Modelbau POST Cassette.

 

It is certainly a busy summer for Modelbau with a plethora of releases and live performances. The other day I received a copy of "POST", a C15 cassette on the Canadian Vacancy Recs label. As I catalogued it and filed the cassette away I realised I had about 90 Modelbau releases on various formats. I don't think I have that many releases by any other artist / project in my collection. It was back in 2015 when I dipped my ears towards the analog sound of Frans de Waard's Modelbau and have been hooked since that day. Back in 2015 Modelbau were releasing a series of sounds all alphabetically titled. I came in at "Cataract", a cassette on the mighty Licht-Ung label, then came "Do Without" on Maneki Neko Tapes. 

Frans wrote a rather marvellous book called "X" which he published on his Korm Plastics Vanity Series. It covers the first 10 years of Modelbau. The book also includes a CD. The book is well sold out but the CD is available as a (pay what you want) download at:

https://modelbau.bandcamp.com/album/x

 

POST is the second release for Modelbau on Vacancy Recs. In 2021 they released "Bienenkorb" a two track C90 limited to 26 copies (one for each letter of the alphabet). "POST" is also limited to 26 copies. I like Modelbau on cassette, for me it is my preferred format for listening to Modelbau. (that and the 7" vinyl of course). POST. 2 tracks on an old German 'Computer World' cassette. Side A is "A Prayer", a very meditative affair with Rin Gongs and Temple Bells gently creating the atmosphere, delicately looped and treated. These sounds increase towards a 'fade out' end with the sound of water(s) and disguised chords of flutes and keys and birdsong. It brings to (my) mind the sound of This Heat. 

Side B is simply called "B Side" and travels faster, it is a lot busier with ascension type electronics all swirling and travelling upwards building with static radio waves which surround the (re) intro and brings in the underground sound of the Rin Gongs and Temple Bells before crumbling to an echoed halt as if it is too tired to proceed.

two fantastic journeys. https://vacancyniagara.bandcamp.com/album/post-vac-085 for a copy (either physical or digital). It maybe worth buying a few releases (thinking of postage costs), Vacancy Recs have also great releases by Sick Days, Murmur and Club Social available. 

Modelbau also have a CDR on the mighty Licht-Ung available, called "Roestig". 9 pieces recorded in 2023 and finally mixed in 2025. There are also 2 CDs recently released "The End Of The Continuum" on Lumberton Trading Company and "Muster" on the Drone Records subsidiary label Sym. 

You can contact Modelbau / Frans de Waard via: https://fransdewaard.com

MuhMur Radio Broadcast #296 : August 2 2026.

 

Whilst preparing the records and CDs to play for this programme I was very saddened to hear of the passing of Chris Phinney. Chris was the guy behind the project Mental Anguish. Chris was behind many other 'noise' projects, I remember Mental Anguish more than the others .. I do have some Viktimized Karcass but unfortunately the cassette deck is 'down' at the SoundArt Radio studio at the moment. I first came across Chris through his releases on the label he ran. Harsh Reality Music. In 1989 he put out the compilation cassette "England / United Kingdom" that featured IBF member Tim Bayes as Schuster alongside Smell & Quim, Michael Sefton, Factor X and Webcore amongst others. (My copy is long lost, but if anyone has a copy they would like to pass on ... please get in touch). Harsh Reality Music began in 1982 with the debut cassette by Mental Anguish called "Better Pull That Plug", going on to put out cassettes by Konstruktivists, David Prescott, If Bwana and Big City Orchestra amongst (a lot of) others. Five years ago I appeared on a fundraising CD for Chris. He had been hit by a car and needed help to pay for medical bills, the CD was organised by Arvo Zylo, called "Modus Vivendi" and on the NO PART OF IT label and featured Dieter Müh, Attrition, Content Nullity, Aaron Dilloway and PBK amongst others. The Dieter Müh piece in this programme is from this CD. The Mental Anguish track is from the compilation CD "Stanza's On Sexual Hygiene" released in 1992 on the Regelwidrig label. 

The compilation also features Bourbonese Qualk, Nocturnal Emissions, Due Process, (Manchester's finest) Contact With A Curve and The Grey Wolves amongst others. Regelwidrig was a curious little label existing for just 3 years at the start of the 1990s. It was run by a chap called Simon Kelly assisted by Michael Sefton (Jouissance) and I think Xper Xr (from Hong Kong). I could be wrong though. More information about Chris can be found at http://www.haltapes.com/harsh-reality-music.html. Chris will be missed. 

"Brat Moj" (Brother Of Mine) by Laibach is from the debut 12"EP by Laibach. Originally released in February 1984 I managed to pick up a 1988 re-issue at last months Torquay Record Fair and I've fallen in love with it again .. I did manage to see Laibach live a couple of times in 1984. The performance at Manchester Boardwalk still stays fresh in the memory. The venue decked out in banners and posters and the support was an old man chopping at a tree trunk with an axe. The trunk was mic'ed up and going through various effects / delays and equalisation. Beautiful. 

Remembering my old friend Jacques Beloeil who passed away three summers ago in 2023. I first met Jacques in 2005 when he and fellow Entr'actean Allon (Kaye) were spinning discs at a Dieter Müh w/ Lon Milo DuQuette and The Groop gig at a fetish club in Vauxhall (London) and became friends from thereon. Most times I went to London I would met up with or bump in to Jacques at various drinking establishments in Stoke Newington, Islington and Dalston. Always a joy, always laughter. The three track CDR "Look" has just been released on Final Image. https://finalimage.bandcamp.com. 

the track 'Look' is partly inspired by a book on funeral marches. All three pieces on this CDR were produced with and on cheap equipment in the early 2000s. "Guillotine" is an edit of piece that was originally released on Entr'acte in 2011. (a visualisation in slow motion of an uncomfortable moment). 

In my boxes of CDs I keep my copies of "Modus Vivendi" (2 copies ~ different coloured sleeves y'see) next to another benefit CD on the NO PART OF IT label. "Pattern Recognition" was a fundraiser for the artist Bradley Kokay who in 2020 lost his studio of 20+ years in a devastating fire that destroyed five towns in Oregon. https://www.artwanted.com/artist.cfm?ArtID=55248&Tab=Gallery. Bradley is based in Eugene Oregon. The Eric Lanzilotta piece is from this compilation. The album also features Modelbau, Mental Anguish, Howard Stelzer, Illusion Of Safety and Torturing Nurse amongst others. 

