυριάδων δονήσεων του ατέλειωτου, φυσικού και μη, αυστραλιανού τοπίου.
Σε μια προσπάθεια γνωριμίας μ' ένα ευρύτερο κοινό, κυκλοφορεί στην Ευρώπη από τη βρετανική Red Flame, που έχει ανατυπώσει το κλασικό ντεμπούτο "My Houdini" καθώς και το θαυμάσιο ΕΡ "Holden Interview", αποτελούμενο κυρίως από σινγκλς.
Η ανταπόκριση παρόλα αυτά παραμένει ελάχιστη και η εκπνοή της μεγάλης δεκαετίας βρίσκει τους Tactics να δοκιμάζουν με ένα ακόμα LP. Σε σχέση με τις δυνατότητες τους, αλλά και τις προσδοκίες μετά από ένα "Blue & White...", το "The Great Gusto" (Regular, 1989) ηχεί πιο προσγειωμένο, είναι όμως το ύστατο έργο τους και κάθε μικρή ή μεγάλη του στιγμή μας κληροδοτεί την μελαγχολική γνώση πως δεν υπήρξαν ούτε υπάρχουν πουθενά άλλοι όπως αυτοί. Αμέσως μετά την κυκλοφορία του "The Great Gusto" o Dave Studdert διαλύει οριστικά το γκρουπ και φεύγει στη Μεγάλη Βρετανία. Στα χρόνια που ακολουθούν, η λήθη ευτυχώς δεν είναι ολοκληρωτική. Συλλογές, ανθολογίες, συγκεντρωτικές εκδόσεις, μοιάζουν να κρατούν κατά κάποιο τρόπο το δίαυλο ανοιχτό... Και είναι πράγματι υπόθεση ανοικτή όσο λίγες, η μουσική των Tactics. Η απαραβίαστη της μοναδικότητα, η βαθιά της μέριμνα, το ίδιο το γενεσιουργό πνεύμα που διαφυλάσεται εντός της μεταλαμπαδεύσιμο, καθιστούν, όσο περνάει ο χρόνος, την επαφή όλο και πιο επι-τακτική.
MOONFROG
Carry the moon across the river Put it on the other side Take the light that it gives you Leave you there so high and dry - and shout! All your dreams come rushing out and so, She gives you back just what you know, And i feel the female side So long denied.
See the mark outside your window Left there by the tide of night And on your arm, below the elbow Where the skin is soft and white, on your wrist The moon fades as the darkness dips and leaves On your skin it's deepest kiss. And i feel the female side So long denied.
Last night i saw a bird The moon was hidden in its beak By the window i stood and watched; Finally the moon did speak to me, Said "These thing i give to you, Please take them, All these things you already own". And i feel the female side So long denied.
John saw it first he said it's strange Fatman casts a shadow that's very thin and strained All those years sleeping in the hall Wrapped up tight we could hear his snore Now these days are gone and they never will return Things are not quite how they were before
Remnants of his reign strewn around the hall Camera's on the fatman his rise and his fall All those years shake that money tree Everything you want everything for free
Now at night you hear all those lonely people calling Because they can't remember nothing at all
Had land had water He gave us life we gave him daughters Jets on strings flew out his window Had land had water The reign of the fatman is coming to a close
Driving down the road at night
Going to see you in my car so full of light
All around me fields made of ivory
Made of dreaming
Now i feel something real
A white light is how i feel
Committee of love
Hoping that you 're up there waiting for me
In your house behind the harbour
Where the boats [..], touch each other
Cloud and shore rub together
My tank is empty but i don't stop
10,000 hands push me along
Committee of love
Trees are grey and close at hand
One by one they open up and point me on
The clouds are blowing wild, wild horse
The night is bright, the moon is shining
From before and from behind
Everything i knew is cast aside
Committe of love
The moon goes flashing by
Everything is on the fly
Everything is working late
To help me on my way
Committee of love
2 is the starting number
3 is the world around you
4 are the things that hold you
1 are the things that love you
Only with each other will we find the things we want.
CLUB TANGO For The Night /Get the picture, 7'', 1981
OCCULT CHEMISTRY Occult Chemistry, 7'', 1980
Twilight Zoners Brighton Rock, 7'', 1980
Dining Out was a small, London based, independent and short-lived label, active in early 80s. It released mainly singles and EPs from some not much known postpunk and new wave bands of the era. Although label's history doesn't coincide with the creation of a specific sound direction, Dining Out stuff enjoys a small cult status and, to say our opinion, some of it rather worths the trouble...
