The latest broadcast begins with a piece by Robert Turman and John Wiese from the new CD album 'Solid State Of Time'. The album comprises of two pieces called 'Path To Be Drawn' and it's the most drone / ambient approach to sound I've heard John Wiese be for a while.
"In 2017 I was recording along the north bank of the Humber estuary and one morning driving back from Faxfleet I was stopped at the Oxmardyke rail crossing. The gates were down. After setting up a microphone array by the tracks for a passing freight train the signalman shouted an invitation to climb up into the gate box to make some more recordings.
Over the following weeks I made several return trips to Oxmardyke and gathered a broad palette of recordings. I discussed the sounds, stories and history of the site with Philip after a show and we were both excited by the potential of making a work together.
Philip was drawn to the ancient history of the area from the 6th century Anglo Saxon times to the Knights Templar and how the sounds, rhythms and textures from those periods may still inhabit the contemporary landscape. My thoughts took inspiration from 'The Signalman' by Charles Dickens and the painting 'Rain, Steam And Speed' by Joseph Turner. We agreed to share ideas and exchange tracks.
Oxmardyke gate box has now passed into history". Chris Watson.
I played a track on the last programme, 'AH' is the second and there will undoubtedly be more. It's a great listen to get involved in. https://philipjeck.bandcamp.com/album/oxmardyke. Another track I played last programme and continue here is from Fletina's EP 'Causal'. This is the title piece. Ultra limited CD edition released but available as download direct from Fletina here : https://fletina.bandcamp.com.
The Paul McCarthy track is from the 1983 album 'High Performance - The Record (Artists Doing Songs)'. I don't know why but after listening to Fletina and The Lonely Bell pieces this track came in to mind.
In July this year Altar Of Flies released the 'Music For Roadmaster 69 And Other Pieces'. It's part of the iDeal Recordings "Inner Circle" series. 'Inner Circle' is a subscription series with each CD limited to only 70 copies. This release is number 4 with others by Sewer Election, CM Von Hausswolff and John Duncan. (I am not a subscriber, this CD appeared on the AOF bandcamp page). I think copies have sold out and it's too late to join the 'inner circle' but https://altarofflies.bandcamp.com/merch is always worth keeping an eye on.
The Passage track is from their second album 'For All And None'. Picked this one up in Niort last month. 'On This Day' in 1982 Sheffield group Artery released 'The Clown', a 7" single on Red Flame Records. I don't have a copy so the version I play here is from the 1982 John Peel (Radio) Session. It appears on the 2006 compilation 'Afterwards (Recordings From 1979-1983)' on Spinney Records. Staying in Sheffield (as I did for 6 months in 1985) ....
TV Product formed in 1978 when bassist Tony Perrin and guitarist Simon Hinkler shared student accommodation in Sheffield. Their one and only release was a split 7" single with The Prams on the local label Limited Editions Records. The TV Product tracks were recorded at Western Works and produced by Cabaret Voltaire. Hinkler left to become the keyboard player for Artery before joining Pulp and then forming The Mission with Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams (ex-Sisters Of Mercy). And, staying on a TV theme ....
Alternative TV are flavour of the month at MuhMur HQ at the moment. Mark Perry's (kinda) autobiography on the history of ATV / The Good Missionaries / The Door & The Window and The Reflections is now out, and what an enjoyable read it is, I've not put the damn thing down since it came through the letterbox last week ~ it had not arrived at the time I was (pre) recording this programme. The format of the book is Mark in conversation with Richo Johnson (of Splintered and Husk fame) and as Mark is a fascinating chap the book is a fascinating read about a fascinating period of music in the UK ... his dislike of a few folk goes down well here. Get the book at : https://fourthdimensionrecords.bigcartel.com/product/lost-in-room-mark-perry-alternative-tv-related-1977-1981-book-h-b.
