MuhMur Radio Broadcast May 12 2022

Tonights programme features four exclusive pieces from George Rayner-Law. I first heard the sound of George in 2021 when I stumbled across the name Schwerpunkt a noise based project from Manchester and a cassette called "The Lion Hunt" on Brachliegen Tapes. Schwerpunkt was the name George was recording under, the cassette also features contributions from members of Elk Blood and Werk both mainstays from the I Hate My Records label. In 2021 George also released two cassettes under his own name on Brachliegen Tapes. "Cantonese Tapework" (in July) and "The Tryal Of Old Christmas" (in December) ... both have been played on MuhMur Radio this year. At the time of writing this limited quantities of the cassettes are still available at : https://brachliegentapes.bandcamp.com

The programme starts with "Baskerville House" which I thought as quite apt seeing that SoundArt Radio is broadcast from the edges of Dartmoor in Devon and quite close to Buckfastleigh which I believe was an inspiration for "Hound Of The Baskervilles" but doing a quick internet trawl I discover Baskerville House is in Birmingham and formerly known as 'The Civic Centre'. The final piece is "Improvisation For Meg Stuart Exercise, Mixer & Oscillator 28th November 2021 (Edit)". Meg is an American choreographer and leader of a dance troupe called 'Damaged Goods'. It is all fascinating and enlightening and more information can be found at : https://www.georgeraynerlaw.com. George has just released a split 5" lathe cut single with Vinegar Tom, it's limited and available at the Brachliegen Tapes bandcamp page. 

The Sturmpercht piece is from the double album "Bergentrückt". A piece of traditional Austrian Folk storytelling. Sturmpercht are a traditional and experimental folk and neo-folk musical group inspired by indigenous alpine tradition. 

The sound of Mark Vernon is becoming a regular pastime on MuhMur Radio. Two pieces here from the LP "Tape Letters From The Waiting Room" released last year by Psyché Tropes. The album is an extended  soundtrack to a film by Steven McInerney. Steven also records and releases under the name of Merkaba Macabre. About the album ... "An existential drama exploring the universal themes of death and rebirth. Tape Letters From The Waiting Room is an experiment in film archaeology and the magnetic memory as it navigates past life experiences. Shifting in succession from the mundane to the metaphysical, the film is composed of extant 16mm found footage from the past century. The original soundtrack by Mark Vernon encompasses a rich collection of domestic tape recordings; audio letters, dictated notes, found sounds and other lost voices". Grab a copy from : https://markvernon.bandcamp.com/album/tape-letters-from-the-waiting-room. Soft Focus is the trio of harpist Mia Theodoratus, bassist Larry 7 and legend Jimi Tenor. As far as I know they released one album and one single, "Sleep Terror II" is th B-Side to the 7" "Emergence Delirium". 

Skiftande Enter are a Swedish 'supergroup' comprising of JJ Ulius and Elin Engström from Monokultur and Hugo Randulv from Typical Girls, Enhet För Fri Musik and many more projects ... his solo LP "Radio Arktis" was one of my favourites of 2021. The track here is from the new 4-Track EP "Öppna Landskap" on Happiest Place. Happiest Place is becoming a new label to keep an eye and ear on. In the last five years or so they have put out essential sounds from (and by) Neutral, Altar Of Flies, Typical Girls and Amateur Hour amongst others. Contact : https://happiestplacerecords.bandcamp.com.

This broadcast's On This Day feature features Cabaret Voltaire and The Stranglers. Cabaret Voltaire released their "2x45" album in 1982, a record made of ... two twelve inch singles. I have a feeling, although I could be wrong, that this was the last time Chris Watson appeared on a Cabaret Voltaire release. If I am wrong then please let me know. I am still reading the excellent Cabaret Voltaire interviews book by Fabio Méndez but haven't got to 1982 yet. The album has been pre-released lots of times over the past 40 years (mainly by Mute Records) in all formats. I still prefer the original vinyl release with the envelope sleeve by Neville Brody. 

"Sun Damaged Crown" is the new three track cassette from Neil Campbell on the Finnish Ikuisuus label. Limited to 80 copies only. Essential : https://ikuisuus.bandcamp.com/album/sun-damaged-crown. "Shipwreck n' Roll" is the new two track 7" from Nurse With Wound. Recorded in 2004 and constructed from flotsam, jetsam and driftwood gathered in the Lofoten Islands (Norway) by Steve Stapleton and Colin Potter. The recordings were reassembled at the IC Studios in 2021. 

