Bleak Bliss: November 2018

Pork Queen - Beautiful Vision

Second album of before-his-time bedroom no-audience noise gonk by the sorely underrated Pork Queen, released on LP by Trackshun Industries in 1994. This artist is waiting to be rediscovered and given new attention with fresh ears. Now might be the time! Recommended for fans of Blowhole, Hands To, Glands of External Secretion, Climax Golden Twins, Prick Decay.

Pork Queen - Beautiful Vision

Various - An Evening Of Serious Noise

Masonna, Ron Lessard's Emil Beaulieau persona, Japanese Torture Comedy Hour, Nightstick, Skin Crime and Merzbow, all recorded live at a Lowell knee's up.

Double C46 released on RRRon's Statutory Tape in 1996.

An Evening Of Serious Noise

Espiritu - Espiritu

Again, this is the only full-length ... and that might be a good thing. Sometimes I like it and at other times I really don't. It's all a bit Test Dept. meets slow-mo Devo meets weird industrial EBM. Anyway, here it is ...

C46 released on SSSM in 1992.

Espiritu

Mnemonists - Horde

This one might be their best, but that's up for debate. Released on LP by the band in 1981, then remastered and reissued on a great-sounding CD by ReR Megacorp in 1998.

Mnemonists - Horde

Dicablus - Dicablus

Other than compilation tracks, I think that this is the only full release. No idea who she/he/they were. This doesn't fit into tidy little boxes, which is one of the reasons why it is great. Construct your own adventure playground and climb on board.

C48 released on SSSM in 1990.

Dicablus

Mnemonists - Roto-Limbs

Very small-edition (50 copies) and extremely rare 1981 cassette by the mysterious Mnemonists.

Mnemonists - Roto-Limbs

Various - Corporal Punishment

S·Core and Contagious Orgasm alongside the almost forgotten Dicablus and Yus.

The first of the SSSM compilations, this time a C40 from 1989.

There are three others that I posted a few years ago ... so just in case, here's Mumbo Jumbo, Microinjection Master Tape and Spiral Organ Of Corti.

Chaos Panic Compilation

Mnemonists - Some Attributes of a Living System

In 1980, Mnemonist Orchestra became Mnemonists and released this LP.

Mnemonists - Some Attributes of a Living System

Mnemonist Orchestra - Untitled

Only album by the shadowy Mnemonist Orchestra, of Boulder Colorado, self-released in 1979 on the band's Dys label. The group would soon morph into Mnemonists, with overlap in band members. Later, they would separate into two different parts for making music and visual art, with the music-making half calling themselves Biota and the visual-art makers retaining the Mnemonists name.

Mnemonist Orchestra - Untitled

Various - Sociometric Test

The mysterious Underground Organisation, Kinky Over Pollution (aka K.O.P., Kultur Operating Penis etc, Espiritu, Contagious Orgasm, Rabbit Eyes Rising and a collaboration between Dislocation and Merzbow.

C60 released on SSSM in 1991.

Sociometric Test

Various - Monochrome Meditator

Hirohito Taneguchi's Seed Mouth, Ryuzi Kagaya's tasteful Bloody Cum, Espiritu, Contagious Orgasm, Deborah Jaffe's Master/Slave Relationship and Genocide Organ.

C60 released on SSSM in 1991.

Monochrome Meditator

Skin Crime & Government Alpha - Unnatural Disasters

Cross-planetary steel cage match by two titans, released on tape in 1998 by Xerxes. Heavy!

Skin Crime & Government Alpha - Unnatural Disasters

Various - Sensory Deprivation

Contagious Orgasm, Salt, Sudden Infant, Ryuta Noguchi's great but limited Rabbit Eyes Rising and three tracks by somebody in London who's imagination stretched as far as calling himself "E" and some bedroom industrial / EBM style water treading. This has some great stuff included but also some really generic "ideas" and suffers from the year it was released. Apparently not all came with the Japanese rope bondage booklet so that'll compensate you then.

C60 released on SSSM ‎in 1991.

Sensory Deprivation

Rhythm & Noise - Chasms Accord

Second (and final) album by the SF trio, first released on wax by Ralph Records in 1985, then label reissued on CD by band leader Mark Sprauge/Naut Humon's Asphodel label.

