Bleak Bliss

Hanatarash

Hanatarsh is the work of Yamatsuka Tetsurō (better known as Yamatsuka Eye). Almost art terrorism in nature, it makes his work in UFO or Die and Boredoms look pedestrian by comparison. Early audiences were made to sign disclaimers waiving responsibility for any injuries caused during shows. Infamous examples of the mayhem include launching oil drums at the crowd, throwing molotov coctails, and driving a mechanical digger through the back wall of a venue as part of the performance. Now that's what I call making an entrance! He even carved into his own leg with an electric saw during one show, although that was probably an accident. Not surprisingly, the virtual (and sometimes literal) destruction of venues meant that nobody in Japan would allow him to play. When Hanatarash resurfaced during the mid '90s, it was without the extreme violence...which is either a good or a bad thing depending on whether you like wearing crash helmets at gigs!

1985 - Hanatarash - Cock Aktion vhs [condome cassex, marz]
1985 - Hanatarash - Worst Selektion c60 [pcm/mars]
1985 - Hanatarash - ハナタラシ lp [alchemy records]
1988 - Hanatarashi - 2 lp [alchemy records]
1990 - Hanatarash - We Are Nuts c10 [? ltd.]
1992 - Hanatarash - Hanatarash 3 [rrrecords]
1992 - Hanatarash - Live!! 88 Feb. 21 Antiknock - Tokyo [mom 'n' dad productions]
1992 - Hanatarash - The Hanatarash And His eYe (7'') [public bath]
1993 - Hanatarash - Live!! 82 Apr. 12 Studio Ahiru - Osaka [mom 'n' dad productions]
1993 - Hanatarash - Live!! 84 Dec. 16 Zabo-Kyoto [mom 'n' dad productions]
1996 - Hanatarash - 5 [shock city, trattoria]
1996 - Hanatarash - Total Retardation 7'' [vinyl communications]
1998 - Hanatarashi & Kyōakukyōjindan - Jigoku No Komoriuta c60 [fujiyama]
1999 - Hanatarash - 4 (aka Aids-A-Delic) [public bath]
2002 - Hanatarash, Runzelstirn and Gurgelstøck & Eb.ersonna - Tiefpunk 12'' [tochnit aleph]
2005 - The Hanatarashi - We Are Hardcore (Early Tapes Of The Hanatarashi) 5xcdr [superman cha cha]
We Are Hardcore - Disc 1
We Are Hardcore - Disc 2
We Are Hardcore - Disc 3
We Are Hardcore - Disc 4
We Are Hardcore - Disc 5
2006 - Evil Moisture & Hanatarash - Fatanarchy On Airtube [harbinger sound, tochnit aleph]
2007 - The Hanatarashi - Born To Be Wild (C10) [skulls of heaven]

Various - Helter Skelter

A1 Le Syndicat & Merzbow - Untitled 10:37
A2 The Hanatarashi - Live Akme 3:57
B1 Null - Telesma Sicut Dei 7:18
B2 Hijo Kaidan - Live At 創造道場 11/3/1980 4:36

1986 - Various - Helter Skelter (C30) [beast 666 tapes]

Various - I'm Stupid

A1 Merzbow - Great Masturbator 4:35
A2 Masonna - Copoqusl Dakuptlk 2:52
A3 The Hanatarashi - I Like Slave 2:07
A4 TV Cherubs & Solmania - D.D.A.A. Makes You Dull 0:55
A5 The Gerogerigegege - デパゴル女 Destroyed 1:35
A6 The Boredoms - M 75 2:19

1990 - Various - I'm Stupid (s-side C30) [beast 666 tapes]

Various - Japan Bashing Three

A Hijokaidan - Theme Of The Taste Of Wild West 5:50
B Solmania - Highdrophobia Part 2 5:41
C Hanatarash - Galaxy Boost & Hanataradelic Planet Dub (Sore Diamond Remix) 6:44
D Masonna - Hot Licks From A Cunning Linguist 4:05

1991 - Various - Japan Bashing Volume 3 (2x7") [public bath]

Various - Snake Is Long, Don't Fall The Audio Hole (My Father Said) - A Tribute To The Hanatarash

01 Brently Pusser - We Eat
02 Dub Nazi JFK - We Bite Bollocks
03 Emil Beaulieau - Mind Dig
04 Faxed Head - Frog Girl 90000
05 Greg Freeman - We See
06 Lee Ranaldo - My Dad Is Car
07 Thee Bringdownzz - Detroit Rock City
08 Pork Queen - Vortex Shit
09 Miss Murgatroid - No Noise
10 Speculum Fight - Gag Nuts Gum
11 Glands Of External Secretion - Boat People Hate Fuck
12 Masonna / David Hopkins - We Can Kill
13 The Now Sound - Bad Sound For Bad Ear (Megatronix)
14 Faxed Head Roadies - Apartheid Fun Club
15 Macronympha - We Are Meat
16 Macronympha - California Sleep
17 The Double U - We Hook
18 Funharm - Pisshole Surfers
19 Unknown Artist - Untitled

Various - A Tribute To The Hanatarash [stomach ache records, 1995]

It always cheers me up when there is new BSBC in the world! This came out a few weeks ago...got my copy...go get yours!

