"The economy thrives day after day"

CAN — Zhengzheng Rikang



Here's a new rip of the somewhat mysterious un-catalogued vinyl recording by Can, which first appeared a couple of years ago.

"No catalogue number, no bar code, no credits and no record label mentioned. Hmmmmmm. Bootleg? Or obscure release? On the back sleeve, the only other details apart from the track listing and the fact that it was recorded 1968/69 at Schloß Nörvenich is the phrase "Die Wirtschaft gedeiht Tag für Tag" — "The economy thrives day after day".
What you have here are some fascinating alternative versions of classic Malcolm Mooney-era Can and a couple of new songs. "Little Star Of Bethlehem", for instance, has some intriguing backing vocals with harmonies that wouldn't sound out of place on a Beach Boys record! "She Brings The Rain" is performed in a rawer, more stripped down version. "Outside My Door" and "Pnoom" sound completely different here.
Throughout the record, the sound quality is excellent and these are definitely not rough demos. Probably alternative takes or other parts of the jam sessions that were edited down for the finished studio versions. "Father Cannot Yell" definitely sounds like the later, with different lyrics and bass parts, it sounds like it could be part of the same take. The new tracks that end each side are both OK. Not as great as the other stuff, but still thorougly enjoyable. If you're a Can head and you've played your copies of "Monster Movie" and "Delay 1968" too many times for comfort, then this is an essential album."
- review from wasistdas.co.uk


There was another rip floating around a year or so ago but the tracks were not separated and at 128kbps the sound not so good methinks.
The last three tracks are unseparated as per the album tracklist.

tracklist
A1 Father Cannot Yell
A2 Pnoom(h) I
A3 Little Star Of Bethlehem
A4 Melting Away
B1 (My) Connection
B2 She Brings The Rain
B3 Outside My Door
Pnoom(h) 2
Greyhounds Greyhound

enjoy! @192kbps

"jesus christ was descended from bacteria!"

Thus spake Copernicus — not the renaissance heliocentricist, but the 1980s avant-garde poet...




Copernicus is a New York based poet and musician, who combines avant-garde poetry with improvisational music, with a wide range of influences (jazz, rock, experimental and electronic music). He usually collaborates with hired musicians and has self-published at least eight albums since the mid-1980s.



This English release on Dead Man's Curve is a re-mixed compilation taken from his first two albums: Nothing Exists and Victim of the Sky (originally released on NeverMore in the US).

The title track is particularly entertaining, I was going to reproduce the verse here but decided the impact is better heard as intended...

"One listen to Copernicus is worth 10,000 music videos."
-Sound Choice

decide for yourself:

tracklist
A1 I Won't Hurt You
A2 Nagasaki
A3 Atomic Nevermore
A4 Blood
A5 I Know What I Think
B1 In Terms of Money
B2 From Bacteria
B3 Lies!
B4 Victim of the Sky
B5 White from Black

Copernicus - From Bacteria LP
(Dead Man's Curve DMC 017, UK 1987)

something completely different

Goliard — Fortune My Foe



This is a privately released LP from 1978 by English duo Chris Brown & Andrew Geuter.
For fans of medieval/mittelalter/re-enactment music only — it is raw and un-produced medieval folk — no etherial darkwave moods here!
The archive includes a pdf of the accompanying 20 page A4 booklet, with detailed notes on medieval musical life and explanations & illustrations of medieval instruments.

From the booklet:
"The prime objective of GOLIARD's performances is to achieve as authentic a sound as possible, removing the instruments from the hallowed atmosphere of the museum showcase to present their strange voices to as wide an audience as possible. Because they themselves started from scratch in both the fields of music and instrument-making, a great sympathy has grown between GOLIARD and mediaeval music, for they are following exactly the same pattern set by 12th and 13th Century wandering musicians who had to construct their own instruments and develop their own styles of performance.
A lot of beautiful recordings of mediaeval music have been made in the last ten years by many skilled people, but GOLIARD hope to add some correct perspective to the mediaeval sound by giving to their performance a vitality and understanding which they feel cannot be created by classically trained musicians, nor approached by a large group of specialist musicians brought together on the concert platform."

Tracklist:
01. 13C Dance, A L'Entrada del Tems Clar
02. Dulce Solum
03. Winder, wie ist Nu Din Kraft
04. El Mois de Mai, De Se Debent Bigami, Kyrie
05. Estampie Royale
06. Der Kuninc Rudolp
07. Chose Tassin, Chramer Gip Diu Varwe Mier
08. Vite Perdite
09. Rex Immense, Vinum Bonum Cum Sapore
10. Estampie
11. In Taberna Quando Sumus
12. Exul Ego Clericus
13. A Solis Ortu, Danse Royale

golly! [192kbps 1978]
extra cover files - for completists only

more Doublings from back then

The Doubling Riders — Garama



Here's one I've been meaning to post for far too long...
With the encouragement of Andy, this a 1991 release from the brilliant Italians that brought you Doublings & Silences Vol I & Vol II.
I must admit that my favourite of these is still Vol II...

tracklist:
01 Garama
02 La Pista del Kidal
03 Ultimi Porti
04 Triboli Gao
05 Plus Nubiae
06 Oltre Cydamus
07 Djerat
08 Kaossen
09 I Graffiti di Orione e delle Pleiadi
part1 part2 part3 [224kbps 1991]

if you like the sound of this, thanks to "anon"
there are 4 (four) more amazing releases from Roberto Musci & various collaborators in the comments!
check them out!

