• This Heat – Nottingham, May 1981

Tape, live at the Boat Club, Nottingham, UK, May 19th, 1981

More live This Heat, at the peak of their powers. The most fascinating thing about this one is just how close to the recorded versions some of these are — we always thought the guys did all kinds of studio trickery and tape splicing under the auspices of David Cunningham to get the likes of “Horizontal Hold” and “Health & Efficiency”. Damn.

Note that the last track cuts off a little early — it’s missing maybe twenty seconds and some desultory applause. Very sorry, but that’s what happens when some jackass dubs it onto one side of a goddamn C90. Still to come: Hamburg and Amsterdam, both 1982.

1. Horizontal Hold
2. Paper Hats
3. Aerial Photography
4. SPQR
5. Triumph
6. Makeshift Swahili
7. A New Kind of Water
8. Twilight Furniture
9. Health & Efficiency

Link

• Rob Preston – Insect Mechanics

Tape, Direction Music, 1996

All hail Direction Music, the mightiest post-industrial/electronic label ever to come out of Anglesey, North Wales. No, really, all hail. Some of their releases were damn fabulous. Maeror Tri’s early outings Sensuum Mendacia and (especially) The Beauty of Solitude are the gold standard in melancholy dark ambient, and have since been reissued on CD. Others, though, are unfairly lost. We’ll rip Plant Back Ofnus’s tremendous electro-ambient suite on the phases of the moon, Symudiad Ymddangosol Y Lleuad, for posting here at some point. Meanwhile… Contrastate, Vidna Obmana, Morphogenesis, NWW, Con Schnitzler – how can you not be licking your lips at the very thought of it al?. And they always had lovely covers, with stuck-on artwork and clear inlays. Sadly, label founder Pete Harrison died back in 2000, but his legacy remains. As a taster, here’s a rare gem, Rob Preston’s jittery explorations of insect sounds and synth drones. It’s a kind of method-ambient; ponder on it too much while listening and you’ll scratch yourself silly (and not in a DJ Shadow kinda way).

SIDE ONE
1. Chamber Of Clones (6:18 )
2. Silver Y (5:43)
3. The Brutality Of Transformation (4:09)
4. Lunar Underwing (11:39)

SIDE TWO
1. Allegiance (3:30)
2. Chrysalis Fourteen (6:31)
3. Insect Mechanics (3:49)
4. Construction (9:55)
5. Venus (5:21)

Link | Discogs

• Voodoo Ceremony in Haiti

LP, Olympic, 1974

We guess this kind of does what it says on the cover. In brief, some voodoo rituals, recorded in Haiti on none-too-sparkly equipment, at some point before 1974. No idea how authentic they are, but the sleevenotes certainly seem exhaustive. A short and deadly record that’s probably of more interest mounted on the wall for people to gawp at than to actually listen to, but give it a go anyway. Bang up the volume, open the windows, let the neighborhood have it, see how long it takes before the cops come. (This will depend where you live; in Port-au-Prince you may get this damn stuff every Saturday night anyway.)

To be read in conjunction with Green Eyes by Lucius Shepard.

SIDE ONE
1. Voodoo Drums (5:26)
2. Nibo Rhythms (1:19)
3. Prayer to Shango (1:56)
4. Petro Rhythms (0:47)
5. Nago Rhythms (2:40)

SIDE TWO
1. Invocation to Papa Legba (5:59)
2. Dahomey Rhythms “The Paul’L” — Maize Rhythm — Diouba Rhythm “Cousin Zaca” (6:06)

Link  |  Discogs

• Various – Acid House

LP, Jack Trax, 1988

Talking about the future is one thing, but talking about the phuture… now you got us interested. Those 808 and 303 sounds remain among the most distinctive motifs in all of dance music, but hereabouts is where they started. Tell you what, nip down Radio Shack or Maplins or wherever, buy yourself a cheap little strobe light, hurry back home and d/l this little sucker, and you’re made. Go on, we’ll wait.

BTW, this is the Brit edition; there’s a US version retitled Acid LP that drops “Confusion’s Revenge” for a second Mr Fingers track. Just for the official record, you understand. Meanwhile, noting just how collectible these early US and UK acid records are getting, we’ll be watching the take-up on this one with interest… cause we’ve got a truckload more if you get off on this stuff as much as we do.

SIDE ONE
1. Pierre’s Pfantasy Club – Dream Girl
2. Phortune – Can You Feel the Bass
3. Armando – Confusion’s Revenge
4. Armando – 151

SIDE TWO
1. Mr. Fingers – The Juice
2. Phortune – Jiggerwatts
3. Kool Ma Kool – World Turns Round
4. Megamix – Pump up the Acid

Link | Discogs

• Various – Wild Paarty Sounds vol.1

LP, Cherry Red, 1981

We like our On-U Sound on the early side, so what better than this pre-Pay It All Back collection of mutant indie/dub experiments? Back in these early days, as Adrian Sherwood was still learning his craft, you still get the occasional ex-Pop Group and Slits folks hanging around (Machine Gun Hogg & Co, Ari Up’s New Age Steppers); the mighty Manc freaks Suns of Arqa and the Mothmen – later to form the first iteration of, well, no easy way to say it, Simply Red; and several tracks of almost industrial-tinged clattering. And here’s where you find “Quante Jubila”, still possibly Prince Far-I’s finest rhythm. Later (1991) out on CD, but ripped from vinyl for proper bass response, y’all.

