• The Sea of Wires – Individually Screened

Cassette, Sea of Wires, 1980

Coventry, England, synthesizer duo The Sea of Wires were another shadowy outfit from the electronic Dark Ages, those very early 1980s, just as synths started to get smaller and more affordable. Releasing just a few self-released tapes and making a few compilation appearances, they mostly relied on beat-free sequencer pulses with something of a Kraut influence, plus the occasional nod to the past glories of the Radiophonic Workshop. Since this tape is SOW #2, one rather suspects that it had a predecessor, but information about them is beyond scarce. A few years later and they’d have been on ICR or Direction, I suspect, and more widely known and loved. Anyway, enjoy this one at least.

There’s one more Sea of Wires track on this compilation over on the fragrant Mutant Sounds.

A1. Invincible
A2. Seascape
A3. Is the New Man Human
A4. Return of the Captain
B1. Robot Dance
B2. An Endless Rainy Day
B3. Breathing
B4. Viking

Link (including full inlay) | Discogs

• Plant Bach Ofnus – Symudiad Ymddangosol y Lleuad

Cassette, Direction Music, 1990   [click above to see larger]

The “Timid Little Children” were a Welsh pair, Gorwel and Fiona Owen, who released just a single derived from one of their two John Peel sessions, a tasty beat-heavy twelve incher on Ankst that Peel caned for a while, and this magnificently dreamy tape for the ever-essential Direction. Superb stuff that, like so much on Direction, should really be out on a smartly remastered CD for all to enjoy. Ah well.

Four tracks, devoted to the phases of the moon, ranging from echoing drones to underwater-Cocteaus shoegaze shimmers. For actual track titles, though, you’ll have to see the tape inlay – they’re astronomical symbols.

Link | Discogs

• Artifice vol.5

CD/magazine, Artifice, 1996

Artifice appears to have been a short-lived British arts magazine of the mid-90s. Mixing a 120-page colour book with a CD/CD-rom containing music, short films and assorted files like experimental fonts, all in a nifty transparent plastic clamshell, it ran for only a short while – indeed, this may have been its last issue. Fairly certain this was bought in the graphic design section of a London bookshop; maybe it never even made it to record stores? A brief online search reveals a few other issues for sale… around the $180 mark each. Some people, eh? None appear to be listed on Discogs, so we’ll just have to wonder about the treasures hidden on some of those other installments. Just the audio components here (cause we have real lives too), including some rare Burnt Friedmann (as Drome, but sounding far more like the much later Nu-Dub Players stuff) and a lovely Scanner track that actually reminded us what he was capable of.

NB. Audio comes as one 28 minute track. Feel free to separate it all out and repost in the comments yadda yadda.

01. Phillipe Cam – Le Chariot
02. Woman, 37, Albanian – ext.3
03. Scanner – Verb
04. Student, 17, English – ext.4
05. Phillipe Cam – Le Rap de Giaco
06. Farmer, 47, Albanian – ext.5
07. Possible Music – He Said He Cared
08. Student, 17, English – ext.6
09. Drome – Moon On My Screen

Link

• Babyland – You Suck Crap

CD, Flipside, 1992

“Independent Electronic Junk Punk” pair from California, and we’re inspired to post this early 90s piece of cheeky sampling/industrial raging because this week we noticed that they were still going, and had a new record out. Suspect that even now there’s still rather a lot of not-very-shocking metal banging, angle grinder abuse and general clank-clank-ho-humness about their live shows, but good on ‘em.

This CD has both their first vinyl album, plus all the tracks from their first EP. So if you’re really into doing the discography thing, separate out tracks 2, 6, 11 and 14 and rip yourself the sleeve from Discogs while you’re at it. Certainly, opener “Mask” is a lovely little bit of Atari-quality sampling playfulness that if nothing else serves to remind us that Killwhitneydead aren’t exactly original, and which still sounds a cute and teen-angry as when that nice Mr Peel first played it back in the day.