Selections and representative tracks from Dining Out releases:
THE ADICTS easy way out (1979) TWILIGHT ZONERS diversion (1980)
DISCO ZOMBIES mary milington (1980) THE INSEX fractured vision(1979) THE SINATRAS that shape(1981)
KAN KAN blue tango (1981)
FIFTY FANTASTICS god's got religion (1980) NORMIL HAWAIIANS ventilation(1980)
OCCULT CHEMISTRY earth(1980) KAN KAN laugh clown laugh(1980) NAUGHTIEST GIRL WAS A MONITOR to love nuclear (1982) CLUB TANGO get the picture(1981)
NEW AGE amazed(1982) THE INSEX inner sanction(1979) BEHAVIOUR RED offerings(1982)
Formed by producer JOE BOYD (Incredible String Band, Nick Drake, etc) and active in the field of folk/ethnic music throughout 80s and 90s, Hannibal Records was a daring label that brought us in touch with sounds and artists from all over the planet, a label with a major contribution to the evolution of world music and the globalization of folk influence.
Some selections from Hannibal catalogue:
ALI FARKA TOURE i go ka
[Mali], ("The Source", 1991) TOUMANI DIABATE sankoun djabi
[Mali], ("Djelika", 1995) BAKA BEYOND nahwia
[Cameroon/UK], ("Spirit Of the Forest", 1993)
SONGHAI jarabi
[Spain/Mali/UK], ("Songhai", 1988) PATA NEGRA blues de la frontera
[Spain], ("Blues De La Frontera", 1986) SILVIO RODRIGUEZ como esperando abril
[Cuba], ("Dias Y Flores", 1986, reissue) MAHMOUD AHMED Tezeta
[Ethiopia], ("Ere Mela Mela", 1986, reissue) KANDA BONGO MAN malinga
[Congo], ("Amor Fou", 1988) JAZZ JAMAICA don cosmic
[UK], ("Skaravan", 1993) OUTBACK an dro nevez
[UK], ("Baka", 1990) DANNY THOMPSONyucateca
[UK], ("Whatever", 1987) MARTA SEBESTYEN & MUZSIKAS regen volt, soka lesz
[Hungary], ("Prisoner's Song", 1986) VUJICSICS svatovac iz pomaza
[Hungary], ("Vujicsics", 1988) MUZSIKAS jewish dance from szaszregen
[Hungary], ("Maramaros: Lost Jewish Music Of Transylvania", 1993) MARIA KALANIEMI & ALDARGAZslingerdansin
[Finland], ("Iho", 1997) NORMA WATERSON rags and old iron
[UK], ("Norma Waterson'', 1996) CHOYING DROLMA & STEVE TIBBETS tal [Nepal/USA], ("Cho", 1997)
Avant post-punk and industrial pioneer Patrick Miller is well known to LFDJ readers. In addition to our previous MINIMAL MAN posts, here is the 12'' "Mock Honeymoon". Miller produced this EP in Belgium in 1987 with help of Tuxedomoon members Peter Principle (bass, guitar)and Luc Van Lieshout (trumpet, flugelhorn). Drums and additional keyboards by Ludo Camberlin.
F. Floridis, M. Siganidis, K. Vomvolos (Wutu Wupatu)
Ano Kato Records was formed in 1984 in Thessaloniki. It is one of the oldest independent greek labels, definitely the most historical one in Northern Greece.
Due to the fact that Ano Kato has always supported in their first steps, artists derived from different music cultures, its repertoire displays great variety of sounds and idiosyncratic styles.
By starting of sublabel ρει records in early 90s, Ano Kato entered deeper the exploration of jazz, traditional, contemporary music and the space between, creating in parallel, innovative ideas, rediscoveries, international collaborations, experimental projects... the ground, briefly, on which the most interesting Ano Kato works finally were born.
