Abecedarians- The Other Side of the Fence LP

This one was donated last year by a good chum, and collects the early works of US postpunk/coldwave act Abecedarians. The trio formed in Los Angeles in 1983 and recorded several early demos until their first official release, a 12'' on Factory Records. The band then signed to Caroline Records to release two LPs and a compilation, splitting by the end of the eighties.

In 1995, members Chris Manecke and John Blake formed the First Men on the Sun project, which continued in a similar aesthetic as Abecedarians' work and released one LP in 1995. As for the record uploaded below, it was originally released on 2 10'' vinyl LPs in 1990, around the same time the band split. All members felt that these early versions (many of which were re-recorded for their Caroline LPs) had more spirit and spunk to them. Here are the details for the release:



Abecedarians- The Other Side of the Fence LP
1. Beneath The City Of The Hedonistic Bohemians
2. Ghosts
3. John's Pop
4. Come Out
5. Classic
6. Spaghetti Western
7. Switch
8. Where's Karen
9. Soil
10. The Other Side Of The Fence
11. Wildflower
12. They Said Tomorrow

*download it here*

De Press- Product LP

De Press were a gloom-ridden post punk act formed in Norway during the late seventies. Their music would tread similar sonic territories as contemporaries Joy Division and the Sound, while Andrej Nebb's vocals walked the line between unintelligible English and fluent Polish. Andrej's history as a Polish refugee blended their gloomy sound with a series of eastern European influences, a distinguishing feature that made De Press one of the biggest bands in their homeland, even if they didn't catch fire elsewhere.

The band's first record Block to Block is a classic, as their sophomore effort, uploaded below. Product was released shortly after the original lineup of the band split. De Press reunited in 1991, however, and continues to release new material to this day, with Andrej Nebb remaining the only original member to date.

Here's the info and download link for 1982's Product:



De Press- Product LP
1. The Fatal Day
2. In a Position to Know
3. Passages
4. In a Crowded Room
5. Signals
6. Product
7. Another Man's Sin
8. Heaven
9. Total Corruption
10. Swienty Pokoj

*download it here*

Xex- Group:Xex LP

Here's a request of sorts for a classic minimal synthpop gem. Xex were a more experimental wave band, formed in South River, New Jersey. They were a mysterious affair, releasing one record in 1980 and disappearing soon after. The band "began" as a high school kazoo trio. Member Waw Pierogi's interest in science led to several unique delay and echo experiments in the early years, most of which were employed on the band's debut. However, though outfit had little musical technique, their trials and experiments yielded several songs, and after their first performance, the original trio of Waw, Thumbalina Gugielmo, and Alex Zander brought in two of their friends/fans to round out the lineup. Thus, after several experiments and debates, Xex was officially born in 1978.

The band spent the next two years constructing several tracks utilizing minimal synth techniques, semi-conventional song structures, and male and female vocal experiments. Due to the nature of their project and the band's limited abilities, live shows were often inconsistent and humanistic, and often featured performance art and video accompianments.

The original pressing of Group:Xex sold little over a thousand copies. Soon after its release, additional members David Anderson and Jon-Boy Diode departed as Xex completed work on a second record, which due to limited funding and a since-deteriorated master tape, has not yet seen the light of day, and may never will. The original trio continued to work together along with new member Cookie Ruggerio (who previous involvement with the band was limited to walking a stuffed cat during a performance of 'Kitty'). Only a few tracks have surfaced, and mid 80s performances of the band did not include Waw Pierogi.

In 2004, cult interest in the band culminated in a proper reissue of Group:Xex, complete with several demo cuts from the band's original sessions. Just a year before, Alex Zander passed away from a heart attack.

Here's the information for the CD release of Group:Xex.



Xex- Group:Xex (reissue)
1. Fashion Hurts
2. You Think
3. Snga
4. Rome On $5 A Day
5. Party
6. Saint Vitus' Dance
7. Svetlana
8. Don't Blame Me
9. Holland Tunnel
10. Kitty
11. Cops
12. Delta Five
13. Fashion Hurts (Demo)
14. Svetlana (Demo)
15. Saint Vitus' Dance (Demo)
16. Cops (Demo)
17. You Think (Demo)
18. Snga (Demo)

*download it here*

I'm not sure how official this is, but a youtube search comes up with a clipped together video for 'Kitty,' so take a peek below:



This is one of the few available records I've posted as of late, so if you dig on these tracks, be sure to trash these mp3s post-haste and pick yourself up a copy of the cd reissue, which comes complete with extensive liner notes and further information about the band. Click below to order a copy!

