This is MuhMur Radio Broadcast #280.
A few weeks ago I was chatting with my good friend Thanasis. Thanasis runs the Electric Knife label / distribution out of Athens in Greece (as opposed to the one in Georgia, USA). Anyway, we talked about the works of Kostis Kilymis and what he was doing 'these days'. Kostis is living (also) in Athens and producing music but it is far from what he used to do, it is more in the style of Lena Platonos, or, maybe Laurie Anderson. I unfortunately do not know the works of either ... maybe ambient techno with a dash of synth-pop? The conversation made me dig out and play Kostis's 2019 release "A Measure Of Alienation" on the Falt label. Falt is now a 'digital only' label. Their entire catalogue can be bought for a €, and each release is 'pay what you like'. https://falt.bandcamp.com/music. Well worth a visit. Thanasis can be reached at : https://electrickniferecords.co.uk.
The Staalplaat label off-shoot Korm Plastics D have followed up The Haters "Pinhoop" cassette with "Niet Hier". Originally released in 1987 on Frans de Waard's Korm Plastics label. Side 2 is a complete radio performance performed on the 16th April 1987. The cassette comes with a 4 fold booklet entitled "Faculty" by G.X. Jupitter-Larsen. Korm Plastics D are dedicated to re-issuing old cassette releases from the Korm Plastics catalogue with past releases by Autopsia, Commando Bruno and Korm Plastics compilations. https://kormplasticsd.bandcamp.com/merch will take you there. Staalplaat Sound System are the Staalplaat in house project.
"El Molino Compuesto involves investigating the resonance frequencies of the 'Molino'. To achieve this, we will design a site-specific acoustic artwork that resonates within the 'Molino' using a sound wave precisely matching the space's length. This will cause the chapel to literally vibrate, turning it into a soundboard through which you can both heard feel the space. Our two acoustic resonators, each 11 metres long - half the length of the space - will generate the first resonance frequency of the room. By creating an acoustic artwork tailored to the exact dimensions of the space, with a sound wave that has a wavelength equal to the room's length, we allow the audience to both hear and feel the space. We have long been exploring the concept of creating a sound source powerful enough to vibrate a space, specifically designed to match its dimensions. The 11 metre long acoustic resonator will vibrate the air using two vacuum cleaners. Since the resonator's length is half the room's length, the lowest possible frequency it produces will match the length of the room. The sound wave will the bounce back against the wall amplifying itself and creating a standing wave. The resonator's length will be adjustable so that we can fine-tune the tone to perfectly match the space. We aim to acoustically and visually unify the space, in keeping with the Fluxus history of the Vostell Museum, and as a reference to Wolf Vostell's famous 1976 work 'Sinfonia Fluxus pare 40 Aspiradores'". https://staalplaatlabel.bandcamp.com/album/el-molino-compuesto-at-the-vostell-museum.
I think Modelbau are the most played sound project on MuhMur Radio. I do keep a list of what has been played over the past 12 and a half years .. and (I think) Modelbau come out on top. (I love lists)! "Dead Man's Eyes" is from the cassette "Time Lapse". https://momentarilyrecords.com for more details.
Not a great idea to start a label in the throes of a global pandemic, but Discreet Music did just that. Their first release was the rather excellent 'Himmelsvind' by Arv & Miljö ... and now Matthias Andersson, the head cheese at Discreet Music has released the compilation album "Five Years Of Failure" to celebrate. Before Discreet Music Matthias used to operate the label I Dischi Del Barone. There are 4 pieces from the LP during tonight's broadcast. The day before broadcast I received a copy of the last LP by Arv & Miljö, so expect to hear some of that in next month's programme. "Five Years Of Failure" is limited to 500 copies and available from : https://www.discreetmusic.se. I heard a whisper that Alice Kemp was releasing sounds very soon via Michael Barthel's Recordings For The Summer label, so I was keeping an eye on her activity (sounds like digital stalking ... but honest, it isn't) and saw that she appears on the latest Chocolate Monk compilation "Fug Gum Vol. 6". The CDR also features Diurnal Burdens, Alvarius B and Ripped Spit amongst others. https://chocolatemonk.co.uk/enter.htm. Hopefully the RFTS release will appear soon.