Focused mostly on the ρει spirit, here it is our introduction to Ano Kato music:
ACID FREE purple("Acid Free") WUTU WUPATU doxombus("Wutu Wupatu") KOSTAS VOMVOLOS Romeo("Girls' Bedroom") P. KOWALD, FL. FLORIDIS, G. SOMMER aphorism 13 ("Aphorisms") S. PAPADIMITRIOU & G. SYLLAIOU street theme("The Song Of Lulu") DIOTIMA eros ("Diotima") OKAY TEMIZMAGNETIC BANDkim o tomi("In Finland 1995") KOSTAS VOMVOLOS a strain of grass in her wedding dress("Girls' Bedroom") A PRIORI at a rubber sea ("A Priori") GIANNIS MOURTZOPOULOS byzantine shuffle("Dramamusic") TRIO PRAXIS byzance("Palmus") MODE PLAGALby the first light("Mode Plagal") FLORINA BRASS BAND minderia ("Florina Brass Band") FLORIDIS, PETROVIC, NIKOLICoh my life ("Syrtis Major") WUTU WUPATU Chalkidiki ("Wutu Wupatu")
Η ηθοποιός και σκηνοθέτιδα Ρούλα Πατεράκη προτείνει εδώ, σε θαυμάσια δική της μετάφραση, μια εμπνευσμένη και άκρως υποβλητική ανάγνωση του ονομαστού αφηγήματος του 'Εδγαρ Άλλαν Πόε, "Σιωπή" ("Siope - A Fable"). Σε κίνηση παράλληλη πλάι της, οι Φλώρος Φλωρίδης και Γιάννης Μουρτζόπουλος αντιδρούν απέναντι στην ποιητική πρόζα του Πόε εξίσου ατμοσφαιρικά, με ήχους αφαιρετικούς και φαντασία ελεύθερη που φτάνει ως τον αυτοσχεδιασμό, χώρο άλλωστε μες τον οποίο με αρκετή δεξιοσύνη συνήθως δρουν.
Ανεπτυγμένη σε δύο εκδοχές (Σιωπή Ι & Σιωπή ΙΙ), η 28λεπτη αυτή μουσικοθεατρική σπουδή ηχογραφήθηκε γύρω στο 1990, ενώ δισκογραφικά εμφανίζεται στο άλμπουμ του Φλωρίδη "Το Βέλος Του Χρόνου" (Αno Kato Rec, 1995), αποτελώντας κεντρική και καθοριστική συνιστώσα του.
Πρόκειται για ένα από τα πιο αξιόλογα δείγματα σύγχρονης ελληνικής πρωτοποριακής δημιουργίας για την ουσιαστικότερη κατανόηση του οποίου παραθέτουμε επίσης και το πρωτότυπο κείμενο.
SIOPE [SILENCE] - A Fable (1837)
by Edgar Allan Poe
Ευδουσιν δ'ορεων κορυφαι τε και φαραγγες Πρωνες τε και χαραδραι. ΑΛΚΜΑΝ, [7ος αιωνας π.Χ.]
The mountain pinnacles slumber; valleys, crags, caves are silent. ALCMAN
"LISTEN to me," said the Demon as he placed his hand upon my head. "The region of which I speak is a dreary region in Libya, by the borders of the river Zaire. And there is no quiet there, nor silence.
"The waters of the river have a saffron and sickly hue; and they flow not onwards to the sea, but palpitate forever and forever beneath the red eye of the sun with a tumultuous and convulsive motion. For many miles on either side of the river's oozy bed is a pale desert of gigantic water-lilies. They sigh one unto the other in that solitude, and stretch towards the heaven their long and ghastly necks, and nod to and fro their everlasting heads. And there is an indistinct murmur which cometh out from among them like the rushing of subterrene water. And they sigh one unto the other.
"But there is a boundary to their realm -- the boundary of the dark, horrible, lofty forest. There, like the waves about the Hebrides, the low underwood is agitated continually. But there is no wind throughout the heaven. And the tall primeval trees rock eternally hither and thither with a crashing and mighty sound. And from their high summits, one by one, drop everlasting dews. And at the roots strange poisonous flowers lie writhing in perturbed slumber. And overhead, with a rustling and loud noise, the gray clouds rush westwardly forever, until they roll, a cataract, over the fiery wall of the horizon. But there is no wind throughout the heaven. And by the shores of the river Zaire there is neither quiet nor silence.
"It was night, and the rain fell; and falling, it was rain, but, having fallen, it was blood. And I stood in the morass among the tall and the rain fell upon my head -- and the lilies sighed one unto the other in the solemnity of their desolation.
"And, all at once, the moon arose through the thin ghastly mist, and was crimson in color. And mine eyes fell upon a huge gray rock which stood by the shore of the river, and was lighted by the light of the moon. And the rock was gray, and ghastly, and tall, -- and the rock was gray. Upon its front were characters engraven in the stone; and I walked through the morass of water-lilies, until I came close unto the shore, that I might read the characters upon the stone. But I could not decypher them. And I was going back into the morass, when the moon shone with a fuller red, and I turned and looked again upon the rock, and upon the characters; -- and the characters were DESOLATION.
