MuhMur Radio Broadcast 27 October 2022

 

This is the third in a brace of broadcasts where I play the sounds that arrived at MuhMur Radio HQ over the three month sabbatical taken earlier this year. A kind of 'I Know What You Were Listening To Last Summer'.

A record that I always used to see in the racks marked 'Experimental' or 'Industrial' in the early 1980's was "Silence & Wisdom" by Deux Filles on Paper Maché Records. The sleeve art and/or track titles never grabbed or intrigued me at the time - it was obviously two guys in drag - so I never investigated further. 

I now know that it was a mistake to pass the record by. Recently I bought the double CD re-issue of Deux Fille's "Silence & Wisdom" album coupled with their second album "Double Happiness" on the wonderful LTM label, and I have fallen in love with both albums. 

"The short, mysterious career of aptly named French female duo Deux Filles is bookmarked by tragedy. Gemini Forque and Claudine Coule met as teenagers on a holiday pilgrimage to Lourdes, during which Coule's mother succumbed to an incurable lung disease, and Forque's mother was killed and her father paralysed in a grisly auto accident. The two teens bonded over their shared grief and worked through their bereavement with music. However, after recording two acclaimed albums and playing throughout Europe and North America, Forque and Coule disappeared without trace during a trip to Algiers in 1984, where Forque had lived from birth to the age of five.

In the years since not a trace of the duo has surfaced, save for a letter purportedly written by Coulee which claimed that the pair had journeyed to India on a spiritual quest, only to meet with further hardships. Indeed the short and terribly unhappy lives of Forque and Coule are at the root of the small but fervent cult following the mysterious dup have gained since their disappearance, not least because the placid, largely instrumental music on both albums betrays no hint of the sorrow that framed their personal lives .

This would be a terribly sad story if a word of it were true ... 

In reality Deux Filles were Simon Fisher Turner, former child star/teen idol and future soundtrack composer and songwriter/technician Colin Lloyd Tucker. Turner and Tucker left an early incarnation of The The in 1981 to pursue a different musical direction. Turner claims that the idea of Deux Filles came to him in a dream, and the novel fiction/roleplay would be strictly maintained throughout the girls' short career. As well as posing in costume for the album covers, the duo even performed live without the audience realising that the girls on-stage were actually a pair of blokes from South London having a giggle." The double CD re-issue is available from LTM. https://www.ltmrecordings.com. I have just bought a 2021 LP by Deux Filles called "Shadow Farming" on the Glass Modern label, expect to hear more in the coming broadcasts. 

I always keep an eye on the releases from London label Horn Of Plenty <0 label. In July this year they released the first vinyl album by Polish multi-disciplinarian Mateusz Woś. In the sound-art world Mateusz works under the moniker of Samutek. I first came across Samutek with his cassette album "Omamy" on the Evening Chants label in 2020. "Muzeum Historii Naturainej" is a dream like visit to a natural history museum, although the album was recorded at Mateusz's home in Suwalki in 2021. Small vignettes of spoken words, discordant keys, spooled tapes and minimal electronics. Two twenty three minute pieces making this an essential album. 

The album comes with a 25 page A5 booklet and an A4 art card. Copies are available from Horn Of Plenty <0 : https://horn-of-plenty.bandcamp.com/album/muzeum-historii-naturalnej. 

I have always thought that the best Muslimgauze album is the 1984 "Buddhist On Fire" on Recloose Organisation. Although I must admit that I have never heard the two tapes he put out in 1983 on the Product Kinematograph label. I bought the E.G. Oblique Graph "Triptych" 7" on release and followed the career of Bryn Jones from thereon. I bought everything Muslimgauze until 1987's "Coup D'Etat" album on  the French Permis De Construire label. I found myself getting a little tired of the Muslimgauze 'sound'. Since then I have found myself buying the odd Muslimgauze release, just to keep my toes (or ears and senses) in the waters of Muslimgauze. In the 1990's they put out a great brace of 7" singles "Red Crescent Part 3" on The Way Out Sound label and "Nile Quatra" on Jara Discs. It was either 1991 or 1992 and I went to Leeds to see Bettie Serveert play at The Duchess Of York, only to find the gig cancelled and to rub salt into the wound I saw a poster on the wall for a live Muslimgauze performance, a rare UK live performance by Muslimgauze had happened days earlier. 