Zeuhl Portal

After an un-annouced break (sorry about that) I return with a favourite:
UNIVERIA ZEKT – The Unnamables


Here’s a recording from 1971 by members of French band Magma, recorded under the name Univeria Zekt. From 1969 Magma, led by über-drummer Christian Vander, had defined their own musical genre, known as "Zeuhl", devising their own language ("Kobaian") to present music with a kind of manicly intense operatic sci-fi fervour, which I can best describe as like Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana on acid!
The recording presented here was made following Magma’s second official release (1001° Centigrades), apparently to attract a wider audience: On the first side many of the lyrics are sung in English and the music begins with a conventional rock structure, but as the recording progresses the music and the lyrics return to Zeuhl, literally leading the listener into the rich and bizarre landscape of their creation.
If you like the sound of this there is a whole universe to explore, from the many recordings of Magma to the other groups that were clearly influenced by them, including Belgian bands Universe Zero (clearly the name is the English translation of the Kobain "Univeria Zekt") and Art Zoyd.
This rip is from the vinyl LP. It has been re-released on CD with extra photos and info. Get it if you can...

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / drums, percussion, voice (6)
- Klaus Blasquiz / vocals (4 & 7), percussion
- Francois Cahen / pianos
- Francis Moze / bass, organ
- Teddy Lasry / saxes, flute, organ
- Jeff Seffer / saxes
- Tito Puentes / trumpet
- Claude Engel / electric & acoustic guitar
- Zabu / vocals (2)
- Lionel Ledissez / vocals (4)

Find out more in the Prog Archives about Magma and Zeuhl.

track listing
1. You Speak And Speak And Colegram
2. Altcheringa
3. Clementine
4. Something's Cast A Spell
5. Ourania
6. Africa Anteria
7. Undia

get it (Studio Album, 1971 @192kbs)

a feast for the ears:

now a change of key:
Distant Locust - Chemical Wedding Feast



I saw Distant Locust performing some time around 1990 and the experience remains lodged in my memory despite the obfuscants clouding my mind at the time. They played dense, powerful, punchy songs driven by treated guitar and electronics, including some sort of home made hand-held synth device that can be heard throughout their material with the pervasiveness of Tommy Hall’s jug in the 13th Floor Elevators. I thought at the time that that frying sound was the inspiration for their name. This might all seem a little serious but the overwhelming result was quite amusing.
Their cover version of Donna Summers’ I Feel Love is an absolute classic in my opinion (listen LOUD).

from their website:
"Distant Locust existed from 1986 to 1996 - based in Sydney Australia - spent 1991 in Europe - signed to Contempo Records (Florence, Italy) home to such acts as Clock DVA & Christian Death - toured Italy - Netherlands - Germany - put out some records that not many people bought - were fucking brilliant - were the real band that Mr. Bowie liked (not the distant coconuts as reported in the NME) - put out two music videos (seen on ABC Australia's Rage and MTV Europe) - played with Clock DVA - Christian Death - Laibach - appeared at Big Moon Festival, Weissensee Berlin 1991 - Contemporary 91 Festival, Cascine Amphiteatro Florence Italy 1991 - toyed with Adelaide and Melbourne audiences with no avail - spent way too much time playing the Evening Star Hotel in Sydney - immortalized in Bob Blunt's brilliant tome BLUNT - A BIASED HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN ROCK (Prowling Tiger Press 2001)".



You can download the more obscure recordings from their website and enquire about purchasing this CD there.

tracklist
01 Nursie
02 Astronaut Meets God
03 She Was Annoyed
04 Shining Lie
05 Father's Suit
06 I Feel Love
07 Love's Slow Learner
08 Placenta
09 PriestLies
10 Top of the World

get it [192kps 1991CD]

a ralph comp from B4

Ralph Before '84: Volume II



for your hopeful amusement here is the second part of a release by Ralph Records from 1984.
Volume 1 was music of The Residents and Volume 2 featured the other bands on the label.
This is the only volume I have in my possession.
I was halfway through cleaning up this rip when I discovered L. Chupacabra of Crap I Found at the Library has posted another more extensive Ralph compilation here.
Some of the tracks are common to both releases, but most are not.

tracklist
01 Eva's Warning – Snakefinger (4:31)
02 Halloween – MX-80 Sound (3:24)
03 Evolution – Fred Frith (3:21)
04 What Use? – Tuxedomoon (3:59)
05 Mahogany Wood – The Residents / Renaldo & The Loaf (4:10)
06 Same Old Me – Fred Frith (2:58)
07 Tritone – Tuxedomoon (2:47)
08 Melvyn's Repose – Renaldo & The Loaf (2:05)
09 Yeti: What Are You? – Snakefinger (4:03)
10 Nelda Danced At Daybreak – Renaldo & The Loaf (3:52)
11 Norrgarden Nyvla – Fred Frith (3:10)

same old [192kbps stereo vinyl]

muslimgauze

The Rape of Palestine


to the repetitions of History...