In 1994 the Dutch label HaHaManDad/Ha-Releases put out the Hypnoskull cassette 'Cyberpunisher'. Only a handful of copies (15-20) were made. EE Tapes have re-issued the cassette on CD remastered by Jan Van den Broeke. (He remastered the Dieter Müh re-issues that EE Tapes have released). It's a very powerful release and to have heard it originally in 1994 would have blown my ears away. Hypnoskull is / was the solo project of Patrick Stevens. I was fortunate to see Patrick play live as Hautnah back in 1998. https://hypnoskull.com for more information and https://eetapes.bandcamp.com to grab. copy of the CD.
Part two of the broadcast begins with Thorsten Soltau's latest release "Glaciers".
"Remembering someone who has passed away is not an easy task. It is both challenging and demanding. Depending on one's closeness to the person, the task varies between being the chronicler and coming to terms with the person's life. This publication belongs to the latter. It is an approach to a friendship with a person who has accompanied me closely for more than 20 years in my life : Karl-Werner Feyen. Five segments commemorate a life and friendship in a dense composition, highlighting several key points of the deceased's life. Mixing in situ soundscapes with field recordings and synthesised variations, 'Glaciers' builds complex layers of electro-acoustic' sounds. Spoken words from dictaphones and text-to-speech synthesis provide further biographical clues".
Released on the Japanese label Zappak by Leo Okagawa. Zappak is derived from the Japanese word Zappaku which means that thoughts and sentences are not well organised and cluttered. For more information : https://zappak.bandcamp.com. The Duncan Harrison track is from his 2008 cassette release "Affirmations". Well out of print now it was only available via trade with Duncan.
'On This Day' feature returns with a couple of classics. Pink Military Stand Alone were a Liverpool based band formed by ex Big In Japan vocalist Jayne Casey. Their "Buddha Waking Disney Sleeping" EP was recorded live at Eric's club in Liverpool on the 7th of December 1978. A short while after this release Pink Military Stand Alone shortened themselves to Pink Military, then later became Pink Industry. Who, I once saw live in 1984 on a Tuesday night at The Hacienda in Manchester, you could count the audience on the fingers of both hands ... it's something I have never forgotten. The EP was produced by two ex members of Albertos Y Los Trios Paranoias. The PMSA drummer, Paul Hornby, went on to join The Dogs D'Amour. In 1981 The Fall released "Slates, Slags, etc" 10" mini-LP. One of my favourite Fall releases.
Dayin is the solo project of Angel Simitchiev, also of MyTrip and Born Erased. This is Dayin's fifth album. https://mahorka.org for more information.
Statische Musen are a quartet made of members whose names are all anagrams of Asmus Teitchens .. is there a connection? I'll let you decide. 'Linie 62' is from their (his) second CD album "Bubendey - Memorialmusik Auf Eine Brache" on Auf Abwegen. It was released in 2024 but I think copies are still available. https://www.aufabwegen.de.
Paradox Encounter Group is the project of Paul Harrison, formerly of Expose Your Eyes and Hairs Abyss. (and no relation to Duncan). In 2023 Paradox Encounter Group teamed up with Soloman Tump to release the excellent cassette album 'Hatchet For Kindling' on Tone Burst. 2025 sees Paradox Encounter Group joining forces with NNJA Riot with the album 'Dissent Particles'. A new project to me NNJA Riot is the sound of former Isn'tses member Lisa McKendrick. Isn'tses also featured noise-chipper genius Tim Drage of Cementimental fame. "Dissent Particles" is released by Fusion Audio Recordings. Copies are available as CDR or cassette from : https://fusionaudio.bandcamp.com/album/dissent-particles in America, but you can bypass those tariff's and go to : https://nnjariot.bandcamp.com/album/dissent-particles-2 in the UK / Europe. Lisa is also an artist, her work can be found here : https://lmckendrick.weebly.com. Fascinating sounds, expect more on future broadcasts. The Lonely Bell has a new split release on the Moolakii Audio Interface label. It's a split with SoCool called "Another Kind Of Earth". For a copy please go to : https://moolakiiclubaudiointerface.bandcamp.com/album/another-kind-of-earth
Cabaret Voltaire's 'Voice Of America/Damage Is Done' seems to be relevant in today's climate.