Rhythm & Noise - Chasms Accord

Various - Rift Laboratory

The clerical hypnosis of Christian Pallentin's P·A·L, Jim DeJong's The Infant Cycle, Contagious Orgasm (naturally), Atrax Morgue, Nimoy (who is Stefan Alt aka Salt, geddit) and Espiritu's two tracks of plink plonk cop drama / martial incidentalism that fascinate me. A great tape.

C60 released on SSSM in 1994.

Rift Laboratory

Rhythm & Noise - Contents Under Notice

Wonderful debut LP of industrial ambience by a San Francisco trio led by Mark Sprague, aka Naut Humon (say it out loud to yourself... oooh, so clever!). This LP was released in 1984 by the Residents' own Ralph Records label.

Rhythm & Noise - Contents Under Notice

Various - Prayer Of Mankind

Brume. M.S.B.R., Black Elegance, Telepherique, Skin Crime, Bad Sector, Contagious Orgasm and more ...

Double C60 released on SSSM in 1997.

Prayer Of Mankind

Rainbow Blanket - A Face Ruined By Form

Blammo! A blast of ferocious fury from the Witscher brothers, Gregory and Jeff. Don't know who they are? You can use Discogs, can't you? Released as a CDR in an edition of 27 copies by Tone Filth.

Rainbow Blanket - A Face Ruined By Form

Various - Scud Sonority Splash Mix

The best thing about this for me is that it starts with Alienlovers In Amagasaki. It's Akihiro Shimizu (aka Thirdorgan) so it's evidently great. You also get Tadayuki Miura's post-punk dub and Routine Engine's manipulated vehicular field recording and more ...

CDr released on SSSM in 2000.

Scud Sonority Splash Mix

Various - Scanning Shearing-Stress Microscopy

His own Contagious Orgasm, Kohei Nakagawa's Guilty Connector, Yutaka Tanaka's legendary S·Core, Takayoshi Kitajima's inspiringly peripheral Sukora alongside the less well-known (but excellent) Espiritu and Billy?

Excellent CDr released on Hiroshi Hashimoto's SSSM label in 2001

Scanning Shearing-Stress Microscopy

Price Taggery - Untitled

Harsh noise from Houston, Texas, by Carlos Pozo. Released as a CDR in an edition of 50 copies on Pozo's Pitchphase label in 2004.

Price Taggery - Untitled

Various - 16 Dance Party Smash Hits!

It's a palate cleanser don'tcha know.

Don't worry, this won't entice the relatives to stay longer than strictly necessary. This is Faust, Univers Zero, Art Zoyd, Art Bears, R. Stevie Moore, Chris Cutler & Fred Frith, David Thomas (of Rocket From The Tombs and Pere Ubu), Mnemonists and more.

16 x 7" box set released on Recommended Records in 1985.

Smash Hits!

Scans

Various - Swissotic Commune Document

As a temporary farewell to the Swiss revolution, here's the CDr reissue of the single-sided C60 released in 1995 on the inevitably brilliant Chocolate Monk.

Swissotic Commune Document

Tell - Tonal-Nagual

This is Joke Lanz on electronics and turntables with Christian Wolfarth dealing with percussion. As far as I am aware, this is all they recorded as "Tell" and I don't know whether they recorded together at all outside of this wonderful thing. The seven tracks come in at between four and twelve minutes long. So rather than the perhaps more typical burp blurt of the Schimp, this expands and grows in (ironically) a much more organic way.

It's absolutely triumphant and I can't recommend it highly enough to be honest.

CD released on Rossbin in 2009.

Tonal-Nagual

Také Rodriguez & His Exotic Arkestra - Pasión De Ritmo

Bootleg "reissue" of the 1999 techno-salsa-wtf album by the late Takehito Nakazato (aka Hado-Ho and Dub Sonic), first released on his own Sonic Plate label and unofficially resurrected as a CDR wrapped in newspaper trash by Dolor del Estamago.

Také Rodriguez & His Exotic Arkestra - Pasión De Ritmo

Inzekt - Inkretion

More mechanized than the previous post ... and this is about all he wrote.

C46 released on Schimpfluch in 1990.

