Mark Vernon.

Mark Vernon is a Glasgow based sound artist. For the past few years Mark has been releasing his sounds via labels such as Kye, Radio Gagarin and Entr'acte and producing radio programmes for Resonance FM, SoundArt Radio and WFMU to name but a few. His main instruments are the sound of intimacy and obsoletion. Field recordings and manipulating tapes.
This month sees the release of "Orphaned Works" a C35 cassette on Thomas LaRoche's Research Laboratories label.

Side one brings us glitched rhythms, distant drums, creaking doors, static walls and half'-heard words from a tea room conversation. I imagine a lot of the sounds here are 'found'. Cassettes / tapes lost in time and rediscovered lurking in the back of dusty charity shops, boot sales and the radio airwaves. Orphaned Sounds? Both sides play as one piece. On side one "Sentinent Dust (Go Thou Must)" stands alone though. A pagan banishment ritual discovered after taking the wrong turn on Summerisle.

"What was the interest of Dr. Pepper"?

Side two begins carrying an air of menace. All seance and atmosphere. Concentrated mouthplay, detuned radios and clutterphonics. The approaching air of menace soon turns to whimsy with toy guitar and cat-a-waling. It all starts straying in to Nurse With Wound territory before returning to the shadows with "A Pale Pink Voice". I am not complaining.
This is my first hearing of the sound of Mark Vernon and I am intrigued and wanting to hear more.

"Orphaned Works" is limited to 30 copies only so worth getting in contact with Research Laboratories as soon as possible. www.ResearchLaboratories.tumblr.com

MuhMur Radio Broadcast 19 July 2018.

Bizarrely enough, this morning my Facebook page reminded me that this time last year myself and the MuhMur Family enjoyed a picnic on the grounds of the Darlington Hall Estate before setting off to broadcast for the evening ... and lo and behold this is exactly what we did before this programme, except there was no Oscar because he was body boarding or caving or something on the North Cornish coast. Must be something about the last broadcast in July that screams Picnic!

                                          Dartington Hall Estate, home of SoundArt Radio.

                                                  "Buddha's watching, Buddha's waiting".

                                                                              Isabel.

The playlist took many turns this time ... with the arrival at MuhMur HQ of the new double CD "Troum Transformation Tapes". Nineteen remixes of Troum material by a variety of artists a lot of whom I have played live with .. so the idea of playing two hours of sounds from artists I have 'shared the stage' with came to mind, then the idea of playing two hours of tracks from compilation (various artists) releases came to mind. All of this changed on the arrival of the new CD album by Modelbau + cassette by LR/SC. Great new sounds that deserve to be heard.
Dual And Bad Sector start the programme. Two tracks from the aforementioned "Troum Transformation Tapes" compilation (and two groups that Dieter Müh have supported). The QST track is also from this compilation. It was at this point I realised I had left CD #1 of the compilation back in the CD player at HQ, so Contrastate and Tarkatak (another two groups Dieter Müh have played live with) tracks had to be replaced, "New Testament" by 23 Skidoo being one of those pieces. The two 23 Skidoo tracks are from the LTM re-issue, my Fetish Records original is too scratched!
A couple og 'On This Day' choices starting with The Flying Lizards "Money" which came out as a 7" in 1979. The version played here is from the eponymous 1980 LP. Also on this day in 1980 (not '81 as a stated on air) The Prats released the "Disco Pope" EP on Rough Trade Records. Also on this day in 1977 The Desperate Bicycles released "The Medium Was Tedium" on Refill Records. I do have a copy but couldn't find space for it. It's one of those records / bands that I liked after the fact, their stuff was hard to get hold of in Lincoln and in 1977 I was "on the cusp". Still listening to Judas Priest, Steve Gibbons and Rainbow but being fascinated by "punk". In 1978 I discovered the John Peel Show on Radio 1. Game changer. Anyway, less about me ...
The Polish label Antenna Non Gratis seem to specialise in 'radio noise' and have just released the new Modelbau album "Zender".

                                                                         "Zender".

"Zender" features seven songs of experiments with radio waves. Pulses, distortions, half heard words. It's a great album from a project that just seems to be getting better. Modelbau is Frans De Waard, as is QST.
Three years ago the Whitley Bay based label Cruel Nature Records put out a tape by the mysterious Exeter based project Only Swallow. If anyone reading this knows anything about the project please get in touch. This month CNR put out a cassette by LR/SC aka Lee Riley and Stuart Chalmers.

