Cassiber ‎– 1982–1992 (30th Anniversary Cassiber Box) (2003, 6xCD, England)

 
In 1982 Cassiber (phonetically: ‘a message smuggled out of prison’) crashed like a locomotive into the Deutsche Neue Welle. Founded by Heiner Goebbels, Alfred Harth, Christoph Anders and Chris Cutler, Cassiber managed to fuse materials and attitudes drawn from experimental rock, fringe jazz, punk, pop, plunderphonics, improvisation, close structure and musique concrete with an energetic and complex form of studio (and then concert) composition that was unique in its combination of diverse experimental approaches to form with a risky, emotional and expressive mode of execution. Through a deep connection between instrumentation, form and topicality, their musical evolution tracked and anticipated the political and technological changes of their time. Thus, in the course of their 10 years of intermittent touring and 4 records they evolved significantly through the high stakes energy of the earlier releases into their later, more complex and composed, studio works (by which time they had become a trio: Goebbels, Anders, Cutler) when they also had early access to the first generation of polyphonic samplers. Highly radical, their music opened up song form by abandoning, extending or crashing sideways into it – building structure from a combination of noise, libido, high musicality and – unique for the time - a great deal of cultural debris. This box collects it all (the majority of it out-of-print for some time now) alongside a lot of unreleased material – and full concert DVD. The 4 historic releases have been carefully re-mastered by Bob Drake and there are, in addition two extra CDs, one that collects the Cassix, Duck and Cover and Ground Zero projects (also re-mastered) and one of unreleased studio and live material, and a DVD (about 2 hours) of live and studio footage - including a mini documentary made during the recording of A Face We All Know. It comes in the usual sturdy box with a fat booklet of documents, interviews, information, photographs, pictures, itineraries and miscellaneous memorabilia. Limited to an edition of 1000 copies (RéR Megacorp)

available here

CD-01 / MAN OR MONKEY (54:48)
01. Not Me (3:38)
02. Red Shadow (3:50)
03. Chor der Gefangenen (4:51)
04. Our Colourful Culture (3:05)
05. O Cure Me (5:54)
06. This Core (4:20)
07. Man or Monkey (16:39)
08. Django vergibt (3:10)
09. Die Verunreinigung des Flusses ist gerade noch ertraeglich (6:38)
10. Sag mir wo die Blumen sind (2:41)

CD-02 / BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (49:53)
01. Six Rays (4:09)
02. Robert (5:02)
03. Last Call (3:02)
04. Ach, heile mich (6:35)
05. Haruspices (1:54)
06. Under New Management (5:29)
07. Vengeance is Dancing (2:19)
08. In einer Minute (4:32)
09. Und ich werde nicht mehr sehen (3:01)
10. Trendre La Lune Avec Les Dents (4:16)
11. At Last I Am Free (3:47)
12. Time Running Out (0:17)
13. Bonus Track (5:30)

CD-03 / A FACE WE ALL KNOW (42:03)
01. This was the way it was (0:52)
02. Remember (2:52)
03. Old Gods (0:27)
04. 2 'o clock in the morning (2:37)
05. Philosophy (1) (0:07)
06. Gut (3:46)
07. Start the show (3:03)
08. A screaming comes across the sky (3:12)
09. They go in under archways (4:12)
10. They have begun to move (3:33)
11. Time gets faster (0:28)
12. It's never quiet (2:25)
13. Philosophy (2) (0:05)
14. A screaming holds (1:57)
15. Philosophy (3) (0:32)
16. I was old (3:54)
17. The way it was (5:06)
18. To move (2:54)

CD-04 / PERFECT WORLDS (33:09)
01. Dust and Ashes (2:03)
02. Crusoe's Landing (4:34)
03. Miracolo (4:53)
04. Prometheus (4:51)
05. Sleep Armed (2:15)
06. In a Room (4:56)
07. Todo dia (2:35)
08. Orphee's Mirror (5:02)
09. I tried to reach you (1:59) 

CD-05 / COLLABORATIONS (50:58)
Duck and Cover:
01. 3000 Explosions (3:04)
02. Dark Cloud (1:48)
03. Walls Are Loosening (0:39)
04. Rats & Monkeys (1:07)
05. Pause# (1:30)
06. Easter Day 1935 / Kein Kriegsspielzeug Fur Jonathan (3:55)
07. The Song Of Investment Captial Overseas (3:34)
08. The Address (2:13)
09. Fragments (1:39)
10. Dark Reprise (0:30)
11. On Suicide (1:48)
12. Und Ich Werde Nicht Mehr Sehen (4:52)
13. Not with a bang (1:29)
Cassix:
14. Coste (1:54)
15. Cripta (2:46)
16. Religion (2:32)
17. The Stanislavsky Method (1:15)
18. Tempo di Pace, Bari (3:56)
19. Copy Machine (1:49)
20. Finta di Nulla (2:12)
Remixed by Ground Zero:
21. O Cure Me (6:17)

