Virus ‎– Oblivion Clock remastered with bonus tracks

Released right after The Agent That Shapes The Desert, this is more of a mix of the noisier style of its predecessor and the more melancholic epic approach of The Black Flux, and includes a superb cover of The Walker Brothers' "Shutout." Originally released in 2012 this is the 2020 remastered reissue on Duplicate featuting two additional previously unreleased tracks.

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Virus ‎– The Agent That Shapes The Desert 2Xcd remastered with bonus tracks

Drier sound and a more manic feel with more intense rhythms and influences of noise rock. Originally released in 2011 this is the double-cd remastered reissue on Duplicate Records containing a whole disc of preproduction demos.

CD1
CD2 (bonus)

Allee Der Kosmonauten ‎– Sphärenharmonien [Demo tape]

And this is their first demo release, which is a mix of jammy sludgy noise rock and dark, heavy hardcore/crust. Good stuff. 2001 self-released tape.

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Allee Der Kosmonauten ‎– Kino Sojus LP

This is their last release, it's kinda weirder, with their noise rock side more accentuated. The production is more trebly and there are very few sludgy moments, but there a nice dissonant atmosphere, and a slightly depressive/miserable attitude that couples with feelings of anger that emerge from the jammy approach and the girl's far more gruff vocal delivery. 2009 LP on TimTimTonTraeger, Absurd Creature, and Behind The Scenes.

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Allee Der Kosmonauten / Crude B.E. split 10"

It's been quite some time since my last post, but things are very busy: I'm spending more time with my child, I'm in-between changing posts, I'm pretending to be studying for my PHD plus we had gone on vacation. I think that this will be the frequency of writing for some more time.

Anyway, here's a superb split between Allee Der Kosmonauten, whose only 8-minute song here I saw live years ago and it completely floored me, it's an amazing rocking punk tune turned into melodic-epic d-beat crust, and Crude B.E. on the other side, who play heavy powerviolence/grindcore with rocking and stoner moments, good fun. 2001 10" on Thought Crime Records.

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Allee Der Kosmonauten ‎– Allee Der Kosmonauten LP

A now defunct band from Germany that fuses sludgy tones with noise rock and epic crust/punk influences with tortured female vocals. I saw them live years ago in Greece and they were the business on stage. 2007 LP jointly released by Institut Für Mentale Hygiene, Unsociable, Behind The Scenes, Bedbeforebreakfast, and Trująca Fala.

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Midnight Doctors - Through A Screen And Into A Hole

Jazz project conducted/masterminded by Phil Begg, who was also behind the very good ambient/drone project Hapsburg Braganza. This is the second effort of Midnight Doctors, after 2013's self-titled, which was graced with the presence of Mike Smith and Mike Vest of Bong, Dario-Lozano Thornton, and Posset, only the latter one appears on this. In contrast to that album's short vignettes of dark soundtrack jazz, this is a more focused attempt at creating long tracks. The music style is similar to Bohren & Der Club Of Gore's Sunset Mission and Black Earth, both in terms of the nightly foreboding atmosphere (minus the more horror-ish aspects of the latter album), and of the ambient feeling, which here is also accentuated by samples, electronics, and the droning of cellos, pianos, and other instruments. However, I wouldn't do this cd justice if I said that it's a rehashing of Bohren's masterpieces, as there is more at play here. Apart from the soundtrack aspects, there are also elements of deep spiritual jazz at its heaviest and finest,akin of Alice Coltrane's more experimental and improvised moments, reaching epic proportions on the penultimate track "Climactic Loss." Another point of reference could be The Embassadors more laid-back and spacious take on dark jazz. I also dig the slightly noise rock elements at play here, which remind of Reeks And The Wrecks (complete with a touch of New Orleans funeral jazz) and Oxbow's two latest jazz-tinged releases. A great album that has been on repeat for the last few days. 2015 cd on Ourodisc.

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Left Limbs - Cormorant tape

Dissonant, loud, and improvised instrumental noise rock by this Austin, Texas newcomer. The recording is heavy on bass and there are many instances of green-watery, psychedelic, atonal quiet that provide a good lull from the noise overload. I'd recommend it to fans of Ascension, Fushitsusha, and Monno. A good first impression from this band, creating interest in what can happen next. You can listen to this for free on Left Limbs' bandcamp, and then support them by ordering the tape.