On the 5th of April Gang of Four founding member and bass player Dave Allen passed away. He left Gang of Four after touring with their second album "Solid Gold" in 1981. I saw them live on this tour, supported by Pere Abu and Delta 5. Dave then formed post-punk-funk band Shriekback with ex XTC keyboardist Barry Andrews and former Out On Blue Six vocalist Carl Marsh. Between 1982 and1983 Shriekback released two great albums "Tench" and "Care". "Care" also featured percussion from John Murphy formerly of SPK and Knifeladder. (File under useless information). I saw Shriekback live a few times, they toured the UK with Brilliant back in 1984. The programme ends with two Shriekback singles. Their first "Sexthinkone" and "My Spine (Is The Bassline)". RIP Dave.
Listen to the broadcast here (Part One) :
https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-13-april-2025/
And here (Part Two) :
https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-13-april-2025-part-two/
Playlist :
01: Kostis Kilymis : "Is It Always Political" (Falt) 2019.
02: Kostis Kilymis : "But What About Things Themselves" (Falt) 2019.
03: Kostis Kilymis : "Making Excuses (Pottering About)" (Falt) 2019.
04: Kostis Kilymis : "Normalised" (Falt) 2019.
05: The Haters : "Niet Hier Radio Performance 4/16/1987" (Korm Plastics D) 2025.
06: Staalplaat Sound System : "El Molino Compuesto Composition #1" (Staalplaat) 2025.
07: Modelbau : "Dead Man's Eyes" (Momentarily Records) 2025.
08: Demeters Döttrar : "Lad Hundene Hyle" (Discreet Music) 2025.
09: Sewer Election : "Utsättning" (Discreet Music) 2025.
10: Alice Kemp : "Through A Hedge Backwards" (Chocolate Monk) 2025.
11: Hypnoskull : "Time Warp 57" (EE Tapes) 2025.
12: Hypnoskull : "The Confrontation" (EE Tapes) 2025.
13: Hypnoskull : "Sector Death" (EE Tapes) 2025.
14: Thorsten Soltau : "Glaciers" (Zappak) 2025.
15: Duncan Harrison : "Affirmations" (Not On Label) 2008.
16: Livskraft : "Låt Mig Tro" (Discreet Music) 2025.
17: Arv & Miljö : "Hard To Hold A Candle" (Discreet Music) 2025.
18: Pink Military Stand Alone : "Degenerated Man (Live)" (Last Trumpet Records) 1979.
19: The Fall : "Slates, Slags, etc" (Rough Trade Records).
20: Dayin : "Reaching For Silence" (Mahorka) 2025.
21: Statische Musen : "Linie 62" (Auf Abwegen) 2024.
22: NNJA Riot & Paradox Encounter Group : "Pandora's Pulse" (Fusion Audio Recordings) 2025.
23: Staalplaat Sound System : "El Molino Compuesto Composition #2" (Staalplaat) 2025.
24: The Lonely Bell : "Another Kind Of Earth Part #1" (Moolakii Audio Interface) 2025.
25: Cabaret Voltaire : "Voice Of America/Damage Is Done" (Rough Trade Records) 1980.
26: Shriekback : "Sexthinkone" (Y Records) 1982.
27: Shriekback : "My Spine (Is The Bassline) 1983.
I hope you enjoy. The next MuhMur Radio Broadcast is on May 11. SoundArt Radio 102.5FM if you're hanging around Totnes and the South Hams, live stream available at https://soundartradio.org.uk/. Hope you can join in ... 18.00 hours (GMT) kick off. Thanks as ever to Chris Booth and to Tamsin (Mrs MuhMur) for assisting and light refreshments ...