"Blue Sabbath Black Cheer returns with a new long-player CDr, pro-pressed in an edition of 250, entitled "HN"; featuring 1 new song from the gruesome terror noise duo of Blue Sabbath Black Cheer, 2 collaboration tracks from the harsh noise projects of Stan Reed and wm.Rage (Dried Up Corpse & Nervous Corps, respectively), and a 30min crushing minimalist harsh noise deconstruction of BSBC by The Rita (the opening salvo in a 2-part collaboration between BSBC & The Rita). Edition of 250 copies in a jewel-case with appropriate harsh minimalist art."

Track 1. Blue Sabbath Black Cheer - Existence Distortion
Track 2. Dried Up Corpse & Nervous Corps - untitled
Track 3. Nervous Corps & Dried Up Corpse - Pure/Filth
Track 4. The Rita & Blue Sabbath Black Cheer - Drowning Witches I

Buy It!

Gravitar

Too tired to say much. If you know these guys, there won't be anything too surprising here. I've been searching for their more obscure tapes and the boxes on Enterruption for years but never got even close to being able to buy them.

There's a great interview with 2 of the band here if you want to know more. Shouldn't admit this but I never knew that Blue Sabbath Black Cheer took their name from a Gravitar song (Blue Sabbath) and that Geoff appears on some of the BSBC gear.

Gravitar were an American band who appear to be influenced by K.K. Null’s work in Zeni Geva, with similar dense walls of oppresive guitar but more expansive in it's approach. Self-proclaimed as the "world's loudest Jazz band" and described by WM. Rage as "Too noise for rock, too rock for noise...". Extreme music inspired by everything from Charlie Parker to John Zorn to the sound of breaking glass. Heavy and harsh walls of psychedelic noise!!!

1994 - Gravitar - Chinga Su Corazon [charnel music]
1995 - Gravitar - Gravitaativarravitar [charnel music]
1997 - Gravitar - Now The Road Of Knives [charnel music]
1998 - Gravitar & Universal Indians - Split (lp) [american tapes, am008]
1999 - Gravitar - Live at The Gold Dollar, Detroit 1999
1999 - Gravitar - You Must First Learn To Draw The Real [monotremata records]
2001 - Gravitar - Edifier [manifold]
2001 - Gravitar - Freedom's Just Another Word For Never Getting Paid [enterruption]
2007 - Gravitar - Trail By Fire (C48) [psychform records]

YBO²

YBO² (pronounced ee-boh ee-boh). A reckless, neo-progressive, psychedelic power troupe. YBO²’s predominantly self-released canon remains largely unavailable in the West. In a sense, the floating line-up represents an inverse supergroup...when they stopped playing in 1990ish (they reformed 10 years later but it didn't work out) it's members went their seperate ways and made some of the greatest music ever. Drummer Tatsuya Yoshida masterminded the hypercomplex duo Ruins (who originally featured another YBO² alumnus, guitarist-bassist Hideki Kawamoto) and is a member of Koenjihyakkei, Korekyojinn, Musica Transonic and various Acid Mothers' projects. Original YBO² guitarist Michio Kurihara abused his wah-wah in the esteemed White Heaven, played with Marble Sheep, currently participates in Ghost and has recorded and played with Boris. Kazuyuki Kishino has hammered out a host of avant-metal and noise works both on his own as K.K. Null and Null and with Zeni Geva and Absolut Null Punkt. Chu Ishikawa created the score to Shinya Tsukamoto's groundbreaking film Tetsuo the Iron Man. Hiroshi Hasegawa created Astro and C.C.C.C. It is even rumoured that, at times, the group included Masami Akita (yeah, that Merzbow bloke). I can not believe that there is a group that has ever spawned such genius!

Can't find any info on the Taiyou No Ouji lp, but here it is anyway. If anybody has any other YBO² releases...please share! Particularly the Yhwh....Black Omen II "Kingdom Of Familydream" lp

1986 - YBO² - Alienation (lp) [transrecords]

1988 - YBO² - Pale Skin, Pale Face (2xlp) [transrecords]

1989 - YBO² - Starship [victor musical industries]

1992 - YBO² - Greatest Hits Vol. 1 [sse communications]

1992 - YBO² - My Rest Place Live [sse communications]

1994 - YBO² - Greatest Hits Vol. 2 [sse communications]

2000 - YBO² - 大蜩琳 (Daejohw-Ling) [fractured sisters' secrets]

YBO² - Taiyou No Ouji.rar

Violent Onsen Geisha - Excrete Music

Just when I thought that I would never see another VOG release that I didn't have...this just landed out of the blue!