"Zealot" is a single sided postcard sized Flexi-Disc on Staalplaat. I don't know when the track was recorded but it reminds me of mid 80's Muslimgauze. I like it a lot. It's available from Staalplaat, a second edition has just been released : https://staalplaat.bandcamp.com. As well as re-issuing the Muslimgauze back catalogue they have also began to re-issue the works of Het Zweet. 

I became aware of the work of Het Zweet in 1985. I was one half of a band called Ideas Beyond Filth (<<I.B.F.>>) and we were asked to be part of a compilation LP for Recloose Organisation that included Het Zweet, Bourbonese Qualk and Muslimgauze amongst others. Het Zweet had to be discovered. Het Zweet released two eponymous albums. Firstly "Het Zweet" in 1983 on their own Zweepslag imprint, this album was re-released on Sound Of Pig in 1986. The "Het Zweet" LP re-issued on Staalplaat is the 1987 album originally released by Dossier Records. This re-issue is a double album including unreleased studio material and live recordings made around the same time. 

Het Zweet was the project of Breda (Holland) based artist Marien Van Oers. Between 1983 and 1987 he released four albums for labels and released a handful of self released cassettes. Marien passed away in 2013. Contact Staalplaat at : https://staalplaat.bandcamp.com/merch.

Himuklat have just released the third journey in their 'Sex Worker' series. "Sex Worker III" is again on Total Black and available at : https://totalblack.bandcamp.com/album/sex-worker-iii. My first exposure to the sound of Himukalt was their contribution to the 10xCassette compilation "On:Corrosion" released in 2019 on the Helen Scarsdale Agency a label operated by Jim Haynes who has just had an album released by Sentimental Productions. It's great to see Edward Sol and his Kyiv based label releasing again. "Variant, Number Ten" is from the album "Insomnia". Copies can be found via Sentimental Productions at : https://sentimentalproductions.bandcamp.com/album/insomnia.

It has been a great pleasure over the summer months to compile the tracks for the Grey Park compilation album "Think Space, Act Local (Volume One)", the fifth release for Haemoccult Recordings. Many a happy afternoon listening to Grey Park, rediscovering sounds I hadn't played in years, great fun. The tracks on "Think Space, Act Local (Volume One)" are from the years 1999 - 2004. "Small Black Paris" is from the cassette album "All The Time In The World" originally released in 2000 on Kaos Kontrol. I am hoping to release volume two early in 2023. "Think Space, Act Local (Volume One)" was mastered by Phil Julian and available directly from me, limited to 30 copies. muhmur.radio@gmail.com for further details. 

Last month saw the publication of "Hungry Beat - The Scottish Independent Pop Underground Movement (1977-1984)" by Douglas Macintyre. The title kind of gives it away, the book starts from birth of Fast Product. Fast Product was a label I followed from their first release in 1978. The Mekons "Never Been In A Riot" 7"EP (A song about The Clash apparently ... I never knew that). I must've heard the single on the John Peel Show (BBC Radio 1) because I remember the next day not going to school but walking the four miles from my house to Sanctuary Records in Lincoln (a lot of it along the River Witham to avoid detection) and buying it, then sitting in The Arboretum with a bag of chips just reading and re-reading the sleeve notes before walking back home. I also did this with the Gloria Mundi 7" "Glory Of The World". (Happy Days). The Fast Product strangely misses out on the 2.3 release and Paul Bower is not recalled to tell his story unlike the other 'Fast Acts' The Human League, Scars, Gang Of Four, Thursdays etc. There's very little being said about The Prats or The Fegs, hopefully that comes later. I am a notoriously slow reader and I've just finished the second chapter about the creation of Postcard Records and Orange Juice and Josef K. 

Initial copies of the book come signed and with a 7" single featuring Josef K and The Fire Engines. Copies of the book / 7" available still from places like Rough Trade or Norman Records or Waterstones. 