01. Structure Fall (2:27)
02. Mask (4:02)
03. The Advance (4:41)
04. Increased Turnover (2:34)
05. Traffic (4:36)
06. Logan’s Run (2:49)
07. Burning Up (3:36)
08. Arthur Jermyn (4:01)
09. Smrow-Toh (5:17)
10. Don’t You Feel Lost (2:50)
11. Mindfuck (3:07)
12. Under (3:07)
13. Fault (4:10)
14. Motor.Tool.Appliance (3:16)
15. Reality (3:21)
16. Thekadont (16:52)

Link | Discogs

• Pacific 231 – Oudjat Millenium Phase

CD, Art Directe, 1993

Pierre Jolivet, aka Pacific 231, is a French sound’n'noise artist now based in Dublin. This particular release is apparently an unathorized one, put out by a Swedish label, but to be honest I [Stefan M—] only bought this because I’d loved a Pacific 231 single on Monochrome… which turns out (thanks Discogs) to be a very early collab between those fine Herren Voigt and Burger – expect that one soon enough. (And yes, that is a Crimso cover on the flip… sort of.)

Anyroads, this is not that. There are some fairly stern clanks and bangs amongst all the angel-of-death sussurations on this charming little fellow, which may well be from a live performance. Three tracks, though it rips as one, and as it progresses it reminds this little black duck of nothing so much as Current 93’s very early Bar Maldorer loopfest. Which is a good thing, but may just be me. YMMV.

1. Oudjat Millenium Phase (42:41)

Link | Discogs

• Marc Acardipane &tc – Frankfurt Trax vols.1-6

More from the drawer marked “Hardcore U Kno tha Score”, with six volumes of the very best from Planet Core Productions, Dance Ecstasy 2001, White Breaks and more – the very, very best from Marc Trauner (aka Marc Acardipane) and his scurvy band of drunken, belligerent techno renegades. Back at the start of the 1990s, just as the rave world was coming over all ambient and lying down at raves, The Mover and his Frankfurt Leathernecks hoisted the black flag and went full steam the other way. Hard in their wake and directly inspired by them was Lennie D and his Industrial Strength label (their first release was a Mover/Mescalinum United reissue) and eventually this all helped sow the seeds of gabba and the Duracell bunny-on-helium wig-outs of hardcore, but that’s another whole story by itself.

The Discogs entry for Marc Acardipane is short, but has a very illuminating section marked “Aliases”. Together with his collaborations, also listed, he’s released tracks under (at least) 101 different names. Even so, after volume one, he’s not the only person on these discs. Planet Core co-founder Thorsten Lambart (aka Slam Burt) is around the most, but there are also collaborations with techno names such as DJ Dag, Pascal FEOS, Alex Azary and even trance-hippy Sven Väth.

But it’s definitely Acardipane who dominates – and you can even tell his different outfits apart, damn it. Top of the huge pile for us, tho, is his work as Mescalinum United. Probably best known cos there was an Aphex Twin remix on R&S of “We Have Arrived” (that in our opinion simply showed that Acardipane had gone waaay out there already, than you very much), the MU singles are due a collection of their own – perhaps we’ll find the time to assemble it soon enough. Till then, turn. It. Up.

(BTW more and even more Acardipane background courtesy the hunky Simon Reynolds.)

Volume 1—House of Techno, CD, Dance Ecstasy 2001, 1990

01. Mescalinum United – Into Mekong Center (Mekong Score remix) (6:00)
02. Cyborg Unknown – Year 2001 (Deep in Detroit – US mix) (4:22)
03. Me on Bass – Structures & Movements (Game’s Over – Version II) (5:11)
04. Bunker Youth – Love Those Who Fight Against Oppression (Free at All Dub) (4:49)
05. Jackhammer – Dumb! (4:47)
06. Elevation – Delta 9 and Still Searchin’ (4:45)
07. Akt 33 – Act in Acid (No UFO – Extended 12″) (7:00)
08. Digital Dictators – Where the Rhythm Counts (Das Werk der Kraft) (3:15)
09. T-Bone Castro – Radical Padrone (Legal 12″ Version) (6:07)
10. Whale Kommittee – Save the Whales (Club Edit) (4:22)
11. Cyborg Unknown – Year 2001 (Transcendental 12″ Mix) (8:00)
12. Tres Hombres – Fiesta del Suck (6:31)
13. Free Base Factory – Brother Del Ray (Alive & Loaded) (4:04)

