Over the last few broadcasts I have concentrated on one (sometimes two) artists / projects, so I thought I would expand to four. Four artists in four hours. "Hit 'em on the head with a 4x4" to misquote the mighty Fall. With the release of the latest Sewer Election album 'Psychic Panorama II' an hour (or so) of the work of Dan Johansson was a necessity. I think it was early 00's that I first came across the sound of Sewer Election. Appearances on compilations such as "Sweetness Will Overcome" (Segerhuva Records) 2004 and "Krimkall" (Krimljud) 2003. A few years later and I discovered the sound of Ättestupa with their cassette 'Att Korsa Den Flod Som Kommer Dränka Osk Alla' on Tommy Carlsson's Abisko label. Then came a few releases on the now defunct Release The Bats label. In 2013 I played a gig with Dan. He was performing as White at The Fylkingen in Stockholm. A short sharp 15 - 20 minute set, films, noise, volume. It kind of blew me away (as did sets by Kristain Olsson and Dusa on the night). We sat and chatted on the evening but I had no idea I was chatting to Dan Johansson. It was only a couple of years ago that Love (Segerhuva / Ochu) told me that White and Dan Johansson were one and the same. Ah well.
In the past ten years and the arrival of (or at least the entrance in my world) the labels I Dischi Del Barone, Förlag För fri Musik and Discreet Music it has been easier to get hold of the works of Dan Johansson and his many projects. Amateur Hour, Neutral, Ordeal, Heinz Hopf, Enhet För fri Musik and most recently Organ Of Corti (to name just a few). Dan has his own Bandcamp page : https://sewerelectiongbg.bandcamp.com/music. And it is worth keeping an eye on Discreet Music. Based in Gothenburg, they release and distribute Dan's work : https://www.discreetmusic.se
About three years ago I started correspondence with soundartist, graphic designer and publisher André Coelho. He mailed some of his work to be played on MuhMur Radio. His projects were Metadevice, Sensor, Iurta and Sektor 304. André returns with a new label KHTHON with releases by Wolfskin and the intriguing NKISI. Sektor 304 have now ceased to exist but still sounding relevant so I play pieces from the CD 'Live Reaction'. Released in 2014 it features live recordings made in various locations between 2010 & 2012. Martin Bladh of IRM is on vocals on "Untitled Action I" and "Vultures". 2023 saw André start KHTHON with the release of the cassette 'Mangaaka' by NKISI. An anonymous project from the Democratic Republic Of Congo. These are recordings from 2007 made in Boma from tape s found in a tree cracked open by a thunderstorm in 1962. (the year I was born).
This year KHTHON released the CD album 'Despojos Do Sol-Posto' by Wolfskin. Wolfskin is the project of Johan Aernus. The album is a 2013 live recording of a performance at Fábrica Do Som in Porto (Portugal). André was part of Wolfskin for this performance. Thanks to André for the sounds. Get in touch at : https://khthonkatabasis.wordpress.com. KHTHON also publish a great fanzine called 'Khthonomorphs' and the art zine 'Rusted Gantries'. André also mailed his magazine "Katabasis" which features extended pieces on / interviews with Murmer, Junkyard Saman, Blunt Instrument and artwork by André himself and poetry by Jere Kilpinen. I think this available from KHTHON too ..
Speaking of books ....
July sees the release of the much awaited book 'America's Greatest Noise'. Written by Frans de Waard and published by Korm Plastics. It comes with an Anti-Record, a 7" Flexi Disc cut in half to use as a bookmark and available from Frans at : https://fransdewaard.com/2024/06/18/americas-greatest-noise/. It's a great book, a great read. One of those books that I read very slowly as I don't want it to end .. There's some fascinating stories and insights to the mind and operation of Ron (Lessard) and his RRRecords ethos and Emil Beaulieau project. So, ending the '4x4' theme I play a load of Emil Beaulieau and Ron's releases via RRRecords (pronounced RRRecords not R R R Records) and the subsidiaries Recycled Music, Pure and collaborative label work.
Tape Hiss, distortion, fluctuating levels etc - are inherent in all my recordings - probably because I like using 2nd hand Radio Shack equipment - no attempts were made to 'clean' the sound - the entire project was mastered on my home stereo to ensure proper RRR fidelity...... this is my solo work - all sounds self - generated. " This track first appeared on the 5xLP boxset "5th Anniversary Boxset Thing" in 1989.
'Abusing The Little Ones' is an LP on Self Abuse Records. On this LP Emil Beaulieau reworks and manipulates the material from the 'Murder' 7" series released in 1997 by Self Abuse Records. The track played here is a reworking of Hanged Man's Orgasm 'Frenzy'.