Thick Pigeon were an early 80's duo from New York. "Subway" was a single released by Les Disques Du Crépuscule in 1981. Potter Natalizia Zen is the trio comprising of Colin Potter, Alessio Natalizia and Guido Zen. The track here is from the split album with Cass (aka Niklas Rehme-Schlüter). Loving the album so much I decided to delve a little further and discovered the sounds of Not Waving, the solo project of Alessio Natalizia. Expect to hear some in the upcoming programmes. 

I woke up one morning last summer finding myself with Cabaret Voltaire's "Blue Heat" as an earworm. It's from their 1984 LP "Micro Phonies", I then found out that I didn't have the album so hunted one down via the Internet, discovering that Mute Records had released a remastered edition in June this year. It has never been one of my favourite Cabs releases (probably why I didn't have a copy) but listening to it recently I found it quite fresh and enjoyable. 

Controlled Bleeding were the trio Paul Lemos, Jack Salerno and Chris Moriarty. Formed in Boston (USA) in 1978. "Sloth Parts (A+B)" is from the 1986 compilation cassette "6x10=60 Volume 3" released by Korm Plastics. Over the past few months Staalplaat have been re-issuing remastered versions of the Korm Plastics compilation series '6x10=60' as well as old releases by Autopsia and the 'Katacombe' compilation series. Well worth hearing. https://kormplasticsd.bandcamp.com/album/6-x10-60-vol-3. Also on Volume 3 are : Le Syndicat, Irritant, Chavez, Mauthausen Orchestra and Kapotte Muziek. 

The Current 93 piece is from the 2006 split CDEP with San Franciscan doom metal band OM.

The Nurse With Wound track that ends this broadcast is from the split 7" release with Current 93 originally available with issue #5 of the Japanese Augenblick magazine. Released in 1988 copies are seen floating about on the internet. 

Thanks for listening. Next broadcast will be on November 10. You can listen to the archive of this broadcast here : 

https://www.mixcloud.com/tamsin-jane-cammack/muhmur-radio-broadcast-27-october-2022/

Playlist :

01: Deux Filles : "Her Master's Voice" (LTM) 2015.

02: Samutek : "Muzeum Historii Naturainej I" (Horn Of Plenty <0) 2022.

03: Operation Segerpil : "The Elephant Song" (Förfall) 2022.

04: Muslimgauze : "Zealot" (Staalplaat) 2022.

05: Het Zweet : "Cry Or Laugh" (Staalplaat) 2022.

06: Het Zweet : "From The Lowland" (Staalplaat) 2022.

07: Himukalt : "My Body Doesn't Exist" (Total Black) 2022.

08: Jim Haynes : "Variant, Number Ten" (Sentimental Productions) 2022.

09: Grey Park : "Small Black Paris" (Haemoccult Recordings) 2022.

10: Deux Filles : "Children Of Clay" (LTM) 2015.

11: Josek K : "Radio Drill Time" (Creeping Bent) 2022.

12: Thick Pigeon : "Subway" (Le Disques Du Crépuscule/Factory Benelux) 2021.

13: Potter Natalizia Zen : "Schliessen 4 (Part One)" (Emotional Response) 2015.

14: Cabaret Voltaire : "Blue Heat" (Mute Records) 2022.

15: Controlled Bleeding : "Sloth Parts (A+B)" (Korm Plastics D) 2022.

16: Current 93 : "Inerrant Infallible (Black Ships At Nineveh Or Edom)" (Durtro/Jnana Records) 2006.

17: Nurse With Wound : "Scrambled Egg Rebellion In The Smegma Dept" (Augenblick) 1988.

MuhMur Radio Broadcast 13 October 2022.

This is the second in a brace of broadcasts where I play the sounds that arrived at MuhMur Radio HQ over the three month sabbatical taken earlier this year, I kind of "I Know What You were Listening To Last Summer". 