'Engürdetz might not be among the most well known names within the world of Swedish mid-80's cassette industrial - during their brief existence as Engürdetz, Drajan and Lanchy would produce three cassettes (two of these splits) and feature tracks on three compilation tapes. All of these between the period of  '86 - '88. In many ways it seems to have been like youth, much as the one in which it was created - a quick, intense and abstract time'. (Mattias Rörström). A quote taken from the 8 page fanzine that comes with the new re-issue of the second Engürdetz album "Svin" on Happiest Place "Svin" was originally released in 1987 on the Stånd Tapes label. 

The fanzine contains artwork and a conversation with Anders "Drajan" Bryngelsson. I must admit that up until April this year I had never come across Engürdetz, but as I mentioned earlier Happiest Place releases are becoming essential. 

"Orwell Skabs Poesy, Trafik" is from the new CD "Op. 184 (160c) Goodday Mr. Orwell, Green-Ear-Year" on the Henning Christiansen Archive label. The recordings are from a performance at the Møn Music Festival (Denmark) in 1984. I managed to get hold of the CD through Penultimate Press (the album is produced by Penultimate Press maestro Mark Harwood), try them for copies. https://www.penultimatepress.com. Henning was a member of the Fluxus Group. He died in 2008. I seem to be recapturing sounds from my past lately and in that category comes the album "The Inevitable Chrystal Belle Scrodd Record". The album was originally released in 1985 on the United Dairies label and re-issued by Klanggalerie in 2005. Chrystal Belle Scored is Diana Rogerson a past member of Nurse With Wound, Fistfuck and The Murray Fontana Orchestra. The album also features contributions from Karl Blake and Robert Haigh. It's an album I remember being on rotation at various squats around the Hulme Crescents in 1985 / 86 ... as were most United Dairies releases back then. 

No need to repurchase The Stranglers 1978 album "Black And White" as I have always had a copy. You can see by the picture how battered and worn the sleeve is. Released on this day in (as mentioned) 1978. I went to see them live on the 'Black And White' tour (September 1978), they were supported on tour by The Skids. That was the last time I saw The Stranglers live. 

The sound of Tarkatak is familiar to regular MuhMur Radio listeners. "I" is from the latest album on the Auf Abwegen label. Tarkatak is Lutz Pruditsch. https://www.aufabwegen.de/label/ for more information. 

Listen to the programme here : https://www.mixcloud.com/tamsin-jane-cammack/muhmur-radio-broadcast-12-may-2022/

Playlist:

01: George Rayner-Law : "Baskerville House" (Not On Label) 2022. *

02: Sturmpercht : "Der Schlafende Kaiser" (Percht) 2013.

03: Mark Vernon : "Beforetime Guests" (Psyché Tropes) 2021.

04: Mark Vernon : "Terraium Beautant (Revision)" (Psyché Tropes) 2021.

05: Soft Focus : "Sleep Terror II" (Apolkalypso/Gagarin Records) 2012.

06: Skiftande Enheter : "Lychan I Din Hand" (Happiest Place) 2022.

07: Cabaret Voltaire : "Get Out Of My Face" (Rough Trade Records) 1981.

08: Neil Campbell : "Sun Crown Damaged" (Ikuisuus) 2022.

09: Nurse With Wound : "Shipwreck n' Roll" (ICR) 2022.

10: George Rayner-Law : "Lake Voices" (Not On Label) 2022. *

11: Engürdetz : "Anal Vibrator II (How Does It Feel?)" (Happiest Place) 2021.

12: Henning Christiansen : "Orwell Skabs Poesy, Trafik" (The Henning Christiansen Archive) 2022.

13: George Rayner-Law : "Radio Piece" (Not On Label) 2022. *

14: Chrystal Belle Scrodd : "Relax" (Klanggalerie) 2005.

15: The Stranglers : "Outside Tokyo" (United Artists Records) 1978.

16: Tarkatak : "I" (Auf Abwegen) 2022.

17: George Rayner-Law : "Improvisation For Meg Stuart Exercise, Mixer & Oscillator. 28th November 2021 (Edit)" (Not On Label) 2022. *

All pieces marked * are exclusive to MuhMur Radio. Thanks George. (A Hiss And A Hum And No Harm Done). 

The next broadcast will be on May 26th. 20:00 hours GMT kick-off as always .. please listen on SoundArt Radio 102.5 FM, reachable at : https://www.soundartradio.org.uk. Comments and contact always welcome.