Link | Discogs

…

Volume 2—The House of Techno, CD, Planet Core Productions/Dance Ecstasy 2001, 1991

01. Mescalinum United – We Have Arrived (4:15)
02. T-Bone Castro – Hilltop Hustler (I’m the 1 & Only) (5:20)
03. FBI – The FFM Theme (Future World Part 2) (3:43)
04. The Mover – Nightflight (Nonstop To Kaos) (4:38 )
05. R U Ready – Vaeth 1 (5:27)
06. Delirium Posse – +3 (03 Arrival) (2:53)
07. Raw Power Organisation – 1991 (And I Just Begun) (Next Skool remix) (3:35)
08. Dag Tribe – No Compromise (Airport 5.00 – 11.59am mix) (5:12)
09. Trip Commando – House Music’s Not Dead (JVA mix) (4:49)
10. Alien Christ – Of Suns and Moons (Phase II) (4:37)
11. Six Mullahs – Persian Lover (5:48 )
12. Project Æ – Whales Alive (6:19)
13. Nasty Django – ‘Ey Dude (Totally Fucked Up mix) (5:44)
14. Atom Heart – White House (Step Into ‘Da Core Remix) (5:49)
15. Ramin – (Where Is My) Ecstasy (5:55)

Link | Discogs

…

Volume 3—The House of Phuture, CD, Dance Ecstasy 2001, 1992

01. Ace the Space – 9 is a Classic (Ultimate Rave Rmx) (3:56)
02. Killerloops – Murder One (3:57)
03. T-Bone Castro – I Want Cha (Women Here pt2) (4:10)
04. R U Ready – Vaeth 2 (3:59)
05. Mescalinum United – The 2nd Coming (4:17)
06. A Lighter Shade – I Start to Fly (3:46)
07. Nasty Django – Ey Loco! (3:49)
08. Turbulence – Disaster Area (3:42)
09. The Mover – Comet’s Swarm Rising (3:13)
10. The Possessed – Black Blood (4:09)
11. Terrorists – The Outside World (3:10)
12. Dag Tribe – Legalize It! (4:03)
13. Headshop – Floorlifter (3:54)
14. Stalker – Walk on Thunderground (3:59)
15. Program 1 – World’s Famous MF (Fractured Skull mix) (2:07)
16. 303 Nation – DetoNation (3:26)
17. Alien Christ – Of Suns and Moons (Phase IV) (2:40)

Link | Discogs

…

Volume 4—The Hall of Fame, CD, Dance Ecstasy 2001, 1993

01. Mescalinum United – Vs. Evil (A New Level) (5:00)
02. Alien Christ – Of Suns and Moons (Phase 5) (5:43)
03. Ace the Space – 1 Gun – 2 Gun – 3 Gun – Roar! (3:37)
04. Headshop – Universe (4:47)
05. T-Bone Castro – Bitches (5:31)
06. MFPA – Came 2 Party (3:26)
07. White Breaks – White Line (3:53)
08. Nasty Django – King of FFM (3:33)
09. 303 Nation – Double Speed Mayhem (4:50)
10. Tony G. – Loveless (3:52)
11. Turbulence – Bass Gladiators (3:39)
12. The Mover – Final Sickness (5:14)
13. 8am – The Fog Track (5:26)
14. Program 1 – World’s Famous M.F. (Live at Hellraiser A’dam) (3:09)
15. 100% Acidiferous – Tank (5:56)
16. Leathernecks – At War (3:21)
17. Iz & Tone – Ich Diss Dich (3:17)