"While Muslimgauze's beautiful, frequently Koran-inspired packaging and exacerbating titles smack of pure political agenda, the music itself aspires to timeless, utopian peace... Sculpted from keyboards and electronics, a variety of international drums, and voices and sound effects snagged from Allah knows where, Muslimgauze aural presence is as abstract as its visual imagery is concrete. Diffuse, repetitive, pulsing incessantly..."
Richard Gehr, Rubrics and Tendrils 1994

from About.com:
Muslimgauze was the stage name of Bryn Jones (1961 - 1999), a prolific electronic music artist, strongly influenced by Middle East affairs. He was a staunch supporter of Hamas and the PLO. Born in Manchester, UK, he never visited the Middle East because he believed it was wrong to visit an occupied land. He first began making music in 1982 to protest the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
...Jones always [used] old analog equipment. He would record himself playing various Middle Eastern instruments and record voices of Middle Eastern people from old tapes. Jones's music was heavily percussive; a review of a rare live performance notes that Jones used a "backing DAT tape with pretty harsh, rhythmic textures, his sort of patented spiralling hypnotic beat, to which he played on two or three different drums with great skill." He actually never looped his music; it was all recorded live, and edited/mixed afterwards. The end result was often loud and staticky, with sudden changes in volume. Jones was never concerned with how many copies of his record were sold, or even how much listeners enjoyed his music, but rather how original his music was.
The Muslimgauze discography is vast. He released over 90 original albums on 32 different record labels, creating nearly 2,000 original songs, each inspired by a political fact or event... he has 180 releases at the time of this writing, but the number is rapidly increasing.
Jones disliked live shows and... has always stated that he never had time to listen to other people's music, although in a 1992 interview with Impulse Magazine, he said he enjoyed traditional music of Japan, the Middle East, and India, as well as Can, Throbbing Gristle, Wire, and Faust. However, despite a few collaborations, Jones didn't trust anyone when it came to remixing his music.
On Wednesday, December 30, 1998, Bryn was rushed to the hospital in Manchester with a rare fungal infection. His body eventually shut down, and he died at 22:50 GMT on Thursday, January 14, 1999.

...my last thought definitely goes to the Middle-East, where blood-baths in the name of a dead Christian god, western civilization, financial power and world domination are taking place every day for the past decades and nobody cares... please let's not forget that was the very thing his music was inspired by and was all about... Let's not think for a moment that Muslimgauze is just music - in fact it's so much more than that... Let's hope the madness stops and ALL people learn what respect is, how to use it and act with a little more intelligence to put an end to this useless and bloody conflict.
Review by: Marc Urselli-Schaerer, Chainlink D.L.K. (May 9, 2002)

Read a 1998 interview with Muslimgauze here

tracklist
01 Shadow of the West
02 The Muslim City
03 A Nation
04 Ways of Faith
05 The Power of the Word
Get it here [192kps 1988]

A History of Devolution Parts 1, 2 & 3

In case you never noticed, I posted three excellent but OOP Devo albums some time ago on my other blog Realm 0f |X|. I'm re-posting them here because they suit the scope of this blog better. This material all pre-dates their first commercial release and if that's what you're familiar with, listen again! This is raw, warped, kinky, low-tech synth poop [sic] that many Devo-tees find superior to their later absurdly successful recordings. It's easy to see why many of these songs were deemed unsuitable for release at the time - they push the boundaries of obscenity and bad taste further than most of the punk that was yet to follow...


Hardcore DEVO Vol.1
tracklist
1. Mechanical Man
2. Auto Modown
3. Space Girl Blues
4. Social Fools
5. S00 Bawls
6. Satisfaction
7. Jocko Homo
8. Golden Energy
9. Buttered Beauties
10. Midget
11. I'm A Potato
12. Uglatto
13. Stop Look And Listen
14. Ono
15. Mongoloid


Hardcore DEVO Vol.2
tracklist
1. Booji Boy's Funeral
2. Can U Take It?
3. Bamboo Bimbo
4. A Plan For U
5. The Rope Song
6. Goo Goo Itch
7. Be Stiff
8. All Of Us
9. Baby Talkin' Bitches
10. I Need A Chick
11. U Got Me Bugged
12. Chango
13. Fraulein
14. Dogs Of Democracy
15. '37'
16. Bottled Up
17. Working In A Coalmine
18. I Been Refused
19. Fountain Of Filth
20. Clockout
21. Let's Go


Devo Live: The Mongoloid Years
Part A Part B
tracklist
1. Satisfaction (I Can't Get No)
2. Too Much Paranoias
3. Praying Hands
4. Uncontrollable Urge
5. Mongoloid
6. Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA
7. Gut Feeling Slap Your Mammy
8. Sloppy
9. Come Back Jonee
10. Clockout
11. Soo Bawls
12. Space Junk
13. Blockhead
14. Subhuman Woman
15. Bamboo Bimbo
16. Beulah
17. Jocko Homo/I Need A Chick

Postscript:
Booji Boy's Basement appears to be a website offering free disks of rare archival Devoid material. You send them blank discs and return postage, they send you burned CDs & DVDs. I haven't tried this yet, but they seem to have a lot of obscure stuff.
Let me know if it works for you...