Also knitting nicely in to 'On This Day' the track 'Memphis Tennessee' is from the 'Live At The Rat Club' album recorded (by Genesis P-Orridge) on the 14th of September 1977. 'Nasty Little Lonely' is from the 'Scars On Sunday' cassette and was recorded live at The Greenwich Theatre, London in 1979. The cassette is rare, but Winter Hill Recordings, a label run by Richo, re-issued it as a CD back in 2019. 'Strange Kicks' is from the 1981 'Strange Kicks' album. It's probably the most 'weirdest' of all ATV albums. I like the story behind it ... but you'll have to read the book to find out all about that. 'Whole World's Down On Me' is the
only solo 7" Mark released, and he doesn't really like the song. I disagree, it's a great tune to sing-a-long to (probably better than Ken Boothe's original). Back to Sheffield, the steel city. Martin Lacey (aka Martin X Russian) is the man behind the punk rock magazine 'Safety Pin'. Martin was (in 1977) one of the founding members of They Must Be Russians .. although back then he used the name 'Martin Sparkle'. In 1978 Martin left to briefly play in Artery before staring the fanzine "NMX". Forward to the now (ish) and in 2018 Martin started Safety Pin Magazine, the first issue came with a 7" 5-Track EP by Sheffield post-punk band Stunt Kites. 2023 and issue 18 has a copy of a 7" by Subway Sect and Vic Godard. The Subway Sect track is 'Parallel Lines' that originally appeared on the compilation cassette 'C81' and a new track by Vic Godard called 'Goin' Down Slovaks'. Slovak being a doctor (in the late 1970's) who'd write you a prescription for whatever you wanted for a tenner. The magazine has a great Godard interview, and a feature on The Beastly Cads and an in depth interview with Lora Logic. https://www.safetypinmag.com. Next issue has a UK Subs single with it.
A change of speed, a change of style. Last month the UK label Aphelion Editions released the CDR / cassette 'Insomniac's dream' by Modelbau.
"'Insomniac's Dream', recorded in 2018, is a compelling collection of four long-form pieces laden with deep bass rumble, dense drones, scattered layers of static and disorientating field recordings, juxtaposing elements of nature with sounds from daily life and other not quite placeable sources." (From the Aphelion Bandcamp page). https://aphelioneditions.bandcamp.com/album/insomniacs-dream. There's a great interview with Steve Underwood on the White Centipede Noise YouTube channel. In the interview he talks about the end of his label Harbinger Sound. I first met Steve when Dieter Müh played alongside Ramleh and Olympic Shitman at the Narrowboat in Nottingham. December 17 1994. We have remained good and close friends since. I will play highlights from the Harbinger Sound catalogue / canon in upcoming programmes. There are some absolute gems in there! And I'm not just talking about Dieter Müh or <<I.B.F.>>. Alice Kemp's 'Impregnator Of The Death Mouth' 7" is one of those gems. The broadcast ends on Grey Frequency's 'Thirty High Road' from the cassette 'Time And Place'. I am playing more from this release on the next programme so will mention more then ... Needless to say, copies are selling fast. Grab one at : https://prestoncapes1.bandcamp.com/album/pct-16-time-and-place.
Thanks for reading / listening. The programme is available on the MuhMur Radio Archive.
Playlist :
01: Robert Turman & John Wiese : "Path To Be Drawn (2)" (Helicopter) 2023.
02: The Go-Betweens : "I Need Two Heads" (Postcard Records) 1980.
03: The Lonely Bell : "The Outer Banks" (Frosti) 2023.
04: The Lonely Bell : "Fires Of Dawn" (Frosti) 2023.
05: Philip Jeck & Chris Watson : "AH" (Touch) 2023.
06: Fletina : "Causal" (Here Free Press) 2023.
07: Paul McCarthy : "Boston Bay" (High Performance Records) 1983.
08: Altar Of Flies : "För De Sömme Inte Finns Hos Oss" (iDeal Recordings) 2023.
09: The Passage : "Shave Your Head" (Night & Day) 1981.
10: Artery : "The Clown" (Spinney Records) 2006.
11: TV Product : "Nowhere's Safe" (Limited Editions Records) 1979.
12: TV Product : "Jumping Off Walls" (Limited Edition Records) 1979.
13: Alternative TV : "Nasty Little Lonely (Live)" (Fuck Off Records) 1979.
14: Alternative TV : "Memphis Tennessee (Live) (Obsession) 1993.
15: Alternative TV : "Strange Kicks" (I.R.S. Records) 1981.
16: Mark Perry : "Whole World's Down On Me" (Deptford Fun City Records) 1980.
17: Vic Godard : "Goin' Down Slovaks" (Safety Pin Magazine) 2023.
18: Modelbau : "Insomniac's Dream (A1)" (Aphelion Editions) 2023.
19: Alice Kemp : Impregnator Of The Death Mouth (Harbinger Sound) 2015.
20: Grey Frequency : "Thirty High Road" (Preston Capes Tapes) 2023.
My second MuhMur Radio broadcast back in 2012 was a Harbinger Sound 'special', you can listen to it here : https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-18102012/
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