Skullflower - Kino III: Xaman (remastered) cd

The third album of Skullflower is not only famous for its amazing content but also for the rotting surface of the original cd version that was the result of unsuitable material used by the pressing plant. Looking a little bit on Discogs this happened to many other cds and buyers chased the plant to replace them, something that happened minimally, according to my understanding. However, I'd be curious to look at the original cds, if someone would be willing to post photos. Anyway, Xaman is restored here in cd form and remastered, with enlightening liner notes by Stefan Jaworzyn (too bored to upload them, check them out on Discogs). It's a masterpiece of psychedelic noise rock, starting from the classic "Slaves," with its hideously devastating bass riff, to the lysergic rock jams of "Sunset" and "Xaman" to the spaced-out psycho jams of "Barbed Wire Animal" and "What Did You Expect?"- easily one of the best tracks ever made in the noise genres. Originally released in 1990 on Shock, this is the 2012 remastered cd version on Shock and Dirter Promotions.

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Serious Problmz ‎– Nervous Youth cdr

Second previously unreleased thing by damaged rurfers Serious Problmz. There is more of a structured regime here, with the vocalist/random item banger still doing his thing, but the surf/psychobilly aspect is more evident here under a mess of reverb and green muck. 2015 cdr on Butte County Free Music Society.

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Serious Problmz ‎– 369 1/2 cdr

A really obscure band from the 1980s that never recorded anything and featured Lucian Telens of Bren't Lewiis Ensemble. They played what they called industrial rurf (rural surf). If that brings to your minds a sound between Dick Dale and bluegrass, well no that ain't it. There indeed is a very vague surf (and psychobilly reference in the background of their music mainly in the sound of the guitar (chorus, beefy upper string sound, a watery feeling) but other than that they play some really swampy psychedelic improvised and broken down noise rock/post punk on guitar, bass, drum machine and an unhinged vocalist who does his own thing and brings in various things on the table, such as dishes and a typewriter to bang on. I really like this; there is an immensely green-ish, oozy, damp and decayed feel to it, and the guys create both a threatening and playful atmosphere. Perhaps they could be likened to a mix between The Residents and Deadbolt. This was recorded in 1985-6, it never saw the light of day until it was released in 2014 on cdr by Butte County Free Music Society.

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Faust - Fresh Air

Faust return three years after Just Us with a collection of studio and live recordings from an American tour with a list of collaborators including Barbara Manning of Glands of External Secretion and Braden Diotte of Tarantula Hawk. It's incredible how much these old guys continue experimenting relentlessly with drone, motorik rhythms, noise rock, toxic funk, and avant-garde dub jazz while collaborating with people that had probably barely been born when Faust released their first album. Highly recommended. 2017 cd on Bureau B.

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The Tea Towels ‎– We Are The Deadness tape

Garage sound quality noise rock with lots of mellower atonal, greenish moments. For fans of Slint, Oxbow, and The Dead C, but at their most incoherent, broken down and crawling on the floor. 2017 tape on Beartown.

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Swans - Filth/Body To Body/EP #1/Live Recordings 3-cd reissue

Of course theres nothing to be said about Swans' first monstrous album of cacophonic oppressive filth. I'm just posting this because I recently finished the Sacrifice And Transcendence: The Oral History book with interviews of various people close to Michael Gira and Swans compiled by Nick Soulsby. It's a fun book documenting Gira's oppressive personality and regimental discipline imposed on the band, plus the many crazy reactions to the band's loudness. Jarboe comes off as an extremely likeable person by most interviewees, Bill Laswell is mostly berated for the production he imposed on The Burning World album. What I found lacking was discussion on the reunion line-up and experience of Swans which was kinda short and didn't care to make any mention of the decision to disband it and Gira's enigmatic plans about how Swans will continue; plus, since the book is as much a Swans biography as an account of Gira's life and his life post-Swans (with some really negative comments by his Angels of Light collaborators), I would definitely have liked it had the book delved into the rape allegations made by Larkin Grimm, given that she hasn't pressed charges against him and that Gira has made a too vague response as far as I'm concerned. I hope that the truth will come out one day; whether Gira has done it or not, there must be some form of financial help for women who have been raped so that they can legally go forward, and so that Larkin Grimm can do what she deems best to prove if Gira is scum or not.