Potatoes - deep fried Folk

Potatoes is a collection of folk music, Ralph Records style, released 1987.
Cooked to perfection to suit all manner of Tastes, both Good and Bad...
This was re-released on CD at some point (reportedly with tracks missing!?) but is now hard to find.

from the cover:

As far back as any musical memory, and up to this very record, artists have tried to define and appropriate to their own satisfaction the ever elusive expression of folk music.

Ralph Records is proud to announce its seduction by the folk muse and to present the progeny of this joyful union.

Folk music is a reflection of life in the world. Given the world of today, folk music aficionados should be prepared for some novel twists. However, they shouldn't be surprised to hear traditional strains as well.

This collection of songs is what a handful of artists have done with what was handed down to them. Maybe these songs will in turn serve as motivation to future folk heroes.

We hope you enjoy them.

tracklist with liner notes

01 BLITZOIDS— Fire on the Mountain
Fire on the Mountain is a traditional American fiddle tune. Legend has it that this bluegrass favorite got its name when an old time fiddler played it so fast that his instrument caught fire, burning a whole mountain down. Although this song is usually a showcase for some hot fiddling, we have chosen to arrange it like a mutant square dance.

02 RENALDO AND THE LOAF—Haul on the Bowline (A-Chantey)
Here is an old sea chantey from Liverpool adapted in multi-cultural fashion for your multicoloured pleasure.

03 MARIA MARQUEZ AND FRANK HARRIS—Canto Del Pilon
Gossip is the dialogue in this traditional Venezuelan folk song of a woman at work mashing corn. While preparing corn for mealtime, the woman talks in pitch and rhythm about the current events of the local town. Except for the voices, all of the sounds were created and performed on the Synclavier digital music system.

04 THE RESIDENTS—I'm so Lonesome I could Cry

05 TERRA INCOGNITA—Rank Stranger
The classic version of this beautiful song was played by the Legendary Stanley Brothers of Virginia, and we'd like to dedicate our recording to Carter Stanley who passed away December 1, 1966.

06 SNAKEFINGER'S MIDI-EVIL VESTAL VIRGINS
—The Ballad of Sawney Bean/Sawney's Death Dance
Folk music! Glorious heritage of our fiveskins and forefathers. God given birthright of every lowly human. Why, even today, in the heart of the African jungle, one might hear in the stillness of the tropical twilight a dusky Zulu maiden singing her suckling babe to sleep with ancient tribal tales of a usually exceptionally violent and bloody nature. But I digress. My offering on this outstanding collection is a cheerful little self-penned ditty, gruesome above and beyond the call of tradition, and best of all... it's all true!
[read an account of this legend here]

07 MARK MOTHERSBAUGH—My home town
My home town
Is the greatest in the land
The people all there
They treat you all square
And give you a place to stand

My home town
It's more than a town you know
It's my home town
It's my home town
It's Akron, Ohio!

My home town
It's a special kind of place
Hard working folks
With chips on their shoulders
People crammed in sub-human space

My home town
It's more than a town to me
It's more than plain
It's a city of pain
It's one big factory!
Repeat Chorus

08 ARTIST UNKNOWN—The Billy Bee Song
The quality of life has changed. The methods by which we attain certain qualities has changed. Some very lonely qualities in a woman's life will never change. When scorned, she might drink to forget about it and/or sing to tell about it.
[lyrics here]

09 NEGATIVLAND—Perfect Scrambled Eggs
"If it sells to turn a horse upside down and beat it with a stick, then it's good advertising."

10 VOICE FARM—Mamma made me do it
This song was inspired in part by the Calogero Salvos film La Juajira. Mamma made me do it is dedicated to Helen Brown-Hansen.

11 CLUBFOOT ORCHESTRA—Japanese Song Too
with Harumi, Chaiki and Sumi
It is autumn and the sounds of the harvest fill the air. A wandering priest is guided to an ancient well by three village girls. They tell him the history of the well and of the devilman, Yamanba, when he had been exiled to this place three hundred years before. As night falls and the priest begins to play on his flute, the three girls reappear. As they dance they reveal that they were lovers of Yamanba and tell of their anticipation of his return.