"And I looked upwards, and there stood a man upon the summit of the rock; and I hid myself among the water-lilies that I might discover the actions of the man. And the man was tall and stately in form, and was wrapped up from his shoulders to his feet in the toga of old Rome. And the outlines of his figure were indistinct -- but his features were the features of a deity; for the mantle of the night, and of the mist, and of the moon, and of the dew, had left uncovered the features of his face. And his brow was lofty with thought, and his eye wild with care; and, in the few furrows upon his cheek I read the fables of sorrow, and weariness, and disgust with mankind, and a longing after solitude.
"And the man sat upon the rock, and leaned his head upon his hand, and looked out upon the desolation. He looked down into the low unquiet shrubbery, and up into the tall primeval trees, and up higher at the rustling heaven, and into the crimson moon. And I lay close within shelter of the lilies, and observed the actions of the man. And the man trembled in the solitude; -- but the night waned, and he sat upon the rock.
"And the man turned his attention from the heaven, and looked out upon the dreary river Zaire, and upon the yellow ghastly waters, and upon the pale legions of the water-lilies. And the man listened to the sighs of the water-lilies, and to the murmur that came up from among them. And I lay close within my covert and observed the actions of the man. And the man trembled in the solitude; -- but the night waned and he sat upon the rock.
"Then I went down into the recesses of the morass, and waded afar in among the wilderness of the lilies, and called unto the hippopotami which dwelt among the fens in the recesses of the morass. And the hippopotami heard my call, and came, with the behemoth, unto the foot of the rock, and roared loudly and fearfully beneath the moon. And I lay close within my covert and observed the actions of the man. And the man trembled in the solitude; -- but the night waned and he sat upon the rock.
"Then I cursed the elements with the curse of tumult; and a frightful tempest gathered in the heaven where, before, there had been no wind. And the heaven became livid with the violence of the tempest -- and the rain beat upon the head of the man -- and the floods of the river came down -- and the river was tormented into foam -- and the water-lilies shrieked within their beds -- and the forest crumbled before the wind -- and the thunder rolled -- and the lightning fell -- and the rock rocked to its foundation. And I lay close within my covert and observed the actions of the man. And the man trembled in the solitude; -- but the night waned and he sat upon the rock.
"Then I grew angry and cursed, with the curse of silence, the river, and the lilies, and the wind, and the forest, and the heaven, and the thunder, and the sighs of the water-lilies. And they became accursed, and were still. And the moon ceased to totter up its pathway to heaven -- and the thunder died away -- and the lightning did not flash -- and the clouds hung motionless -- and the waters sunk to their level and remained -- and the trees ceased to rock -- and the water-lilies sighed no more -- and the murmur was heard no longer from among them, nor any shadow of sound throughout the vast illimitable desert. And I looked upon the characters of the rock, and they were changed; -- and the characters were SILENCE.
"And mine eyes fell upon the countenance of the man, and his countenance was wan with terror. And, hurriedly, he raised his head from his hand, and stood forth upon the rock and listened. But there was no voice throughout the vast illimitable desert, and the characters upon the rock were SILENCE. And the man shuddered, and turned his face away, and fled afar off, in haste, so that I beheld him no more."
Now there are fine tales in the volumes of the Magi -- in the iron-bound, melancholy volumes of the Magi. Therein, I say, are glorious histories of the Heaven, and of the Earth, and of the mighty sea -- and of the Genii that over-ruled the sea, and the earth, and the lofty heaven. There was much lore too in the sayings which were said by the Sybils; and holy, holy things were heard of old by the dim leaves that trembled around Dodona -- but, as Allah liveth, that fable which the Demon told me as he sat by my side in the shadow of the tomb, I hold to be the most wonderful of all! And as the Demon made an end of his story, he fell back within the cavity of the tomb and laughed. And I could not laugh with the Demon, and he cursed me because I could not laugh. And the lynx which dwelleth forever in the tomb, came out therefrom, and lay down at the feet of the Demon, and looked at him steadily in the face.
Silence I (taken from "The Arrow Of Time", Ano Kato Rec, 1995)
A study on E.A.Poe's short story "Silence -A Fable"
For mostthe name of Jowe Head recalls bands as Swell Maps, Television Personalities, or even ThePalookas. Disguised here as Stefan Vogel, Jowe Head led the indie weirdos HOUSEHUNTERS to something like an amusing parody or rather a funny recycling of the past.
HOUSEHUNTERS got inspiration from mythic side of rock'n'roll, from trash-pop culture, punk, psychobilly, the 60's he-&-she duets, the sudden innocence of early indie heartbeats and a lot more...
They fed the frenzy of their time with three singles, an LP... and the small indie Hollow Planet label they ran...
Dead links replacing is in (slow) progress. Inevitably, some files will stay off for long. Some others will be back perhaps for a short time. So please comment for quicker resurrection!
