Over ten years of MuhMur Radio broadcasting and a broadcast has never fallen on my birthday ... until now. So, the playlist is a little eclectic, some favourites from the past and some sounds from recent arrivals at MuhMur Radio HQ. It was whilst compiling the programme that I read of the passing of Keith Levene, a piece of news that saddens me. One of the finest guitarists and inspirational artist over the past 50 years. I was planning to play a track from PiL's first album ("First Issue"), as it was originally released on December 8 1978 adding the Steel Leg 12" and his production work with Vivien Goldman. Great records. After the summer hiatus I wasn't going to include the 'On This Day' section in the broadcasts anymore ... but checking the diaries I find that Crispy Ambulance's "Unsightly & The Serene" 10" single was also released on December 8. 1981. The year I first saw them live, supporting New Order at Retford Porterhouse. January 1981. Memories ... as the old PiL song goes ...
The broadcast kicks off with a track from the new Column One 5xCD release on the Polish Zoharum label.
Entitled "W. Transmission I-V" the CDs cover the complete catalogue of Column One's World Transmissions series which began with the cassette release in 1992 with "W. Transmission 1 - New Re-Generation" on the A.N. Column Release label. The CD version in this box set is completely different.
"World Transmission 1 was originally released in 1992 on cassette tape under the title 'New Re-Generation'. The meaning and function of this series were not clearly defined at that time. Various unreleased versions of this first transmission took shape, all of which followed a diverging emphasis in their conceptual and formal direction. The originally released version, which is not included here, became a marked terminus rather than an origin. .... This releases focuses on the roots of Column One that lie in a combination of coded key sounds and images. The associated degrees and movements of immersion and submersion into the consciousness that is Column One moved, according to this pattern, in a clear process'.
"W. Transmission 2" followed a year later with "W. Transmission 3 + 4" being released as a double LP on StateArt in 2000. "W. Transmission 5" is compiled of previously unreleased material, although the Column One Box Set "No One" includes the piece "World Transmission 5 : Continuum". It is a magnificent release and congratulations to Zoharum for making it real. There is a limited edition with the CDs packaged in a wooden box with badges, a tote bag, signed photographs and a poster. Contact Zoharum for details : http://zoharum.com/en/.
Jut as an aside. In 1998 I (along with Mick McDaid of Outsider Records) created the CDR label 'The Mouth Label'. "Mouth" being an amalgamation of Muh & Out. Our final release was the Column One album "Live Im Hybridraum 23.12.97". Limited to 50 copies, our previous releases by Dieter Müh and Government Alpha had been 15 and 20 respectively. I moved around a lot in the late 90's and mislaid my copy (and master cassette), fortunately I was sent an unplayed copy this summer.
Sticking with the Germans, there are two tracks from Hoyerswerda based band Pisse. In August Phantom Records released the cassette "Los Alemanes No Pueden Bailar" by Grupo Pisse Y Las Hermanas Martinez. Four tracks of prime Cumbia-punk. "Cucha Chuchumeca" is from this cassette. "Pumafrau" is from the 2015 album "Mid Schinken Dutch Die Menopause" on Beau Travail / Phantom Records. The track features Israeli MC Miss Red (aka Sharon Stern). All Pisse and associated can be found here : https://pisse.bandcamp.com
It's my party and I'll play what I want to ... Joy Division, Deutsch Amerikansische Freundschaft and Laibach. The Laibach version of "Sympathy For The Devil" is from the 12" Promo EP for the "Wirtschaft Its Tot" release. The track is mixed by Daniel Miller of Mute Records and Paul Kendall. I recently mentioned that I received a copy of the book "69 Exhibition Road", an autobiography of Dorothy 'Max' Prior. https://remuhmuration.blogspot.com/2022/11/dorothy-max-prior-book.html. It's a great book, a fascinating and easy read from a person who was there at the birth of The Monochrome Set, Adam & The Ants and Rema-Rema. She worked at the ICA at the time of the famous "Prostitution" exhibition / performance by COUM Transmissions and was close friends with TG, especially Genesis P-Orridge. Unfortunately the book doesn't go as far as her time as drummer with Psychic TV. I remember seeing her play with PTV at both the 'Feast Of Flowering Light' in London and at the Royal Northern College Of Music in Manchester. Dorothy also put out a solo single on Industrial Records. "Softness" is the B Side to the "I Confess" 7" and was written by P-Orridge and Alex Fergusson. The Monochrome Set track has Max on drums. It comes from the compilation album "Black & White Minstrels 1975-1979".
Schwund are a Berlin based band who I discovered through their "Technik Und Gefühl" which was co-released by Phantom Records and Harbinger Sound back in 2019. "Gespenst" is from the latest release, the cassette album "Dieezer Tübe". The cassette comes dubbed on to recycled German folklore, military and church tapes from the 1970's and 80's. All tapes very in length and colour and a filled up with sound collages created last summer. https://derschwund.bandcamp.com/album/dieezer-t-be. Grab a copy!
