End Times ...

 

It is that time of the year when discussions open about what was released and listened to throughout 2023. Lists start to appear on forum boards and requests come through the (electronic) mail for (my) favourites of the year. It was all going swimmingly. I document all that comes through the door into Hartop Towers aka MuhMur Radio HQ, but .... this year after coming back from a 10 day car journey to the French / Spanish border with vinyl stops in Niort and Toulouse I discovered that my computer had crashed, ceased to exist as were and all files had been lost. so, what arrived in the early part of this year I can't rightly remember. I guess that if I played it on the radio broadcasts then I really liked it! 

I didn't go to that many live shows. Nocturnal Emissions, Kemper Norton and Ubiquitous Meh! in Yeovil was fun, as were Ubiquitous Meh! a few weeks later in Exeter. Joke Lanz in Cardiff was probably the best gig I have been to in quite a few years. I enjoyed record shopping in Cardiff too and have probably found a favourite in the Cardiff Record Exchange on Whitchurch Road. 

So, the last release to come through the portal this year was the latest cassette by Berlin based project Schwund. Schwund is the project of Jo Schwund, formerly one half of Das Das. I first heard Schwund when Harbinger Sound teamed up with Phantom Records in 2019 to release the LP "Technik Und Gefühl" on vinyl and cassette. I have tried to get everything since. Over the past couple of years Schwund have been putting out tapes called "Dieezer Tube" (I have no idea what this means). The tracks were recorded as a homage to the underground sound of the 1980's. This month saw the third volume released on the Nachslag label. The sound of Schwund is (probably) best described as Synth-Punk or Post-Punk Synth. It is in the tradition of late 70's / 80's Neue Deutsche Welle. "Dieezer Tube 3" has a very 'Kleinen Und Die Bösen' D.A.F. vibe to it all. It certainly makes me want to get up and dance. There's even a Residents feel about a couple of the pieces. Schwund just keep on getting better. It's not a long tape, probably a C40. I have yet to sit down and time the tracks...too busy dancin'. Eleven tracks in all with each side ending with untitled tracks that sound nothing like what went on before them. Noises, lo-fi noises of half-speed crawling and scrapings, synthesisers assemble themselves at dawn, the sound of an unearthly choir in a restaurant for puppeteers. (Ibiza Bar and Don't Throw Ashtrays At Me). 

All Schwund sounds can be obtained at https://derschwund.bandcamp.com/music. Recommended. 

Best 7" of 2024 has to be Modelbau's "Metal & Motif" on Haemoccult Recordings. Available direct from the label here " https://haemoccultrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/metal-motif. 

MuhMur Radio Fin Du Partie 2023. (December 16).

 

So, it comes to that time of year ... it was the best of times, it was the worst of times ... the MuhMur Radio Four Hour Festive Feast Of Fun, the end of year programme. A big big huge thank you to all the folk who have listened to MuhMur Radio throughout 2023, providing comments, congratulations and tips and to all the folk who have mailed me sounds to play on the radio .... it is always and much appreciated. 

SoundArt Radio is on the move. We change studio locations in the new year so I am uncertain as to when the next MuhMur Radio Broadcast will be, but I shall announce the date on the blog in the new year. It's a larger studio space with possibilities of live sound / performance. Very exciting. It's still situated in the grounds of Dartington Estate, you'll still be able to hear the sound of the steam trains and the doggers* in the distance ... 

(* folk who walk their dogs in the fields close by).

The broadcast starts with a live set by Colin Potter recorded at the Café Oto in Dalston (London) 2016. In 1981 ICR (Integrated Circuit Recordings) put out the album "We Couldn't Agree On A Title". A compilation featuring Colin along with Missing Persons, The 012, The Instant Automatons, The Digital Dinosaurs, Mic Woods ... and others. 42 years later and ICR (Integrated Circuit Recordings) have reached their 100th release, so the Colin Potter album is called 'We Couldn't Agree On A Total'. It features recordings from two live appearances at the Café Oto and a studio piece from 2023. Available from : https://icrdistribution.com. Der Bekannte Post Industrialle Trompeter follows with 'Stille Nacht' to get the festive mood going ... D.B.P.I.T. was Flavio Rivabella who also played trumpet from Mushroom's Patience. The piece here is from a split 7" with Feine Trinkers Bei Pinkels Daheim. 

                                      

Great to see Modelbau join the rota of RRRecords "Recycled" series. I am guessing that there are nearly 400 releases in this series. The first one I got hold of was by Smell & Quim back in the 1990's. Frans kindly mailed me the file so I got Chris at SoundArt Radio to put it on a CDR for me. I find the Recycled Tapes hard to come by. If anyone in the UK has any of the releases they don't want anymore ... please get in touch. 2024 should see a book on Ron Lessard and his RRRecords activity. It will be published by Korm. 

                                                Anji Cheung & Matt Atkins releases.

'Black Ribbon' by Anji Cheung is from the 2021 cassette album "Fearless Body" released on her own Oakseer label. https://anjicheung.bandcamp.com. The saxophone on this track is from Colin Webster, a name I know by his work with Dirk Serries (aka Vidna Obmana). 

"My Cherry In Sherry' was the debut single by Manchester band Ludus. 

Matt Atkins is a London based sound artist. 'Edgeland' is from his latest cassette album 'A Quiet Ritual' on the Scottish based Molt Fluid label. https://moltfluid.bandcamp.com. I have been listening to Matt since I first heard his contribution to the Blank Tape Compilation(s) on the wonderful Steep Gloss label. Another sound artist I follow is Lausanne based Francisco Meirino. Over the four hours I play three pieces by Francisco. The first being from the 2012 album (and wonderfully titled) "Undetected (Untreated Recordings From On-Site Testimonies Archives)". It does exactly what it says on the tin .. or in the title. 

ICR (Integrated Circuit Recordings) release number 101 is the album "Little Dipper Minus Two Plus (Echo Poeme Sequences)" by Nurse With Wound.

There are three versions of this album. Vinyl (Side A played here), CD and file. I imagine there are differences. 

