turntable.fm redemption y’all

F/i - “Trauma At The Beach” from 1986’s split LP with Boy Dirt Car.

F/i are a Milwaukee based noise->psych-rock band that started in 1981. The late 80s material lies somewhere in the Hawkwind/Flipper/Chrome triangle… Since the 90s, they became less noisy and more stretched out… although this song, “Trauma At The Beach”, sounds much more punk in the instrumentation.  Also, this song proves there can never be too much ring modulation in rock ‘n’ roll.

Noxagt - “Mek It Burn” with footage of Seattle snow in Carkeek Park.

“Mek It Burn” from 2003’s Turning It Down Since 2001 is a perfect intro to the three-piece, which makes it clear it likes all manner of things brutal — being it Birthday Party, Flipper, Melvins, The Dirty Three, etc. all while being only a violist, a bassist, and drummer.  Noxagt makes just as easy a tense urban soundtrack as it does a cold retreat away from humanity.

Seattle got one of its unusual bouts of snow two days ago. The day after was even colder, but with clear skies. As I live walking distance from one of the many forested parks in the city, and was working from home, I decided to venture into the park with my camera using its video features for the first time.

This is the result.  Please enjoy!

(Picture from here)

Mackro is sad about the closing of Twisted Village records in Cambridge, MA. They will continue to exist via mail order, thankfully. However, visiting their store itself is worth it while it’s there. You’ll rarely enter a store filled with more outsider music in your life.  I’m happy the store had been around as long as it has.

Wayne Rogers, the owner of the store, is very friendly too. On one visit there (on a visit to Boston), he told me the following story about The British Woman:

A British women enters Twisted Village records. She asks Wayne, “w.. wot is this music you’re playing?”. Wayne replied “rock music” politely.  “Rock music” at Twisted Village is a very flexible, loose idea however, as it could involve anything making sounds with guitars, drums, voices, and/or synthesizers.

Whatever Wayne was playing was certainly disorienting this woman. Slowly, she makes her way out of the pink walls of the store confines, seeming disturbed and confused. She walks up the stairs to exit.

Until she immediately storms back down the stairs, turns to Wayne angrily and asks, “Is this HOMOSEXUAL MUSIC?”

I forget what Wayne said in response, but at that point, does that really matter? There are probably more out-there stories too.

From afar, I will really miss the physical Twisted Village store. May it live on virtually and mail-order-ifically.

Arab On Radar “My Mind Is A Muffler (live at Graceland @ Seattle, 2002)”…

In light of the news that the band is now back as an acting unit, this will have to do until or if they return to Seattle. Eric ends up in the crowd at least a couple of times here.

“Strap Down - Part 3” from the U.S. 2-LP Storm The Studio by Meat Beat Manifesto (1989) - related to the #17 Best Industrial Art entry in that countdown.

This is a rarity with an unnecessarily confused story behind it. Almost every Meat Beat Manifesto fan knows that “Strap Down - Part 3” never made it to CD, despite the numerous reissues of Storm The Studio on CD since its initial release, and despite it being able to fit on a single CD just barely. (Its inclusion would bring the CD length to just under 80 minutes.)

What’s less known and understandably falsely inferred and reported — even on Brainwashed’s site(!!) — is that “Strap Down - Part 3” never made it on the UK Sweatbox 2-LP release either. There is a “Part 3” on it, however its track separator occurs right after “Strap Down - Part 2“‘s false stop, hence making a tiny “Part 3”… What got sadly lost was a full 8 minute track that’s not only completely different than the first two Parts of “Strap Down” but is arguably the finest track on Storm The Studio.

(Trust me, I’d be the first to say “OF COURSE THE RAREST TRACK IS THE BEST. HMMMPH.”  In this case, it’s actually true!  Really!)

Unfortunately, the faux pas on Sweatbox’s vinyl mastering may have translated over to its CD mastering, of which was likely transferred directly to Wax Trax! in the U.S. — despite “Strap Down - Part 3” making it onto the Wax Trax! vinyl.