Inkretion

Skin Chamber - Trial

Coming a couple of years after "Wound", 1993's "Trial" is more confident and less derivative than it's predecessor. Crushing, heavy, ultra-slow industrial metal with a 25-minute harsh noise blow-out at the end.

Skin Chamber - Trial

Inzekt - Elektrische Heilwärme

Peter Schmucki is one of the lesser known lights that orbited the black hole at the centre of the Schimpfluchian universe. He appears on the Mama (das fest) LP but doesn't seem to have recorded much else ... shame really.

LP released on Schimpfluch in 1991.

Elektrische Heilwärme

Skin Chamber - Wound

Skin Chamber were Controlled Bleeding's alter ego for ultra-slow industrial metal, probably influenced by Godflesh, Swans and Neurosis. When this album came out, I remember thinking it was a brazen cash-in on a style that seemed popular. All these years later, though, it holds up more than I expected it to. Released by Roadracer in 1991.

Skin Chamber - Wound

Dave Phillips - III+

There were a series of self-released dp tapes from the mid-90's that appear to have completely disappeared. This seems to be the only (adulterated) survivor thanks to this CDr released on Tochnit Aleph in 2001.

Anyway, I'll be one lucky fucker if I ever get the chance to post any more oop ... yer man has it pretty much covered.

III+

Dave Phillips - Ideal World

More chopped up and reversed bodily workings splattered across a 7" released on iDEAL Recordings in 2012.

Ideal World

Aphasia & Dachise - Split Disc

Just like it says on the tin, this is a split disc by two English noise artists: Richard Johnson is Aphasia and Paul Knowles was Dachise, though these days he's The Digitariat. Released in 1995 by the dependably high-quality US label, Realization Recordings.

Aphasia & Dachise - Split Disc

Eric Boros / Dave Phillips - Split

The Eric Boros contribution is pretty inconsequential but the dp effort is typically great.

3" CDr released on Scrotum Records in 2003.

Eric Boros / Dave Phillips

Dave Phillips - Hole / Holy

A beautifully atmospheric intrusion.

3" CDr released on Entr'acte in 2005.

Hole / Holy

Dave Phillips & John Wiese - At A Loss For Words

Ten minutes of frequency twisting body horror that is every bit as good as you would expect from these two lovely people.

7" released on Blossoming Noise in 2006.

At A Loss For Words

Dave Phillips / Maso Yamazaki / Rudolf Eb.er - Arschloch-Onna

One of the pillars of the Schimpfluch (dis)organization with Masonna and Rudolf / R&G. A selection of live and studio material from the three that is sliced, diced, blended and spat straight into your face.

CD released on Japan Overseas in 1997.

Arschloch-Onna

Robert Ashley - The Wolfman

The title track is Robert Ashley's legendary 1964 room-clearing piece for tape, voice and feedback and is necessary listening for anybody and everybody who would be reading this blog. Etch this wrecker onto your brains immediately. Fleshing out the disc is a 40-minute-long behemoth from 1960 called "The Bottleman" (made as the soundtrack to a film) plus a 1957 piece called "The Fox" which was Ashley's first electronic music. Compiled and released as a CD by Alga Marghen in 2003.

Robert Ashley - The Wolfman

Vehikel & Gefäss (& Ventilator) - Make ‘Em Pay (!): Homemade Napalm = Gasolin Or Fuel Oil + Nondetergent Soap (Bar, Flakes Or Powder) / Make Gasolin, Oil Or A (1:1) Mixture Bubble And Add The Soap (1:1)

Joke Lanz and Rudolf Eb.er alongside Marc Zeier (aka G*Park) live in Zurich in 1990.

7" released on Schimpfluch in 1990.

Vehikel und Gefass (und Ventilator)

Runzelstirn Gurgelstock / Rudolf Eb.er - Bock Mist Bock

Appropriately perverse 7" where the grooves on Side A are etched into white paper. Side B gets the more traditional black vinyl approach.

Released on P-Tapes in 1996.

Bock Mist Bock

Musica Elettronica Viva ‎- The Sound Pool

A total of 16 people are credited as performing on this record, including the core group of Rzewski, Curran and Tietelbaum plus a bunch of other people whose names I don't recognize. Released by BYG in 1970, then reissued on CD by Spalax2 in 1998. Darn close to the Platonic ideal of era-appropriate free improvisation electro-hippie noise. Fans of Vibracathedral Orchestra and Sunburned Hand of the Man can trace that stinky family tree back to May 1969, when this was hatched.