I remember picking up the Kenotaph cassette "Japanese Go To War" when Dieter Müh played at the OJC Kompas in Saint-Niklaas, Belgium. 1998. Kenotaph were Stefan Roigk and Eric Metz from Germany. After the cassette release Stefan went on to be Skalp and release a great 10" EP on Tesco Organisation. (1996) and a split tape with Keimbefall - another one of Stefan's projects. Confused yet? The next time I came across Stefan's work was in 2019 and the album "Suffering For The Promised" on Fragment Factory.  Last month saw the release of "De-Composed" a book of Stefan's artwork, installations and performance on the Berlin based Errant Bodies Press label. The book also comes with a soundtrack on two compact discs. http://www.stefan-roigk.com for further information. 

Hypnopazäzu is the collaborative work of David Tibet and Youth. I apologise for the playing at the wrong speed. 

In November this year I went to see Joke Lanz perform live in Cardiff, and it was one of the best live performances I have seen in years. 'Zungsang, Sankt Jokem II' is from the cassette 'Zungsang'. Zungsang is Javanese for Back. Limited to only 80 copies this cassette was released by Vice De Forme in 2021. 

                                               Hanging with Joke, Cardiff 2023.

"Necropolis, Amphibians & Reptiles (The Music Of Adolf Wölfli)" is a 1986 compilation album released on Musique Brut, a side label of Graeme Revell's Side Effects Records. The Revell track here is from that album, although it is from the CD re-issue in 1994 which was couples with Graeme's solo LP "The Insect Musicians" also released in 1986. 

Dayin is the project of Bulgarian musician Angel Simitchiev. Angel also records under the names of Vague Voices, Leaver, Zen Died Orchestra and (until recently) MyTrip. Angel has ceased the MyTrip project to begin again as Born Erased. I always see Dayin as Angel's 'guitar' project ... a little like Frans de Waard and his Shifts project. 'Lasting Distress' is from Dayin's fourth album "Warm Like Crystal Throats" on Mahorka. https://mahorka.bandcamp.com/album/warm-like-crystal-throats. Angel also operates the excellent Amek label. Please contact at : https://amekcollective.bandcamp.com. 

Ordeal is the project of Dan Johansson (Sewer Election, White, Organ Of Corti and Neutral to name but a few). 'Vist' is one side from the new LP 'Vätterns Pärla'. Vättern is a lake in Sweden where pearls can be found. Out on Aguirre Records. https://www.aguirrerecords.com. 

I never really 'got' Renaldo & The Loaf when I first heard them ... must've been John Peel ... they sounded too much like The Residents. I am not a great fan of The Residents. I first saw them on the Old Grey Whistle Test (it was a TV show in the UK .. for younger readers), I think Bob Harris introduced some short films, figures dressed in KKK outfits made out of newspapers, fascinating stuff, so I bought an album and thought it wasn't that good. Years later I saw The Residents live at the Hacienda in Manchester (13th Anniversary Show with Snakefinger). Excellent live show but I didn't fancy buying all the back catalogue! But, back to Renaldo & The Loaf. Earlier this year I picked up a copy of their first LP "Play Struvé & Sneff" and really enjoyed it, then I read about them in the Some Bizarre book "Conform To Deform" by Wesley Doyle and they sounded like decent folk so whilst in Cardiff the other month I picked up their 'Songs For Swinging Larvae' album. It does sound a bit Residentsy but I am now partial to a bit of that sound these days ... still not going to buy The Residents back catalogue though .. 

Three classic 7" singles starting with ...And The Native Hipsters and 'Larry's Coming Back'  from the EP "Going Steady With Larry And Emma" released on their own Plattekop Volume label. Lester Square of The Monochrome Set plays guitar on this track. ... And The Native Hipsters were William Wilding and Nanette Blatt. I sat next to Nanette on a train between London and Newton Abbot (Devon ... it's my local station). I had been in London for a few days buying records and seeing Feine Trinkers Bei Pinkels Daheim play live in Stoke Newington so I was going through my bag of treasures when she commented on some of the records and told me she used to be in a band, but ... I'd of never heard of them ... so ... She told me the name of the band and I started singing 'Oh look, there goes Concorde again' to her. Oh how we laughed. Her stop was St Ives in Cornwall and we have never met on a train again. 

A book I would love to read would be a book about The Homosexuals. Is there one? I know the sleeve notes that accompany the triple CD "Astral Glamour" (on Hyped To Death) are pretty extensive, but a book on the exploits and activities of Jim Welton would be a great read. The Four Plugs were John Irvine. John went on to work with Reeves & Mortimer as writer and 'tape jockey' for their live shows. 

After a few years of releasing up to three albums, singles , EPs etc a year the years of 2021/22 were quite quiet for Astral Social Club. These years saw Neil Campbell (the man behind ASC) releasing a lot of collaborative work under his own name, working with Howard Stelzer, Paul Harrison, Nick Edwards and Shit Creek to name a few. I thought probably Astral Social Club had been put to bed. But, 2023 has been an active year for ASC with four albums released since February. 'Null Three Four One' is from the CDR "Null Three Four". go to https://theneilcampbell.bandcamp.com/merch, contact Neil and grab a copy. 

The second piece from Francisci Merino in this four hour feast is side two of the split cassette with Altar Of Flies. Released on the excellent Second Sleep label, it's called 'Exhausted We Fall'. Contact Second Sleep at : http://www.secondsleep.org/home.html. The name Hamilton Mist sounds like a Vegas crooner from the 1970's. I like the name. Hamilton Mist are an anonymous project whose first album 'The Age Of Shadows' has been released by the Finnish label Institute Of Paraphilia Studies. Five pieces of multi-layered pastoral drones and ethereal soundscapes. The Institute is operated by Mikko Aspa of Freak Animal Records. http://freak-animal.net for further details. 

Jim Haynes continues his Variant project with the album 'Inauspicious' on his own Helen Scarsdale Agency label. The album contains two variants; numbers fourteen and fifteen. I managed to get a copy from Industrial Coast in the UK, I haven't seen anyone else distributing it here. Drop a line to : https://industrialcoast.bigcartel.com or https://www.helenscarsdale.com in the USA for a copy. The aforementioned Mikko Aspa also operates as Grunt. Grunt began in 1993, so this is their 30th year. My first exposure to the sound of Grunt was with the 1998 split CD with Bad Kharma and Lasse Marhaug, 'Scandinavian Noise Manifesto', this lead me to another Mikko project Alchemy Of The 20th Century and their excellent "Birth Of A Lifeform" cassette on Kaos Kontrol. 1999, the same year we Dieter Müh appeared on the compilation "Halogen Ball" (Negative Foundation) which also included Alchemy Of The 20th Century, Grey Park and MNEM. A year later Dieter Müh played live with Grunt in Mäntsäla, Finland. 'Vieraat Huulet' (Foreign Lips) is from Grunt's latest CD "Vieraat Aivot". (Alien Brain). The CD is built from two live private performances made this summer. 