One of the first 'punk' records I bought was XTC's "3DEP" 12"EP. It would have been some time in 1977 and I was on a school trip to London to visit some art galleries, museums etc. With my good friend at the time (Daryl) we slipped away from the madding crowd and headed off to SoHo. It was an education. I managed to buy a copy of the XTC 12"EP and a copy of the Split Enz album "Dizrythmia". I think I'd seen Split Enz on TV, most likely 'The Old Grey Whistle Test'. The first 'punk' band I saw live was XTC in February 1978 at Nottingham Polytechnic (the internet tells me it was February 10th). Technically the first 'punk' band I saw live was The Secret as they were supporting. They were great. But now I can't remember  if I saw Bethnal before this gig. Bethnal supported The Steve Gibbons Band at Lincoln Theatre Royal around this time. Of this gig, the internet tells me nothing. Ah well. "Complicated Game" is from the third XTC album "Drums & Wires". It's there first LP not to feature the keyboard player Barry Andrews and the sound of XTC changed. I gave XTC a couple more single releases and never bought an XTC record again. The cannon from 1977 to 1979 is essential though ... 

One of the first 'punk' records I bought was Wire's "Mannequin" single. It would have been sometime in 1977 whilst on a record buying session at Sanctuary Records in Lincoln. Over the summer break I found myself listening to Wire a lot. Firstly came their album "Not About To Die (Studio Demos 1977-1978)", a great collection of songs that ended up on the "Chairs Missing" and "154" albums. Some of them quite unrecognisable from the versions that appeared on the final vinyl. I don't really bother with 'Record Store Day' releases. I appeared on one myself back in 2011. Dieter Müh were included in the 6xC30 cassette release "You're Playing Like A Fucking Pub Band" on the 'The 7.17 From West Wittering Is Late Again' label. I also bought the Nurse With Wound CD "Paranoia In Hi-Fi: Earworms 1978-2008" when it came out. I think this was a record store day release in 2009. (Pay no more than 99p). But these are the only times I have supported the cause...until September when I chanced upon a record shop in Newton Abbot (Devon) that had a container with old "Record Store Day" releases that nobody had bought. "Nine Sevens" from 2018 and "PF456 Deluxe" from 2021. "Nine Sevens" is a collection of Wire's first six 7" singles on Harvest Records, the EP that came with the "154" LP, the Rough Trade Records 7" "Our Swimmer" and the unreleased single "2nd Length (Our Swimmer)". It was supposed to be put out on Charisma Records but they turned it down. The first thirteen Wire songs on this broadcast are from "Nine Sevens". "Twelve Times Y" is a reworking of "12XU" from the "PF456 Deluxe" release, a book that contains two ten inch albums and a seven inch single. August saw the reissue of the Duet Emmo album "Or So It Seems", I play the single off the album. The seven inch version that Vogue Records released, I found a cheap copy floating around on Discogs so snapped it up. I write about Duet Emmo here : https://remuhmuration.blogspot.com/2022/09/duet-emmo.html

Skeppet are the Malmö based duo Henrik Wallin and Andreas Malm. Andreas Malm being one half of AmPh who between 2011 and 2018 released some absolute gems including one of the first MuhMur Radio 'sessions' back in January 2013. (A piece recorded for the session, "Terry" was included on the AmPh 12" "Terry/Framtid" in 2014). Andreas and Henrik are also in the projects Fria Konstellationen and Frihet. The piece here is from their latest album "Kosmisk Våg", on the Ny Kosmisk Våg label. Details found at : https://skeppet.bandcamp.com/album/kosmisk-v-g.

Units have had their first album reissued by Futurismo. "Digital Stimulation" was first released in 1980 on the 415 Records label. Originally from San Francisco they formed in 1978 playing gigs across America they settled in New York and ceased activities in 1984. The album contains "High Pressure Days", my favourite Units song. Futurismo have also reissued the Units 1981 album "Animals They Dream About" which was produced by Bill Nelson. Copies at : https://www.futurismoinc.com. 

Over the summer months I was fortunate to get a copy of "Savage Impressions", an extensive monograph on Bruce Licher's Independent Projects Records and Press artwork and releases. The reading of the book had me delving through the release cannon of Independent Project Records and prompted me to fill some gaps in my collection. Project 197 was the first vinyl outing on IPR. Project 197 was created by Bruce and included Mark Erskine (later of Savage Republic) on bass guitar and drums, Kevin Barrett (of The Urinals) on drums. Bruce is the guitarist and tape operator. "I Smell A Rat" is from this 7" EP. The second release was by Bridge, a Licher solo project. The EP was recorded live in the tunnels and utility pipes of UCLA, the third release was a 7" EP by Them Rhythm Ants, a group (again) created by Licher and included Phil Drucker (AKA Jackson Del Rey) who later also joined Savage Republic, Hilda Daniel and Caroline Collins. "Swing Line" is from their EP "Them Rhythm Quails". 