Link | Discogs

…

Volume 5—Defenders of the Faith, CD, Dance Ecstasy 2001, 1994

01. White Breaks – Ho-o (Let Me Hear You Say…) (3:39)
02. Smash? – Geht Schon (4:00)
03. Ace the Space – Go Voodoo (Rmx By T-Bone Castro) (3:11)
04. 6-Pack – Drunken Piece of Shit (3:01)
05. Program 1 – Shoot dis MF (2:37)
06. Rave Creator – Immortal (4:07)
07. Boom Terrorism – Gabberhouse (Inferno Bros Rmx) (3:39)
08. 303 Nation – Barcelona (3:56)
09. Nasty Django – Yo Bitch! (Rmx) (4:17)
10. Cypher – Sky High (3:32)
11. Turbulence – Six Million Ways to Die (3:51)
12. Terrorists Interzone (2:43)
13. Stick Head – Get In Gear (3:05)
14. Leathernecks – Schaiessseeh (3:19)
15. 100% Acidiferous – 101 Scout (3:11)
16. Mescalinum United – Symphonies of Steel pt1 (4:03)
17. Marshall Masters – Stereo Murder (4:06)
18. T-Bone Castro – Base DJ (4:35)
19. Headshop – Futuristic Kickdown (3:56)
20. Magnetic Two – Phuture Piano (4:24)

Link | Discogs

…

Volume 6—Return to Zero, 2CD, Dance Ecstasy 2001, 1995

DISC ONE
01. PCP – The Phuture (Part 1 – Live in FFM) (3:46)
02. Inferno Bros – Slaves to the Rave (Return to Zero) (5:27)
03. Freez-E-Style – Awake in Neo-Tokyo (5:36)
04. Terrorists – Prayers of our Clan (Force mix) (4:23)
05. 6-Pack – Only When I’m Drunk (4:52)
06 Masters of Rave – Are You With Me (She Likes to Pump It) (Energie Hallen mix) (3:19)
07. Korrekt MFs – Bombengeschäft Rip-Off (4:43)
08. T-Bone Castro – Yo, U Ho..! (Live in Spain – Somethin’ 4 da Neighbour mix) (2:46)
09. Steve Shit – I’m OK (4:39)
10. Nasty Django & DJ Cirillo – Deal Wit’ Beats (4:20)
11. The Mover & Rave Creator – Astral Demons 94 (Cold Planet remix) (6:06)
12. Nasty Django – Let It Roarrr! (Django’s Coolio 95) (5:21)
13. Turbulence – The Home of the Sick (7:04)
14. Stickhead – Check This Mutha Down (4:07)
15. Leathernecks – C’mon Scum! (5:22)
16. Shakira – 1987 Metamorphosis (4:40)

DISC TWO
01. Chucky Chunk – 9D5 Safari Strings (3:54)
02. Ata , M/S/O & KO – Sweet Electronique (6:56)
03. Vaeth 3 – Sounds from the Omen (10:12)
04. The Mover – Last Breath of the Homelands (4:34)
05. Two Tonys – Best Bitch (First mix) (5:16)
06. The Great Bellinis – The World is Ours (6:12)
07. Headshop feat. Attila – Phantom (4:17)
08. Climax – Relax (Mental mix) (6:14)
09. Dag Tribe – Highway No.1 (Westcoast mix) (7:20)
10. Rave Creator – A New Mind (A-Mix) (6:39)
11. Trip Commando – Eastern Origin (Chorus mix) (6:54)
12. Aural Float – The Alchemy of Emotion (7:59)

Links Disc 1 • Disc 2 | Discogs

• Jorge Reyes – Niérika / El Costumbre

Saddened to hear that the Mexican musician Jorge Reyes died Saturday, February 7th, aged 57. He wasn’t massively well-known (no Wikipedia page even) and if mentioned at all it was mostly as a collaborator with Steve Roach. However, from 1983, over a couple of dozen albums he plotted an individual course across ethnic and ambient sounds, chiefly inspired by the ancient and sometimes bloody heritage of Mexico’s pagan past. His use of pre-Columbian flutes and stone percussion mixed with sampling and synth drones transcends your usual cheesy ethno fakery and often arrives somewhere far more unusual. Here are a couple to remember him by.

And here’s more Reyes affection. [UPDATE: See comments for link to The Flayed God.]