Grunt appear on the 2006 eight album compilation "Viva Negative! - A Tribute To The New Blockaders" (Vinyl On Demand), The New Blockaders have a new album out on Nihilist called "Denn Das Schöne Its Nichts Als Des Schrecklichen Anfang". It's a collaboration with S.R. Meixner of Contrastate, Ice Yacht (Two Pieces) and Das Synthetische Mischgewebe. https://nihilistrecordings.bandcamp.com/merch for more details. 

The Het Zweet track is from a CD that comes with the book "Nul Nul - Industrial Culture Fanzine (1985 - 86)". Published by Frans de Waard's Korm Plastics label. Nul Nul ('Zero - Zero) was a precursor to his Vital Weekly fanzine running for 4 issues only and concentrating on the Dutch / Belgian industrial cassette 'scene' of the time. The book has all four issues reprinted in English as well as the Dutch language originals. Old names, characters and projects pop up throughout. I have a fascination for this time and the accompanying CD is a joy to listen to with names such as Kapotte Muziek, Dal, Clinique Lutetia, Viana Obmana, THU20 and Narzisse amongst lots of others. There's a track by Sluagh Ghairm an early version of Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia and no surprise ... it's excellent. The book and accompanying CD are essential. https://www.kormplastics.nl. 

After the Francisco Meirino & Altar Of Flies collaboration comes another great collaboration. Grey Park & Sick Days 'Work Gothic'. Recorded throughout 2023 'Work Gothic' is a journey by sea between Canada and the Finnish mainland. The journey is told through six pieces / sections. Presented here is section 2 - 'The Boat'. Released in an edition of 40 by Vacancy Records (Sick Days label) and available from https://vacancyrecs.bigcartel.com. 

For regular listeners of MuhMur Radio you'll know that as sure as sugar is sweet there'll be a track by Cabaret Voltaire. 

The third piece from Francisco Meirino in the Festive Feast is 'Focus On Nothing' from the split album with fellow Swiss artist Kiko C. Essieiva. "Focus On Nothing On Focus" was recorded in 2012/13 from hours of recordings as a duo, then each one went in to the studio to assemble their own piece. Released by Aussenraum Records and available from : http://www.aussenraumrecords.com. 

A new item, exclusive to this years Festive Feast is "The Request Spot". The final three songs have been chosen by close friends and associates. They shall not be named, but thanks to them all the same. Eaten Alive By Insects existed for a couple years at the end of the 1970's - early 1980's. From Bradford, they were one of the highlights of Futurama 2, a festival that took place in Leeds Queens Hall in 1980. They never released anything .... The Panik were Manchester's finest on '77 and featured Eric Ramsden (who became Eric Random) on guitar and drummer Steve Brotherdale who left to join Warsaw. Bassist Paul Hilton and vocalist Ian Nance went on to form V2. 

The Country Teasers end the broadcast ...... 

For ease of listening the broadcast has been split in to two parts. Part one and then part two. The first part ends with Astral Social Club and the second part begins with Francisco Meirino & Altar Of Flies.

(MixCloud Archive will be posted shortly after broadcast)

Part One :

https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-fin-de-partie-2023-broadcast-part-one/

Part Two:

https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-fin-de-partie-2023-broadcast-part-two/

Playlist :

01: Colin Potter : "Live Café OTO 09/2016" (ICR) 2023.

02: D.B.P.I.T. : "Stille Nacht" (White Rabbit Records) 2005.

03: Modelbau : "Recycled #4" (RRRecords) 2023.

04: Anji Cheung : "Black Ribbon" (Oakseer) 2021.

05: Ludus : "My Cherry Is In Sherry" (New Hormones) 1980.

06: Matt Atkins : "Edgeland" (Molt Fluid) 2023.

07: Francisco Meirino : "Untitled 5" (OtO) 2012.

08: Nurse With Wound : "Little Dipper (A)" (ICR) 2023.

09: Stefan Roigk : "Unfamiliar Home (Part Two)" (Errant Bodies Press) 2023.

10: Hypnopazüzu : "The Crow At Play" (House Of Mythology) 2016.

11: Joke Lanz : "Zungsang, Sankt Jokem II" (Vice De Forme) 2021.

12: Graeme Revell : "Chimpnags-Apes Of The Union Canada:America" (Musique Brut) 1994.

13: Dayin : "Lasting Distress" (Mahorka) 2023.

14: Ordeal : "Vist" (Aguirre Records) 2023.

15: Renaldo & The Loaf : "Ow! Stew The Red Shoe" (Do It Records/Ralph Records) 1981.

16: ... And The Native Hipsters : "Larry's Coming Back" (Plattekop Volume) 1983.

17: The Homosexuals : "Soft South Africans" (Lorelei No. 1) 1978.

18: The Four Plugs : "Biking Girl" (Disposable Records) 1979.

19: Astral Social Club : "Null Three Four One" (Not On Label - Self Released) 2023.

20: Francisco Meirino & Altar Of Flies : "Exhausted We Fall" (Second Sleep) 2023.

21: Hamilton Mist : "The Age Of Shadows" (Institute Of Paraphilia Studies) 2023.

22: Jim Haynes : :Variant, Number Fifteen" (Helen Scarsdale Agency) 2023.

23: Grunt : "Vieraat Huulet" (Freak Animal Records) 2023.

24: The New Blockaders & S.R. Meixner : "Kein Stress Am Essitch!" (Nihilist) 2023.

25: Het Zweet : "Untitled" (Korm Plastics) 2023.

26: Grey Park & Sick Days : "The Boat" (Vacancy Records) 2023.

27: Cabaret Voltaire : "Do The Mussolini (Headkick)" (Rough Trade Records) 1978.

28: Francisco Meirino : "Focus On Nothing" (Aussenraum Records) 2013.