Released on the Japanese label Vanilla Records in 1991, compiled from various unreleased tapes to make one brilliant single track cd.

1991 - Violent Onsen Geisha - Excrete Music [vanilla records]

The vanishing Astral Social Club post...

A while back I was going to drop an ASC post. On my travels, I found an absolutely brilliant blog that had posted quite a few already. I have a lot more that aren't there but decided to give that blog some props and move on to something else instead.

But I forgot to give the blog the respect it deserves. Anyway...

Check out Flashing Light Will Blind Us and you will find a good healthy dose of ASC and a lot of other gems. Check out the Tokyo Flashback series she/he/they have up there! I was gonna post it but checked to see if it was already up somewhere (that's how I found the blog). Looks like I was beat to the Wheels Of Confusion post as well but I didn't lift it from there, it came from my own collection...great/simple minds think alike I guess! I might return to ASC and fill in the gaps...but might not.

Astral Social Club is the work of Neil Campbell by the way. Probably best known for his work with Vibracathedral Orchestra, he is a prolific solo artist, contibutor and collaborator. You really should check out his work! A lot is still for sale and he releases fresh material regularly and you can keep in touch here. Neil also uses Discogs to sell his gear here and is always helpful and takes time to answer any fanboy questions you might have.

Violent Onsen Geisha

In a world full of information overkill, Violent Onsen Geisha is a rare and mysterious thing! As in...there's very little info out there. Basically, Violent Onsen Geisha is the work of Masaya Nakahara although for years he created a history of VOG as a group whose members mysteriously died one by one (Spinal Tap drummer style, if you prefer). I suppose this provides the key to his work as Violent Onsen Geisha...sly and ironic, bizarre and sarcastic...creating a history which cloaks him in mystery so that he can enjoy himself in relative anonymity. Basically what you get is kitsch soundtracks and hippetty hop and blasts of disco and found sound and field recordings and spoken word and noise. You can see the smile all over his face...well I can! He has since moved on to work as Hair Stylistics which is more straight ahead blistering noise but with the same cheeky sensibilities leaking through.

What you get here is all that I have. There were two different versions of Otis (naturally you get both here), check Discogs for info. The U.S. Tour cd contains live collaborations with Smegma, Trumans Water and Thurston Moore respectively. Zashikionna Remix is half of a double cd by Minetaro Mochizuki & Violent Onsen Geisha that came with a magazine apparently. I have never seen that or I would have bought it and posted the full deal...if anyone can sort me out with the 1st disc I will love you forever (or at least for a bit). Sod And Sodie Sock comes with an additional disc...same deal. Dada Junk Spew! is a bootleg of the original tape on Chocolate Monk from 1995 which appeared from somewhere last year. It also includes the collaborative track 'Silver Afro Funeral March' which appeared on the 'Studies For Postal Orgies' cassette (which came with 50 copies of the first Prick Decay LP). Shocking Early Works 83-85 Vol. 1...who knows?

1988 - Violent Onsen Geisha - Black Lovers_Early Lost Tapes 1988
1989 - Violent Onsen Geisha & Masonna - Split (lp) [rrrecords]
1993 - Violent Onsen Geisha - Shocks! Shocks! Shocks! Remix '93 [ring music]
1993 - 暴力温泉芸者 - Otis [endorphine factory]
1995 - Violent Onsen Geisha - Balloon Collector In The Wilderness (7'') [japan overseas]
1995 - Violent Onsen Geisha - Que Sera, Sera (Things Go From Bad To Worse) [rail recordings]
1995 - Violent Onsen Geisha - US Tour '95 [japan overseas]
1996 - Violent Onsen Geisha - Nation Of Rhythm Slaves [rail recordings]
1996 - Violent Onsen Geisha - Otis [rail recordings]
1996 - Violent Onsen Geisha - Teenage Pet Sounds [polystar, trattoria]
1996 - Violent Onsen Geisha - The Midnight Gambler [pure]
1997 - Violent Onsen Geisha - Violent Onsen Geisha (3xCD & 3''CD) [bloody butterfly]
One Two Three Four
1997 - Violent Onsen Geisha - Zashikionna Remix
1998 - Mike Kelley & Paul McCarthy & Violent Onsen Geisha - Sod And Sodie Sock
2003 - Violent Onsen Geisha & Mike Kelley & Paul McCarthy - Comp O.S.O
2009 - Violent Onsen Geisha & Prick Decay - Dada Junk Spew! [studies for audio orgies]

Violent Onsen Geisha - Shocking Early Works 83-85 Vol. 1 (C60)

Throbbing Gristle - TG24

Throbbing Gristle. Progenitors. Transgressors. Wreckers Of Civilisation.