Purchase Group:Xex from smackshire.com
further info and chronology

The Elephant Table Album: A Compilation of Difficult Music

Today's the day where I'm supposed to be receiving treats, but all the same, I've got a whopper of an upload in store today, in compilation form. Today's post features The Elephant Table Album: A Compilation of Difficult Music, a 2 vinyl collection comprising the best in budding experimental/industrial music. It was originally released on record in 1983, but lost a few tracks when it was re-released on disc in 1989. However, I've collected all the missing tracks and have included them in their proper placement. Most of these acts are UK-based, but here's the breakdown with a brief blurb on each band and a website link (if one exists):

Disc 1:
1. Portion Control- Chew You To Bits
2. Chris And Cosey- Tears Of Blood
3. Metamorphosis- Muzak From Hawthorne Court
4. Coil- S Is For Sleep
5. Nurse With Wound- Nana Or A Thing Of Uncertain Nonsense
6. 400 Blows- Beat The Devil
7. Konstruktivits- Andropov '84
8. Lustmørd- The Boning Of Men
9. Muslimgauze- Melena Jesenska
10. David Jackman- Edge Of Nothing

Disc 2:
1. SPK- Despair
2. MFH- Vox Humana
3. Nocturnal Emissions- Suffering Stinks
4. Attrition- Dream Sleep
5. Legendary Pink Dots- Suprise Suprise
6. Paul Kelday- Birth Of Planetesimals (Extract)
7. Bourbonese Qualk- Under The City
8. Sirius B- Build Your Children
9. New 7th Music- New Humanity Switchboard (Extract)
10. We Be Echo- Alleycat
11. Bushido- Modelwerk

~Portion Control: a British experimental outfit formed in 1979, active to this day. Name checked graciously by the likes of Skinny Puppy and Depeche Mode.
~Chris + Cosey: Throbbing Gristle offshoot of members Cosey Fanni Tutti and Chris Carter. A little more electro/palatable compared to their previous work.
~Metamorphosis: Short lived experimental group from the UK.
~Coil: Another post-Throbbing Gristle outlet featuring Peter Chrisopherson and John Balance. Ended in 2004 with John Balance's accidental death.
~Nurse With Wound: Currently active and extremely prolific British experimental act, brainchild of Steven Stapleton.
~400 Blows: A more funk oriented industrial project formed in 1981.
~Konstruktivits: Kraut-rock inspired industrial, formed in 1982 and reactivated in 2006.
~Lustmord: Drone/dark ambient artist, got his start working with like minded-industrial outfit SPK. (see below). Recorded throughout the 1980s.
~Muslimgauze: Politically driven Manchester-based drone/noise artist. Still active + very prolific.
~David Jackman: Elusive visual artist and otherwise soundscape composer.

~SPK: Industrial project formed in Sydney, Australia in the late seventies. Experimented with both industrial soundscapes and synthpop. Member Graeme Revell is now involved in film scoring.
~MFH: Short-lived 2 piece industrial collective, changed name to Pump in the late eighties. Check out a post on Phoenix Hairpins to nab a Pump record.
~Nocturnal Emissions: Guerilla style sound/art project still active to this date.
~Attrition: English industrial/dance act, formed in the early 80s. Still active to this date under Projekt Records.
~Legendary Pink Dots: Influential experimental/psychedelic art project still sporadically active. Edward Ka-Spel is also involved in the Tear Garden with Skinny Puppy member cEvin Key.
~Paul Kelday: Brother of Phil Kelday, member of New 7th Music (see below).
~Bourbonese Qualk: Formed in 1979, split in 2002, this British industrial act was infamous for vandalism in their earlier days.
~Sirius B: Short-lived British outfit. Several bands share this name to this date, which makes tracking down proper information a bit tricky.
~New 7th Music: Spontaneous collective keen on improvisation. Most of its members weren't musicians at all.
~We Be Echo: One man experimental project with only one release in 1983. Born out of equally short lived project Third Door From the Left.
~Bushido: Formed and folded in the mid-eighties. One man project. Took their name from a Japanese code of honor. Sole member Gary Levermore is head of the Nettwerk UK label to this day.