Human Hands release on Independent Project Records is a 2xLP+7" package simply called Human Hands.  Human Hands were stalwarts of the L.A.F.M.S. with Dennis Duck, Rick Potts and Juan Gomez as founding members. Wall Of Voodoo bass player Bill Noland also played in an early formation. The eponymous release has evaded me (if anyone wants to pass over their copy then please let me know) but I did find a copy of their first single "Trains Vs Planes" on the Faulty Products label. Human hands split in the 1980's but reformed with Dennis Duck and Juan Gomez in 1999, they're still playing live and recording : http://www.humanhands.com

I really can recommend the "Savage Impressions" book. There's extracts from the book here : https://www.independentprojectrecords.com/story.

2018 and I find myself sipping wine at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-On-Sea with L.A.F.M.S. legend Danny Gromfin. The chat turned to Los Angeles punk bands from the 1970's and I mentioned that I had seen The Dickies live in Leicester in 1978 when they supported The Jam on their "All Mod Cons : Apocalypse" tour. (Patrik Fitzgerald was bottom of the bill). Danny mentioned that he had a spare mint copy of The Dickies "Paranoid" 10"EP (white vinyl) and when he returned back to the U.S. he would dig it out and mail me. Fast forward to September 2022 and the 10" lands and has hardly left the turntable since. Thank You Danny, hopefully see you soon. 

The Pisse tracks are from the &"EP "Lambada" released in June this year. All information Pisse can be found here : https://pisse.bandcamp.com. "Da Jorne Steht Ne Ampel" was Der Plan's second single (in 1980). Formed in Germany in 1978 original members include Chrislo Haas and Robert Görl who went on to join Deutsche-Amerikanische Freundschaft. Psyclones were formed in 1980, California by Brian Ladd and Julie Frith. Brian also recorded under the name of Blackhouse. "Electric Tone" was their first 7" single  released on their own Clone Tone Records. Psyclones are (I think) still active, more information can be found here : https://psyclones.bandcamp.com. I am not a Temple Records / Psychic TV / Genesis P-Orridge completist. There's too much 'hit & miss' stuff out there .. but .. when I saw a 7" version of "R.U. Xperienced" by Caresse I knew I had to have it. Released on the Italian Five label the song was used as signature music for the TV programme "Be Bop A Lula". The music is by Turning Shrines and the record was produced by Fred Giannelli. 

Eyeless In Gaza had an album out in 1980 called 'Photographs As Memories", well, Bill Nelson's album "Altar Pieces" is for me 'Cassette As Memories'. In 1990 I had just moved from Manchester to live and work in York and whilst strolling past the York Arts Centre I saw a small flyer for an evening with Bill Nelson & Harold Budd. (Bill Nelson lived not far from York at the time). A small venue and a low-key gig. On the evening there were (perhaps) only a couple of dozen or so people in the main hall. It was set out with small candlelit tables and chairs, a salon like event ... something I had experienced before when Gavin Friday played in a small theatre inside Manchester's Royal Northern College Of Music. Sophisticated. Bill Nelson played a set with his brother Ian on saxophone and Harold played a solo set at the piano. They may have duetted, I can't quite remember that part of the evening. Afterwards Bill was sat at a table selling the cassette "Altar Pieces" so I bought a copy for my friend (Dave) who was a big Bill Nelson fanboy. I played the tape at home and realised I should have bought a copy for myself (it was limited to 100 copies only), so I dubbed a copy and gave Dave the cassette. One lasting memory from the evening was visiting the Gents and finding myself standing next to Ian Nelson. To break the ice or should I say urinal cake I asked Ian if he knew what Ada Wilson was doing and he told me Ada was still active and playing the pubs and clubs of Wakefield in a Gary Glitter tribute band. 