Lifted this from discogs as it tells you all you need to know at this point:

"The first real industrial group, the founders of Industrial Records and one of the most important electronic music innovators of all time. Growing out of the extreme performance art group COUM Transmissions, TG redefined music and laid a large part of the groundwork for all electronic music that followed. From their first performances in 1976 to their last gig in San Francisco in 1981 (recorded and released as "Mission Of Dead Souls"), they challenged and threatend so-called "normal" society - denounced from the floor of the House of Commons as "Wreckers of Civilisation" as the Coum Transmissions "Prostitution" art show in London's ICA (at which TG played their third show) came close to causing riots and set the stage for the punk revolution. Musically, they were extreme and uncompromising, using technology to make anti-music, which redefined music for all time. Their experimentation led them to pioneer sampling and looping techniques adopted by many of those who came after."

This material was originally released in 1980 as a set of tapes in a limited edition of 50, complete with a natty little briefcase. It was 49 really as Mike Wilkins of Industrial Records made #50 for himself. Staggeringly expensive at the time, but an essential document in that it catches Throbbing Gristle (and the attendant riots) in full on attack mode. Re-released on cd in 2002, this is the 25 disc version that was only available on pre-order from Mute. Whilst expensive, this was hoovered up by speculators so they could offer it back to you for five times the price.

Still staggers me that these were recorded 30+ years ago ... Throbbing Gristle were truly ahead of their time. If you want further info on Throbbing Gristle and Coum, there are two fantastic books out there (this one and that one) that I highly recommend.

As an aside, when I bought the Twenty Jazz Funk Greats book from Waterstones, a bosomly matriarch scanned the book and proclaimed "Ooohhh, Throbbing Gristle" at a volume that reverberated right across the shop ... still warms me cockles to this day!

01 Live at I.C.A., London, 18th Oct 1976
02 Live at Winchester and Air Gallery, London, 21st Aug 1976
03 Live at Nags Head, High Wycombe, 11th Feb 1977
04 Live at Brighton Polytechnic, 26th Mar 1977
05 Live at Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, 7th May 1977
06 Live at Rat Club, Pindar, London, 22nd May 1977
07 Live at Highbury Roadhouse, London, 29th Sept 1977
08 Live at Winchester Art School, 11 Nov 1977
09 Live at Rat Club, London, 17th Dec 1977
10 Live at Brighton Polytechnic, 25th Feb 1978
11 Live at Architectural Association, London, 3rd March 1978
12 Live at Goldsmith's College, London, 18th May 1978
13 Live at Industrial Training College, Wakefield, 1st July 1978
14 Live at Film Makers Co-Op, London, 6th July 1978
15 Live at Cryptic One Club, London, 11th Nov 1978
16 Live at Centro Iberico, London, 21st Jan 1979
17 Live at Ajanta Cinema, Derby, 12th April 1979
18 Live at Sheffield University, 25th April 1979
19 Live at The Factory, Manchester, 19th May 1979
20 Live at Guild Hall, Northampton, 26th May 1979
21 Live at Y.M.C.A., London, 3rd Aug 1979
22 Live at Butlers Wharf London, 23rd Dec 1979
23 Live at Fan Club, Leeds, 24th Feb 1980
24 Live at Scala Cinema, London, 1980
25 Live at Goldsmith's College, London, 13 Mar 1980

Wolf Eyes - Asylum Style

Richard Ramirez (side-projects)

Have you ever felt that you have bitten off more than you can chew? This post has given me indigestion that you wouldn't believe.

"Identity Amnesia" seems kind of appropriate (although it's a recent Ramirez solo release ... but the picture's cute)! More prolific than you can imagine. The better known Black Leather Jesus and Werewolf Jerusalem have already been been featured here before. Here are some of his other issues. Master of the Harse Noise Wall but there is much more differentiation than the casual observer would imagine. Some have appeared elsewhere...some definately haven't.

Anal Drill

Anal Drill - Apple [deadline recordings]

An Innocent Young Throat-Cutter

2008 - An Innocent Young Throat-Cutter - Death on the Edge of a Razor (C20) [turgid animal]
2009 - An Innocent Young Throat-Cutter - Supply Nurse Could Self Destruct [lake shark harsh noise]

Baptist Skin Communiti

Baptist Skin Communiti - Inner Pollution (C60) [turgid animal]

Clinical Mishaps

Clinical Mishaps - Ask Your Doctor (C60) [worthless human flesh]

Femme Under Plastic

Femme Under Plastic - Primitive Means [recordings for the summer]

Four Flies

Four Flies - The Murderer Is Still With Us (C20) [turgid animal]

Last Rape

2008 - Last Rape - La Ragazza Che Sapeva Troppo (s-side C40) [gaping hole]
2008 - Last Rape - Last Rape [deadline recordings]
2008 - Last Rape - The Black Belly Of The Tarantula [pottersfield]
2009 - Last Rape - Maimed Left Arm [turgid animal]