12 RHYTHM AND NOISE—Berta's Hammer
A medley adaptation of two Southern State Prison songs.

13 THE STEP ONE NURSERY SCHOOL JUST PLAIN FOLK SINGERS—Potatoes
As performed by some of the teachers of Step One Nursery School—Sue Britson, Mark Hosler, Betsy Nachman, Jane Timberlake, and Charlie Vincent.

get Spuds [vinyl rip 192kbps]

La 1919 - Ars srA

Here's my final post from the Italian Auf Dem Nil label for a while:
This time featuring Luciano Margorani & Piero Chianura, with contributions from John Oswald, Henry Kaiser, Enrico Salvi, Fabio Martini and Angelo Avogardi.
I find this more accessible than the last post, more rock based and with some humour mixed in there. Couldn't find any detailed information about the group, but this recording is clearly a pan-Atlantic collaboration, with master tapes sent between Milan and California.
Side A (tracks 1-4) is Italian, side B features the American artists, with Henry Kaiser performing on four tracks.

tracklist
side A
01 Una Giornata Particolare (14:45
02 Il Sogno Di FF (3:20)
03 Tenda Rossa (2:00)
04 Killing Time (1:40)
side B
05 Vivace! (1:10)
06 Underwater Photography (2:35)
07 resiaKyrneH (3:30)
08 Hawaii 5.0. (2:05)
09 Progetti Di Grandi Città Con Terazze (4:00)
10 Il Margine (4:30)
11 Gli Eroi De Lavaro (4:30)
Auf Dem Nil DMM 005 R [192kbps 1987]

Conrad Schnitzler & Michael Otto

- Micon In Italia


Here's another recording on Italian 1980s electronic label ADN. Conrad Schnitzler (Tangerine Dream, Kluster) & Michael Otto plus contributions from Wolfgang Hertz (Ex-Aussenminister, Model 81) on five tracks.

After Conrad Schnitzler left Tangerine Dream & Kluster (pre-Cluster) in the early 70's, he went on to be one of the most prolific explorative synthesists, and made dozens of formative computer-electronic music albums, both melodic and abstract, mostly as small private editions. In the 1980s he established numerous other projects, and here is one of them. A little dry I think but well worth a listen if you like the genre...
Hi-res artwork included

tracklist
01 Sono Finite(2:40)
02 Sage Mir(3:30)
03 Colore/Suono(1:37)
04 Espresso(2:10)
05 Contanastro(1:38)
06 Thompstone(2:40)
07 Circus(2:58)
08 Controllo(2:33)
09 Poco Prima(1:15)
10 Wa Hoooa(2:47)
11 Sul Nastro Con Fase(2:35)
12a Collegato(1:58)
12b Continua(1:10)
13 Tradizionale Collegate(3:18)
14 Rosso Rapido(3:11)
15 Un Punto(1:40)
16 Gino Ginelli(1:50)
17 Hand-Clap(1:33)
Auf Dem Nil DMM 003 R [192kbps]

Doublings & Silences Volume I

F.P. & The Doubling Riders



Here then is the first volume, freshly ripped from my recent acquisition.
There were some surprises for me with this record:
The quality of the music is as strange and quirky as volume 2, although somewhat different. It starts with a gentle and almost ambient sensibility reminiscent of Daniel Lanois, then it progresses boldly into pure Doubling Riders territory, with some quite bizarre vocalisations. By the last two tracks the quality is almost "Residential" although I must stress these comparisons are very subjective — all this music is highly original in its own right and quite beautiful...

I have gleaned a little more information about the group from various web sources:
Apparently founded by Pier Luigi Andreoni and Riccardo Sinigaglia, (Professor of Electronic composition at Milan's Conservatory), it seems the Doubling Riders released four records: Doublings & Silences vol. I in 1985, Doublings & Silences vol. II in 1988 for Recommended Records Italia, World! in 1989 for Supporti Fonografici, and Garama in 1992 for Andreoni's label Il Museo Immaginario.
"FP" is evidently Francesco Paladino - credited for art production, he only performs on one track (#13 Blind Bodies). He also appears on Volume II without the separate title credit. Roberto Musci, who appears on Volume II and has been involved in a number of other related projects (see the comments of Vol II for several other download links courtesy of Professor Franz), doesn't appear on Volume I.
There are numerous other artists involved, I have included a text file of all the cover text in the archive.
The Doubling Riders appeared on stage in the most important Italian avant-garde music festivals (among which Bari's Time Zones in 1987, Gorizia's All Frontiers in 1989, Naples' Ear Nerve in 1989, Milan's Immaginazione in 1990).

New Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock writes:
Doubling Riders — Italian project of the three synth players Pier Luigi Andreoni, Ricardo Sinigaglio and Francesco Paladino. On their two records (World -'89, Garama -'92) appear a lot of guest players, for example Chris Karrer (Amon Duul, Embryo) on guitar. The music is mostly quiet meditative stuff, with some folk or medieval influences. In some pieces they sing in some strange italian dialect, that even an italian friend of mine could not understand! Very nice stuff, higly recommended!! -- Achim Breiling

tracklist
01 Doublings & Silences
02 Nights
03 Doubled By The Sun
04 Neoplastie Part III
05 The Warm Current
06 The Last Emperor Of The Snakes
07 H F A1
08 Chinese Rain
09 Effi Briest
10 Voila Les Tropiques
11 Smell Into A Dream
12 Schlaft Ein Lied In Allen Dingen
13 Blind Bodies
14 Possession And Treasures
15 In A Bed Of Trees
16 Penguins (In A Cup Of Coffee)
ADN 001 1985 [192kbps]