I did get to see UK Decay live a couple of times in 1981/82, although I didn't buy their records. My mate Mark (Collins, former guitarist of The Exitz) was a big fan so bought all their stuff and taped them for me. It's what we did back in those days, natural practice, although I think there was an attempt to market the practice in the 1990s and call the TDK C90 made of various singles, album tracks and the odd Peel Session as a Mixtape. "hey, I made you a mixtape'. My wife has a few cassettes from her youth that have the legend Mixtape emblazoned on the spines. It is sneaking in again by the backdoor and podcast. The phrase 'cassette culture', it has to have a marketable name, a genre, a pocket to put it in. It is of course and indeed all bollocks. OK. Rant over. Back to UK Decay. John Peel played "Werewolf" on his radio programme back in 1982. I didn't want it on a TDK C90 I wanted to own it so I went to Sanctuary Records in Lincoln and bought my first UK Decay single. It is still aching of beauty, and released on this day (August 2) in 1982. As was Modern English's "I Melt With You" 7", that single ends the broadcast. 

UK decay formed in 1978 in Luton (Bedfordshire, UK). There debut release was a split 7" with fellow Lutonians Pneumonia. Shortly after release Pneumonia split and their guitarist Steve Spon joined the ranks of UK Decay. They were signed to Fresh Records until that label went bust and was bought out by Jungle Records. Crass' label Corpus Christi released the "Rising From The Dread" 12"EP, a few months before they split in 1983. Spon left to form In Excelsis with ex Shy Tots drummer Colin Rocks and members of the Posi-Goth band Ritual. The rest of UK Decay became Furyo with ex-Gene Loves Jezebel guitarist Albie de Luca. I have the first Furyo LP but it wasn't as attractive as UK Decay (to these ears). UK Decay have reformed (of course they have) and are still treading the boards. They have rather good website at : https://uk-decay.co.uk.

As a precursor to the upcoming CD release "SET (With Manipulation, Intervention & Commendation By The Hafler Trio)" the Melbourne based project Automating put out "སྟོང་པ་ལས་སྟོང་པ་ཉིད་དུ་བླུག་པ། (Plumbing By The Hafler Trio)", a 3" mini CDR. Information about these releases can be grabbed from Automating's Bandcamp at : https://automating.bandcamp.com/music. It was around 10 / 12 years ago that Sasha Margolis (of Automating) got in touch mailing a package of releases from his label Second Language Records. CDRs by Automating and two other of Sasha's projects Constant Light and Spitfire Parade. It was a lovely surprise to hear from and be back in contact with Sasha. https://www.sashamargolis.com for more information. 

After Blind Ambition comes Blind Youth ... or is it the other way round? The Human League "Blind Youth" is from their first album "Reproduction". I was once told that one of the babies featured on the LP cover was one of Robert Calvert's kids ... could be wrong but I've always stood by the fact. 

Henry Mouwer is a former member of De Fabriek. In October last year EE Tapes released the CD "I Ching Shuffle", a compilation album in memory of Harold Schellinx. 64 tracks all last no more than a minute by artists such as Henry Mouwer, Goodiepal, Daniel Bennett, Martijn Hohmann, Lukas Simonis and Cosmic Alliance amongst many many others. The CD is designed to be played on shuffle, and 64 is the number of I CHING. 

                                               Sem (Machinery Directive) & Eriek (EE Tapes).

"Fade Into The Territory" is the first full album by Sint-Niklaas (Belgium) based project Machinery Directive. Back in 2021 EE tapes put out a split Machinery Directive / Hypnoskull album on cassette and CD. Machinery Directive is ex-The Orphanage Committee member S.C. Wallace. "Fade Into The Territory" features many experimentations with electronics, heavy pulsated rhythms, tape samples and looping with abstract and ambient interludes. It's a great listen, file alongside Söldnergeist, Le Syndicat, Ah Cama-Sotz or Werkbund. More information is available from EE Tapes at:

http://www.eetapes.be/EE_Tapes/news.html. (I don't think Eriek is on Social Media). Continuing with the 'Donkey' theme (you have to have listened to the Machinery Directive "The Actual Plan" track to understand that) I followed with "The Ghosts Of Freaks" by Phantom Plastics. Phantom Plastics is the collective moniker and division of Phantom Airwaves dealing with all sound sheets and flexi-discs. The main catalyst to the project is Michael Esposito. Other members / participants in the collective have been Frans de Waard, Chris Connelly, Francisco Meirino, Sons Of God and John Duncan amongst others. "The Ghosts Of Freaks is a collaboration with Dave Phillips (aka Donkey Papist ~ see, it all makes sense now). There's a good slice on Michael's activities here : https://grokipedia.com/page/michael_esposito_paranormal_investigator.

Many many moons ago I received a short letter from Genesis P-Orridge telling me about a guy called Graeme T'Uatara who had just moved to London (either from Berlin or Paris, I can't remember) and was staying at Peter Christopherson's house. He was relocating his SPK project to London and Gen thought that I should write to him as I might like what he was doing. I did. Graeme told me I was the first person to write to him in the UK and kindly mailed me the 7" single "No More" (Side Effects Rekords). Years of correspondence followed, and I followed SPK around the UK, helping out with humping equipment, babysitting, keeping John Murphy amused .. that kind of thing. 

I did lose contact and interest in the late 1980s with Graeme moving to Hollywood. And now Graeme has resurrected SPK .. as SPKtR. (Probably a play on 'spectre', but that's just my thought). A few live appearances in Italy, Poland and Germany playing the old hits and a new single to promote Graeme seems to be in vogue. I saw the Discipline Mag advertised with Graeme on the front cover, so I thought I'd take a punt. £20 with free worldwide postage. If there's an issue #2 I don't think I'll buy it. All things SPKtR can be found at : https://thespktr.org. Graeme pops up on the podcast "The C86 Show" interviewed by a chap called David Eastaugh, who obviously has no idea about SPK and their history and (obviously) couldn't be bothered to research. https://www.audible.co.uk/podcast/Graeme-Revell-SPK-The-Murray-Fontana-Orchestra-Vision-II-SPKtR/B0H9GCWYZS. I have played plenty of SPK on previous MuhMur Radio broadcasts so picked a couple of tracks from compilations of old. "In The Dying Moments" is from the 1985 LP "System Of Flux & Energies" on Sub Rosa and "Palms Crossed In Sorrow" is from the 1986 LP "Vhutemas Archetype" on Side Effects. 

