Bleak Bliss

Various - Oz Days Live

Originally, this was a seminal double LP released in Japan in 1973 to commemorate the closure of the Oz music venue. Given that it captures the times perfectly, it now goes for a small fortune. Thankfully, it had a couple of bootleg re-releases in 2007/8. So here is Miyako Ochi, Acid Seven, The Taj-Mahal Travellers and Les Rallizes Denudes.

Oz

Days

Les Rallizes Dénudés - 13 CDs

Not that long ago, the Mrs and I were having a nice chat about Les Rallizes Dénudés and she described them as "black hole psychedelia". I wish that I had thought of that! It's a perfect description ...

I'll assume that you know Les Rallizes Dénudés and their history and the long history of "grey area" issues, reissues and regurgitations.

Evidently, this is a 13 disc collection of live recordings. It was released on Ignuitas in 2011.

02/17/93 Club Citta

02/17/93 Club Citta

07/10/94 Kyoto Univercity

09/09/94 Club Citta

09/09/94 Club Citta

02/24/95 Club Citta

02/24/95 Club Citta

10/04/96 Club Citta

10/04/96 Club Citta

11/03/97 Manda-la2

11/03/97 Manda-la2

11/14/97 Manda-la2

11/14/97 Manda-la2

Al Margolis & Rafael Flores & Bogart & Yutaka Tanaka - International Mail-Music Group

Remember those halcyon days when people shipped tapes across continents to gradually produce collaborative music and then release them to a subunderground audience that was generally smaller than the number of people that actually collaborated? Of course you don't! You weren't even born then ... not even a twinkle in your mother's sperm eye (that is the right phrase isn't it?). Anyway you young bastards ... this is brilliant!

C46 jointly released on (pause for breath) El Consumo Del Miedo, Sound Of Pig, Afflict Records and Bog-Art in 1986.

International Mail-Music Group

S·Core - Dross

Nightmare lullabye-bye ...

C48 jointly released on Afflict Records and Trinity Production in 1985.

Dross

S·Core - Morbid Moppets

Much more in the industrial vision than the previous tape excluding the programmed synth vibe that appears and leaves ... it would be incongruous in the hands of somebody else ... but this is S·Core after all.

C44 jointly released on Afflict Records and Trinity Production in 1986.

Morbid Moppets

S·Core - Alter

Let's face it ... you've already made your mind up by now.

C48 jointly released on Afflict Records and Trinity Production in 1986.

Alter

S·Core + Trigger-B - Flux and Reflux

Yutaka Tanaka collaborating with Thomas Bosselmann. B-movie manoeuvres in the dark mode.

C48 jointly released on Afflict Records and Trinity Production in 1987.

Flux and Reflux

S·Core + Biasin Stefano - Untitled

Isolative plumbing with the backing track of next door's party and then we start. The world is a very strange place and sometimes it's strange in a very good way.

Collaborative C60 released on Afflict Records in 1987.

Untitled

S·Core - Undersong

The first track ("Blasphemer") is absolutely astonishing ... the rave I always wanted to be at but never found. From there, it's a slide into the murk of a spectacular come-down. Sounds like a good night out to me.

C48 released on Underground Productions in 1987.

Undersong

Bogart + S·Core - Pilgrim

I know that Bogart is Hubert Haverkamp but that's about it. Even by S·Core standards, this is deranged. Anyone want to get loved up? Well, you're looking in the wrong place. This tape and hallucinogens will make you doubt everyone around you and ruin your career prospects. I did warn you.

C42 jointly released on the artists Afflict Records and Bog-Art labels in 1987.

Pilgrim

The Greatest That Ever Was And Ever Will Be

I can't even begin to explain. Part of me died today.

Jack or Jive Lights - A Solo Exhibition

Jack or Jive are the husband-and-wife duo of Makoto Hattori and Chako, who began making ethereal (more Projekt than 4AD, but in that general soundworld) music in the late 1980s and are still very active. In 1994, they decided to make a more overtly pop album, for which they appended the word "lights" to their band name. The sound, though, isn't very far off from the darker Jack or Jive. Some of these songs are pleasingly rough around the edges, but some sound naive in a not-good way. You be the judge. Released as a CD on Elves Recordings (a division of Dragnet Records/Drag & Drop) in 1994.

Jack or Jive Lights - A Solo Exhibition