Nierika, CD, Silent, 1993 (orig. 1989) with three bonus tracks from Ek-Tunkel, (1983)

01. El Vuelo de los Niños Pajaro (6:07)
02. Venado de Cinco Puntas (4:58 )
03. El Contador de Historias (4:44)
04. Tejido de Sueños (Cola de Venado) (3:19)
05. Los Que se Pintaron la Cara (2:08 )
06. Danza de los Peyoteros (4:20)
07. Donde Nadie Lamenta lo Que Somos (3:06)
08. El Rostro de los Abuelos (4:29)
09. Agueaquemada* (8:40)
10. La Casa Obscura* (3:58 )
11. Cuatrocientos Hermanos* (4:00)

Link | Discogs

…

El Costumbre, CD, Extreme, 1993

01. El Costumbre (11:58 )
02. Omeyocan, Lugar 2 (4:17)
03. El Huarachito (3:15)
04. Peyote-Venado-Maíz (15:00)
05. Danza de los Voladores (4:25)
06. El Despedimento (3:16)

Link | Discogs

• Mal Waldron Trio – Free at Last

CD, ECM, 1970

This pair of posts were a result of a challenge from Thorsten, notwithstanding that he was really just showing off his smart-ass collector scum fact-power. First albums, from two extraordinarily influential record labels — namely, ECM and Mo’Wax.

So first up, he asked: What was the first album on ECM? As it turns out, it was this late 1960s piece of free ensemble riffing from pianist Mal Waldron’s trio (Isla Eckinger on bass and Clarence Beckton on the drums). Some way removed from the precision-engineered architectural approach they would later pioneer, this is very much of its time. Mal himself sets the scene:

As you can see and hear, this album marks for me a different approach to my music. It represents my meeting with free jazz. Free jazz for me does not mean complete anarchy or disorganised sound. In my vocabulary, disorganised sound still means noise. Therefore, in this album you will hear me playing rhythmically instead of soloing on chord changes. About the musicians playing with me: Isla Eckinger is really a fantastic bass man with “great big ears”, meaning the ability to hear and respond to everything that happens in the music. Quoting Charles Mingus, “a cat that can hear like that could hear around corners”. Clarence Beckton, our man on the drums, really knows how to take care of business. Just listen at the ever swinging feeling he gives me on all the moving-type tunes. It was really a pleasure making this album and hoping that you receive as much pleasure as we did.

01. Rat Now (10:13)
02. Balladina (5:01)
03. 1-3-234 (4:01)
04. Rock my Soul (11:19)
05. Willow Weep For Me (7:30)
06. Boo (3:25)

Link | Discogs

• Jazz Hip Jap Project

2CD, Mo’Wax, 1993

So I definitely think I got Stefan good with my question, “What was the first ever release on ECM” but he just about got his revenge, kind of. Of course Mo’Wax released singles before this, nine of them, so if you’re being picky their first ever release was “Promise” by Repercussions. But this was their first album. This is all too-cool-for-school jazzy hip-hop, the cooler end of acid jazz, that sort of thing. Strangely no United Future Organisation on this.

DISC ONE
01. DJ Takemura – The Quest is a Reward (6:18 )
02. Jeff Brown & 33 1/3 – 747 Party in the Sky (6:48 )
03. Jungle Oasis Inc. – Shaft of Ubik (6:04)
04. Men Against Cool – Anger (4:36)
05. DJ Krush – Slow Chase (5:54)
06. Monday Michiru – Hear Between the Silence (5:40)
07. Skip Jack – Bosa Bosa (4:23)
08. Magic Ware – Scandanavia (4:53)

DISC TWO
01. Monday Michiru – Naked With You (5:14)
02. DJ Krush & Monday Michiru – Do Dat Dance (Instrumental Version) (4:34)
03. El-Malo – They Cuss, I Fuss (5:29)
04. DJ Matsura – Gas (5:04)
05. El-Malo – Sling & Solution (4:16)
06. Soul Rebel Freedom – Latin Drunk (5:52)
07. Monkey Drop – Drop (5:34)
08. DJ Takemura – Dedicate for the Sun (6:27)

Link | Discogs