MuhMur Radio Broadcast October 26 2023.

 

The programme starts with a lo-fi low key drone called 'Fever Dreams' by Mikel Boyd. This track is a quad mix comprising of four pieces called 'Fever Dream' that have been released by Mykel over the past ten years. 'Fever Dreams' was performed live in Helsinki earlier in the year. 

Mykel also operates the Somnimage label and performs as Post Doom Romance. For more information on Mykel's activities go to : https://www.postdoomromance.com.

On the 3rd of April 2015 Sewer Election performed at the 'Night Of Experimental Film' in Ghent, Belgium. Dan Johansson (Sewer Election) performed two live soundtracks to "landscape" films. Peter Hutton's 'Landscape (For Manon)' and Derek Jarman's 'Journey To Avebury'. The evening was released as part of a series of cassettes by the Belgian B.A.A.D.M. label. Others in the series are Camargue, Odna 

Tidender and Andrew Chalk & Timo Van Luijk. The cassettes are long sold out but downloads are available on the B.A.A.D.M. bandcamp page. https://baadm.bandcamp.com/music. 

At the turn of the 1990's I started listening to a lot of what was then called 'Japnoise'. Atrists such as Mezbow, Massona and The Gerogerigegege. I wasn't too keen on Merzbow but really enjoyed the sound of The Gerogerigegege and started to collect their releases. Luckily I had a friend in Tokyo who supplied me with the goods. 

'Ai Jin' is from the 1993 EP "Kitanomaru Hyakkei", all tracks on this EP were recorded in 1985. 'Ai Jin' is a cover of the Teresa Tang classic. 

As mentioned on the last broadcast, I went to the 'Wyrd Wild West' Festival in Yeovil in September. The lure of Kemper Norton, Nocturnal Emissions and Ubiquitous Meh! was too much. Also, as part of the day's entertainment was Al Fresco Skronk Squadron. AFSS is the project of multi-disciplinary sound artist Dan Cray from Exeter. Dan used to be the mainman behind the group The Du(r)ds. For this performance Al Fresco Skronk Squadron fitted his electro-acoustic devices on to a cake trolley and performed at selected areas on the streets of Yeovil, moving slowly towards the Arts Centre where he finished with an indoor cacophonous crescendo letting his 'instruments' take over. cakes were also available. Dan used contact microphones and a hydrophone to capture sounds of the outside world and familiar things all feeding back with the din of his unreliable devices. Memorable. 'Gear One' is available from the AFSS bandcamp page : https://alfrescoskronksquadron.bandcamp.com/album/gear.

'Gestapo KZ' by Michael Esposito is from the Fantom Auditory Operations cassette "The Echoes Of The Gestapo Cellar" released by GerauschManufakur in 2013. It is a three way collaboration between Michael and Jan Warnke and Amphetamine Logic using EVP captured at the Gestapo Cellar and A/Z Augustascnacht, Osnabrück, Germany. Inspired by the subject matter, the result is a composition of dark and mysterious noise, manipulated field recordings, disembodied voices and haunting, echoing drones. Free download at : https://geraeuschmanufaktur.bandcamp.com. 

The Killing Joke track is from their first (eponymous) album. 

Vogelscheiss Und Seine Verückten Kröten (Bird Shit And His Crazy Toads) were a one-off collaboration between John Hubbard and Christoph Heemann and Andreas Martin. They were created for John's visit to see Christoph in Aachen. Christoph and Andreas are brothers and founders of legendary German experimental group H.N.A.S. John Hubbard was a book publisher and ran the US label Strength Through Joy releasing the Vogelscheiss Und Seine Verückten Kröten originally in 1989. Strength Through Joy also put out great records by The New Sadism and John's solo project Chamber Music. I first came across Strength Through Joy when they published the Whitehouse book "Birth:Death", a collection of Come Org's 'Kata' magazines and Whitehouse memorabilia. 

The album was re-issued in 2021 by Art Into Life. https://art-into-life.bandcamp.com.