ADN (Auf Dem Nil) from Milan was one of very few Italian labels focused on electronic/experimental/industrial music, with a truly interesting catalogue. Published and produced by Marco Veronesi and Piero Bieli, most of these items are long out of print and not easy to find. ADN discography

post riders post

Here is the first of several spin-offs from Doubling Riders member Roberto Musci & Giovanni Venosta:

Water Messages on Dessert Sand 1987
Somewhat less dark and intense, more technical than Doublings & Silences...
Electronic and interwoven sound collage, very much in the tradition of Holgar Czukay's Canaxis.
tracklist
01 Technowaltz
02 Water music
03 Empty boulevard
04 Mechanic soul vs. pathetic ambient
05 Volterra
06 Nexus on the beach
07 Vientiane
08 Malangaan
09 Digital ketjak
10 Walter's reggae
11 Old time religion
This copy is ripped from vinyl - kindly uploaded by Professor Franz.
A 2-in-1 CD of this and another collaboration by Musci & Venosta titled Urban & Tribal Portraits is out there...
Messages [256kbps]

unheard Velvet Underground

just to let you know there are three rare VU bootlegs at realm of | X |

Velvet Underground - "Black Side of the Street"
Velvet Underground - "-etc" &
Velvet Underground - "and so on..."

The Doubling Riders

Doublings & Silences Vol. II 1988

This recording, released by Auf Dem Nil / Recommended Records Italia [dmm0006], is one of my all-time favourites. Inspired by the paintings of surrealist Gustavo Foppiani [1925—1986], it is presented as a series of tableaux. Beautifully structured using computers, samplers and woodwind instruments, it floats between electronic, medieval, industrial, ambient and gothic in a seamless and thoroughly cohesive progression. At times there is a foreboding darkness that is quite attractive, yet the music never degenerates too far into chaos. The bizarre vocals are sung in English with a thick and sometimes indecipherable Italian accent, which adds to the surreal mood. The double LP was presented as a boxed set complete with four page booklet including Italian translations of the English lyrics (!) and an art print of the front cover painting. I've included high resolution scans of all these because they compliment the music so well...

"minuets & music pearls of rare intensity,
decadent & beautiful, great Italian music" — Old Europe Cafe

I wish I new more about these artists. I have never seen or heard Volume One. There are a few intriguing references to other Doubling Riders recordings on the net but I can find no real information, and nothing seems to be currently available. If anyone can provide more information please do!

tracklist
01 Venice calles
02 Funeral jars
03 Little Penguins in Love
04 Hoping That You Are Somewhere
05 Industrial lullaby
06 Childhood fears (old version)
07 Wandering high
08 Artery of the sun
09 Lines on Spain
10 Chinese comedy
11 Childhood fears (young version)
12 Azur noise
13 La partienze
14 Confidential eggs
15 A poetry of broken hearts
16 Vox populi
17 The larceny of the harpstrings
18 The last picture
19 The danger of losing consistence
20 Nanenfest
21 Pyramid
PartA PartB [192kps]

So here's the Plan:

"One of the founders of synth pop, der Plan were mainstays of the music underground of Germany in the 1980s. They inspired a countless number of like-minded groups as part of the Neue Deutsche Welle (German New Wave) scene. Inspired by the synthetic beats of Kraftwerk and the quirky styles of the Residents, Der Plan created a unique blend of electronics, pop music, and surrealism".
— allmusic.com

The german music journalists voted for "Geri Reig" as one of the the most important 50 records of the last century. Indeed der Plan ranks still among the style-forming groups of the "true" new German wave and its handling of electronic music instruments inspired groups world-wide. — atatak.com

German group Der Plan sticks out in the history of Neue Deutsche Welle. Pioneers of electro-pop and heir to the synthetic principles of post-Kraftwerk, they sing almost exclusively in German. Formed by Kurt “Pyrolator” Dahlke (ex-D.A.F.), Frank Fenstermacher, and Moritz “RRR” Reichelt, the trio released the mythical “Geri Reig”. With the success of a certain cult following, Der Plan put out “Normalette Surprise”. During their fifteen years in existence, they founded the Ata Tak label (D.A.F., Andreas Dorau, Holger Hiller, Oval, and Wirtschaftswunder). In 2004, after an eleven year absence, Der Plan V.4.0, including Moritz R., Künstler Treu (ex-Dauerfisch) and J.J. Jones returned to business with “Die Verschwörung”.
— megmontreal.com

Tracks:
01. Adrenalin lässt das Blut kochen
02. Geri Reig
03. Persisches Cowboy Golf
04. Gefährliche Clowns
05. Kleine Grabesstille
06. Der Weltaufstandsplan
07. Hans und Gabi
08. Commerce exterieur mondial sentimental
09. Was ich von mir denke
10. San Jose Car Muzak
11. Erste Begegnung mit dem Tod
12. Ich bin schizophren
13. Nessie
14. Gefährlich Clowns (manisch depressiv)
15. Die Welt ist schlecht

This rip has been removed by request from their record company.
You can listen to samples & buy the CD here, containing this album and 1981's 'Normalette Surprise' plus 3 bonus tracks:
Rot Grun Tot (the B-side to the 'Ampel' single),
8 1/2 (the B-side of the 'Fix Planet' single),
and Wir Werden Immer Mehr (the A-side of 'Fix Planet').