29: Eaten Alive By Insects : "John Wayne's Jacket" (Bradford Noise) 2009.

30: The Panik : "Murder" (Rainy City Records) 1977.

31: The Country Teasers : "The Last Bridge Of Spencer Smith" (Guided Missile) 1996. 

Thanks for listening, thanks for all your support, comments and encouragement throughout the year, and the past 11 years of broadcasts!

MuhMur Radio will be back in the new year, please keep an eye on this blog for the date or go to the SoundArt Radio website : https://www.soundartradio.org.uk. 

I am inclined to change it about for 2024 ~ drop the 'On This Day' section for a start and do a few more programmes with a 'theme'. Let me know what you think .... 

muhmur.radio@gmail.com  .... Cheers. 

MuhMur Radio Festive Fin De Partie 2023.

 

Just to give you a word up ... December's MuhMur Radio 'Festive Fin De Partie 2023' will be broadcast on December 21 and start at the earlier time of 20:00 (GMT). It is a 4 HOUR Broadcast. It will be repeated throughout the following weeks on https://www.soundartradio.org.uk. Please check their timetable for conformation. The broadcast will be archived on MixCloud shortly after broadcast ... 

Happy Holidays from myself & Chris .... 

MuhMur Radio Broadcast 7th December 2023

 

It has come to the time of year where MuhMur Radio presents the birthday broadcast. If a broadcast date falls on, or a day either side of, my birthday I try and play something a little different. This time I play tracks / pieces / sounds of bands / artists that have shared the stage (the billing as were) with Dieter Müh over the past thirty years. It was great fun to do, so expect a part two sometime in 2024. I also include three live Dieter Müh pieces, two of which are unreleased. 

                                                          Con-Dom. Rammel Club 2012.

The programme starts with Con-Dom. Dieter Müh first played with Con-Dom at The Red Rose in London, August 1998. Also playing were Anti-Child League, The Grey Wolves and Inade. A few days later we played The Termite Club in Leeds (aka The Fenton Arms) with Inade. Con-Dom & The Grey Wolves also played under the banner of Death Pact International. Dieter Müh played with Con-Dom again at the Rammel Club in March 2012 and again at the Marie-Attoinette in Berlin in 2013, on this occasion Mike Dando was giving a lecture. The track here is from the CD+Book 'Shards Of Ordinance'.

In October 1998 Dieter Müh played their first gig on the continent as part of the 11th Festival For Independent Music & Arts held at the OJC Kompas in Saint-Niklaas, Belgium. We were invited to play by Eriek and Sven of EE Tapes. Also on the evening were Troum (their first ever live performce ... if memory serves), Ah Cama-Sotz, Amy Love, Konstruktivists, Mlhest, Hautnah and Lethal Dose 50 who were billed as LD50 on the night. LD50 were a Belgian three-piece. The track here is from their 2006 album '21st Century Awakening' on Nuit Et Brouillard.

                                               Kristian Olsson 'Laudenum' private CDR.

I first met Kristian when Dieter Müh first played at The Fylkingen in Stockholm in November 2001. We started corresponding, exchanging sounds etc from then on. In 2003 Kristin mailed a CDR called 'Laudanum'. A four track album. The track 'Exeat' is from this CDR. In April 2014 I returned to Stockholm to play The Fylkingen again, with Kristian Olsson, White, Contrastate and Dusa. Films on the night were by Simon Kane & Fetish 23. 

                                                  Dieter Muh at The Fylkingen. 2013.

The Rammel weekender in March 2012 also featured These Feathers Have Plumes. TFHP was a solo project of Andie Brown. Andie created sounds from cello, glass and field recordings. The piece here is from the CD album 'Corvidae' released in 2010. I am uncertain whether Andie is still producing / playing live. The following Dieter Muh track is from the same evening at The Rammel Club. 

April 2014 and I was asked by Andrew (of Knifeladder / Black Light Ascension) to play at The Elektrowerkz in London. Not a favoured venue of mine ... it kind of kicks off around midnight and I'm the kind of guy who likes to be tucked up in bed by then ... but, Black Light Ascension were playing along with Thorofon so I agreed. I like Thorofon. I spent an evening in the company of Anton (from Thorofon) in Augsburg once back in 2003, and we laughed and had a lot in common, shared ground, so I was looking forward to meeting up again. But then Thorofon pulled and German outfit Melodic Abortion Clinic took their place. They reminded me of early (not that early ... but early) Portion Control. Hard electronic rhythms and pulsations. They gave me their CD "Citizen Gain" from which 'Gelebte Demokratie' is from. 

Colin Potter was at the very first Dieter Müh live performance at the Bonding Warehouse, York in October 1994. Over the next few years I met and chatted with Colin and he offered time at his ICR Recording Studio, then based in Tollerton North Yorkshire. We recorded the album "Black Square" there. In  November 1999 we played live with Colin at The Windmill in Brixton, along with Putrefier, Nomex and Das Synthetische Mischgewebe. The evening was organised by Harbinger Sound. 'Not Yeti' is from the 2017 album "The Abominable Slowman" on Abstrakce Records. 6 months later we played live with Colin again this time at The Red Rose in London. Colin was performing as part of Ora. 

2004 and we were back in London and playing The Slimelight Club in Islington. It's a venue that is above The Elektrowerkz ... so no early night ... the venue opens around midnight. This gig was organised by Andrew Trail of Knifeladder and featured Knifeladder and Naevus. Both projects had John Murphy as their percussionist so it was a no brainer to travel and support. Naevus was the project of Lloyd James before he joined the reformed Crisis. 

I played an all day event at The Brixton Windmill in 2011. Z'ev was headlining. Also on the day were Kylie Minoise, Andrew Perry and Tim Holehouse. Blurred memories of this day I'm afraid. I do remember folk sat on my table of elements as I was performing and this pissed me off big time. It rained alot too. Z'ev was (as always) brilliant. 'Wipe Out!' was his 7" on Fetish Records released in 1982. 

The third Dieter Müh performance was supporting Soviet France in Bradford, 1995.

Initially Horizon 222 were down to support, but then couldn't make it, so we stepped in off the subs bench so to say. I was living in York at the time and saw the poster in Depth Charge Records, so made a few 'phone calls to see if we could also play and the organisers said yes. It was a great gig, and we got asked for 'merch'. We had none but it prompted us to compile the cassette "Mutus Liber". Soviet France on the evening was just Ben Ponton solo. The track played here is untitled and from the album 'Mohonomische'. A favourite. 