                                                        "Points Of Vital Differences".

"Points Of Vital Differences" is a C41 of abstract noise and minimalism. There's a couple of pieces with scratchy electric guitar which I find annoying (reminding me of an old Stuff Ketteringham tape) but there are pieces that work and is well worth checking. Cruel Nature Records are at:
https://cruelnaturerecordings.bandcamp.com
On the 12th of May this year Styggelse Records (probably not pronounced the way I say it on the radio) held a festival in Sundsvall, Sweden. A compilation tape "Stadsbranden 3" was released to celebrate the day. The Ochu track is from this tape. Like Modelbau, it is great hearing the development of Ochu. The Operating Theatre track is from the "Afflicted Man's Music Box" album. I dug this record out when I was still planning to play tracks from compilation albums. A hidden gem.
Back in the early 1990's one of the collectable labels was Fourth Dimension Records, with essential 7"s by the likes of JFK, Rake, Cosmonauts Hail Satan, Splintered, Contrastate, ConDemek, The Gerogerigegege, Trance ... a great document of the time. The label was run by Splintered main man Richo Johnson who also edited and produced the magazine "Grim Humour". Null "Heavy Water" is one of my favourite singles from the early 90's cannon.

                                                                    "Heavy Water".

The Severed Heads track is pulled from the Vinyl On Demand 5xLP box set "Adenoids 1977-1985". It is listed as a solo piece from early member Richard Fielding. Sticking with Vinyl On Demand and the second 'bonus' piece of the evening "The Bloody Skin" by Psychic TV & White Stains.

Please take a listen here :
https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-soundart-radio-broadcast-19-july-2018/

Playlist:
01: Dual : "TTN (Ursprung)" (Transgredient Records) 2018.
02: Bad Sector : "Signedumeroir" (Transgredient Records) 2018.
03: 23 Skidoo : "New Testament" (LTM) 2012.
04: 23 Skidoo : "IV" (LTM) 2012.
05: The Flying Lizards : "Money" (Virgin Records) 1980.
06: Savage Republic : "Sword Fighter" (A Silent Place) 2009.
07: Armedalite Rifles : "Bulletwounds And Sunburns" (Wrinkly Dink/FDH Records) 2009.
08: Modelbau : "Transmisor" (Antenna Non Gratis) 2018.
09: LR/SC : "Points Of Vital Differences" (Cruel Nature Records) 2018.
10: The Anti Group : "Pre Eval" (Sweatbox) 1987.
11: Helm : "Blue Scene (Laurel halo Remix)" (Alter) 2018.
12: QST : "Kapotte Muziek By Troum (QST Remix 2017)" (Transgredient Records) 2018.
13: Severed Heads : "Funky Jonestown" (Vinyl On Demand) 2008.
14: The Prats : "Disco Pope" (Rough Trade Records) 1980.
15: Ochu : "Fõrnuftsflimmer" (Styggelse) 2018.
16: Modelbau : "Sendandi" (Antenna Non Gratis) 2018.
17: Operating Theatre : "In The Neck" (United Dairies) 1982.
18: Null : "Heavy Water 2" (Fourth Dimension Records) 1993.
19: Psychic TV & White Stains : "The Bloody Skin" (Vinyl On Demand) 2011.
20: Psychic TV & White Stains : "Hydros Amarita" (Vinyl On Demand) 2011.
21: Vasilisk : "Acqua" (Musica Maxima Magnetica) 1989.

It was great to have Dave back in the studio after his sojourn to all points East. Next programme will be on August 2.

MuhMur Radio Broadcast 5 July 2018

The South-West of the United Kingdom is in the throes of a heatwave. The journey to SoundArt Radio began with a walk across the sands of Torquay to catch a bus to Totnes to then walk the two miles along the River Dart and through the woods of Dartington Estate with the smell of wild garlic and the accompanying birdsong .. the sun beating down (no tan or hats for me ... I'm from the North y'know) warming up the bag of beer. I thought then, I shall remember this journey for the times it is dark and freezing cold with rain sleeting in my face. I shall remember the good days ...

This broadcast starts with a slice of Grodock. This piece is from the rather excellent "Tape One" release that Grodock self released last year. Grodock is the project of Freiberg based artist David Leutkart. David operates the label Grubenwehr Freiberg and is also part of the project Thenokirch.

                                                                         Grodock.