Manplug

Manplug - Wish [dumping ground recordings]

MRAT

MRAT - MRAT's Meat Orchestra [deadline recordings]

Priest In Shit

2002 - Priest In Shit - No Room For Explanations [deadline recordings]
2003 - Priest In Shit - Disabled Senses_In Memory Of Luis Jimenez (2xbizcdr) [pacrec, troniks]
2006 - Priest In Shit - Touched By Decay (C20) [pain compliance]

Release Helen Rytka

2005 - Release Helen Rytka - Great Northern Street (C62) [dada drummimg]
2006 - Release Helen Rytka - Huddersfield [pitchphase]
2006 - Release Helen Rytka - Immigrant (C20) [pain compliance productions]

Slave Labor

Slave Labor - A Sick Cow? / Transvestite #1 [deadline recordings]

Honorary mentions go to these beautiful people:

Small Doses boxset
Harsh Purification
Vice Wears Black Hose III
Brick By Brick

Demons

Demons are Nate Young (Wolf Eyes, etc) and Steve Kenney (Hatred, Isis & Werewolves). Demons use synthesizers to explore near-epileptic fits of droning synth textures that elicit comparisons with earlier European electronic pioneers (such as Stockhausen and Cluster) whilst simultaneously bludgeoning forward with the grating and scraping atonal complexities of Whitehouse and Throbbing Gristle. Subterranean atonal analog rumblings compete with laser-sharp extraterrestial blasts and hums. Since forming in late 2005, Demons have evolved from a synthesizer duo to include video artist Alivia Zivich into a "Visual Music" trio to produce discomforting psychedelic multi-media performances. Working under the name “Video Madness” she often uses the music of Demons as soundtracks to her analog video experiments.

Most Demons output is released via Nate's AA Records (which you can reach here). The site appears to be in hibernation at the minute but you can still grab a few of their releases at Fusetron. You can also grab some of their fantastic dvd releases here.

Demons are touring with Sick Llama soon, so hopefully there will be new output in the near future.

Before you get too excited...the Life Destroyer box only has the audio rip of the dvd (with the cd and tape of course) and 080206 doesn't include the (extremely limited) 1-sided lathe cut locked groove 5".

2006 - Demons - Untitled (s-sided C30) [aa records]
2007 - Demons - Evocation [no fun productions]
2007 - Demons - Frozen Fog [aa records]
2007 - Demons - Invisible Darkness [aa records]
2007 - Demons - Life Destroyer (boxset) [aa records]
2007 - Demons - Live @ Les Instants Chavirés, Montreuil, France (10-8-07)
2007 - Demons - Live at No Fun Fest 2007
2007 - Demons & Dilloway - Demons Dilloway (C30) [aa records]
2007 - Demons & Thames - Split (C60) [wintage records & tapes]
2007 - Demons & Vertonen - Split (lp) [scratch & sniff, crippled intellect]
2007 - Demons with Zac Davis - Untitled (cass) [fag tapes]
2008 - Demons - Live @ Yoga studio, Northampton, MA (May 13, 2008) (flac)
2008 - Demons & Hatred - Split (lp) [troubleman unlimited]
2008 - Demons & Zac Davis - For Joy Rd [maim & disfigure]
2009 - Demons - 080206 [green records and tapes]

Bark Haze

Bark Haze is primarily a guitar duo of Andrew Macgregor (who also records as the wonderful Gown) and Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth etfuckingcetera). They are occasionally joined on drums by either Pete Nolan (Magik Markers, Virgin Eye Blood Brothers, Spectre Folk, GHQ, etc) or John Moloney (Sunburned Hand Of The Man, Howlin' Rain, etc). Their name came from a mis-hearing of theradical early 70s R+B group the Bar-Kays and from that moment the concept of mis-hearing and allegiance to presenting the mis-hearing as some open-ended musical course became The Bark Haze's identity. Their debut gig in the UK was at the 2006 Nightmare Before Christmas ATP event that was curated by Moore.

You should know what to expect: open ended effects pedal drenched free-guitar blow outs.

2006 - Bark Haze - Live & ATP, The Nightmare Before Christmas, UK (10th Dec 2006)
2007 - Bark Haze - Macannabis (C30) [arbor]
2007 - Bark Haze - Total Joke Era [important records]
2007 - The Bark Haze - Self-Titled (lp) [important records]
2008 - Bark Haze - Basement Psychosis (cass) [ecstatic peace!]
2008 - Bark Haze - One For Merz [three lobed recordings]
2008 - Bark Haze & Traum - Monolith Jupiter [music fellowship]
2009 - Bark Haze - Wild + Free [self released]
2009 - Bark Haze & Our Love Will Destroy The World - Split (7'') [krayon recordings]

...with John Moloney...