*DOWNLOAD*
get both discs here

I'm So Hollow- discography REDUX

Sorry for the duplicate post here, ladies and gentlemen. If you happened to download the I'm So Hollow zip file yesterday, delete it! I've since uncovered a vastly superior rip of the Emotion/Sound/Motion LP with all bass intact. If you happened to nab this record from Mutant Sounds in the past, delete that version too, as it's a similar rip to the one I posted yesterday. This one's the way to go. Otherwise, I also neglected to include the band's exclusive appearance on the Hicks In the Sticks compilation, so the lone track, 'I Don't Know' has also been included in the new zip file to complete the discography!

For today's post, I've uploaded the entire discography for Sheffield post-punk band I'm So Hollow, which is admittedly not a whole lot. The four piece band formed in 1978 and only lasted three years, splitting up after recording one 7'' single and one full length record. The band wet their feet opening up for the likes of Clock DVA, and have since developed a bit of a cult following due to their involvement in the Sheffield music scene, their peers including the Human League and Artery, among others. I'm So Hollow also managed to cut a John Peel session before disbanding. One exclusive song, also included below, has been compiled several times over since the band's demise.



I'm So Hollow- Dreams to Fill the Vacuum 7'' (1980)
1. Dreams To Fill The Vacuum
2. Distraction



I'm So Hollow- Emotion/Sound/Motion LP (1981)
1. Entrance
2. Which Way..?
3. Unbroken Line
4. Touch
5. Collisions
6. Excitement = Change
7. The Triangular Hour
8. Emotion / Sound / Motion
9. Nosferatu/Distraction



Various Artists: Hicks In the Sticks Compilation(1980)
13. I Don't Know

*download them here*

For your viewing pleasure, here's a live performance of 'Touch' taken from the Made In Sheffield DVD:



Lastly, a request for the peanut gallery: if anyone has a recording of the I'm So Hollow Peel Session, please send it my way! Pretty please with cherries?

The Neon Judgement- Mafu Cage LP

I've already done a brief overlook on the Neon Judgement, a Belgian based wave act, but since their seminal 1986 record Mafu Cage seems to be out of print, I've uploaded it for your listening pleasure. Otherwise, I'll cut and paste what I said about them last October:

The Neon Judgement formed in a town outside of Brussels in 1981, and since then the duo of TB Frank and Dirk Da Davo have been creating synth driven music with a dash of electronic violence and a sprinkle of rock and roll ideology. Neon Judgement would release several records and remixes before briefly disbanding in 1998. However, as the two reunited in 2004 to promote an upcoming remix collection in Europe, the band was also reactivated as a creative unit. In 2005, the band also released The Box, a 2cd set comprising live tracks and rarities alongside classic cuts.

On the side, member Dirk Da Davo also spearheads the Neon Electronics side project, composing new material and reworking old tracks.



The Neon Judgement- Mafu Cage LP
1. Awfull Day
2. The Man
3. He's Gonna Drop
4. Be Nice To Me
5. Rise (I Hope One Day)
6. 1958
7. Voodoo Nipplefield
8. Dead Friends Body
9. Tomorrow In the Papers*
10. Antoine*
11. Tv Treated*
12. The Man (Remix)*

*cd release bonus tracks

*download it here*

For all other info on the Neon Judgement, please click below:
Neon Judgement homepage

Clock DVA- Advantage LP

Today's rain-soaked upload features seminal industrial/electronic act Clock DVA's most solid record, 1983's Advantage.

The band originated in England in the late 70s, taking inspiration for their name from Anthony Burgess' dystopian nightmare novel A Clockwork Orange. Clock DVA originally consisted of two members, Adi Newton and Steven Turner, who worked with both Cabaret Voltaire and early members of the Human League before forming the band. Their first recordings were released on Throbbing Gristle's own Industrial Music label, and quickly, Clock DVA grew to prominence in the budding industrial scene with their experimental tape loop and synthesizer treatments. However, by the time the band recorded their follow up records, they had lost and gained members and shifted to a more structurally sound lineup, blending their experimental electronic techniques with some more conventional rock instruments.