So, the three-cd reissue of Filth includes the album remastered plus a live recording from 1982-3 on the first cd, the amazing Body To Body Job To Job live cd comprising of recordings from 1982-85 in all their brutality - damn that LOUD version of 'Raping a Slave' (and includes the only live recording I've heard of Sue Hanel with Swans), and the third cd includes the first EP, and other early live recordings. Enjoy. 2015 3-cd set on Young God Records/Mute.

CD1: Filth
CD2: Body To Body
CD3: EP/Live Recordings

Wasp Bomb / Female Borstal ‎– Live At The Dog And Parrot 28.3.14 (Fuckin' Amateurs)

Another obscurity brought to your family's entertainment by Blyth's finest record label is this live recording of Wasp Bomb and Female Borstal. Wasp Bomb was a (one-off I gather) project of Lucy Johnson (Smut, Witchblood, Indian Lady, Dark Bargain), Jamie Stewart (Fuckin' Amateurs, Wrest, Oppenheimer, Satanhartalt) along with two other people and played feedback-fog-heavy screaming punk/noise rock, and I'm not sure if I separated the tracks correctly. Female Borstal was one of the myriad projects of Lee Stokoe, accompanied by George Proctor (Mutant Ape, Karst, Turgid Animal) and Jerome Smith (Oppenheimer, Charles Dexter Ward). One of the most band-like musically ones at that, since they played a more psychedelic and energetic version of Marzuraan, that is, lysergic doom metal/drone. Expect much noise and intensity, proceed with caution. 2014 tape on Fuckin' Amateurs.

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Ascension - 'LP'

More insane guitar and drums skronk/free jazz improv by Stefan Jaworzyn and Tony Irving. 1995 lp on Fusetron.

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Ascension - Five Titles cd

After Stefan Jaworzyn quit Skullflower in the early 90s, he says he abandoned his guitar for a few years, before being convinced to take it up again by drummer Tony Irving. So the two of them started the groups Ascension and Descension which are essentially free jazz but improvised and played on exclusively rock instruments, namely electric guitar and drums, similar to Skullflower's innovative rock approach to noise music. Despite the improvised nature, there is a unique connection between the two guys, and this is topped by the last track which is a 27-minute dual guitar noise and feedback assault from another planet. Yeah baby this is great. 1996 cd on Shock.

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Oppenheimer (Culver/Wrest/Charles Dexter Ward/Xazzaz project)

Oppenheimer is one of the many groups in which Lee Stokoe of the almighty beacon of deep drone Culver and Matching Head Tapes plays. Also playing are Jamie Stewart of Wrest and Satanhartalt (whose works will one day be covered here), Jerome Smith of Charles Dexter Ward, Female Borstal (also including Lee!) and Haikai No Ku, and Mike Simpson of the amazing Xazzaz, also of Satanhartalt and Molotov Productions. All these guys are contributors to the small but powerful North England underground noise/drone scene. Here, though, they play something slightly different, showcasing a deafening but highly rhythmic type of skronk/noise rock, which is heavily influenced by the motorik style as well as containing some surprisingly rock 'n' roll parts, especially in the 2015 release. As obvious in the liner notes, instrument duties are exchanged among the band members. Worth checking out.

2012 CD-R (Molotov Productions)

 

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2014 CD-R (Molotov Productions)

 

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 2014 tape (Matching Head)



Download (removed after artist's request)

2015 CD-R (Molotov Productions)



Here they are aided by Dean Glaister of drone monks RYN.

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Skullflower - (almost) complete discography Part 1

So, at the request of a dear commenter, I hereby present the discography of Skullflower. Apologies for the delay in doing so but things have pretty hectic. Due to the lack of time, comments on the albums, as well album covers, will be limited. After all, Skullflower and their importance in the formation of the noise/drone scene by including live traditional rock instruments rather than electronics has been extensively documented in many blogs. If I find the time, I might come back to the post and include covers and whatnot. This first part will cover SF's initial run from the late-80s to 1996. Part 2 will come soon-ish.