Eel Prongs are Neale Retke and William A. Davison (The Bim Prongs / Six Heads). 'Toungues' is a soundtrack to a film of the same name. http://www.recordism.com/TBP2.html for more information. Vance Orchestra are Robert Deters and Mars F. Wellink from Holland. 'Harvest Of Love' is the birth announcement card for Pablo Boris, born September 17 1997. Pablo is the son of Rund Und Den Watzmann. The single is created by using 'pre-birth sounds' as a single source. It was reissued by Vance Orchestra and available as an issue of 30 (yellow vinyl) for their 1998 tour. 

Nurse With Wound have had their classic 1985 album "Sylvie & Babs" re-issued by Dirter Promotions. Originally released on the L.A.Y.L.A.H. Antirecords label, this edition comes a s a 2xCD set with added extras, (Of course to does) and a booklet of Stapleton artwork.

'On This Day' features four great 7" singles released between 1977 and 1980. 999 'Nasty Nasty' was their first single for United Artists and produced by Andy Arthurs of Tonight fame. 'Lady' is the B-Side to Adam And The Ants debut single 'Young Parisians'. The single is produced by Jo Julian who used to be in the American band Berlin of 'Take My Breath Away' fame. (although I think he'd left by then). 'Jumping Someone Else's Train' was The Cure's in-between single of 1979. It was released in-between the albums 'Three Imaginary Boys' and Seventeen Seconds'. The single is produced by Chris Parry who went on to manage SPK. (I met him once backstage at the ICA). 

My love, passion and devotion to The Diagrams Brothers began in 1980 and the release of their first EP 'We Are All Animals'. I must've heard the single on John Peel and rushed out to Sanctuary Records (in Lincoln) and grabbed a copy. I loved them so much I even wrote to them to tell them so and thus started a correspondence with Lawrence Diagram. All four members of The Diagram Brothers had the surname Diagram, but were not brothers. Lawrence Diagram went on to play live with Nico and Eric Random, Jason Diagram joined The Skodas. Andy Diagram joined James ... whereas singer Fraser Diagram seemed to disappear when the band split in 1982. The Ep is produced by Nigel Holland from 80's band Dubset. 

One of the joys of the past few weeks has been reading the book "Kleenex / LiLiput". 

"In 1986, guitarist MARLENE MARDER published a German language diary documenting her time in Kleenex / LiLiput, Zurich's first all-female band. Published by Thrilling Living this publication is a lavishly illustrated English language edition, featuring over 200 images, including fanzines, interviews, flyers, and photographs, and updated with a new introduction and afterword by editor Grace Ambrose and translator Jen Calleja in addition to the original forward by Greil Marcus. This is the most extensive document of this influential group, unparalleled in its depth and candour.

Neither memoir nor scrapbook, but something defiantly in the middle. Kleenex / LiLiput is a compelling example of what it looks like to document one's own life, and all the insights and messiness that entails. This project is an interpretation, a translation, a republication, an attempt to expand and enhance Marlene's unruly original".

It's a great read, gripping in parts ... Marlene even writes about  the time they played Lincoln (1979), The Drill Hall with Spizz Energi and The Raincoats. Respect. https://tenderbooks.co.uk/products/kleenex-liliput-marlene-marder is where I got my copy from. Sticking with books ... the book before Marlene's was the Mark Perry biography (of sorts) 'Lost In Room', covering his work and output between 1977 and 1981.  The book mentioned the 7" single 'Knights Of The Future / Alternatives To Normal Eating Habits' on the Italian Nice Label. Released in 1980 I had never known of this records' existence up until then. The tracks are live recordings of ATV's gig at the Meanwhile Gardens Free Festival, Westbourne Park, London, 1978.  The single came free with issue 4 of Red Ronnie's 'Bazar' magazine. 

Still in the time zone we have Spizz Oil and a track from their '6,000 Crazy' EP. 

Nurse With Wound collaborator Matt Waldron ends the broadcast with a pice called 'Cream Of Nowhere' from the bonus CD of 'Sylvie & Babs'. 

Thanks for listening, the broadcast has been archived on my MixCloud page.

https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-26-october-2023/

Playlist :

01: Mykel Boyd : "Fever Dreams" (Somnimage) 2023.

02: Sewer Election : "Journey To Avebury" (B.A.A.D.M.) 2020.

03: The Gerogerigegege : "Ai Jin" (Monellaphone Cassettes) 1993.

04: Al Fresco Skronk Squadron : "Gear One" (Not On Label) 2023.