London Conway Hall was the venue for the April 2009 Equinox Festival organised by Simon Kane, Andrew Hartwell and Raymond Salvatore Harmon. Three days celebrating the works and writings of Aleister Crowley. The Equinox was a periodical published by the Ordo Templi Orientis. On the evening we performed were Pestrepeller, Æthnor, The Anti Group and Threshold Houseboys Choir. The track 'Burning People' is from this gig. It was the last time Dave Uden would play with Dieter Müh. In September 2009 he disappeared. 

                                               Myself, Sleazy and Simon Kane after the gig.

Dieter Müh first played with Alice Kemp in 2002. It was The Cavern in Exeter and Alice performed under the name of Germseed. She has no recollection of this. Eleven years later I played with Germseed again, this time at a SoundArt Radio Anniversary Party at Dartington Hall Estate (Studio 20). When MuhMur Radio was broadcast live Alice used to be a regular in the studio, popping in to chat and swap stories (off-air, of course) and ask for a lift home. I have played live with Alice Kemp once at The Extreme Rituals : A Schimpfluch Carnival that took place at The Arnolfini in Bristol in 2012. I was part of Vagina Dentata Organ. 

Back at Conway Hall (2009) and The Anti Group and their 1987 7" 'Big Sex'.

The second Dieter Müh gig was at The Narrowboat in Nottingham. I sent a cassette of the first Dieter Müh performance to Mark Durgan (Putrefier) to gather his thoughts and he invited us to play a gig at The Narrowboat with himself and Ramleh. The evening was organised by Harbinger Sound. On the night Putrefier became Olympic Shit Man as Andy Bolus joined Mark on stage, the gig was recorded and in 2011 Harbinger Sound released 10 minutes of the set on their "Supercharge" double album. Ramleh were (on the night) Gary Mundy, Stuart Dennison and Phil Best. The Narrowboat closed down shortly after. 

Between 1999 and 2002 Dieter Müh played The Red Rose in London on four occasions. The last time was in May 2002 with Chthonic Force (Neither / Neither World) and Mimetic. Hinouema were evenings organised by Gaya Donadio. Neither / Neither World were Wendy Van Dusen on vocals and Tim Madison (aka Vadge Moore) on guitar. Tim had played in US punk band The Dwarves and collaborated with Boyd Rice. I think William Bennett was the DJ for the evening, I don't remember much, although I left with a signed copy of "Wriggle Like A Fucking Eel" 12" and the next day we joined Tim and their sound guy Lemon for a pub crawl in Notting Hill. 'Alchemaic Mixture' is a 7" released in 1999. 

One of my favourite places to have played over the past 30 years is Waggon Am Kulturgleis in Offenbach, SW Germany. It's a train wagon that sits on the bank of the River Main on the outskirts of Frankfurt. I played here with BºTong and Grodock as part of our Swiss/German tour in December 2018. Also on the evening was local project Materialeinschüchterling. 'Analyse 3' is from the cassette 'Materialflussanalyse'.  I remember it being a very cold evening and as the wagon could only hold about 20 people or so, the audience moved in and out between sets. They were obviously used to this. 

                                               Current 93 & Neither/Neither World 7" singles.

In 2002 Jack Sargent and Simon Kane set up 'The Salon' as a series of live events where artists / projects performed their ideas - work in progress - experimentations, all open to discussion and encouragement. The first salon was held at the 291 Gallery in Hackney, London. Dieter Müh were invited to take part. For the 291 we asked Gaya Donadio to read her poetry over an improvised set. It was highly enjoyable. Also on the evening were Cotton Ferox, Penny Rimbaud, Karl Blake and The Reverend Steven Johnson Leyba. (Occultist and Founder Of The Coyotel Church). The second salon took place a year later and was spread over two nights. The first evening was an interview with Cosey Fanni Tutti at the Old St Thomas' Hospital, in the old operating theatre and herb garret. Cosey was to be interviewed by the Chapman Brothers, but they cancelled at the last moment so Jack Sargent filled in. Then the audience moved onto The Horse Hospital to round off the evening with sounds and films provided by Chris Carter. The second evening took place at the October Gallery in Bloomsbury. Simon Kane asks us to provide a soundscape / soundtrack for Lon Milo DuQuette's Enochian calls. We had never met or worked with Lon before but the coupling worked and was very fruitful. Also on the evening were Cotton Ferox, The Amal Gamal Ensemble and Current 93. 'Time Of The Last Persecution' was recorded on this evening and later released as a 7" single (I think for a gig in Toronto) .... There was a Salon 3 that took place in Vauxhall, London at an S&M / Fetish Bar called The Fringe. We, again, played live with Lon Milo DuQuette. 

In 2013 I was asked to play The 'Epicurean Escapism II' evening in Berlin. Also on the evening were Anemone Tube, Ke/Hil, Post Scriptvm and Trepaneringsritualen. Mike Dando also gave a lecture with slide-show. The Trepaneringsritualen track here is from the 2014 double 7" single 'Papist Pretender' and features lyrics by Albin Julius. The following Dieter Müh track was recorded at The Slimelight, London 2004 when we played with Naevus and Knifeladder. (Apologies for the sound quality).

In  March 2016 Aaron Dilloway hosted a two day residential at Cafe OTO in London. Dieter Müh played the final night with Aaron Dilloway and Vicky Langan. Thurston Moore DJ'ed. The track here is side one of the 'Songs About Jason' 10" single. 

Five months after the Soviet France gig we were back at the 1in12 Bradford, this time supporting Scorn. The final track is from Nocturnal Emissions. When I moved down to the SW I wanted to organise gigs and promote live sounds etc. Nocturnal Emissions were top of my list and in March 2008 Dieter Müh played with Nocturnal Emissions and The Durds at Exeter Cavern. The track here is from the 1983 LP 'Drowning In A Sea Of Bliss'. German label Mannequin featured the track on their Emissions compilation in 2017. 

The broadcast is archived on MixCloud. Please take a listen here :

https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-7-december-2023/

Playlist :

01: Con-Dom : "Eternal War" (Industrial Recollections) 2014.