...with Pete Nolan...

The Broken Penis Orchestra

This is the post that, without a doubt, gives me the most pleasure to give to y'all! Dick Flick is the pseudonymous main brain behind the crazed kalaidoscopic world of the BPO. Hailing from Seattle, he is regularly joined by various incognito waifs and strays (especially live) to create delirious, crazed, perverted and sacriligious soundscapes.

Imagine a cartoon cut-up assault filled with rapid-fire samples, vertiginous switchback edits, lightning bolts of noise, loops spun inwards, outwards and upside down, and gratuitous FX abuse. Imagine Uncle Meat/Lumpy Gravy style Zappa/Mothers Of Invention, harsh electronics, porn flicks, televangilists, sex instruction manuals and public information docs shredded and turned inside out. Got it? You're not even close! I listen to BPO a lot. I find myself laughing my face off or dancing around the room or curled up in a corner, gently rocking, trying to convince myself "everything is gonna be OK". And that can be during just one track. It's a wildly ecstatic and nauseating ride!

It's live where the true hypnotic and hallucinatory genius works best of all. Check the dvdr that comes with Fuck Rockin' In American Airspace. The video cut-up meshes with the sound collage perfectly. And, check the 6 man "Fear God" dance troupe towards the end (...yup...you read that right). Absolutely hilarious!

Special thanks to Herr Flick for getting me into this in the first place a good while ago. And for ocassionally sending me the odd tape and vinyl treat. But especially for being so enthusiastic about me posting this. He's a good human! They definately put some crazy drugs in the water in Seattle...I wish I lived in Seattle!

2003 - The Broken Penis Orchestra - 3 Inch Dick (3'' cdr) [psychochrist productions]
2004 - The Broken Penis Orchestra - Oral Copulation (3'' cdr) [psychochrist productions]
2004 - The Broken Penis Orchestra - Organ Failure (7'') [hypnagogia]
2004 - The Broken Penis Orchestra - Plays With Itself [hypnagogia]
2004 - The Broken Penis Orchestra - Testicle Difficulties [psychochrist productions]
2006 - Crank Sturgeon & The Broken Penis Orchestra - Split (C20) [psychform records]
2006 - Nurse With Wound & The Broken Penis Orchestra - Natal Moonies [united jnana]
2006 - The Broken Penis Orchestra - Live @ The Electric Heavyland (R.I.P.) (04-15-06)
2006 - The Broken Penis Orchestra - Psychedelic Sex Show (C40) [enterruption]
2006 - The Broken Penis Orchestra - Vienna Sausage (3'' cdr) [psychochrist productions]
2006 - The Broken Penis Orchestra & At Jennie Richie - Split (2xC1) [psychform records]
2008 - The Broken Penis Orchestra - ...Sex & Drugs &... (C20) [enterruption]
2009 - Dick Flick - Cocktales From The Cutting Room Floor, Volume I... (C40) [soccer mom ebonics]
2009 - The Broken Penis Orchestra - Fuck Rockin' In American Airspace [debacle records] cdr dvdr
2009 - The Broken Penis Orchestra - Live @ Debacle Fest, Seattle (09-26-09)

Stimbox

Stimbox is the work of Tim Oliveira, and was one of the more established names in the American harsh noise scene. Oliveira was also the founder of the Hebi Like a Snake record label, and co-owner (with Bob Scott of Xome) of the Harsh Noise label. The Harshnoise label was active from 2002 through 2008. During those years, the label released some excellent (invitation only) harsh noise releases from some of the best artists in the field. Initially, it was operated by both Tim Oliveira (Stimbox) and Bob Scott (Xome) but eventually Tim took over the whole operation while Bob concentrated on other endeavors.

Stimbox's work is noted for its' dense, psychedelic harsh noise, usually made with closed feedback loops run through a huge range of effects pedals with a trademark blend of grating harsh and synthesized textures. There's a short mini-doc at the bottom...he can tell you better than I can.

Ages ago, somebody requested a Stimbox post. Didn't act on it at the time because I hadn't actually heard that much...but it was enough to set me off. Thanks, whoever you are. There are dozens of releases going back to the early 1990's...but they are really hard to get hold of and this is all I have. Tim seems to have folded his operations a couple of years ago. If anybody knows what he is up to these days give us a shout!