05: Michael Esposito : "Gestapo KZ" (GerauschManufaktur) 2013.

06: Killing Joke : "S.O.36" (Editions EG) 1980.

07: Vogelscheiss Und Seine Verückten Kröten : "Jolly Jumble" (Art Into Life) 2021.

08: Eel Prongs : "Tongues" (Not On Label) 2023.

09: Vance Orchestra : "Harvest Of Love" (Rund Um Den Watzmann) 1998.

10: Nurse With Wound : "Elderly Man River" (Dirter Promotions) 2023.

11: 999: "Nasty Nasty" (United Artists) 1977.

12: 999: "No Pity" (United Artists) 1977.

13: Adam & The Ants : "Lady" (Decca) 1978.

14: The Cure : "Jumping Someone Else's Train" (Fiction Records) 1979.

15: The Diagram Brothers : "We Are All Animals" (Construct Records) 1980.

16: The Diagram Brothers : "There Is No Shower" (Construct Records) 1980.

17: The Diagram Brothers : "I Would Like To Go To Prison" (Construct Records) 1980.

18: Kleenex : "Ü" (Kill Rock Stars / For Us Records) 2001.

19: LiLiput : "Split" (Kill Rock Stars / For Us Records) 2001.

20: Alternative TV : "Knights Of The Future" (Nice Label) 1980.

21: Spizz Oil : "Fibre" (Rough Trade Records) 1978.

22: M.S. Waldron : "Cream Of Nowhere" (Dirter Promotions) 2023.

Back on November 9, same time , same channel. https://www.soundartradio.org.uk

MuhMur Radio Broadcast October 12 2023

The programme starts with a 'work in progress' piece by The Dead Mauriacs. In September they released a  magazine / tract called 'Crépuscule Des Dieux'. 24 pieces of black and white artworks by Olivier Prieur. Copies are available via : https://thedeadmauriacs.bandcamp.com/merch/cr-puscule-des-dieux. Also, in September The Dead Mauriacs released a new album on the Japanese Zappak label. Entitled 'Retour Aux Iles Motorisées' (Back To The Motorised Islands), continuing TDM's exploration into Exotique-Concret. Go to https://thedeadmauriacs.bandcamp.com/album/retour-aux-les-motoris-es for a copy.

Olivier has also produced a book of his artwork called 'Les Titans'. Please go to The Dead Mauriacs bandcamp page for a copy. What do The Dead Mauriacs and Grey Frequency have in common? They both have 7" singles available on the Haemoccult Recordings label! Grey Frequency is Gavin Morrow, based in Beeston, Nottinghamshire. His latest is the cassette 'Time And Place' on the ever expanding Preston Capes (Tapes) label. https://prestoncapes1.bandcamp.com/album/pct-16-time-and-place for more details. After picking up a copy of the 1981 Factrix LP 'Schientot' whilst on holiday in Niort I thought I'd give the Factrix / Cazazza 7" 'Prescient Dreams' a spin. 'Zanoni (Reign Of Terror)' is from this single. It is a Joseph T. Jacobs (Factrix) solo piece. The main track being a Tana Emmolo Smith solo work. 

The single was released in 1983 on Subterranean Records. Andreas Malm has released under a variety of pseudonyms in the past. I have played his sounds a lot over the last 11 years, mainly as being part of AmPh and Skeppet. Andreas has released two cassettes under the name of 'Body Awareness' on the Not Not Fun Records and Kosmisk Väg labels. Now Andreas has released a cassette under the name of Kroppskännedom called 'Aktivt Förfall' on the NY Kosmisk Väg label. Roughly translated Kroppskännedom means body awareness. The cassette also features Sofie Herner (Neutral / Leda) on guitar. NY Kosmisk Väg seem to have no internet presence so I can't provide a link. I bought my copy from Discreet Music (Gothenburg). www.discreetmusic.se. The Soviet France track is from the 2022 compilation album 'A Third Collusion' on Vinyl On Demand. 