Musica Elettronica Viva ‎- The Sound Pool

Schmipfluch-Gruppe / Runzelstirn & Gurgelstøck (mit den Saubaggerln und dem Kamm-Duo Plattl) - Mama (Das Fest)

By now, curious has left the building leaving essential to fight it out with profound irritation and utter indifference.

LP released on Schimpfluch in 1993.

Mama (Das Fest)

Musica Elettronica Viva - Leave The City

Exit this Roman shell! MEV's second LP from 1970 is... not actually by MEV? Or is it? A sound that's not a world away from what Alvin Curran's group was doing at the same time, but made by some French guys instead. Huh? Actually, the ex-pats who made "Friday" in Rome were interested in bringing non-musicians into the fold and tacitly allowed other MEVs to perform without them but use the same name. When this record appeared, there was already an MEV in New York and probably others in smoky basements around Europe. Maybe part of the same zeitgeist that ignited the Scratch Orchestra, Taj Mahal Travellers and other similar-minded free-form hippie freakout groups with utopian ambitions. First appeared on wax from the jazz label BYG, later reissued on CD by Spalax.

Musica Elettronica Viva - Leave The City

Schimpfluch-Gruppe - Paris Aktionen

Two live aktions from 1996 and '97 ... both are Dave Phillips, Helena Greter and Rudolf Eb.er with Doris Tomasoni added to the later performance.

LP released on Tochnit Aleph and Beniffer Editions in 2009.

Paris Aktionen

Musica Elettronica Viva - Friday

The amazing debut LP by some American kids living in Rome. Some of those kids (Alvin Curran, Richard Teitelbaum, Frederic Rzewski) would go on to make a couple of other records in the ensuing years. They were joined on this album by Franco Cataldi (on trombone) and Gunther Carius (on saxophone). First released by Polydor (?!) in 1969, then reissued as a single-track CD by Alga Marghen in 2008, a format which I think really suits this music better.

Musica Elettronica Viva - Friday

Schimpfluch-Gruppe - Aktion 950908 Taipei Taiwan

Joke Lanz and Rudolf Eb.er recorded live at Taipei Broken Life Festival '95 with Mike Dando contributing some shouty business on one side.

7" released on RRRecords in 1995.

Aktion 950908 Taipei Taiwan

Joke Lanz and Allon Kaye - What Will Be, Wird Sein

Whilst somewhat unfortunately described on the cover, this sounds great in a "shit, they're in the room" way.

3" CDr released on Entr'acte in 2005.

What Will Be, Wird Sein

Putrefier - Maebashed by Fuzz Ball Licks

Blistering harsh electronics by the stellar (but under-rated) Mark Durgan, released as an 80-copy CDR by MSBR Records in 1999.

Putrefier - Maebashed by Fuzz Ball Licks

Sudden Infant - The Wicked Mothers

More warped dislocation ... the second track Pee Godzilla Pee is one of my very favourite things.

C20 released on Robert & Leopold in 2011.

The Wicked Mothers

Sudden Infant - Twilight Sleep

Twilight Sleep as a medical phenomena is a bizarre tale indeed. There was an understandable desire to lessen the pain of childbirth but a proportion of the medical establishment in Germany just had to take it to it's extreme. Women were administered Morphine and Scopolamine (derived from Henbane as in the Nightshade family of plants ... that's right, the deadly family ... and when used illicitly is known as The Devil's Breath). The latter induces amnesia so rather than a pain free birth, those women simply didn't remember the pain. Instead, most were sent into totally disinhibited psychotic states where they would attack themselves and others to the point where they had to be tied up or otherwise restrained. Unsurprisingly, the babies were born stupefied if not comatose or worse. Nevertheless, the monied American elite embraced the ideas and practice for a while. That shouldn't be too much of a surprise given that the theory of "Social Eugenics" was very popular in America until Hitler mechanized it and it became slightly less popular to discuss at dinner parties.

I'm assuming that Joke had this "Twilight" in mind given the semi-soporific psychotic nightmare he released as a C60 released on Soja-Sauce Bolognese in 2008.

Twilight Sleep

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