SIDE ONE
1. Jah Woosh – Woodpecker Sound (3:25)
2. Machine Gun Hogg & Co. – Bed Bound Saga (3:35)
3. Prince Far I & Creation Rebel- Quanté Jubila (3:17)
4. The Chicken Granny – Quit the Body (3:05)
5. Alan Pillay – Parasitic Machine (3:42)
6. London Underground – Dreams are Better (4:14)

SIDE TWO
1. Suns of Arqa – Asian Rebel (5:02)
2. Alan Pillay – Demonic Forces (3:46)
3. The Mothmen – Afghani Dub (2:26)
4. Jeb Loy & the Oil Wells – Things that Made U.S. (4:41)
5. New Age Steppers – Yipee I Aah (2:48 )
6. Judy Nylon – The Dice (3:44)

Link | Discogs

• Bobby & Betty Go to the Moon

LP, Happy House, 1966

Staying in space… If you are in any way familiar with The Orb’s Ultraworld or Jimmy “KLF” Cauty’s Space record, you’ll surely know all about Bobby & Betty. Luke Vibert and Kinobe were among several of the others who came calling for its delicious retro space adventure samples, in its fascinating tale of a modern boy and girl who get to have a cool space adventure in the far future year of… 1985. And check out the flip for some funky, space-dusted dance classics, including a very wonky James Brown cover. Delerious space pop fun for all future kid units.

A. A Lunar Adventure in the Year 1985 (14:51)
B. The Party After Landing at Lunar Central (13:54)

Link | Discogs

• Space Explosion – Space Explosion

CD, Captain Trip, 1998

How’s this for a Krautrock supergroup: you’ve got Zappi and Peron from Faust, yer Moebius from the mighty Cluster, Mani “Guru Guru” Neumeier, Chris Karrer from the Düül of course, and for the pop kids there’s even Jurgen Engler from Die Krupps. All rocking out live in the studio, to create a mix of classic space rock and the best jam band you ever saw.

1. Dino’s Dream (10:30)
2. Im Hall (6:15)
3. Taub (6:36)
4. Space Explosion (9:38)
5. Krakatau (21:31)
6. Alpha Express (2:40)

Link | Discogs

• Tod Dockstader – Recorded Music for Film, Radio & Television: Electronic [vol.2]

LP, Boosey & Hawkes, 1981 (SBH 3082)

In 1979, noted electronic music pioneer Tod Dockstader recorded a lovely disc of library music for Boosey & Hawkes, in their Recorded Music for Film, Radio & Television series. Two years later, he made an even better second volume, which B&H in their infinite wisdom decided to release with the same title, in the same cover design, and with only the catalogue number and track titles to tell the two apart. Twenty-three little tracks, all perfect in their own way, many destined to turn up in kids’ cartoon shows, science radio programmes, and maybe even mid-period Doctor Who and the like.

You’ll find volume one on the fabulous Library Hunt blog, a necessary destination for anyone interested in the deep madness that is library music collecting.

SIDE ONE
1. Floatdown (1:29)
2. Snowbell Waltz (2:17)
3. Rotary (1:21)
4. Binary Song (1:04)
5. Stardrift in Two (1:21)
6. Gentle Retrieval (1:17)
7. Ion Armada (2:57)
8. Ion Drive (1:05)
9. Stately Bones (1:26)
10. Bellstomp (2:07)
11. Knockwhistle (1:48)
12. Silver Float (2:13)

SIDE TWO
1. Chuffa (2:45)
2. Boingo Background (1:42)
3. Khiss Dance (2:19)
4. A Little Quiet (1:34)
5. Tictic (2:32)
6. Windbuzz in Two (1:32)
7. Brass Slipnslide (1:53)
8. Machine Brass (1:26)
9. Slambrass (1:24)
10. Soft Wow (1:50)
11. Knockgliss (1:32)

Link | Discogs

• Studio 1 – Studio Eins

CD, Studio 1, 1997

Before Kompakt, before Profan, there was Wolfgang Voigt’s Studio 1 label. Across ten color-coded twelves, he plumbed the depths of minimal techno at its most austere, with only the merest hints of dub effects to leaven the mood, and then rounded up some of the best, plus four new tracks, on this collection. You want it bad.

1. Neu 1 (4:42)
2. Blau 2 (7:57)
3. Neu 2 (7:10)
4. Gold 2 (9:28)
5. Rosa 1 (8:51)
6. Neu 3 (4:56)
7. Lila 3 (9:05)
8. Rot 2 (5:52)
9. Gelb 1 (8:46)
10. Neu 4 (5:33)

Link | Discogs

• Various – Come Aboard! QE2

LP, Sceptre, 1969

Would you believe it? One of the most eagerly sought of all 1960s psych records is, erm, an audio description of the maiden voyage of the liner, the QE2? For most of its (fairly short) duration, the only thrills are provided by Richard Baker or a selection of sounds from life on board what at the time was the world’s most luxurious commercial passenger liner. Oh, but then, two minutes into side two, the barely-recorded Black Cat Bones turn up in the liner’s little onboard discotheque with a fabulous little beat-driven monster, smeared with some very tasty guitar courtesy or either Rod Price, later of Foghat, or Bob Weston, later of Fleetwood Mac. Worth $600 just for that? Yow deciiiide. The rest of the record is perhaps of more marginal interest to all you psych freaks, but we rather like its secondhand air of the glamourous life. How the other half live, eh?

Ripped as two sides, and it’s a little bit crackly in parts. You’ll live.

A. Side One (10:51)
B. Side Two (15:53)

Link | Discogs