phantomband: FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Here is the second of three albums from Phantomband, formed by Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit (who also worked with Jah Wobble amongst others).
Punchy electronic rhythms (sometimes minimal) with a tongue-in-cheek quality, I do find Sheldon Ancel's laconic spoken-word vocalizations amusing, especially "Relax" (a take on relaxation tapes/new age music) & "Dangerous Conversation". This stuff fits snuggly next to Moebius & Plank in my record collection.

an amazon reviewer (whom you may or may not agree with) wrote:
"...features Helmut Zerlett who in his time, has produced some great music on the german ambient label; Recycle Or Die!...projects such as; 9 dream and Baked Beans just to name a few...are undeniably brilliant...though this project, (phantom band) i feel is targeted at the wrong audience, as people who enjoy CAN probably aren't going to get this release at all [well I do!], however if you're from the other side of the genre fence, and have an appreciation for german avant/amb electronica, then the Phantom Band is well worth checking out!"

tracklist
01 Freedom Of Speech 3:46
02 E.F. 1 4:15
03 Brain Police 4:08
04 No Questions 2:05
05 Relax 4:07
06 Gravity 5:28
07 Trapped Again 1:00
08 Experiments 3:40
09 Dream Machine 5:33
10 Dangerous Conversation 2:12
line-up: Jaki Liebezeit, Olek Gelba, Dominik von Senger, Helmut Zerlett, Sheldon Ancel
[192kbs] (hi-res cover art & label scans included as usual)

Phantomband Discography:
1980 Phantomband — LP Sky 048
1981 Phantomband - Freedom Of Speech — Sky 065
1984 Phantom Band - Nowhere — Spoon 17

I understand the first two were re-released together on one CD at some point (1994?) but only "Nowhere" appears to be currently available.
If anyone has the other two I would very much like to hear them...

miniatures

a sequence of fifty-one tiny masterpieces (1980)
edited by morgan fisher
"This recording walks the line between being a compilation and a concept album by one artist. The curator of the compilation is Morgan Fisher, ex-Morgan and Mott the Hoople keyboardist and all-around avant-pop genius of the '70s and '80s, who worked with everyone from Queen to Lol Coxhill to the Dead Kennedys. The concept for Miniatures involved getting artists from all across the board to contribute tiny vignettes saying as much as possible in the shortest space of time. Featuring contributions from the Residents, Andy Partridge, the Damned, Robert Wyatt, and Michael Nyman, among others, this may give an indication as to the diversity of this project. In many ways, Miniatures reflects the career of Fisher, who excelled in many genres. The original LP of Miniatures is a highly sought-after collector's item, as it was released to limited distribution on Fisher's Pipe label. With 51 one-minute stabs that summarize the diversity of a changing post-punk era, this collection is an excellent artifact of the early-'80s independent scene." - ALL MUSIC GUIDE

In 1980 the owner of his own label and studio, Morgan was overwhelmed by the number of ideas he thought up for albums that he could now record and release. Realising that it was impossible to do everything he conceived, he decided to see how many of these ideas could be included on one album. Rather than recording the music himself, he invited 50 musicians who he admired to send in tracks of up to one minute in length. They responded with unanimous enthusiasm, and as well as receiving tapes through the mail from all over the world, Morgan also packed up his Revox tape recorder and went to several musicians homes to record them there. Original artwork for the album was contributed by the notorious Ralph Steadman. The album is an astonishing survey of the cutting-edge music of the period, and includes such gems as:

THE RESIDENTS singing a song from "South Pacific"
ROBERT WYATT singing a Frank Sinatra song
DAVID BEDFORD compressing Wagner’s "Ring Cycle"
FRED FRITH shrinking the entire works of Henry Cow
ROBERT FRIPP playing a keyboard
ANDY PARTRIDGE (XTC) offering the history of rock'n'roll in 20 seconds
RALPH STEADMAN singing a John Donne poem
R.D.LAING playing the piano
MARTIN CHAMBERS (THE PRETENDERS) lecturing on ornithology while drumming
PETE SEEGER playing Beethoven on the banjo

The reviews of the Miniatures re-issue on CD included:
"Re-issue of the year... monumentally deranged... essential listening..." - THE WIRE

"...This excellent re-release - great fun" - ROCK’N’REEL

"One of the most unusual albums I have ever heard" - MOJO

"Irreverent and charming, this unique collection of 51 one-minute-or-less pieces (almost all exclusive) was concocted by Mott the Hoople keysman Morgan Fisher in 1980. Miniatures works surprising well considering all of the jarring juxtapositions and actually helps to make the set exhilarating many times. Fascinating covers come from Pete Seeger (whistling Beethoven), Half Japanese (demolishing the Rolling Stones), the Residents (squeaking the Ramones), Neil Innes (Bonzo Dog Band) having his son shouting Slade, and Robert Wyatt (looping Frank Sinatra).

