MuhMur Radio Broadcast 2 September 2021.

 

The programme begins with a piece from the 2020 cassette release "Still Awake" by Karen Constance. Released on Beartown Records the cassette may be an accompaniment to the cassette "Still Asleep" released on the  More Mars Team label earlier in 2020. Karen, along with her partner Dylan Nyoukis operate the Chocolate Monk label. http://chocolatemonk.co.uk/enter.htm. The first time I came across Karen's work was back in the 1990's when she was one half of the noise duo Prick Decay and releases on Betley Welcomes Careful Drivers and Stinky Horse Fuck. Karen is now one half of the experimental noise duo Blood Stereo. Copies of "Still Awake" can be found at Beartown Records here : https://beartownrecords.bigcartel.com

Ten years ago I (as Dieter Müh) got involved in a release to promote 'Record Store Day', it was a compilation built of six cassettes entitled "You Are Playing' Like A Fuckin' Pub Band" and put out by Electric Knife Records aficionado Thanasis on his label The 7.17 From West Wittering Is Late Again. Back then I had never heard of Record Store Day (RSD) but was told it was releases only available on that day and only available from independently run record shops (not HMV, Our Price, Virgin Records etc ... the places where good music goes to die as I keep telling the children). The plan was to get folk in to record shops to buy independently made and released 'music'. Ten years later and RSD is now a promotional tool used by major labels and major record stores to push re-releases and re-issues of their old stock. Releases are (as a rule) available to pre-order on line months before the actual 'day'. (RSD). As a side effect major labels are clogging up the pressing factories with their orders to a level where the independent label wanting a small / limited run can't get their records released when they want to. It's all too familiar. Anyway ... the two pieces from S.R. Meixner and Band Of Pain are from the 10"EP "Priti Deceit". This is the third collaboration between these two artists following 7" singles on Outsider Records and Black Rose Recordings. Although being a RSD release the 10"EP is still available direct from the label (no record store needed). https://www.dirterpromotions.com

Thomas LaRoche is a favourite of MuhMur Radio. His latest release is a split CDR with American noise artist Cody Bryant. Entitled "Pathological Demand Avoidance" it is on Thomas's own imprint Research Laboratories. https://researchlaboratories.tumblr.com

Schwerpunkt is the solo project of George Rayner-Law. George is / was a member of Manchester thrash band Elk Blood and Industrial rock band Werk. The three pieces here are from the cassette "The Lion Hunt" released on George's own label Brachliegen Tapes. It was Brachliegen Tapes that released the excellent Mark Dicker cassette "Flyalarm" earlier in the year. It's a label I am going to keep an ear out for. https://brachliegentapes.bandcamp.com Parts of "The Lion Hunt" reminded me of the sound of Of Habit... so I play some .... 

Ice Yacht is Philip Sanderson, "Kicky Bang Bang" is the title track from his new album "Colour Buffer" on Snatch Tapes. Unfortunately it's only available as a download. Hopefully for his next release Philip will see the error of his ways. https://snatchtapes.bandcamp.com

"On This Day" in 198o French punk band Doctor Mix & The Remix released the 12"EP "Psychedelic Desert" on Celluloid Records. "In The Plastic Motel Bar At The Edge Of The Desert" is from this EP. Dr Mix were a trio comprising of ex members of Metal Urbain. Pat Lüger, Eric Débris and Charles Hurbier. The track I play is from the 2004 compilation "Wall Of Noise" CD,  a kind of greatest hits.