You can listen to the whole broadcast here:

https://www.mixcloud.com/Soundart_Radio/muhmur-020826/

Playlist :

01: Mental Anguish : "NICU Blues" (Regelwidrig) 1992.

02: Laibach : "Brat Moj" (L.A.Y.L.A.H. Antirecord) 1988.

03: Jacques Beloeil : "Look" (Final Image) 2026.

04: Eric Lanzilotta : "Patterns Of Isolation" (NO PART OF IT) 2020.

05: Dieter Müh : "Bethlehem (Modus Vivendi)" (NO PART OF IT) 2021.

06: Jacques Beloeil : "Guillotine (Edit)" (Final Image) 2026.

07: UK Decay : "Werewolf" (Corpus Christi) 1982.

08: Automating : "A Note On Naming Conventions" (Not On Label) 2026.

09: Automating : "Plumbing By The Hafler Trio" (Not On Label) 2026.

10: Automating : "Blind Ambition" (Not On Label) 2026.

11: The Human League : "Blind Youth" (Virgin Records) 1979.

12: Henry Mouwer : "NMBRS" (EE Tapes) 2025.

13: Machinery Directive : "Tofu Dreg" (EE Tapes) 2026.

14: Machinery Directive : "The Actual Plan" (EE Tapes) 2026.

15: Phantom Plastics : "The Ghosts Of Freaks" (Phantom Archives) 2016.

16: S.P.K. : "In The Dying Moments" (Sub Rosa) 1985.

17: S.P.K. : "Palms Crossed In Sorrow" (Side Effects) 1986.

18: Modern English : "I Melt With You" (Sire Records) 1983.

* Modern English "I Melt With You" was released as a 7" single on 4AD Records on August 2 1982, the version I play here is the track from the US release of their album "After The Snow" as I don't have a copy of the original single ... (sorry about that). 

Thanks as ever to Tamsin & Chris Booth. 

I am struggling to upload this broadcast on my MixCloud account at the moment so is available via the SoundArt Radio MixCloud at the moment.

MuhMur Radio Broadcast #295. July 5 2026.

 

(Please note that this programme was first broadcast on Monday 29th June between 8 and 10pm.

Time is tight here at MuhMur HQ meaning that I could not broadcast live on Sunday 5 July. The desk at SoundArt Radio Station is a 'live desk' meaning I could not pre-record the programme for a Sunday broadcast so Chris kindly offered me a couple of hours on the Monday evening. Wanting to be true to the MuhMur Radio schedule Chris broadcasted the programme in its' regular slot 6 - 8pm on July 5). 

On the Sunday I usually follow Adrian and his crucial vibes, so I had a listen to the programme I was following on Monday. 'Mark's Musical Meanders', quite an easy pleasant listen, which gave me the idea of tonights broadcast. A meander through my record / CD collection (unfortunately not tapes as the station doesn't have a tape machine at the moment ... if anyone has one to donate and is in the South Hams area of Devon I will happily come and collect ... and then broadcast the new Fistfuck tape!). I combined this with memories of listening to Radcliffe & Maconie on Radio6 when I used to be a working man at Torbay Hospital and enjoying their feature "The Chain" where they would play 3 tracks that were somehow linked. It used to be fun to try and guess the link. So here we have 2 hours of 'linked' tracks ~ some obvious and some not so ... but if you want to have a guess please do. A prize to the first person who gets it right. I will publish the answers by August 2 (the day of the next broadcast). 

The broadcast is available on MixCloud : 

https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-july-5-2026/

Playlist : 

01: Manja Ristíc + Mark Vernon : Ljubavna Paruka (Pozovite Službu 988) (Kamizdat.si) 2026.

02: Laibach : "Boji" (L.A.Y.L.A.H. Antirecord) 1988.

03: The Hafler Trio : "Blanket Level Approach" (L.A.Y.L.A.H. Antirecord) 1985.

04: Pseudo Code : "Lament" (Sub Rosa) 2018.

05: Cabaret Voltaire : "Sex Money Freaks (Live)" (MemeTune) 2026.

06: Hula : "Fever Car" (Red Rhino Records) 1987.

07: The Gist : "Light Aircraft" (Rough Trade Records) 1982.

08: The Camberwell Now : "Spirit Of Dunkirk" (ReR Megacorp) 2006.

09: The Dead Mauriacs : "A Nocturnal Geography" (Zappak) 2026.

10: Vice Versa : "Science Fact" (Democratic Dancebeat Records) 2011.

11: West End : "Fiction" (Continental Records) 1980.

12: Zos-Kia : "An Absolute (Mekon Mix)" (Infinite Fog Productions) 2017.

13: The Vincent Units : "Martini" (Y Records) 1981.

14: The Tesco Bombers : "Hernando's Hideaway" (Y Records) 1982.

15: Throbbing Gristle : "Tesco Disco" (The Grey Area Of Mute) 1993.

16: Genesis P-Orridge & The Hafler Trio : "NOW < ------->" (Cortizona) 2023.

17: Inade & Troum : "Echoes Of Imagined Ruins" (Drone Records) 2026.

18: The Tea Set : "Tri X Pan" (Waldo's Records) 1979.

19: Eyeless In Gaza : "Kodak Ghost Runs Amok" (Ambivalent Scale Recordings) 1980.

20: Bron Area : "The Unfortunate Reply" (Ambivalent Scale Recordings) 1981.

21: Swell Maps : "Harmony In Your Bathroom" (Rough Trade Records/Rather Records) 1979.

22: Television Personalities : "Smashing Time" (Overground Records) 1992.

23: Column One : "Dead B-aiR-D Television" (Dossier) 1996.

24: Crawling Chaos : "Berlin" (Factory Records) 1980.

25: Biting Tongues : "Black & White Jesus" (Factory Records) 1987.

26: The Prats : "Jesus Had A P.A." (Da Da) 1980.

Some of the playlist : 

                                                          Keeping the troops entertained !