Over the course of the 80s, the band split several times over, Adi Newton remaining the only consistent member with each reformation. The band shifted styles with each lineup change, eventually settling on a more EBM sound. Though the band never "officially" split, the last Clock DVA album was released in 1993...Meanwhile, the most current members have persued solo projects.

The 1983 LP uploaded below is the perfect hybrid of Clock DVA's experimental and more conventional sound. I've attached a few bonus tracks from a CD reissue, but have left off the extended and alternate remixes that grace the end. Without any further ado, the details:



Clock DVA- Advantage LP
1. Tortured Heroine
2. Beautiful Losers
3. Resistance
4. Eternity In Paris
5. The Secret Life Of The Big Black Suit
6. Breakdown
7. Dark Encounter
8. Poem
9. Noises In Limbo
10. Black Angels Death Song

*REMOVED PER ARTIST REQUEST*

Click below to watch the full length video for 'Resistance.'



Lastly, here's what seems to be an official myspace page, with photos, discography, and more. Click click!

Clock DVA on myspace

Twilight Ritual- Rituals LP/reissue

To complete the trifecta and fulfill an older request, here's a reissue of Twilight Ritual's Rituals LP, originally released in 1986. This is the "latest" project of Geert Coppens and Peter Bonne, also known for their work in Autumn and Linear Movement, two equally captivating Belgian wave outfits. The project originally formed in 1982 and has been an on again, off again focus for the pair.

Twilight Ritual seems to be active to this date. Micrart, responsible for the cataloging and reissuing of releases new and old, alludes to two new studio records, one of which is available as of last year and one of which is on the way. In the meanwhile, Geert Coppens keeps himself occupied with two side projects; Das Cabinett (not the same previously featured in these back pages) and Gerardus Le Monk.



Twilight Ritual- Rituals LP/reissue
1. Amorphous Materials
2. I Never Called You A Dream
3. Message
4. What Are Rooms For?
5. Strength For Me
6. He Is Ice
7. Means Of Heath
8. Closed Circuit
9. Tears On The Wall
10. Fear For Loosing You
11. She Is Gun
12. Steam
13. The Gap
14. Lifestyle

*download it here*

Click below to watch Twilight Ritual perform 'I Never Called You a Dream' on their home turf in 2006:



Otherwise, if you are keen on this record, by all means please purchase a proper copy through Micrart's website, and also consider nabbing some of Twilight Ritual's newest releases, available both on Micart and through the iTunes music store! Click below for a few links:

Micrart
Twilight Ritual on myspace dot com

Guerre Froide- Untitled 12''/Archives Cassette

The pseudo-request I'm fulfilling originally came in for French coldwave act Guerre Froide's first cassette release, Cicatrice, but I am absolutely unable to track it down, so instead, I offer two fine Guerre Froide releases for anyone unfamiliar with the band.

Guerre Froide began in 1980 as a collective of electronic/organic musicians, releasing several underground cassettes and a 12'' single. They only lasted three years, with several lineup shifts throughout, but the band resumed activity in 2006, with most of the original lineup intact. They have since issued a full-length record in 2007, entitled Angoisses & Divertissement and are touring to this day.

For your listening pleasure, I've zipped both their lone untitled 12'' single (released in 1981) and their 1985 post-breakup cassette, Archives. Here's the individual information for these releases, but please note that the two are uploaded together.



Guerre Froide- Untitled 12''
1. Ersatz
2. Demain Berlin
3. Mauve
4. Peine Perdue



Guerre Froide- Archives Cassette
1. La Chanson D'Ian
2. Eva (Berlin 81)
3. Départ
4. Sans Ultimes Sens Multiples
5. Berlin Demain
6. Remorquage
7. Gloria Victis
8. Brumes
9. Picaro
10. Flashbacks Futurs

*download both here!*

There seems to be an UNofficial video for 'Demain Berlin' kicking around youtube. Perhaps a fan creation? Watch out for the nudity!



Otherwise, if anyone happens to have the 1980 Cicatrice cassette, feel free to chime in! Otherwise, here are links to the band's official web-hubs. Can't seem to find any proper purchasing information for the older material, but my French isn't quite up to speed these days, I'm afraid.

Official Site
Myspace dot com
Purchase Guerre Froide's 2007 record here