Over the summer I was happy to find a reasonably priced copy of "Altar Pieces" for sale, so I snapped it up. "Opus Hermeticum (The Work Of Hermes)" is from this album. Visitors is the project of Dutch artist Bertin Van Vliet. I became aware of the project after being sent the promo video for "No Flash Photography" which features Frans de Waard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMP8D0ZItwk. I think the project has ceased. 

Please take a listen to the broadcast here:

https://www.mixcloud.com/tamsin-jane-cammack/muhmur-radio-broadcast-13-october-2022/

Playlist :

01: XTC : "Complicated Game" Virgin Records) 2020.

02: Wire : "Mannequin" (Pink Fag) 2018.

03: Wire : "I Am The Fly" (Pink Flag) 2018.

04: Wire : "Dot Dash" (Pink Flag) 2018.

05: Wire : "Outdoor Miner" (Pink Flag) 2018.

06: Wire : "A Question Of Degree" (Pink Flag) 2018.

07: Wire : "Map Ref 41º N 93º W" (Pink Flag) 2018.

08: Wire : "Let's Panic Later" (Pink Flag) 2018.

09: Wire : "Go Ahead" (Pink Flag) 2018.

10: Wire : "Former Airline" (Pink Flag) 2018.

11: Wire : "Practice Makes Perfect" (Pink Flag) 2018.

12: Wire : "Options R" (Pink Flag) 2018.

13: Wire : "Ex Lion Tamer" (Pink Flag) 2018.

14: Wire : "Feeling Called Love" (Pink Flag) 2018.

15: Wire : "12XU" (Pink Flag) 2018.

16: Wire : "Twelve Times Y" (Pink Flag) 2021.

17: Duet Emmo : "Or So It Seems (Part Two)" (Vogue/Mute Records) 1982. 

18: Skeppet : "En Förgyld Evighet" (Ny Kosmisk Väg) 2022.

19: Units : "High Pressure Days" (Futurismo) 2022.

20: Project 197 : "I Smell A Rat" (Independent Project Records) 1980.

21: Them Rhythm Ants : "Swing Line" (Independent Project Records) 1981.

22: Human Hands : "Trains Vs Planes" (Faulty Products) 1980.

23: The Dickies : "Paranoid" (A&M Records) 1978.

24: Pisse : "Liebe" (Phantom Records) 2022.

25: Pisse : "Regelstudienzeit" (Phantom Records) 2022.

26: Pisse : "Favorit" (Phantom Records) 2022.

27: Der Plan : "Da Jorne Steht Ne Ampel" (Warning Records) 1980.

28: Psyclones : "Electric Tone" (Clone Tone Records) 1981.

29: Caresse : "R.U. Xperienced?" (Five) 1989.

30: Bill Nelson : "Opus Hermeticum (The Work Of Hermes)" (The Orpheus Organisation) 1990.

31: Visitors : "No Flash Photography" (Visitors) 2012.

32: Visitors : "The Virus" (Visitors) 2012.

Back later in the month on the 27th October. 21:00 hours GMT on SoundArt Radio 102.5FM if you're kerb crawling in the Berry Pomeroy / Rattery area or listen to the live stream on : https://www.soundartradio.org.uk

Grey Park : "Think Space, Act Local (Volume One)" Cassette

 

Out Now : Grey Park "Think Space, Act Local (Volume One)" (HAEM 005) cassette on Haemoccult Recordings. A C60 compilation of early works by Finland's finest. Recordings from 1999 - 2004. 

Available from Haemoccult Recordings. £6.00 + P&P. Available worldwide. Contact Steve at muhmur.radio@gmail.com for a copy. It will also be available direct from Grey Park via their Bandcamp page and soon to be stocked at Millstone Vinyl (Sweden). Limited to only 30 copies, Act Fast, Think Global. 

Still available from Haemoccult Recordings : 

Grey Frequency : "Empyrean" 7" (HAEM 003)

The Dead Mauriacs : "Cérémonie (Avec Cargo En Flammes)" 7" (HAEM 004)

£7.50 + P+P each. (Both limited to 100 copies).