On This Day in 1982 Fetish Records released the mini LP 'Pow Wow' by Stephen Mallinder. It was a follow up to his 1981 12" single 'Temperature Drop'. I really liked the single (on release) but couldn't really get my head / ears around 'Pow Wow' when it first came out. It came out in-between Cabaret Voltaire's '2x45' and 'The Crackdown' and works like a bridge. The album was recently reissued on CD by Ice Machine Records, so I re-dipped my ears as were and really enjoy the sounds ... I'm glad I did. Also, I didn't know that members of Last Few Days also appear on some tracks. Stephen has recently been working with Eric Random (The Pressure Company) again releasing download files via his bandcamp page : https://www.discogs.com/artist/24050-Stephen-Mallinder. Copies of 'Pow Wow' can be found on Discogs from the Fetish original to the reissues on Mute and Ice Machine Records. A few months ago Stephen appeared in an issue of the 'Electronic Sound' magazine ... came with quite a good Mallinder 7", and in the interview he mentioned working with Sheffield sound artist Michael Ward under the name of Mzylkypop. This is a project I knew nothing about so I grabbed the 'Mzylkpop Presents Xzyles' 12"EP for a listen. The EP also features Peter Hope, Adi Newton, Karl D'Silva and Charlie Collins, a host of Sheffield Illuminati. "Doomerati" sees Stephen sharing vocals with Rachel Edmondson and saxophone by ex-Bass Tone Trap's Martin Archer. The 12" is on Sheffield based Do It Thissen Records and available from : https://doitthissenrecords.bandcamp.com (it's only a fiver)!

Recorded Home is the project of Jean-Sébastien Nouveau. Jean also records / releases under the name of Les Marquises. 'A Blurred Moment' was recorded live in Leverkusen on the 10th of June 2022. The track appears on the 'Struppig Mahlen' CD of the evening's performances on the Licht-Ung label. It's part of their "Stripping Tanzen" series. http://www.licht-ung.de.

                                                         Haven't worn a wristband in years!

On the 16th of September this year I crossed the county lines and went to the Wyrd Wild West Festival in Yeovil (Somerset). A day event taking place across many venues; Yeovil Art Space, EPS (Record Shop), The 94 Club and an outside performance by Al Fresco's Skronk Squadron, which ended up after an hour or so on the streets of Yeovil in the Arts Centre. I was there as a guest of Nigel Ayres (hence the wristband). Yeovil is only an hour or so train ride from home, I couldn't say no! The days event was organised by Stephen Ives, the owner of EPS and sound artist who has released as Hacker Farm and Farmer Glitch in the past. The day's music began in the AM, with performances by a rock band called Long Sun and a performance by Exeter based multi-instrumentalist Fabio Ferri ... then the pubs opened .. 

Al Fresco's Skronk Squadron were playing on the streets of Yeovil. One man with various noise appliances and a cake trolley wandered around the precinct entertaining the shoppers and gathering intrigue from the youth of Yeovil. Al's path ended inside the Art Space where he crescended with some heavy loops and frequencies. I will be playing some Al Fresco on the next broadcast. 

                                                              Al Fresco's Skronk Squadron.

In the Art Space was an exhibition of Yeovil music called 'Story Of D.I.Y.' presented by Sound Of Yeovil. Celebrating the wealth of home-made music and visual art the exhibition had a collection of sleeves, posters and flyers from the Yeovil based All The Madmen Records centring around the releases of local heroes The Mob. Interesting exhibition and open until November the 18th. No Zos-Kia artwork though. The afternoon's performances ended with Farmer Glitch & Friends performing Terry Riley's 'In-C'. The performance lasted 50 minutes which in parts were intense, emotional and sometimes humorous. 

                                                               Farmer Glitch & Friends.

The evening of the Festival was held in the back room of a WMC. A patchwork PA and quite a full room. I didn't quite catch all the bands / artists playing, at the beginning there was a lot of stop / start shenanigans going on, so my interest drifted and I found comfort in chatting to friends. First band could have been Luminous Foundation (no-one introduced themselves) a father and son Tangerine Dream team, then came Invisible Eyes, a trio who so wished it was 1980 and they could sign to Factory Records. Then the PA kind of fell apart. Kemper Norton followed, he decided not to do any vocals and produced a 20 or so minute 'techno set'. Laid back, loud and groovy. 

                                                                   Kemper Norton.