02: Lethal Dose 50 : "Pureness" (Nuit Et Brouillard) 2006.

03: Kristian Olsson : "Exeat" (Not On Label) 2003.

04: These Feathers Have Plumes : "Magpie" (Tartarus Records) 2010.

05: Dieter Müh : "Bethlehem Extract" (Nottingham Rummel Club) (Feral Tapes) 2014.

06: Melodic Abortion Orchestra : "Gelebte Demokratie" (Empty Room Exploration) 2014.

07: Colin Potter : "Not Yeti" (Abstrakce Records) 2017.

08: Naevus : "Torn Wheat Leaked" (:Ikonen: Media) 2004.

09: Z'ev : "Wipe Out!" (Fetish Records)1982.

10: Soviet France : "Mohonomische" (Extract) (Vinyl On Demand) 2019.

11: Dieter Müh : "Burning People" (Conway Hall) (Not On Label) 2009.

12: Alice Kemp : "Corpse Garden Practices" (Helen Scarsdale Agency) 2019.

13: The Anti Group : "Big Sex" (Sweatbox) 1987.

14: Ramleh : "Say Fuck" (Dying Earth Records) 1993.

15: Neither/Neither World : "Alchemaic Mixture" (Zos Kia Sounds) 1999.

16: Materialeinschüchterung : "Analyse 3" (Unpop-Media) 2018.

17: Current 93 : "Time Of The Last Persecution" (Durtro/Jnana Records) 2004.

18: Trepaneringsritualen : "Untitled" (La Esencia) 2014.

19: Dieter Müh : "Bethlehem" (The Slimelight, London) (Not On Label) 2004.

20: Aaron Dilloway : "Songs About Jason" (Amethyst Sunset) 2016.

21: Scorn : "Lament" (Dying Earth Records) 1993.

22: Nocturnal Emissions : "Herpes Virus Total State" (Mannequin) 2017.

This may (or may not) be the last broadcast for 2023. There may (or may not) be a traditional four hour festive feast of fun later in the year ..... but then again ... please keep an eye on the blog or SoundArt Radio web at https://www.soundartradio.org.uk for details ... 

Thanks to Chris ... 

As Always .... 

MuhMur Radio Broadcast 23 November 2023

 

The cassette 'Memories' is my first introduction to the Japanese sound artist Kyohei Hayashi. 'Memories' has been released, in an edition of 23, by Neus-318. Neus-318 is the label operated by Osaka based musician Kazuya Ishigami. Kazuya has been releasing output on Neus-318 since the last 1990's.  Always fascinating sounds. The Kazuya Ishigami piece played later in the broadcast is from a split cassette, again limited to 23 copies, with the American nomad (noismad?) Praying For Oblivion. From Kyohei's soundcloud page "Born in 1984 in Fukui, Japan. Kyohei Hayashi is a sound artist, cartoonist and thinker". https://soundcloud.com/hayashikyohei. More information about the releases on Neus-318 can be found via Kazuya's bandcamp page. https://neus318.bandcamp.com/merch. Don't ask me why but the groove and texture of 'Violence Police Galaxy' reminds me Cabaret Voltaire's 1983 classic 'Gut Level'. 

Over the past few months there seems to have been quite a few re-issues and releases by Marien Van Oers Het Zweet project. Staalplaat, Klanggalerie and the Greek label Modal Analysis amongst the labels. All good quality releases and now add EE Tapes to the list. They have just put out the CD '2xLive88'. A recording from the 1988 concert in Elsloo, Holland and a live radio 'concert' for Dutch radio. The Elsloo concert was supporting Bourbonese Qualk and I have a feeling that Simon and Steve both assisted Marien on the evening. It's a great document of a great project. https://eetapes.bandcamp.com. 

On This Day in 1979 Simple Minds released their second, and in my opinion finest, album "Reel To Real' on Zoom Records. The two tracks in this broadcast are from this album. 

The other week I was chatting with Nigel Ayers and the name Philip Sanderson and Storm Bugs came up. I can't remember why, but Nigel said that he's played with Philip recently at a Klanggalerie Festival in Vienna. I knew nothing about this and then Philip posts the CD album 'Underneath The Underneath : A Vienna Souvenir' on the Klanggalerie label. The album contains rehearsals for and pieces from the 'Klang30' performance.

I am uncertain whether or not Storm Bugs are still active but Philip has been releasing solo work under his own name and Ice Yacht moniker quite prolifically over the past couple of years. More information on these can be got at : https://snatchtapes.bandcamp.com/music.

A future release on the American 'Love Earth Music' label is the first Modelbau vinyl album 'Inlets'. I did question Frans about the claim of first vinyl album after the 2018 LP "Xerox" on Des Astres d'Or but apparently that doesn't count as it was a lathe-cut and limited to only 25 copies. Copies of Modelbau's first (and at this point only) 7" vinyl EP can be bought via me. https://haemoccultrecordings.bandcamp.com. 

Local hero Soloman Tump appears on the Weston-Super-Mare based label Human Geography Recordings with the cassingle 'Bun Rights'. A C-15 limited to 15 copies only. 'Bun Barrow' is from this cassingle. 

https://human-geography-recordings.bandcamp.com/merch to grab a copy. 

Mort Aux Vaches was an interesting offshoot label of Staalplaat. It started in the mid 1990s and ended in the mid-noughties. (I do hate the phrase "noughties"). I have a feeling that Staalplaat started re-issuing some releases as downloads a couple of years back, but anyway, as far as I am concerned the project is over .... I don't have many of the releases, all on CD by the way, but I enjoy what I have ... Maeror Tri, Contrastate, Kapotte Muziek and John Duncan. All recordings were live recordings for the Dutch national radio station VPRO, although it has now been reported that some of the 'live' recordings were pre-recorded. Information thanks to the Internet. 'Mort Aux Vaches' translates in to English as 'Death To Pigs', an anti-police chant of the French. The John Duncan piece is from the 1997 CD 'Seen', part off the Mort Aux Vaches series. 