CD-06 / THE WAY IT WAS (57:46)
01. This Was The Way It Was (3:03)
02. Archways (2:26)
03. A Screaming (5:00)
04. They Have Begun To Move (1:59)
05. 2:00 In The Morning (0:56)
06. Todo Dia (2:55)
07. It's Never Quiet (3:11)
08. Six Rays (2:21)
09. Prisoner Chorus 1 (2:27)
10. Prisoner Chorus 2 (5:15)
11. Oh No (2:35)
12. I Was Old When I Was Young (2:07)
13. Disk Not Responding (2:03)
14. Gut (2:59)
15. Crusoe's Landing (4:03)
16. Miracolo (4:50)
17. Our Colourful Culture (2:28)
18. In A Room (4:41)
19. Not Me (2:19)

Line-up / Musicians
Chris Cutler / drums
Heiner Goebbels / violin, piano, synthesiser, guitar, cassettes
Christoph Anders / vocals, guitars, saxophone, synthesiser
Alfred Harth / saxophones, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, cello on CD-01, CD-02, CD-05, DVD-07
with:
Tom Cora / cello, bass, cassettes, electrics on CD-05 (Duck and Cover tracks)
Fred Frith / guitar, bass, cassettes on CD-05 (Duck and Cover tracks)
Dagmar Krause / vocals on CD-05 (Duck and Cover tracks)
George Lewis / trombone, mouthpieces on CD-05 (Duck and Cover tracks)
Franco Fabbri / guitar on CD-05 (Cassix tracks)
Umberto Fiori / vocals on CD-05 (Cassix tracks)
Pino Martini / bass on CD-05 (Cassix tracks)
Shinoda Masami / saxophone on CD-05 (Ground Zero remix)
Otomo Yoshihide / rhythm box, hard disc recorder on CD-05 (Ground Zero remix)
Dietmar Diesner / saxophone on CD-06
Rene Lussier / guitar on CD-06

Cassiber ‎– Man Or Monkey (1982, CD, England)

Man or Monkey was Cassiber's first album. It was released in 1982 on the German label Riskant as a set of two 45 rpm LPs -- a format that turned it into a pricy collector's item. For this first effort, Christoph Anders, Chris Cutler, Heiner Goebbels, and Alfred 23 Harth entered the studio with only a handful of the drummer's lyrics and a few melodic ideas. They improvised, letting structures and arrangements develop by themselves, so to speak, and singer Anders threw in a text when he felt it appropriate. Even on the ReR Megacorp CD reissue, the structure of the four-sided LP remains strongly detectable. Side A presents three short improvised songs. Lyrics are more declamated than sung and the musical flooring is loosely rhythmical but very intense ("Red Shadow" is a highlight). Side B focuses on more prepared songs and Anders' singing. The festive music of "Our Colourful Culture" creates a disgusting contrast with the somber lyrics ("I came from the country/Arriba! Arriba!/They were killing my family/Ha ha ha ha"). "O Cure Me" sets the lyrics from one of Bach's cantatas against a delicate keyboard motif and thunderous clashes of noise. Both of these pieces would remain in the group's live sets until the end ten years later. Side C contains the 16-minute free improvisation "Man or Monkey." It has interesting moments but never really lifts up -- a failed attempt for the most part. Side D contains nice percussion work. Man or Monkey is miles away from the conciseness and strength of A Face We All Know, but it already shows all the ingredients for the maturation of this seminal avant rock group.

Songs / Tracks Listing
1. Not Me (3:38)
2. Red Shadow (3:50)
3. Chor der Gefangenen (4:51)
4. Our Colourful Culture (3:05)
5. O Cure Me (5:54)
6. This Core (4:20)
7. Man or Monkey (16:39)
8. Django vergibt (3:10)
9. Die Verunreinigung des Flusses ist gerade noch ertraeglich (6:38)
10. Sag mir wo die Blumen sind (2:41)
Total Time: 54:48

Line-up / Musicians
Chris Cutler / drums
Heiner Goebbels / violin, piano
Christoph Anders / vocals, guitars
Alfred Harth / saxophone