Also featured are an inspired cast of English loonies like John Otway, Kevin Coyne and Ivor Cutler as well as 'non-musicians' such as psychologist R.D. Laing, writer/actor Quentin Crisp, and artist Ralph Steadman. Most impressive are the artists who do poignant encapsulations in their time limit: Fred Frith's Entire History of Henry Cow, and Andy Partridge (XTC) lecturing on the history of rock and roll.

track listing
Band 1. (5:00)
1) Bum Love : Ollie Halsall and John Halsey
2) We're a Happy Family / Bali Ha'l : The Residents
3) The Wreck of Hesperus : Roger McGough
4) Green and Pleasant : Morgan Fisher
5) Mine Tonight : John Otway
Band 2. (6:00)
1) My Way : Pete Challis and Phil Diplock
2) Rangers in the Nightst : Robert Wyatt
3) Opus 5 : Stinky Winkles
4) Body Language : Mary Longford
5) Andy the Dentist : Andy Thunderclap Newman
6) Wagner's Ring in One Minute : David Bedford
Band 3. (5:00)
1) The Entire Works of Henry Cow : Fred Frith
2) Look Beneath the Surface : Maggie Nicols
3) Week-End : Joseph Racaille
4) With Wings Pressed Back : The Work
5) Cum on Feel the Noize : Neil Innes and Son
Band 4. (5:00)
1) Toscany in Blue (Last Minute) : Herbert Distel
2) An End to the Matter : Lol Coxhill
3) One Minute in the Life of Ivan Denisovich : Ken Ellis
4) Alice : Steve Miller
Band 5. (6:00)
1) John Peel Sings the Blues Badly : Norman Lovett
2) Serrons Nous Les Coudes : Patrick Portella
3) Sounds that Saved My Life (Homage to K.S.) : George Melly
4) Miniature : Robert Fripp
5) The History of Rock 'n' Roll : Andy Partridge (XTC)
6) Breather : Phantom Captain
Band 6. (6:00)
1) Enterbrain Exit : Ron Geesin
2) An Imaginary Orchestra : Alejandro Viñao
3) Stop the Music for a Minute : Quentin Crisp
4) Tetrad : Simon Desorgher
5) Sweetest Love (Lament After a Broken Sashcord on a Theme of John Donne) : Ralph Steadman
6) Tipperary : R.D. Laing and Son
Band 7. (5:00)
1) Beach Double : Trevor Wishart
2) Scène De Ballet : John White
3) Brooch Boat : Ivor Cutler
4) Do Tell Us : Hector Zazou
5) A Miniaturisation of Bartok's Sonata for 2 Pianos & Percussion (3rd Movement) : Michael Bass and Ellen Tenenbaum
Band 8. (4:00)
1) A Swift One : Martin Chambers (The Pretenders)
2) Refreshment Break : Bob Cobbing and Henri Chopin
3) Night Torch : Dave Vanian (The Damned)
4) Racing Poodles : Metabolist
Band 9. (5:00)
1) After Mendelssohn : Gavin Bryars
2) Paint it Black : 1/2 Japanese
3) Arthurs Treat : Simon Jeffes (Penguin Cafe Orchestra)
4) Talking World War III Blues : Mark Perry
5) 89 - 90 - 91 - 92 : Michael Nyman
Band 10. (5:00)
1) Index of Ends : David Cunningham (Flying Lizards)
2) James, Mark and Me (In the Manner of Tom Waits) : Kevin Coyne
3) Hep! : Etron Fou Leloublan
4) The Minute Warp : Neil Oram and Ken Cambell and the Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool
5) Chorale from Beethoven's 9th Symphony : Pete Seeger

I have left the tracks in the bands as they appear on the vinyl rather than separate each performance, to retain the record's original sense of urgency and juxtaposition.
High resolution cover scans (with detailed descriptions) included.

uk: pipe records / cherry red records pipe 2
get it here!
re-issued in 1981 (japan: japan records jal-2502)
re-issued on cd in 1994, uk: blueprint/voiceprint records bp159cd

bonus tracks on 1994 cd (NOT included in this Vinyl Rip):
52. no artists / one minutes silence
53. all artists / the miniatures miniature

Decoding the Lie

"information is like a bank
our job is to rob that bank"

—Genesis P-Orridge in Decoder

In 1983, Dave Ball (Soft Cell) & Genesis P-Orridge (Psychic TV), along with other artists such as FM Einheit (Einstürzende Neubaten) and Matt Johnson (The The) provided a soundtrack for a German film, 'Decoder', that starred William Borroughs, Christiane F, and a cameo from Genesis P-Orridge.

film synopsis from Amazon:
A thriller which expands on the phenomenon known as 'Musak' — an artificial product, created by scientists, musicians and marketing experts who construct a particular tonal sequence designed to increase productivity in a factory and enhance wellbeing. This film is a blend of reality and fiction: surreal, metaphorical imagery interwoven with heavy music words and special effects. German soundtrack.

This rip is from the vinyl edition of the soundtrack
note: Some of the tracks on the LP run together:
To maintain continuity I haven’t split these into sepperate files.

welcome to decoder...

...where I plan to post some interesting music from the avant-derriere end of town.
I have separated it from my other full album blog realm of |X| to avoid the disquiet that this music seems to generate amongst lovers of more relaxing genres...