Back on August 2. Usual time of 6pm - 8pm. 

InterZone. London. 2026.

 

https://ebsn.eu/special-event-2026-london-interzone/

MuhMur Radio Broadcast #294. June 7 2026.

 

Tide's In ..... Dirt's Out.

I started making the playlist for tonight's broadcast during a late spring heatwave here in Devon, hence the opening song."Here's a song about the sunshine, dedicated to the sunshine". Enthusiasm will energise. It's the A Side of the 1980 12" "Health & Efficiency" by This Heat.

No Sides, an independent label based in Chicago, are a new name to me .. although checking their past releases they have put out sounds by Ashtray Navigations, Being and Chandra Shukla, all of which are up my alley so to speak. In April this year they released the CD album "Nine Times Makes Ten" by Frans de Waard's Modelbau. I play a couple of pieces on the broadcast.

Earlier in 2026 Modelbau released a brace of cassettes "Turnaround" and "Roundabout" alongside the self-released 'freebie' CDR album (1hr 17m long) "Lazy", and "Nine Times Makes Ten" progresses on from those albums with shorter concentrated loops and builds, I am really enjoying these releases, and the summer seems to be busy for Modelbau releases too with a CD "Muster" on the magnificent Drone Records label and a lathe-cut 10" / CDR called "Roestig" on Licht-Ung. Modelbau also make a live appearance at Radio FSK in Hamburg on June 10. Modelbau can be contacted via : https://substack.com/@fransdewaard. Frans is also re-issuing past Modelbau releases that weren't available as digital downloads via his bandcamp page. This includes the 7"EP on Haemoccult Recordings that I put out in 2023. The downloads are (I think) 'pay what you can'. You can get them at : https://modelbau.bandcamp.com

The C.M. von Hausswolff and Chandra Shukla piece comes from the CD "Travelogue (Thailand)" on the Touch label. 'The third in an ongoing series of collected international audio diaries; the premise is quite simple; the two meet at a mutually agreed upon destination along with the facilitation of something to record audio of these experiences on. The intent is to capture and augment these sonic soundtracks. This is done by sourcing the culture, environment, persons or events that make their voices available. The result might be pleasantly kind and floating or unpleasantly rough and jarring unveiling a light or dark world. "Travelogue (Thailand)" sees 'Von Hausswolff and Shukla rounding off another whirlwind 9 days in Southeast Asia in the unusual setting of the Lanna Kingdom (Kingdom of a million rice fields) of Northern Thailand. A multifaceted location where Thailand shares borders with Myanmar, Laos and China in what is known as The Golden Triangle, a commercial trade zone between the nations. The frontier region is home to hill tribes, countless Buddhist monasteries, stupas, The Mekong River, mountains and forests. All of which can be heard on this recording. Always finding themselves in the most untypical of off the beaten tourist destinations and settings. C.M. von Hausswolff and Chandra Shukla use the Northern Thai backdrop for more sonic tapestries and meditational sound weaving. Perhaps not always in the calming of ways but more often in the midst of noise laden cacophony'.

I must admit to being unaware of the previous two collaborations in this series. Both on Touch they are 'Travelogue (Nepal)' 2021 and 'Travelogue (Bali)' 2023. All three albums are available from C.M. at https://cmvonhausswolffreleases.bandcamp.com or Touch. https://touch33.net. Parts of Thailand CD brought to mind the piece "Introjection" by Dieter Müh. This was recorded at our second live performance at The Narrowboat in Nottingham, December 1994. We were playing alongside Olympic Shitman and Ramleh. Our whole set was a 40 minute improvised piece where at one point Tim (Bayes) started playing his Travel Diary Tapes that he made whilst journeying around India and Nepal. Unfortunately we never got to record a 'studio version' of "Introjection". The track is from "Mutus Liber", originally compiled as a cassette ( we played our third live set with Soviet France and was asked by a few folk if we had 'any merch?' ... we didn't so produced the cassette and gave it away to anyone who held an interest) in 1995. In 2019 the Belgian label EE Tapes reissued the album on CD. http://www.eetapes.be/EE_Tapes/news.html.

April 2026 saw the second album release in two months by Alice Kemp. 'A Profound Loss Of Meaning' is available on the Tochnit Aleph label. The album was recorded and mixed between 2013 and 2025. All information on Alice can be found here : https://alicekemp.net. The site includes some great live footage from Alice's performance in 2025 at the Dead Mind Festival. 

Following on from last years "Glaciers" mini-CD on the Zappak label and the collaboration with Asmus Tietchens "Lichthöfe" on Aug Abwegen is "Furafauna" on the UK Black Rose Recordings label. This album has Thorsten Soltau assisted by Femurl and features collaborations with Max Kuiper (Les Horribles Travailleurs), Quinten Dierick and Ralf Wehowsky (RLW), also a couple of remixes by Troum and Sewicide. "Astafél" (which I think means half of the day) opens the album. More information on Thorsen can be found here : https://thorstensoltau.de. "Furafauna" can be grabbed from Black Rose Recordings via contact through Discogs. 

It has been a while since I have featured an 'On This Day' section. That's not through choice, it's just that a few of the last broadcasts have been themed. 'No Room' (as Spizz once said). Anyway, a couple of classics  here starting with Young Marble Giants and 'Final day' from their 7"EP from 1980 released by Rough Trade Records. I do recommend a listen to their "Colossal Youth" album. There is a triple CD box set released by Domino that (I see) is available on Discogs for around a tenner. Worth getting if you haven't got the vinyl issue. Back at the start of the 1980's I saw Bauhaus live probably more times than is healthy. Bauhaus, Virgin Prunes, Gang of Four and The Psychedelic Furs seemed to play live all the time 1980-1982. (Great days). I think 'Spirit' (1982) was their last decent Bauhaus single .. the last one I bought anyway. 