Summery weather brings out the Sema in me. The sounds of acoustic piano and guitars. "Extract From Rosa Silver" was first released in 1983 on Robert Haigh's own Le Rey Records. The excellent German label Vinyl On Demand put out a four LP box set six years ago. This is the version I play here, and yes ... I am playing with the varispeed function at the start....
Summer also means Current 93. The two tracks here are from the "Honeysuckle Aeons" album.

July 5 1982 saw the release of The Gist's "Love At First Sight" single and has remained a firm favourite of mine since. The Gist were formed by Phil and Stuart Moxham after the demise of the Young Marble Giants. I was fortunate to see them live in Lincoln in 1983 when they played the Co-Op Regency Ballroom with The Nightingales. "Light Aircraft" is the B-Side.
Another firm favourite of mine since the 1980's is Frans De Waard, and the German label Maneki Neko Tapes put out an excellent compilation of his works called "The Many Faces Of Frans". The Goem track is from this cassette. Goem started in the mid 1990's with Frans joining Roel Meelkop and (later on) Peter Duimelinks ending as a Frans solo project some 7 or 8 years later. "Untitled" is a later Goem piece and is an unused / unreleased remix of an Esplendor Geometrico track originally to be used by a Japanese label. "Many Faces Of Frans" was released a few years ago but try contacting Meneki Neko Tapes at www.vuzrecords.de they may have copies still.

A new arrival at MuhMur HQ, Contrastate's single "Under The Line Laying North". Still filling in the gaps of my Contrastate collection ... "Locomotive Shudder" is the B-Side of this 7" and in cheesy DJ stylee I followed it with Stanier Black Five's "Double Headed". It's all train related.
25 years ago I was living in the North Yorkshire village of Thorganby and was a regular at Red Rhino Records shop and later Depth Charge Records in York. There used to be a guy behind the counter called "Mossy" who would put stuff aside for me - one-offs and/or limited release stuff. That is how I came across the H3ÖH 12", also known as The Hafler Trio Bootleg. H3ÖH were Andrew McKenzie, Einer Örn and Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson. This 12" white label mysteriously appeared in 1993 with no information (apart from obviously being Hafler Trio related) and now thanks to the Internet I now know it is a remix of "The Second Coming" by Frostbite, an Icelandic project of Einer and Hilmar. Mossy used to put aside the Dying Earth singles and Fourth Dimension releases ... stuff like that. He sold me the Die Form "Archives & Doküments" vinyl box set for a pound!
The Dieter Müh track is from the "Black Square" album. I dug it out of the Müh box recently and it brought back fond memories. This was the track that Colin Potter took control over, he produced the album and this was co-mixed by him and Dave Uden.

The programme is now archived on Mixcoud. Please take a listen:
https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-5-july-2018/

Playlist:
01: Grodock : "Vorwärts" (Not On Label) 2017.
02: Stéphane Garin + Sylvestre Godart : "Chelmo-Kulmhof, Jewish Place Of Pilgrimage. August 10th 2006. (Bruit Clair/Greunrekorder) 2011.
03: Sema : "Extract From Rosa Silber" (Vinyl On Demand) 2012.
04: Current 93 : "Cuckoo" (Coptic Cat) 2011.
05: Current 93 : "Jasmine" (Coptic Cat) 2011.
06: The Gist : "Love At First Sight" (Rough Trade Records) 1982.
07: Goem : "Untitled" (Maneki Neko Tapes) 2011.
08: Mathias Delplanque : "Passporte 3 (Dieppe)" (Crónica/Bruit Clair) 2010.
09: Contrastate : "Locomotive Shudder" (Fourth Dimension Records) 1997.
10: Stanier Black Five : "Double Headed" (Argot) 2003?
11: The Gist : "Light Aircraft" (Rough Trade Records) 1982.
12: H3ÖH : "Mind Loss" (Ash International) 1993.
13: Thomas LaRoche : "Spiritual Enlightenment Through Inactivity" (Research Laboratories) 2017.
14: Templum N.R. : "Telepathic Resonances" (Aural Hypnox) 2018.
15: Dieter Müh : "Writhe" (Carnifex Recordings) 1997.
16: Cranioclast : "Heartbeats Of Mating Galaxies" (Auf Abwegen) 2003.

The programme was technically improved by the presence of Chris Booth. He pressed buttons and adjusted dials when needed......Thank You Chris. (Dave was on a short break in Driffield).

                                                                      Chris Booth.

Next instalment will be on July 19.