1996 - Stimbox - Recycled (cass) [rrrecords]
1996 - Stimbox & A.U.M. & Death Squad - Enjoy Happiness
1996 - Thirdorgan & Stimbox & Death Squad & Acerrimamente - Four Ways Of Penetration [bizarre audio arts]
1997 - Disposable & Stimbox - Commitee-For-Public Safety (C60) [hebi like a snake]
1997 - Stimbox - Meltdown (C46) [spite]
1997 - Stimbox - Powerrr Dump (C90) [labyrinth]
1998 - Stimbox - Caveat Emptor [solipsism]
1998 - Stimbox - Patrick Purdy (7'') [self abuse records]
2002 - Stimbox - Impulse [sewer records]
2002 - Stimbox - Lupus Tuberculoso [tabula rasa]
2003 - Stimbox - Bogul Bogul [hebi like a snake]
2003 - Stimbox & Armenia - Split (cdr) [bizarre audio arts]
2004 - Stimbox - Inner Turmoil [fargone records]
2004 - Stimbox & The Cherry Point - Split (C20) [troniks]
2004 - Xome & Stimbox - Split [negatron heavy industries]
2005 - Torturing Nurse & Stimbox - Cowfish Plus Vermilion [shasha records]
2006 - Stimbox & Ronez & Lasse Marhaug - 3-Way Split [doufu records]

Nautical Alamanac

Initially, Nautical Alamanac were a Michigan based duo consisting of James Twig Harper and the seemingly omnipresent Nate Young (Wolf Eyes, etc). Owing much to the Michigan noise scene, they started out as a rouge 'crash and smash' terror band, playing anywhere possible using confrontational tactics. With the addition of Sol Meltzer on percussion they realigned under a non-traditional "rock" motif. In 2001, James and partner Carly Ptak relocated to Baltimore and from this point the (floating) membership centred around the duo with the addition of Max Eisenberg on percussion. In Baltimore, they refurbished a three-storey building themselves and dubbed it Tarantula Hill. It quickly became an essential lynchpin for art, music performance, and the backbone for Baltimore's experimental scene and clubhouse for all traveling noise artists and experimentalists passing through the area. They spent years constructing and hot-wiring countless pieces of found materials and creating fantastic recycled homemade instruments: gutted electronics, rewired circuitry, metal...you name it, it was all thrown into the mix.

In March 2006, whilst Nautical Alamanac were in New York for the No Fun Fest, Tarantula Hill burnt down. In a crushing blow, James and Carly lost years of work and instrumentation, but more importantly, their cats died as well. Their musical community ralleyed around in impressive style, raising funds to help get the couple back on their feet. From here, apart from occasional live performances, I'd thought that the Almanac had folded. James and Carly started putting out solo works...Twig in particular is busy building up a substantial body of excellent releases. Recently, I realised that in the past year or two, Nautical Almanac had been putting out a series of sneakily released lathe-cuts in editions of about 15. I say sneakily because, I was sleeping and missed the lot. Here's hoping for some cdr rereleases!

Nautical Almanac’s sound is somewhere between analog improv and improv comedy. What results from these colliding philosophies is a carefully considered chaos born of technological refinement and cannibalism. In gradually becoming more accessible in form, it seems that the ideas had to be pushed further so the focus of the band was on creating an unpretentiously fucked-up and poetically damaged sensibility.

With Harper and Ptak constantly wiring gear in new configurations and adding new devices to its arsenal, each release is different. They may tinker strictly with machines, but aside from the hardware, Nautical Almanac have far more in common with the free-folk movement than the anti-music industrialists of the noise scene. Beneath the tinnitus tones, broken pitch bursts and malfunctioning oscillator currents, it's the same freeform flux as The Sunburned Hand of the Man, No Neck Blues Band or even Sun City Girls. Only it’s been corroded beyond recognition.

1996 - Nautical Almanac - Nautical Almanac (lp) [hanson records]
1999 - Nautical Almanac & Wolf Eyes & Rubber O Cement (tour cdr).rar
2000 - Nautical Almanac - Transcriptedivisions (lp) [hanson records]
2002 - Nautical Almanac - Rejerks Vol. 1 [heresee]
2003 - Dead Machines & Nautical Almanac - The Twilight Zone (C69) [american tapes]
2003 - Jessica Rylan & James Twig Harper - Rejerks Vol. 2 [heresee]
2003 - Nautical Almanac - Cisum (lp) [heresee]
2003 - Nautical Almanac - We Want War (tour cdr) [heresee]
2003 - Nautical Kites - Herculoids (C30) [unskilled labor]
2004 - Nautical Almanac - Handcut Record Transfers [heresee]
2004 - Nautical Almanac - Live @ No Fun Fest
2004 - Nautical Almanac - Rejerks Vol. 3 [heresee]
2004 - Nautical Almanac - Rooting For The Microbes [load records]
2004 - Nautical Almanac & Vertonen - Split (12'')
2005 - Nautical Almanac - Cover The Earth [heresee]
2005 - Nautical Almanac - Live @ WFMU on Brian Turner's Show 10.25.05
2005 - Nautical Almanac - Rejerks Volume 4 [heresee]
2005 - Nautical Almanac - Something (Euro Tour) [8mm records]

Nautical Almanac - Live In Montreal (2 shows_2 bars_2 nights)

Live @ Santo's NYC 09/21/09

Wolf Eyes with John Wiese - Wheels Of Confusion

John Olson, Mike Connelly and Nate Young with John Wiese. Naturally, these four people should need no introduction. A series of 6 cdrs, split between American Tapes and Gods Of Tundra and released in 2006. Apparently recorded in the van while touring the East Coast of the USA in October 2006.

Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three
Volume Four
Volume Five
Volume Six

Sunroof!

Sunroof! is the work of prolific, Bradford-based guitar-abuse legend Matthew Bower. What is it about Yorkshire that produces so many incredible outsider artists? He's probably better known for his work as Skullflower and Hototogisu (with Marcia Bassett). Although some Sunroof! releases only feature Matt, it is far from a purely solo outing. The project has included collaborators such as Richard Youngs, C. Spencer Yeh (Burning Star Core), John Moloney (Sunburned Hand Of The Man), Ben Jones and Hasan Gaylani (Jazzfinger), Lee Stokoe (Culver), Mick Flower (Vibracathedral Orchestra; Flower-Corsano Duo), Neil Campbell (Vibracathedral Orchestra), Phil Todd (Ashtray Navigations) and Spencer Clark and James Ferraro (The Skaters).

Sunroof! specialise in high-pitched, airy, shimmering drones, reminiscent of some of Vibracathedral Orchestra's work, filled with flute-like tones, soft feedbacking guitars and restless, metallic percussion. However, Sunroof!’s trajectory shifts from bubbling, transcendental pulses to coruscating feedback, jerky freeform soloing to sweet-shimmering dream-haze, traces of acid-damaged British folk to brain-blitzing high-pitched psychedelic drone. This shimmering, restless fluttering is filled with a holy chaos, a cacophony that incorporates any background noise, no matter how harsh, into part of the music.

I haven't included Delicate Autobahn Under Construction (a stunning piece of work btw), Silver Bear Mist, Bliss, or Cloudz. The superb VHF Records finally have them in print again after years of unavailability. They are very cheap...$12 for the double cds!!! I think you should support the label and buy them.

The Crippled Rosebud Binding double lp is included in the previous Mouthus post.

1999 - Sunroof! - Peach Fuzzz (7'') [betley welcomes careful drivers, giardia]
1999 - Sunroof! - Slipstream [giardia]
1999 - Sunroof! - Studio Ks (cdr) [self-released]
2000 - Sunroof! - Found Star Sound [vhf records]
2001 - Sunroof! - Reborn In Jets Of Rainbow Water (lp) [giardia]
2002 - Sunroof! - Temple Music Volume 1 & 2 (2xcdr) [rural electrification program]
Volume 1 Volume 2
2003 - Sunroof! - Rock Power (euro tour cdr) [rural electrification program]
2003 - Sunroof! - Splat! [u-sound archive]
2003 - Sunroof! & Vibracathedral Orchestra - Wings Over America [vhf records]
2004 - Sunroof! - USSA [vhf records]
2004 - Sunroof! & Double Leopards - Live @ The Buffalo Bar, London [flac bootleg]
2005 - Sunroof! - Rainbow Electric Sabbath (cdr) [nature tape limb]
2006 - Sunroof! - Goldfoxradianthowl (s-sided lp) [melted mailbox]
2006 - Sunroof! - The Ocean Rooms, Brighton, UK (12 Nov 2006) [flac bootleg]
2007 - Sunroof! - Panzer Division Lou Reed [vhf records]
2007 - Sunroof! - Spitting Gold Zebras [bottrop-boy]
2008 - Kemialliset Ystävät & Sunroof! - Split Series #19 (12'') [fatcat records]
2008 - Sunroof! - Sufi Hate Crime/Zen Atrocity [self-released]

Hai

Yep...I'm gonna be keeping the blog up and running! J and (latterly) I put 1 hell of a lot of work into Bleak Bliss and it seems a shame for it to disappear. Not sure which direction it's off in but the discog style takes a shitload of time and energy, especially for one person. Most likely that a discog style post will drop followed by a series of single or themed releases to keep things rolling whilst I'm working on the next discog stylee. Between discog types, will be trying to post stuff that doesn't appear elsewhere. We'll see...

Gonna be using Megaupload for now for 4 main reasons...I've already got an account; you get a downloadspeed of 300+ on one download; their download manager is pretty ace (and you can use it for rapidshare as well); and I've never had an issue with it when using it for downloads. Things may change...but please, let's not start the filehost debate again because it's dull dull dull. Would rather talk about music tbh...Will reup J's files as they start to drop out if peeps request.

Sunroof! coming on Saturday...

Bai

Due to a deadly combination of Rapidshare turning into a sack of wank and me not having the time due to my job and my label, i'm packing this blogging deal in. I'm not going to delete it, i'm going to leave it here so you can download everything til they expire. Badgerstump might carry it on, it's his call really. Either way i'm not deleting it.