The last hour (or so) of the broadcast is part two of my love of records recorded at Cargo Studios from 1977-1985. A few weeks ago I bought the book "Cargo Recording Studios 1977-1985" by Chris Connelly and played every release I have that is mentioned in the book ... a joyous time, and so ... here are some of those records. The book is essential. It's self published and only available via : 

https://www.cargostudios.co.uk/cargo-the-book/

The Past 7 Days were a short lived Sheffield group. 'Raindance' was released by 4AD Records in 1981. The band featured They Must Be Russians member Trevor Dooley. After the release The Past 7 Days signed to DinDisc, then split and never released anything ... there must be long lost tapes somewhere(?). Comsat Angels' Kevin Bacon produced the single. X-O-Dus are another band who only released one single, the 12" 'English Black Boys' on Factory Records in 1980. It was produced by Dennis Bovell (Matumbi/The Pop Group). in 2012 LTM released a CD including the 12" and X-O-Dus tracks from an unreleased LP that was to be on Factory Records. Mysterious Footsteps were a three-piece new wave band from Bradford. They released one 7" on The Yeti Record Corporation in 1980. Visitors fared slightly better releasing three 7" singles before splitting up. 'Electric Heat' is one of my all time favourites. They did sign to 4AD Records for a one-off album release but ... again there must be long lost tapes somewhere (?). 

Fast Product used Cargo Recording Studios with a few of their roster including The Flowers, The Blank Students, Basczax and more famously Gang oO Four and Scars. A lot of bands / artists (according to the book) picked Cargo because it was where Joy Division's "Atmosphere" and Gang Of Four's "Damaged Goods" EP were recorded. Defectors were from Hull, formed in 1978 by ex-COUM Transmission member Tony Menzies, they released one 7" EP on their own Louder label before splitting with Tony going on to form My Silent War. As mentioned in last months' ReMuhMuration I saw My Silent War play live at Futurama 3 back in 1981, delving deep into my records I found that I also saw Tony Menzies playing keyboards for Psychic TV when they played the Mardi Gras in Nottingham 1987. This was the last time I saw Psychic TV live, I did see most of their live shows from Manchester Ritz onwards, but the Mardi Gras gig was thee last straw. I do remember buying the Zoskia Meets Sugardog "That's Heavy Baby" off the Temple Records merch' table that night though ... so ... every cloud. 

Surface Mutants were from Sheffield, a short lived project who recorded their first single 'You Take Me Somewhere' at Western Works before going to Cargo Studios to record 'Anaesthetic'. The band featured future They Must Be Russian Nigel Manning and Cabaret Voltaire / Hula drummer Nort (Paul Black). In 2024 Klanggalerie released a collection of Surface Mutants recordings on CD called 'The Total Institution'. Worth checking out .. The Section 25 track 'After Image' is from the compilation LP "Hicks From The Sticks" released in 1980 on Rockburgh Records. Quite a few tracks on the LP were recorded at Cargo Recording Studios. The Pink Military track 'Do Animals Believe In God?' comes from the album of the same name. Released in 1980 on the Eric's label. 

                                                                     signed copy!

Household Name were a Leeds quartet that released only one single, the 12"EP "Household Name" on their own Household Name label. The 12" features Jacqui Callis from Delta 5. I saw them live at Lincoln Art College in 1982, a shame they didn't put out more recordings. The book features a hefty section, with some great photos, about The Skodas and their time at Cargo Recording Studios. Formed by Jason Diagram (aka Jason Pitchers) when he left Manchester for a life in Bristol in 1980. The Skodas only released one single and only played one live gig, in Chiseldon (Wiltshire). They split in 1982. 

John The Postman is legendary. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_the_Postman. The final track of the broadcast was first released on the 12"EP "Puerile" released by Bent Records in 1978. The version played here is from the excellent "John The Postman's Puerile" compilation CD released by Overground Records in 1998. I was fortunate to see John live, in 1984 after Pink Industry had played a Miners Benefit at The Gallery in Manchester, John took over the stage with some others and played a very very long version of 'Louie Louie" ... well at least that is what I remember .. I was incredibly drunk at the time. I could quite easily broadcast a Part Three of sounds recorded at Cargo Recording Studios if anyone's interested? Anyone for some Stockholm Monsters, Vibrant Thigh, Not Sensibles, Scarborough Antelopes and Ada Wilson? Chris did get in touch to tell me that he is starting on a book about Suite 16. When John Brierley sold the studio in 1985 Peter Hook bought it and renamed it Suite 16. 

The broadcast can be heard here : 

https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-7-june-2026/

Playlist :

01: This Heat : "Health & Efficiency" (Piano) 1980.

02: Modelbau : "Time Nine" (No Sides) 2026.

03: C.M. Von Hausswolff & Chandra Shukla : "Wai Phra Kao Wat" (Touch) 2026.

04: Dieter Müh : "Introjection (Live)" (EE Tapes) 2019.

05: Alice Kemp : "Mass I-IV" (Tochnit Aleph) 2026.

06: Thorsten Soltau/Femurl : "Astafél" (Black Rose Recordings) 2026.

07: Young Marble Giants : "Final Day" (Rough Trade Records) 1980.

08: Bauhaus : "Spirit" (Beggars Banquet) 1982.

09: Modelbau : "Time Five" (No Sides) 2026.

10: The Past 7 Days : "Raindance" (4AD Records) 1981.

11: X-O-Dus : "English Black Boys" (Factory Records) 1980.

12: Mysterious Footsteps : "White Dread" (The Yeti Record Corporation) 1980.

13: Visitors : "Electric Heat" (Deeps Cuts Records) 1979.

14: Scars : "Horrorshow" (Fast Product) 1979.

15: Gang Of Four : "Love Like Anthrax" (Fast Product) 1978.

16: Defectors : "Target Baby" (Louder) 1980.

17: Surface Mutants : "Anaesthetic" (Clönic Records) 1982.

18: Section 25 : "After-Image" (Rockburgh Records) 1980.

19: Pink Military : "Do Animals Believe In God?" (Eric's) 1980.

20: Household Name : "Lynch Mob Tactics" (Household Name Records-Leeds) 1981.

21: The Skodas : "Everybody Thinks Everybody Else Is Dead Bad" (Heartbeat Records) 1981.

22: John The Postman : "Kawalski Of The Seaview Has The Best Hairstyle I've Ever Seen" (Overground Records) 1998.

Whilst broadcasting Iz and Ed played a table tennis tournament!  FREE Table Tennis and dance music and bar is available Friday Nights at SoundArt Radio Studios. 

Thanks as ever to Tamsin & Chris. MuhMur Radio is back on July 5. SoundArt Radio 102.5FM (South Hams) or live stream at https://soundartradio.org.uk.