1987 - Bull & Gate Oct 7, 1987 download

This is an early SF live recording released in 2012 by Shock and Dirter Promotions, featuring Matthew Bower, Stuart Dennison, Stefan Jaworzyn and Gary Mundy of Ramleh. I had found this on a blog, but unfortunately I can't seem to find the link to lead to that blog, so I have uploaded it. If the original uploader sees this and wants me to link to his post, please send a comment.

1988 - Birthdeath

 

More specifically, I'm including both the original version and the Kino I: Birthdeath reissue. As is shown in Stephen Jaworzyn's liner notes in the reissue, tracks 1 and 2 are from 1987 and unreleased, track 3 is also unreleased and probably their earliest recording (1986), track 4 is from 1988 and probably from the Form Destroyer sessions, track 5 from 1988, tracks 6 and 7 ("Birthdeath" and "Grub Song") are not the versions found on the original lp, but are the remixes from the Ruins LP, tracks 8 and 9 ("Timebomb" and "Blood Harvest") are the original Birthdeath versions and tracks 10 is unreleased. The original was released in 1988 on Broken Flag and the reissue in 2013 on Shock/Dirter Promotions.

Original Birthdeath download
Kino I: Birthdeath reissue download

1989 - Form Destroyer download

1989 - I Live In The Bottomless Pit - Bo Diddley's Shitpump 7'' download


1990 - Rift - Avalanche 7'' download

1990 - Rotten Sun 7'' download

1990 - Ruins download


1990 - Slaves 7" download

1990 - Xaman download

1991 - Mauro Teho Teardo split download (SF track only)

1991 - IIIrd Gatekeeper download

1992 - Evel Knievel 7" download


1992 - Bad Alchemy 7'' download

1993 - Last Shot At Heaven download: removed by SF's request

1993 - Obsidian Shaking Codex download: removed by SF's request

1994 - Carved Into Roses download

1994 - Choady Foster - Spent Force 7'' download

1994 - Ponyland 7'' download

1994 - Skullflower & Total split 7'' download (both SF and T)

1994 - White Fang #2 - Glassy Essence 7'' download

1995 - Adieu, All You Judges (Live Split with Ramleh) download (both SF and T)

1995 - Argon download

1995 - Infinityland download

1995 - Transformer download

1995 - Village Sorting 7''

1996 - this is Skullflower download

2013 - Kino IV: Black Sun Rising download



This is a compilation featuring some unreleased tracks as well as some 7" tracks I have already uploaded in their own right. Tracks 1 and 2 are unreleased, tracks 3 and 4 are the Rift/Avalanche 7", tracks 5 and 6 are the Slaves 7" but "Satan My Black Ass, Steve Albini = Jim Steinman" is assigned its original title "Hoof," track 7 is unreleased, tracks 8 and 9 are the ILITBP/BDSP 7", track 10 is the original title of "A Guide to Canine Foreskin Retraction" from the Portable Altamont comp (more below), and tracks 11-13 are unreleased and derived from the Xaman recording. 2013 cd on Shock/Dirter Promotions.

Various tracks download - removed by SF's request

In this rar I have included some SF comp tracks: "A Guide To Canine Foreskin Retraction (from The Portable Altamont)" (renamed "Against Everything" on Kino IV was released on the Portable Altamont 1991 compilation with Coil, Nurse With Wound, Current 93 and Drunks With Guns. "IIIrd Gatekeeper" is from the 1993 Sound From Hands compilation (and also included on the bandcamp reissue of Last Shot At Heaven). "Aquatic Horrorshape" is from the 1993 Shrine compilation and also from the LSAH internet reissue. "Dawning Mew" is from the LSAH reissue as well. "Hamburger Lady" is from the 1999 tribute to Throbbing Gristle Entertainment Through Pain.

The Dead C / Rangda split LP

Side 1: Four lost Eusa Kills (1989) tracks by The Dead C, ranging from dying dictaphone distortion and decayed drum machine beats on the title track and almost punk rhythms on track 4 "Heaven's Wheel." Note: I have mistakenly numbered both track number 3 "This Much I Know" and aforementioned track number 4 as "04"

Side 2: Two improvised sunset-watching-in-the-desert jams by Rangda (Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance, Sir Richard Bishop of Sun City Girls and Chris Corsano. Last track "Sancticallist" is utterly ear candy.

2013 LP on Ba Da Bing!

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