"Plan A : Destruction Of Output" was (probably) the first release I bought by Emil Beaulieau. (The name Emil Beaulieau comes from Emile Beaulieau, the mayor of Manchester when Ron was a child. It's like Ideal Fisher being a butcher in Cleckheaton). 1996 and I was collecting the releases of the German label Tochnit Aleph, back then they were releasing a lot of Column One material as well as sounds by Dachise, John Watermann and Con-Dom. This 7" is again Emil reworking the material from early releases on the label. The piece played here is a reworking of sounds by Con-Dom, Dachise and Column One. Tochnit Aleph is still an active label now based in Copenhagen. http://www.tochnit-aleph.com. I was fortunate to see Emil live in the UK a couple of times. In the early 00's (sorry year forgotten) he played the Red Rose in London along with The New Blockaders, Merzbow and Sudden Infant (there were others but memory fades) and a few years later when he played in Bristol with Onomatopoeia and Jessica Rylan. Again, there were others on the bill but I forget who ... Steve (Onomatopoeia) was self-harming on stage with a suitcase full of glass and contact mic's and that kind of took over the evening for me. Emil was great though. Emil was promoting his 'America's Greatest Noise' double LP on Harbinger Sound. I play a track from the test pressing version. Low friends in high places and all that.
Pure was a series of low-cost CD re-issues, a kind of carry on from the Statutory Tape releases. The label put out re-issues (early tape releases) by the likes of Consumer Electronics, Ramleh, AMK, Zone Nord, Smell & Quim and all at a budget bargain price. The Soldnergeist tracks are from the album 'Terror' originally released by Art Konktret in 1997. Classic 90's German Power Electronics. Another subsidiary label from RRRecords is the Recycled Music series. Lo-Fi recordings on used cassettes. The covers are wrapped in packing tape with Ron's writing on the sleeve and spine. Again, budget price. The Neil Campbell piece is from his RRRecycled release. I think there was about 300 tapes released in this series, I have 6, if anyone has any to mail / sell please get in touch. I have Neil Campbell, Smell & Quim, Masonna, Textured Bird Transmission, Modelbau and Duncan Harrison. The 'America's Greatest Noise' does not include a full discography of RRRecords and its offshoots and collaborations which I think is a missed opportunity. Ron can't remember everything he has released but I am sure there's some archivist out there who knows ... surely ... The Small Cruel Party track is from the 1994 compilation album 'America The Beautiful'. The broadcast ends with Aaron Dilloway and his contribution to the six album box set 'Michigan'.
The broadcast is split in to two halves for easy aural consumption. Part One ends on Sector 304 'The Prismatic Sun' and part two starts with Wolfskin. Thank you for listening.
Playlist :
01: Sewer Election : "Enskilt Rum 1-3" (Discreet Music) 2024.
02: Amateur Hour : "Seven Doors" (Appetite) 2022.
03: Ättestupa : "Pesten" (Abisko) 2009.
04: Sewer Election : "Sparvüga" (Discreet Music) 2024.
05: Sewer Election : "Landscape (For Manon)" (B.A.A.D.M.) 2020.
06: Organ Of Corti : "Halucinatio" (New Forces) 2024.
07: White : "Tears Of Piss" (Utmarken) 2009.
08: Sewer Election : "Mot Döden" (Fang Bomb) 2008.
09: Organ Of Corti : "Trauma" (Dead Mind Records) 2024.
10: Sektor 304 : "Untitled Action 1" (New Approach Records) 2014.
11: Sektor 304 : "Body Hammer" (New Approach Records) 2014.
12: Sektor 304 : "Voodoo Machine" (New Approach Records) 2014.
13: NKISI : "Vert Dévorant" (Leviatā/Khthon) 2023.
14: NKISI : "Nkondi" (Leviatā/Khthon) 2023.
15: Sektor 304 : "Vultures" (New Approach Records) 2014.
16: Sektor 304 : "Pulse Generator V2" (New Approach Records) 2014.
17: Sektor 304 : "Untitled Action II" (New Approach Records) 2014.
18: Sektor 304 : "The Prismatic Sun" (New Approach Records) 2014.
19: Wolfskin : "Terra De Serpentes" (Khthon) 2024.
20: Emil Beaulieau : "One Mans Buttocks" (Menstrual Recordings) 2012.
21: Emil Beaulieau : "Abusing The Little Ones #5" (Self Abuse Records) 2003.
22: Emil Beaulieau : "Plan A:Destruction Of Output (A)" (Tochnit Aleph) 1998.
23: Emil Beaulieau : "Any Moron Can Make A Noise" (Harbinger Sound) 2005.
24: Soldnergeist : "Introduction" (Pure) 2001.
25: Soldnergeist : "Schwarzer Orden" (Pure) 2001.
26: Soldnergeist : "Arsenverg Ftung" (Pure) 2001.
27: Soldnergeist : "Magic Weapon Fight" (Pure) 2001.
28: Neil Campbell : "Recycled #1" (Recycled Music) 1998.
29: Small Cruel Party : "1860-xii Birds Explore Trees 15-v-1960" (RRRecords) 1994.
30: Aaron Dilloway : "Untitled (Michigan)" (Hanson Records/Chondritic Sound/RRRecords) 2009.
Thanks to Tamsin and Chris. Next broadcast will be on Sunday August 18 at 18:00 GMT, I hope you can join me. ...
No comments:
Post a Comment