MuhMur Radio Broadcast #293. May 10 2026.

 A broadcast playlist built around two things ... well, maybe three when I come to think about it. Let's stick with three. 

I : The programme begins with Modelbau and their 2026 cassette release for the Japanese Neus-318 label entitled 'Roundabout'. Built of two 14 minute(ish) pieces with numerical titles the whole piece brought to mind the introduction to Cupol's 'Kluba Cupol' track from the 1980 12" 'Like This For Ages'. There is also a Modelbu cassette release called 'Turnaround' released around the same time which continues on this 'theme'. Both cassettes were released in issues of 23 and 25 respectively. Visit http://www.neus318.com for further information about 'Roundabout' and Moonside Tapes at https://moonside.space for information on 'Turnaround'. I am certain digital downloads are available. 

                                                             Roundabout & Turnaround.

                                                         Cupol "Like This For Ages" 12".

Cupol were a one-off project for B.C. Gilbert and Graham Lewis. A topping for their collaborative Dome project (maybe). Originally released in 1980 on the 4AD Records label, the 12" has been recently re-issued by the San Francisco based label Dark Entries. B.C. Gilbert and Graham Lewis's ' Hung To Dry Whilst Building An Arch' follows. This is the B-Side to the 1981 7" single 'Ends With The Sea' also on 4AD Records. 

II : Hula are one of my favourite bands and I was very excited to read last January that Sheffield label Safety Pin Magazine were releasing 7" of unreleased Hula material from the 1982 'Black Pop Workout' recording sessions made at Western Works. Chris Watson engineering. 

"This 7" single features two unreleased stereo files found on cassette which were recorded at Western Works studio and represent the early stages of Hula's output. Three other tracks were recorded and mixed during that session for Hula's first release, Black Pop Workout, a 12" EP on Red Rhino Records".

                                                                        Hula 'Spiral' 7".

I can usually remember where and when I bought my records / tapes / CDs etc ... but I can't quite remember where I bought Hula's "Black Pop Workout" 12". Perhaps I heard a track from it on John Peel's show (?), or maybe I was grabbed by the title (?). "Black Pop Workout" was released in 1982, back then I was buying my stuff from Virgin and Selectadisc in Nottingham, Tracks in Lincoln and the odd jaunt to Rough Trade Records in London. From the first hearing I was hooked on Hula. I love the vocals, the lyrics, the sloganeering with heavy beats and funk bass. It reminds me of my time in Sheffield, of Fon, of the Leadmill and Rare & Racey Records. 

I lived in Sheffield for 6 months in 1985, I had friends and acquaintances who lived there from 1983 onwards and used to visit to see gigs at the University and Leadmill, but in a desperate attempt to escape life in Hulme, Manchester I moved to Sheffield, to a house with a garden. Again, I can't remember how but I got to know Simon Crump, probably drinking in the locals of Meersbrook and the Leadmill (?). Simon was a member of Hula, he did the artwork for their sleeves and played saxophone live. 

When I left Sheffield to return to Hulme I lost contact with Simon. A shame, a fascinating chap with a great collection of pre-WWII radios and too many jazz records. I did see Hula live on many occasions, down at the Leadmill mainly supporting bands such as Test Department (1984) and Severed Heads (1985) and playing a few times with fellow Sheffield 'funksters' Chakk. I play some live Hula. Tracks from the 1986 double album "1000 Hours". These tracks were recorded at The Milkweg in Amsterdam 24/02/1985. 

III : This broadcast ends with songs that were all recorded at Cargo Recording Studio between 1977 and 1985. When I started buying 7" singles in the late 1970's I did notice the regularity of studios such as Cargo in Rochdale, WMRS in Leamington Spa (WMRS stood for Woodbine Mobile Recording Studios, run by John A. Rivers and used a lot by Swell Maps and Eyeless In Gaza). Spaceward Studios in Cambridge (Run by Mike Kemp and used a lot by Bauhaus, Modern English and Tubeway Army). In 2010 I stayed a few days in Cambridge. I was there to see the 'Past Present Future Space-Time' festival at the Wysing Arts Centre in a village just outside Cambridge called Bourn. Disinformation, Preslav Literary School, Astral Social Club and Ashtray Navigations were all performing. T'was a great event. The only time I, as a member of the audience, have been heckled by a performer. Peter Um took a dislike to me because of my Aaron Dilloway 'Mask' T-Shirt and wouldn't stop picking on me. Whatever happened to Peter Um? Anyway, whilst in Cambridge I went on a search for Spaceward Studios but couldn't find it. Another studio that popped up a few times on the back of the 7" sleeve was Studio Playground in Wragby (Lincolnshire). Run by Andy Dransfield and Rick Woolgar and used by bands such as Sinking Ships, Wavis O' Shave, Fatal Charm, B Movie and The Cigarettes. I reckon all the Lincoln punk / new wave bands used Studio Playground. I went there with the band Collide to record a 4-track demo. I wasn't a member of the band per se I just went along for support and encouragement. I think the engineer was a guy called 'Tramp' who also worked at Sanctuary Records in Lincoln ... I could be wrong though. 

Anyway, back to Cargo. Chris Connelly has written an excellent book simply called "Cargo - The Book". it includes the history of the studio and its owner John Brierley. The bulk of the book is an A-Z of all the bands and artists that recorded there with recollections from the users and some great pictures. Bands such as The Fall, Gang of Four, Joy Division, Crispy Ambulance, Frantic Elevators, Visitors, A Certain Ratio and Basczak. One of the bands that do appear in the book are The Defectors (from Hull), they recorded their 1980 7"EP 'Target Baby' at Cargo. A little nugget of information that I did not know is that The Defectors were formed by ex- COUM Transmissions member Tony Menzies. Tony plays on Throbbing Gristle album 'Second Annual Report'. I assume it is on the 'Cease To Exist' soundtrack ... Tony left to form the band My Silent War who I saw open the Futurama 3 Festival at Stafford Bingley Hall in 1981. If only I knew then. I do have a track by them that appears on the compilation album "Household Shocks", a gathering of Humberside / Lincolnshire bands from 1980. (The album also includes Sinking Ships, One Gang Logic, Product Of Reason and Fault 151 amongst others). All tracks on this album were recorded at Studio Playground. I shall play The Defectors 7"EP on next month's broadcast. (and probably some other tracks recorded at Studio Playground). I shall also be playing some more bands / artists that recorded at Cargo.