I first came across Andy Ortmann in 2008 and his LP "Provocative Electronics" on the excellent Pan label. The label run by Bill Kouligas (of Family Battle Snake fame). Pan have put out great records in the past 25 years or so, albums by Helm, Mark Durgan, Dilloway & Lescalleet and Sewer Election spring to mind. 'Provocative Electronics' is on Andy's own Nihilist label and is a TRIPLE ALBUM! Majestic. It was recorded and constructed between 2019 and 2023. 'Paranormal Underground' first appeared on Michael Esposito's Spectral Electronic label in 2020 and includes EVP recordings made by Michael. The version here has been drastically reworked. https://nihilistrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/psychoacoustic-electronics for more information and availability. 

Another release that was made for radio is Elen Huynh & Mark Vernon's new release "Mal De Débarquement". A cassette on the French Choses Contraires label. 

The programme ends with a '78 classic single by Scottish group Zones. Zones began on Zoom Records, the same as Simple Minds. I was tempted to play their "No Angels" track from their first 7" but opted for a favourite Zones track of mine ... 'Sign Of The Times'.

It's their first single for Arista and was followed by the album "Under Influence", although the single doesn't appear on the album. The first &' off the album was "Mourning Star". I saw Zones in 1979 at Lincoln AJ's, I had their poster on my wall. Zones were (basically) Slik without Midge Ure. The bassist Russell Webb joined the Skids and drummer Kenny Hyslop was in Simple Minds. The singer / guitarist Willie Gardner was a cousin of Alex Harvey and went on to be in Endgames. It's only information! 

Thanks for listening. The broadcast has been posted on Mixcloud here:

https://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-radio-broadcast-23-november-2023/

Playlist :

01: Kyohei Hayashi : "Violence Police Galaxy" (Neus-318) 2023.

02: Cabaret Voltaire : "Gut Level" (Les Disques Du Crepusculé) 1983.

03: Hew Zweet : "Tribal Running (A Lot Of Sweat Mix)" (EE Tapes) 2023.

04: Simple Minds : "Veldt" (Zoom Records) 1979.

05: Philip Sanderson : "Line D" (Klanggalerie) 2023.

06: Kazuya Ishigami : "Anecdotes Of Parallel Realities, Another Version" (Neus-318) 2023.

07: Modelbau : "Inlets (Side B)" (Earth Love Music) 2023.

08: Soloman Tump : "Bun Barrow" (Human Geography Recordings) 2023.

09: John Duncan : "Untitled" (Mort Aux Vaches) 1997.

10: Andy Ortmann : "Paranormal Underground" (Nihilist) 2023.

11: Elen Huynh & Mark Vernon : "Au Ciel Sans Fin" (Choses Contraires) 2023.

12: Simple Minds : "Reel To Real" (Zoom Records) 1979.

13: Zones : "Sign Of The Times" (Arista) 1978.

                                             Tamsin & Edgar grooving in the SoundArt studio.

Joke Lanz in Cardiff

 

Away from Sudden Infant and away from his turntables Joke Lanz takes time out to tour the United Kingdom with his "Noise In My Head" tour. Leaving the comfort of my seaside hutch and risking my sanity by travelling on CrossCountry trains I made my way to Cardiff. 60 years old ... and I've never been to Cardiff. I have hardly been to Wales. A night in a hotel in Fishguard on the way back from Dublin in 2003 and Futurama 4 in Queensferry (is that really in Wales?) back in 1983. So this year ends in a '3', I thought it to be tradition to go. 

The evening was at a venue called Shift. Shift is an art space beneath the Capitol Shopping Centre on Queen Street. It's a great space and quite unexpected ... beneath a cathedral of capitalism that is  ....           The venue reminded me of KAARST Gallery in Plymouth, similar white walls, random pillars, work in. progress art spread around the floorspace. A great venue despite there being no bar or toilets. (Bring your own booze and bucket). 

 Tonight there were three performances, the first by a local duo called Lightning In A Bottle. Freestyle jazz  drumming over improv. guitar. Loud. The guitarist reminded me of Jason Williams so I thought about Jason and how I hadn't seen him in years ... not since our day out on Beachy Head ... I miss Jase (ah well). I don't know how long L.I.A.B. played for, but for me it was too long. Simon Whetham followed. Simon deals with field recordings, found sounds, contouring sounds from everyday objects to create space and sonics. A fascinating intricate performance, delicate and precise. there was lots of space for manoeuvre and to think where the next sound(s) would come from. Think Cheapmachines / Phil Julian, think John Wiese, think Mark Durgan or Andrea Borghi, Simon is working in that area. Simon also filmed what was happening on his table of elements. A great visual. I have seen this 'done' before by Grey Park when they played at the Malmitalo in Helsinki back in 2011 .. it's a great idea.

 As mentioned, Joke is in the UK to promote his noises that are in his head. Thirty (+) years of noise compacted in to a journey with the use of microphones, samples, noise boxes, foot theremin and devices that made me think ... how the fuck and where the fuck did that noise come from. Rounded with poetry, politeness, a tandoori chicken scooter and (as always with Joke) great humour. 

Dressed as a ringmaster, a macabre master of ceremony the audience was held, there were dancers, head nodders and fist pumpers amongst the crowd, it was a delight to see. The venue suited the performance, Joke was part of the audience. Personal and intimate and the best gig I have seen in years. All credit to the sound man (the sound was brilliant) and the lights. Shift has great acoustics. 

I have known Joke for a few years now. It is always a pleasure to meet, chat and learn about the noises that are in his head .... 

Seeing (being), being (seeing) that this was my first trip / visit to Cardiff I spent the following day looking at record shops in the City. Forget the castle, museum of Welsh history and a trip to see the Royal Mint, I want vinyl. Cardiff City has two shops, both very poor so I took a long walk out to Roath to visit D'Vinyl. The shop is like a shop of old .. piles of VHS / DVDs and crates of records ... a lot of rock and pop and the new wave boxes are full of Boomtown Rats and Toyah. I did manage to find a B Movie (promo) 12" and a copy of The Transmitters "24 Hours" album so I left happy. Only six pounds down, I had to find Record Exchange. Heath is about a 40 minute walk from Roath. The Record Exchange turned out to be a goldmine and probably the only reason I'd visit Cardiff again ... that and if Shift booked Dieter Müh to play live and installed a toilet (!). There's great new wave / punk / electronic / avant garde / minimalist sections in both 12" and 7" sections. I managed to pick up albums by Deep Freeze Mice and Renaldo & The Loaf and singles by Home Service and ...And The Native Hipsters and the owner (Ed) rounded the price down. Lovely chap. 