It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, my small tribute to the late great Keith Levene followed by an 'On This Day' track from Crispy Ambulance. https://muhmur.blogspot.com/2010/02/crispy-ambulance-in-north-hykeham.html. I had forgot I had written this and I think I was wrong when I mentioned that Crispy Ambulance had already released the 10" single by the time they played the gig. I am ready to be corrected. And, I have met up with Mark since writing this .. he lives a few miles North in Gloucestershire. Recently I bought the book "Savage Impressions : An Aesthetic Expedition Through The Archives Of Independent Project Records & Press". It's a complete catalogue of the work of Bruce Licher. And now I am collecting his solo recordings and trying to complete my Savage Republic collection.
"The Penstemon Field" is from the 3" CDR EP "Exploratorium". Recorded in 1997 but not released until 2006 the CDR is packaged on 12" square of heavy chipboard and hand letter pressed in seven different colours. The Savage Republic track is from the new 7" on Polish 'Don't Sit On My Vinyl' label. Released in April this year, the single is a lathe cut limited to 66 copies with all profits going to the Polish Humanitarian Action that helps the victims of there war in Ukraine.
The 7" is called "For Free Ukraine". "Meteora" was an album released by DSOMV in 2021. Contact them here : https://gusstaff.com. Back to the books, before the Dorothy Prior autobiography and after the Bruce Licher / Independent Project Records compendium I found time to read "Hungry Beat" by Doug Macintyre. Subtitled "The Scottish Independent Pop Underground Movement (1977-1984)". Ahh, the leisure of retirement, I now find time to read. I did mention the book a few programmes ago when I played the Josef K single that came with initial copies of the book. The Flowers feature Hilary Morrison on vocals. Hilary was the co-founder of Fast Product alongside Bob Last. Also "Food" has Simon Best on drums, Simon left shortly after to join Delta 5. "Food" is from the "Ballad Of Miss Demeanour" 7"EP put out on Pop Aural, Last & Morrison's label after ceasing the activity of Fast Product. The book is a great read. https://www.whiterabbitbooks.co.uk/titles/douglas-macintyre/hungry-beat/9781399600248/. Also featured heavily (natch!) are Scars.
"Your Attention Please" was a 'giveaway' flexi-disc with issue #3 of the trendy "i-D Magazine". It's a live 1980 recording of vocalist Robert King reading lines of the "Protect & Survive" leaflet published by the government with instructions of what to do in case of a nuclear attack along with lines from a poem by Peter Porter. A studio version in on Scars LP "Author! Author!" (I'll play this version soon!).
November saw the 40th anniversary of the Virgin Prunes LP "... If I Die, I Die". Forty years! Now that makes me feel old. I must have heard the "Twenty Tens" 7" being played on the John Peel radio show that lead me to their sound / brilliance. The same year I saw them play live at the Futurama 3 Festival in Stafford (Bingley Hall). They played Manchester Hacienda to promote the ".. If I Die, I Die" album. One of the most frightening / enthralling gigs I have been to.
The album comes in two versions, the single LP and the double CD. The CD version has extras. Rough mixes, alternative mixes and demo versions. It also has a booklet of photographs and lyrics, it's a really well done re-issue. I don't know much about the label BMG, they have also re-released the first album by The Damned with a great booklet. Another wonderful and memorable gig I went to a few years back was to see Dale Cornish at Ryan's Bar in Stoke Newington, London. Dale has a new album out on The Death Of Rave label. I have been following the work / sound of Dale since his days as part of Baraclough, the project he was in with Eddie Nuttall (later of Aqua Dentata) and Paul De Casparis. Their "Vulpas Vulpas" cassette on Beartown Records is well recommended. "My Geography" is the opening track from the "Traditional Music Of South London". The Death Of Rave is a sub label of Boomkat. Copies available there : https://boomkat.com. Or contact Dale : https://dalecornish.bandcamp.com/music.
Der Plan originally formed in 1979 and included DAF members Robert Görl and Chrislo Haas. They folded in the early 1990's only to reform again as a trio in 2014. The 7" EP 'Gefährliche Clowns" contains three recordings from 1979, 1988 and 2016. http://www.bureau-b.com for all details Der Plan.
Peet & De Teefjes is the project of Dutch performance artist and musician Peter Fengler. Earlier this year Chris Booth (Head of SoundArt Radio) organised a gig for Peter's band Coolhaven at Dartington Space Studios (where the radio station is located). A great event. Coolhaven also includes ex Trespassers W. members Lukas Simonis and Hajo Doorn. If I knew this at the time I would have taken my Trespassers W. records along to get signed! On the night they did a cover of the Peet & De Teefjes song "Tena Lady" (or is it the other way around)? The version here is from the only album by Peet & De Teefjes called "Complete Afgedraaid".
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IC86 Show - Indie Pop | Renegade Soundwave & Rema Rema- Gary Asquith on Podbean, check it out! https://www.podbean.com/ea/pb-jsyv4-132f3f3
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