The book is self published and only available from Chris at : https://www.cargostudios.co.uk/cargo-the-book/. More information via : https://www.cargostudiosbook.com.

The programme is archived at Mixcloud.

https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-10-may-2026/

Playlist : 

01: Modelbau : "202507187" (Neus-318) 2026.

02: Cupol : "Kluba Cupol" (4AD Records) 1980.

03: B.C. Gilbert & G. Lewis : "Hung To Dry Whilst Building An Arch" (4AD Records) 1981.

04: Hula : "Spiral" (Safety Pin Magazine) 2026.

05: Hula : "Feeding The Animal" (Red Rhino Records) 1982.

06: Hula : "Ignoring The Famine" (Red Rhino Records) 1982.

07: Hula : "That Other Place" (Safety Pin Magazine) 2026.

08: Hula : "Sacred Serials (Circuits On Full Gush)" (Red Rhino Records) 1982.

09: Hula : "Junshi" (Red Rhino Records) 1982.

10: Hula : "Invisible (Live)" (Red Rhino Records) 1986.

11: Hula : "Ambient ◻︎ 2 (Live)" (Red Rhino Records) 1986.

12: Hula : "Tear-Up (Live)" (Red Rhino Records) 1986.

13: Hula : "The Trouble With Benny (Live)" (Red Rhino Records) 1986.

14: The Fall : "Flat Of Angles" (Step Forward Records) 1979.

15: Blue Orchids : "The Flood" (Rough Trade Records) 1980.

16: Joy Division : "Digital" (Factory Records) 1979.

17: Deutsch-Amerikanische-Freundschaft : "Kebabtraüme" (Mute Records) 1980.

18: Crispy Ambulance : "The Presence" (Factory Benelux) 1981.

19: The Durutti Column : "Thin Ice (Unedited Version)" (Les Disques Du Crépuscule/Factory Benelux) 2021.

20: Eric Random : "DOW Chemical Company" (New Hormones) 1981.

21: A Certain Ratio : "Thin Boys" (Factory Records) 1979.

22: Disease : "Psychobin" (Aardvark) 1980.

                                                4 'classic singles' recorded at Cargo Studios.

MuhMur Radio Broadcast #292 : April 12 2026.

Broadcast #292 kicks off with Saint Abdullah. Circumstances drew me to the double CD "Visions Of Darkness (In Iranian Contemporary Music)" released by Cold Spring Records and Unexplained Sounds Group in 2017. Saint Abdullah are two brothers, Mohammed and Mehdi Mehrabani-Yeganeh. Their sounds are associated with Shia Islam.  

Fourth Dimension Records have re-released "Morality" as a double CD set. Originally released on Broken Flag in 1985 as a C90 cassette, the new release features extra pieces by John Duncan. Extracts from 'The Prostitution Tapes'. Pacific 231 (named after a 1923 symphony by Arthur Honeggar) is the solo project of French sound artist Pierre Jolivet. Pacific 231 were one of those projects that back in the mid 1980s were difficult to find out about. I remember reading about them in magazines like ND but finding their releases was very hard. Still active (which I did not know, and based in Dublin). Other artists on the 'Morality' compilation include ; Un-Kommuniti, Le Syndicat, Croyners, Next, Ankh, Controlled Bleeding and Toll. 

Available from Richo at : https://fourthdimensionrecords.bigcartel.com.

Staying in the world of re-issues from the mid 1980s, I dug out my copy of the "Nekrophile Rekords" box set on Vinyl On Demand released in 2022. 10 albums, 2 seven inch singles and a book. 'There Is No God But Man' is from t he album 'Thoum Aesh Neith' by Italian project LAShTAL. Originally released in 1986. LAShTAL was a mysterious project, I always thought it was Zero Kama related, probably a pseudonym for Michael DeWitt (information didn't come cheaply back then like it does now we're in the internet age). LAShTAL is Andrea Da Costa (aka Freire 23). 

A couple of Muslimgauze pieces on this broadcast. Firstly 'Empty Quarter (Pt 1)' from the 12"EP "Hunting Out With An Aerial Eye" released in 1984 on Muslimgauze's own Limited Editions label. The second piece is an untitled remix of sounds by Panasonic. In 2020 Sähkö released a three track 12"EP with Panasonic remixed by Soviet France and Muslimgauze. All remixes were recorded in 1996. 

Eric Random + The Bedlamites, one of the many projects of Manchester musician Eric Random. Eric played guitar in The Panik whose 1977 7"EP "It Won't Sell!!" is a favourite at MuhMur HQ. Eric is now playing live with the resurrected Cabaret Voltaire. The two pieces here are from the 1984 'Time-Splice' album released on Cabaret Voltaire's own Doublevision label. The Bedlamites on this album included Lynn Walton, Wayne Worm, Dids (Ludus) and Cliff Saffer (Swamp Children). 

April 10 was the opening of a new Brion Gysin exhibition at Le Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris. To celebrate the exhibition French label Wewantsounds released the album "Dreamachine". Available in the UK via Juno and Rough Trade Records. The Dream Machine soundtrack (to) can also be found on the 1993 CD album "Self-Portrait Jumping" on the Belgian label Made To Measure. Extra tracks on the CD feature "Kick", the song made 'famous' by Monte Cazazza on his "Something For Nobody" 7"EP released by Industrial Records in 1980. The version on 'Self-Portrait Jumping' was recorded in Paris in 1983 and features Don Cherry on Trumpet and Backing Vocals. The Gysin exhibition runs until July 12 2026. 

MNEM have released a new album. 'Tropos Of Entropy' on the Satatuhatta label. MNEM are a Finnish two-piece who have been producing / releasing quality experimental sounders / noise since 1997. I first heard their sound on the cassette compilation 'The Members Ov Sonic Cults'. Last December I exclusively played the track "Hydrox Communion", I don't know if the album track is the same version ... "Tropos Of Entropy" is available at https://satatuhatta.bandcamp.com/album/tropos-of-entropy. MNEM have no internet presence ... and indeed why should they ... 