It was at this point of compiling a playlist, a radio broadcast, that the new album from Minny Pops came to MuhMur HQ. I love Minny Pops, always have since hearing their "Nervous" single on John Peel's show back in 1979. It's one of those records that has never left my possession (along with the Minny Pops "Live" EP released a year later). And now ... I have all their records, so the release of a new LP is like a ray of sunshine upon Hartop Towers. I was fortunate to see Minny Pops live. April 1981 they played Rock City in Nottingham. They were supporting New Order. New Order were / are (who knows) a band that I thought were OK but nothing special ... the singles up to "Blue Monday" are OK ... but I used to go and see New Order live whenever they were in the area because the support was always going to great - and fellow Factory Records artists. Crispy Ambulance, Section 25, The Wake etc. On this occasion the Minny Pops guitarist broke strings so Wally (the singer) told a story about how rough the sea crossing from Holland was and how tired they all were. The bass player and synth player joined in and created this fascinating improvisation. (The last time I witnessed anything like this happen was when the Skids bass player broke a string whilst supporting the Stranglers at Lincoln Drill Hall in 1978 and the rest of the band played a Mott The Hoople medley whilst a new string was found and strung). 

The new Minny Pops LP is called "Stockholm 1974", a nod towards Patty Hearst. Minny Pops are still Wally Van Middendorp on vocals giving them their distinctive sound but they have fleshed out in to a big band sound with John Barrett on drums, Lee McFadden on guitar, Terry Edwards on trumpets and sax and Graham Dowdall (aka 'Dids') on electronics. Graham was formerly with Eric Random and Ludus. The LP is on Psychofon Records. https://www.psychofonrecords.com The final Minny Pops track is called "Stay Awake" and I used my DJ license and followed with "Stay Awake" by Glaxo Babies. 

EE Tapes of Belgium have just released a split CD (also available on cassette) by Hypnoskull and Machinery Directive. Hypnoskull is  the solo project of hardcore techno musician Patrick Stevens. Machinery Directive is the project of industrial noisician Sem Cappaert. Both releases are limited to 100 only. Get one here : http://www.eetapes.be

Take a listen to the broadcast :

https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-02-september-2021/

Playlist :

01: Karen Constance : "Still Awake #3" (Beartown Records) 2020.

02: S.R. Meixner : "Deceit" (Dirter Promotions) 2021.

03: Kazuya Ishigami : "Recycling Memories 202105" (Neus-318) 2021.

04: Beequeen : "And So It Came To Pass" (Beta-Lactam Ring Records) 2004.

05: Thomas LaRoche : "Conditioned Response" (Research Laboratories) 2021.

06: Thomas LaRoche : "Even In November The Flies Want To Lay Eggs" (Research Laboratories) 2021.

07: Schwerpunkt : "Yamaha Dub" (Brachliegen Tapes) 2021.

08: Schwerpunkt : "Drumswell" (Brachliegen Tapes) 2021.

09: Schwerpunkt : "We Talk / I Talk" (Brachliegen Tapes) 2021.

10: Of Habit : "Cult Of Personality" (Index Clean) 2019.

11: Ice Yacht : "Kicky Bang Bang" (Snatch Tapes) 2021.

12: Doctor Mix & The Remix : "In The Plastic Motel Bar At The Edge Of The Desert" (Acute) 2004.

13: Minny Pops : "Mountain" (Factory Benelux) 1982.

14: Minny Pops : "Dad Dog" (Psychofon Records) 2021.

15: Minny Pops : "Patty" (Psychofon Records) 2021.

16: Minny Pops : "Tracking" (Factory Benelux) 1982.

17: Minny Pops : "Stay Awake" (Psychofon Records) 2021.

18: Glaxo Babies : "Stay Awake" (Heartbeat Records) 1980.

19: Band Of Pain : "Priti Vacunt" (Dirter Promotions) 2021.

20: Hypnoskull : "Beyrouth Hunt For Dead Terrorist (For Bryn Jones)" (EE Tapes) 2021.

21: Cabaret Voiltaire : "Haiti" (Virgin Records/Some Bizarre) 1983.

22: Machinery Directive : "God's Angry Man" (EE Tapes) 2021.

Next broadcast will be on September 16, SoundArt Radio 102.5 FM. 20:00 GMT kick off. 

https://www.soundartradio.org.uk

There'll be tracks from the new Dilloway & Dalt collaboration LP as well as Alvars Orkester, Juice Machine, Muckrackers and an 'On This Day' from Stephen Mallinder.