After hearing parts of his release on the Woodford Halse label I was looking forward to witnessing Kemper Norton. Named after Emperor Norton, the self-proclaimed emperor of the United States and protector of Mexico (in the late 1860's) and Kemper, a sonar amplification device. The 94 Club was held in a trance ... Twilight Sequence followed with more synth based sounds and very akin to Luminous Foundation. Impressive bank of patchwork sequencers etc, but not enough to still have the Kemper Norton set rocking inside my head. Nocturnal Emissions followed, again leaving the microphones alone and shouting Emission lyrics over a backing track. Nigel took to the stage gesticulating and shouting. A performance. 'Never Give Up' opened the set and I heard 'No Separation' at some point. 

                                                                 Nocturnal Emissions.

                                                 Soloman Tump & Luke Richards at the bar.

                                                                      Ubiquitous Meh!  

A short set from Plymouth experimentalists Ubiquitous Meh! followed. I think it was probably due to the state of the PA and the fact that time was passing that the Meh! kept it short ... damn good set though. I didn't see Ekoplekz, I bumped in to an old friend who I hadn't seen in nearly 18 years. Yeovil is now the home place of Richard (AKA The Bear Faced Boy). I met Richard about 20 or so years ago when he was in Bristol operating Abrasive Records and organising live events. He released a handful of CDRs on Abrasive Records as The Bare Faced Boy and a cassette as Front Towards Enemy. 

                                                                          With Richard.

So, the next section of the programme features a few sounds from the artists at the festival. The Kemper Norton piece is from the 2016 album 'The Toll'. Released on the Front & Follow label. Copies of 'The Toll' can be found at : https://fandf.bandcamp.com/album/toll.

             

Soloman Tump is the project of Devon based sound artist Andrew Fletcher. Andrew wasn't playing at this years festival but did bring along copies of 'Solomon's Tump'. A 3"CDR recorded "for Wyrd Wild West Yeovil 2023". Andrew was handing out the CDR at the evening event. It's limited to 12 copies and is packaged with Dartmoor Lichen. He also has a programme on SoundArt Radio, and produced the excellent 'Intrusive Signals' fanzine. For more information go to : https://solomantump.bandcamp.com. The Bare Faced Boy track is from the 2004 3"CDR 'Bite Back!'

The track by MNEM is from their latest cassette album 'Heart Of Complex'. The album is the follow up to 2020's album 'Eylktrion' on Verlautbarung. MNEM are from Finland, comprising of 1W and J. Karpov, they have been producing their own brand of 'grainy electronics' since 1999. The new album is on the Finish Satatuhatta label. https://satatuhatta.net/collections/satatuhatta. The programme ends with the B-Side of the Spoils & Relics 7" "Turner". In my endeavour to play old (and sometimes overlooked) releases by (the now defunct) Harbinger Sound label I dug out this beauty from 2013. Spoils & Relics were a trio of noisemakers from Nottingham, this single was released as a fundraiser for The Chameleon Arts Centre (The Rammel Club) in Nottingham. It was only available from behind the bar at the venue. Buy a pint, buy a single, buy another pint and a bag o' nuts and everyone's a winner. 

The broadcast has been archived on MixCloud :

https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-12-october-2023/

Playlist :

01: The Dead Mauriacs : "Crepusculé Des Dieux (2)" (Not On Label) 2023.

02: Grey Frequency : "Tor" (Preston Capes (Tapes)) 2023.

03: Factrix Cazazza : "Zanoni (Reign Of Terror)" (Subterranean Records) 1983.

04: Kroppskännedom : "Aktivt Förfall" (NY Kosmisk Väg) 2023.

05: Soviet France : "Temple Attic" (Vinyl On Demand) 2022.

06: Stephen Mallinder : "Pow Wow" (Fetish Records) 1982.

07: Stephen Mallinder : "Three Piece Swing" (Fetish Records) 1982.

08: Mzylkpop : "Doomerati" (Do It Thissen Records) 2019.

09: Recorded Home : "A Blurred Moment (Live Leverkusen)" (Licht-Ung) 2023.

10: Kemper Norton : "The Tide" (Front And Follow) 2016.

11: Soloman Tump : "Solomon's Tump" (Not On Label) 2023.

12: MNEM : "Massmüller" (Satatuhatta) 2023.

13: The Bear Faced Boy : "Our Problem" (Abrasive Records) 2004.

14: Spoils And Relics : "Turner (B)" (Harbinger Sound) 2013.