Mailcop is Roel Meelkop, Dutch sound & visual artist. In the early / mid 1980s Roel was part of Club Rialto, releasing cassettes on Midas Tapes and Delftsch Wormen Tapes before forming the off shoot project THU20 with Guido Doesborg, Jan Van Bussel, Jos Smolders and Peter Duimelinks. Mailcop was a solo project and name used by Roel up until 1990 when he moved to a more electronic abstract and minimalist sound. He also plays in Goem with Frans de Waard and Peter Duimelinks. It was whilst playing the 'Harsh Ears Now!!' triple cassette compilation I heard "Nyd" - a quiet masterpiece. I think Nyd is Scandinavian for 'Enjoy', so .... 

March issue of the 'Electronic Sound' magazine was dedicated to Cabaret Voltaire, great interview and pictures and a 7" including live recordings from the recent shows in Sheffield and London. Sickly / lurid green vinyl and a terrible sleeve but a great record. My copy came warped ... I didn't know whether to use it as an ashtray or play it and seeing that I don't smoke I decided on the latter and it seems to play OK. I did get an invite to see Cabaret Voltaire at the ICA, but turned the offer down. I saw them live a few times, last time was when they did an impromptu set at The Leadmill in Sheffield (1984). It was a "Support The Miners" event with Test Dept, Chakk and Hula also playing. A great night out. I recently heard a recording of the ICA gig and regret my choice! 

Sutcliffe Jugend are another project that became dormant, restless and re-emerged stronger and more powerful. Originally formed as a solo project by Kevin Tomkins in 1982, Sutcliffe Jugend's first release was a 10xCassette called "We Spit On Their Graves" on the Come Organisation label. (Naturally re-issued on vinyl by Vinyl On Demand in 2023). Kevin then joined Whitehouse, the classic Tomkins / Best / Bennett line-up. Sutcliffe Jugend reformed in 1994 with ex-Bodychoke guitarist Paul Taylor. In May 2016 Sutcliffe Jugged played the third Epicurean Escapism Festival at the Tiefgrund, Berlin (alongside Last Dominion Lost, Alfarmania, Budrūs and Gerechtigkeits Liga amongst others). 'Amuse-Bouche' is from the CD/DVD released by The Epicurean as document to the event. The Epicurean label release can be bought from : https://epicureanescapism.bandcamp.com.

Local hero TQ9. In 2019 Jim Haynes' label Helen Scarsdale Agency released the 10xCassette called "On:Corrosion" featuring Neutral, Relay For Death, Kleistwahr, Pinkcourtesyphone, Francisco Meirino, Fossil Aerosol Mining Project, G*Park, She Spread Sorrow, Himukalt and Alice Kemp. Slowly Jim is re-issuing the material as stand alone vinyl releases, the latest of which is "9 Dreams Of Erotic Mourning" by Alice Kemp. 

Recorded between 2015 and 2019 'Here, we are collected, cleaned, prepared, serenaded, adorned, fucked, adored, devoured, abandoned, and released into the back of beyond'. Alice can be contacted via : https://alicekemp.net. Helen Scarsdale Agency is at : https://www.helenscarsdale.com. Alice will be performing at the 'Colours Out Of Space #9' Festival in Brighton between April 17-19. Go to https://colouroutofspace.org for more details ..... Dilloway is playing too!!!

A few days ago I heard the news that Andrew Perry had passed away. It saddened me as it does when I hear of someone I know ceasing to be, then I discovered it was a completely different Andrew Perry. A journalist for The Daily Telegraph and Select magazine. By this time I had dug out my Andrew Perry collection and given it a spin, and (re) discovered what a great 7" single "The Victory EP" is. A collaboration with Scottish experimentalist Dead Wood (aka Adam Baker). I played a gig with Andrew at The Windmill in Brixton in September 2011. Fascinating chap, we chatted, drank and enjoyed each others company. Great night. Kylie Minoise and Z'ev were also on the bill ... 

The single is on the Dirtydemos label but I don't think the 7" is available anymore. It is a lathe-cut release. 

Contact Dirtydemos at : https://dirtydemos.bandcamp.com/music. If anyone knows what Andrew is doing these days, please get in contact. 

The broadcast ends with an on this day from The Monochrome Set with the B-Side to their "Strange Boutique" 7" single. 

The broadcast can be found on MixCloud :

https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-292-april-12-2026/

Playlist :

01: Saint Abdullah : "Unforgotten Promises" (Cold Spring Records/Unexplained Sounds Group) 2016.

02: Pacific 231 : "Set & Thot" (Fourth Dimension Records) 2026.

03: LAShTAL : "There Is No God But Man" (Vinyl On Demand) 2022.

04: Muslimgauze : "Empty Quarter (PT 1)" (Limited Editions) 1984.

05: Eric Random & The Bedlamites : "Second Sight" (Doublevision) 1984.

06: Eric Random & The Bedlamites : "No-Man-Trash" (Doublevision) 1984.

07: Brion Gysin : "Kick" (Made To Measure) 1993.

08: The Conet Project : "555 Konec" (Irdial Discs) 2013.

09: Panasonic : "Untitled Muslimgauze Remix II" (Sähkö Recordings) 2020.

10: MNEM : "Tropos Of Entropy" (Satatuhatta) 2026.

11: Mailcop : "Nyd" (Midas Music) 1987.

12: MNEM : "Swamping" (Satatuhatta) 2026.

13: Cabaret Voltaire : "Spies In The Wires (Live)" (Electronic Sound) 2026.

14: Sutcliffe Jügend : "Amuse-Bouche" (The Epicurean/Silken Tofu) 2016.

15: MNEM : "Hydrox Communion" (Satatuhatta) 2026.

16: Alice Kemp : "A Small Act Of Violence" (Helen Scarsdale Agency) 2026.

17: Alice Kemp : "Alles Ist Wie Es Ist" (Helen Scarsdale Agency) 2026.

18: Andrew Perry/Dead Wood : "The Victory EP (A)" (Dirtydemos) 2010.

19: MNEM : "Clausa Caput" (Satatuhatta) 2026.

20: The Monochrome Set : "Surfing S.W.12" (Dindisc) 1980.

Thanks for listening - the broadcast includes a wrong speed episode and forgetting to turn the turntable monitors down .. other than that, I think we got away with it!

Thanks to Chris + Tamsin.

Back on Sunday May 10.