                                                                          Joke's set up.

If this tour is coming near you. GO!

 

 

MuhMur Radio Broadcast 9 November 2023.

 'When The Cat's Away The Mice Will Play' is the B-Side to LiLiput's single 'Eisiger Wind' released on Off Course Records in 1980. Rough Trade re-issued it in 1981. 

Bianca Warlord is Nicolas Henry. The track here is from his latest tape on Le République Des Granges. https://larepubliquedesgranges.bandcamp.com/album/selection-de-8-moments. The cassette is called "Selection De 8 Moments" Information on Bianca Warlord and Nicolas is hard to find. I recommend the cassette. 

'Muuntaja' is from the album "Metri" by ∅ (aka Mika Vainio). It's an early release on the Finnish Sähkō Recordings label. The first ever live performance by Dieter Müh was in 1994 at the Bonding Warehouse in York. Fortunately the Sähkō Collective were in the UK at that time and inbetween gigs in Glasgow and London, their night off so to speak, the offered to come to York and be our 'support act'. The Sähkō Crew on the night were Ilpo Väisänen, Jarui Lehtinen (Jimi Tenor), Tommi Grönlund and a guy whose name I couldn't pronounce and can't remember. Mika was unfortunately ill back in Finland. The evening was filmed by an American film / documentary maker who was travelling with Sähkō at the time. Tommi handed me the CD. The outer card packaging of the CD was the inspiration behind Dieter Müh's "Black Square" CD and all MoUtH Recordings releases. 

*JOHN PEEL MOMENT*. I have one now and again. I play the first few seconds of the Alog 12" at the wrong speed. At least I played the right side! Alog were the Norwegian duo Dag-Are Haugen and Espen Sommer Elde. The piece played is from a split 12"EP with Astral Social Club.

'On This Day' in 1979 Scritti Politti released the 12"EP "4 'A' Sides" on Rough Trade Records. The final release Scritti Politti released as a three-piece, and in my mind their finest release. Another track from the EP 'Doubt Beat' ends the programme. 

Nigel Ayers is the man behind Nocturnal Emissions. He has also in the past been involved in collaboration work with the likes of Randy Greif, Robin Storey, John Everall, Mick Harris and Andrew Liles. September saw the release of 'This Home Stands On Ancient Bones' a new collaborative work with PBK (Phillip B. Klinger) and Allan Zane (Wyrm/The Haters). The album is on the Japanese VLZ Produkt label. https://www.vlzprodukt.com. 

I have been working on a playlist for the December 7 broadcast, it's what become known as the "birthday broadcast' as it falls on the eve of my 61st. Digging through a box of old releases I came across the excellent 4xCD + Book 'Infernal Proteus', released in 2002 by The Ajna Offensive. I was searching for tracks by Ah Cama-Sotz, the Belgian sound artist also known as Herman Klapholz. Herman was part of the Hybryds in the 1990's. 'Morning Glory' is from 'Infernal Proteus'. 

I recently read the book 'Neumusik', a collection of issues of the 1980's magazine. I wrote about here : http://remuhmuration.blogspot.com/2023/09/neumusik-book.html. In this piece I mentioned I had never seen a live picture of Metabolist before ... Metabolist in action as were. Reading about Metabolist also made me dig out their first vinyl album. 

Released in 1980 on their own Drömm Records label. Metabolist were a four piece that existed between 1978 to 1981. They were heavily influenced by Magma, inventing their own language. 

After writing that I hadn't seen a 'live' picture of Metabolist before Richard (The New Blockaders) kindly sent me the above piece. Shifts is the solo project of Frans de Waard. Shifts were created in 1995 to allow Frans to work with and discover 'guitar ambient' music. In the summer the German label Grisaille released the cassette 'What Remains' by Shift. All untitled pieces the track I play here is a remix (that nobody wanted) of The Stars Of The Lid. https://grisaille.bandcamp.com/album/what-remains for a copy. 

Eyeless in Gaza speaks for itself.

In September the Cafe OTO hosted an evening in memory of Jacques Beloiel. A friend and comrade. 

Jacques worked with Adi Newton, mastering the album 'Newtones' released in April last year. The piece 'For Those That Are Gone' is from this album and seems appropriate. I follow this with a Clock DVA classic from the 'Buried Dreams' LP. Staying in Sheffield with Hula and a track from their 1986 12" EP 'Freeze Out'. 

Aerosol Constellations are the Canadian duo Bill Batt and Jeremy Van Wyck. Based in Vancouver they also run the labels Isolated Now Waves and Thankless. The track here is from the split 12" with fellow Canadian Born Without Bones (aka Colin Kennedy of Money Money). I am uncertain whether Aerosol Constellations are still active but they have a bandcamp page https://aerosolconstellations.bandcamp.com/album/dark-side-of-the-sun.

Thank you for listening. The archive to this broadcast can be found at :

Playlist :

01: LiLiput : "When The Cat's Away" (Kill Rock Stars/For Us Records) 2001.

02: Bianca Warlord : "23022023" (La République Des Granges) 2023.

03: ∅ : "Muuntaja" (Sähkō Recordings) 1994.

04: Alog : "Every Word Was An Animal" (Fat Cat Records) 2009.

05: Scritti Politti : "P.A.'s." (Rough Trade Records) 1979.

06: Nigel Ayers/PBK/Allan Zane : "Cyngoroni" (VLZ Produkt) 2023.

07: Ah Cama-Sotz : "Morning Glory" (The Ajna Offensive) 2002.

08: Metabolist : "Alien On Sunday" (Drömm Records) 1980.

09: Shifts : "What Remains IV" (Grisaille) 2023.

10: Eyeless In Gaza : "Drumming The Beating Heart" (Cherry Red Records) 1983.

11: Adi Newton : "For Those That Are Gone" (Rizosfera) 2022.

12: Clock DVA : "The Unseen" (Interfisch Records) 1989.

13: Hula : "Not A Second Glance" (Red Rhino Records) 1986.

14: Nigel Ayers/PBK/Allan Zane : "Psychenkinetic" (VLZ Produkt) 2023.

15: Aerosol Constellations : "Tab Cabby" (Isolated Now Waves/Thankless) 2007.

16: Scritti Politti : "Doubt Beat" (Rough Trade Records) 1979.