And so MuhMur Radio begins 2020, a happy new ear to all the listeners! MuhMur Radio is well in to its' eighth year of broadcasting on SoundArt Radio, a small community radio station set inside the studios of the Dartington Hall Estate in Devon.
When MuhMur Radio began the plan ... the idea ... was to play new releases mixed in with old favourites from my record/tape/CD collection. Also to invite friends, colleagues and folk whose work I greatly admire to provide 'exclusive piece(s)' for broadcast. So far MuhMur Radio has broadcast over 70 exclusive pieces, hopefully in 2020 I can entice a few more artists / projects to provide some 'exclusive ' sounds.
On the 12th day of Christmas I broadcast a four hour programme from 2pm to 6pm and hopefully came across some new listeners who tuned in to this broadcast and will be looking at this blog for the first time.
So.
The first programme of 2020 starts with Andrea Borghi and a track from his new release on the Italian cassette label Sounds Against Humanity.
Andrea has been producing soundscapes and producing limited run releases for over ten years. This 'mini EP' (it's a C23 tape) features sounds produced from prepared turntables, electro-acoustic devices and text imprinted metal discs. The tape is limited to 30 copies only and available direct from the label : https://soundsagainsthumanity.bandcamp.com Andrea is also a member of the great Italian Soundart project VipCranco.
I was moving some CDs around at MuhMur HQ and rediscovered "The Audience Is Sleeping" album by Column One. Released back in 2002. The piece here is from this album. The 90% Wasser (Column One's label) website seems to be defunct but copies of this CD are available at a quite reasonable price on Discogs .. The Cabaret Voltaire track is from their first album "Mix Up" and features the great drumming of Haydn Boyes-Weston, a former member of They Must Be Russians.
Back in 1983 / 1984 I started to discover the sounds of Whitehouse and the Come Org cassette releases. I remember seeing an advert for the Ramleh "Hand Of Glory" 7" single (I think it was advertised in 'Interchange' magazine), I grabbed a copy and (this was 1985) so began my love affair with Ramleh. It was soon after getting this EP I created my own PE outfit called <<A:A:K>> and produced a tape called "We Pissed A Piss That Was Pure". Basically layers and layers of pink and white noise generated from a couple of old Korg synths and the traffic of Monks Road (Lincoln) mic'd up ... I stuck a microphone out of the front room window.
Since then I have managed to support Ramleh live, as Dieter Müh not <<A:A:K>>! At the turn of the 1990's they seem to progress from pioneers and leaders in the Power Electronics to producing some great psychedelic / art rock sounds. Ramleh seem to develop in to a three-piece with Phil Best and Stuart Dennison joining on synths and drums. The run of 7" singles released from 1991 to 1995 are essential (in any bastard's language).
And now Ramleh have produced the single "It's Never Alright" for Fourth Dimension Records. The track is a hark back to the glam and glitterbeat of Kenny, a touch too much of Arrow. It is back in the New York groove of Hello. The B-Side "Kerb Krawler" is a psychedelic walk through the crowds of Altamont. It has a Jagger drawl...all synth and phased flares. It is prime Ramleh. The single is on lurid green vinyl and available here : https://brokenflag.bigcartel.com
On the first of January The Dead Mauriacs posted the piece "Danses Pour Amazones De Charmeurs De Sangsues" as a New Years gift for a limited time on their Facebook page. I don't (as a rule) play files or downloads, mainly because I have no means of playing them at MuhMur HQ therefore finding it difficult to build a playlist ... but fortunately the head mandarin of SoundArt Radio kindly dubbed me a CDR copy and so I was able to broadcast .. and share.
The terribly named Pinkcourtesyphone is the project of Richard Chartier. The piece here is from the 10xCassette compilation "On Corrosion". This is the only Chartier piece I have in my collection but certainly an artist I will "investigate" this year.
Current 93. It was a great pleasure to discover that the albums that made up the 8 album box set released by Vinyl On Demand back in 2010 were now available individually. The two pieces here are from the "Unreleased Rarities, Out-Takes And Rehearsals Volume II 1991-1995".
Skeppet were a Swedish project consisting of Andreas Malm (of AmPh) and Henrik Wallin. They had both previously been members of the psychedelic free-improvisational band Fria Konstellationen. The track here is from the 7" released by short-lived Malmö based label Solförmörkelse.
A regular feature of MuhMur Radio is the "On This Day" section where I will play records that were released on the day of broadcast ... according to my diaries and that of George Grimarc. January 16 1982 saw the release of Non's "Rise" 12"EP.
Both Non pieces played here are from this EP. I first heard Non back in 1980 when they released the two-holed multi speed split 7" with Smegma on Mute Records. This 12" has been very influential to me and the sounds I produce and listen to. All Non releases are essential.
Also released on this day was the debut 7" single by Bauhaus on Axis Records. It was soon re-issued on 4AD Records when Axis Records were forced to change their name because there was already a label with that moniker. The version I play here is from the compilation album "Crackle".
The Nevari Butchers are Aaron Dilloway and Mike Travis. They also include Skin Graft member Wylatt Howland but whether or not he is on this track is not known. "The Herbst Silo" is a single sided 7".
For reasons I cannot go in to at the moment. Alcohol, an urge to wee and a snooker match being shown on the BBC iPlayer may have taken part but between the Neil Campbell piece and the Virgin Prunes track there is a minutes silence. It is this type of professionalism that gives MuhMur Radio its' reputation.
Please take a listen here:
https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-january-16-2020/
Playlist:
01: Andrea Borghi : "txt_und #1" (Sounds Against Humanity) 2019.
02: Column One : "Inch Bin Nicht Da..." (90% Wasser/Moloko +) 2002.
03: Cabaret Voltaire : "On Every Other Street" (Rough Trade Records) 1979.
04: Ramleh : "Kerb Krawler" (Fourth Dimension Records) 2019.
05: ZosKia Meets Sugardog : "JG" (Temple Records) 1985.
06: The Dead Mauriacs : "Danses Pour Amazones De Charmeurs De Sangsues" (NPH) 2020.
07: Pinkcourtesyphone : "Alternatory" (Helen Scarsdale Agency) 2019.
08: Current 93 : "The Inmost Light/Pattripassian Loop/Greensleeves" (Vinyl On Demand) 2010.
09: Skeppet : "Passagen" (Solförmörkelse) 2010.
10: Non : "Rise" (Mute Records) 1982.
11: The Nevari Butchers : "The Herbst Silo" (Hanson Records) 2007.
12: Bauhaus : "Dark Entries" (Axis Records) 1980.
13: Ramleh : "It's Never Alright" (Fourth Dimension Records) 2019.
14: Neil Campbell : "Cloud Drag 1979 #5" (Not On Label-Self Released) 2019.
15: Virgin Prunes : "Jigsawmentallama" (Baby Records) 1985.
16: Non : "Romance Fatal Dentro De Un Auto" (Mute Records) 1982.
17: Current 93 : "Earth Covers Earth" (Vinyl On Demand) 2010.
18: Public Image Limited : "Another" (Virgin Records) 1979.
It was great to see Dave sat in the engineer's chair once more.
The next programme will be on January 30. Kick off at 20:00 GMT.