Its exclusion since — even from the recent Meat Beat Manifesto/Perennial Divide rarities compilation from two years ago, apparently — can probably be explained easily: Jack Dangers thinks the track is weak.  I strongly disagree, but hey, if he doesn’t want to bother reintroducing the track, that’s clearly his choice. (OK, disclosure: I interviewed Jack backstage at the Organic ‘96 festival near Lake Arrowhead in the fall of 1996.  I asked Jack about “Strap Down Part 3”, and he politely dismissed it.  I will say that Jack Dangers is a wonderful interview subject and would not hesitate to interview him again.)

“Strap Down - Part 3” is a loopy mid-tempo ride that builds and builds. The momentum really kicks in just after the 4.5 minute mark. The track goes completely mad just before the 6 minute mark.

This track is the best proof of concept that is the album Storm The Studio — noise textures, highly danceable, messed up vocal samples ranging from “Beat” to “Blood” to “Death”.  The oscillating percussive sounds are very reminiscent of Coil at their most danceable, though Coil wouldn’t do that sort of thing often until a year after this track.

In brief, this is an amazing track that doesn’t deserve to be forgotten. Listen and listen loud.

#17 Top Industrial Album Art - Meat Beat Manifesto - Storm The Studio (1989)

The day I blindly bought Meat Beat Manifesto’s Storm The Studio in early 1989 was the day I thought Wax Trax! was certainly the label of the future. In retrospect, it was a foolish thought. In other ways, it wasn’t inaccurate.

While I was a fan of groups such as N.W.A. and Public Enemy by the turn of 1989, I wasn’t sold on hip-hop overall until I forced myself into Storm The Studio.  My introduction to Meat Beat Manifesto was actually the “God O.D.” 12”, released in late 1988, shortly before.  Like many purchases, Wax Trax! was a label I could buy anything from. Chances are I would either love it, like it, or learn to do either.

Meat Beat Manifesto immediately stood out from the rest of the label roster by accenting its heavy use of breakbeats.  The 12” version of “God O.D.” was fun, playful, and decidedly non-sinister — at least in a way that deviated from other Wax Trax! groups like Front 242, KMFDM, or whatever side project the Ministry frontmen whipped up that month. (Ministry had since signed with Sire records, though continued being a major presence at Wax Trax! for a while.)  That said, Meat Beat Manifesto were far noisier.  Their use of loud white noise as a percussive sound they warped, flanged, and stuttered throughout the groove was nothing like the more 4/4 darker synth-pop of their peers.

I picked up Storm The Studio double-LP on its release date.  Looking at the front cover, the inner sleeves, and the arrangement of four main songs each divided into four parts — save “Strap Down” divided into three, I knew this was going to be different. Good different or bad different, I had no clue.

The first track, “God O.D. Part 1” was a much nastier version than the one on the 12”. It turns out that “God O.D.”, “Strap Down”, and “I Got The Fear” had been previously released on 12”, though in far more benign forms than on this.  Meat Beat Manifesto were out to cause damage with these new versions, while having a bit of fun with funk/dance samples, vocal samples, slow & fast breakbeats, and noise.

The aesthetic was closest to that of the Tackhead side of On-U Sound records. However, that was still inaccurate. By the time I let the record play through the clipping dub of “Re-Animator Part 4”, then flipped over to the high energy jackhammer-filled chaos of “Strap Down Part 1”, I was a changed kid. This was the next level I was involuntarily and happily lifted upon.

Storm The Studio is a complete mess — an amazing mess in all respects. There were four members at the time. However the inner sleeve, side “Strap Down”, had a Press Your Luck style arrangement of random people, any of which could have been the band members. I could only guess three of the members from the “God O.D.” 12” cover. I was convinced that the slightly embarrassing and invigorating rapping was done by the fellow with the micro-dreads on his shaved head. I was wrong.

Jack Dangers was the vocalist, one of the short dark haired fellows on the inner sleeve. DJ Greg Retch (real name: Colin James) was Meat Beat Manifesto’s “DJ”, although that was likely another role chosen by the designer and choreographer of the group, Marcus Adams. He was the micro-dreaded one whose image was most prominent in promo material. It turned out he never uttered a word. However, he did add a surreal and absurd element to the troupes seen at the group’s earliest live shows.

The most important influence Meat Beat Manifesto bestowed was giving me a back door to appreciate the explosion of creativity happening in hip-hop circa 1989. I was a couple of years late to the first major hip-hop renaissance, though. While Meat Beat didn’t always use hip-hop tempo breakbeats in their music, my favorite tracks on Storm The Studio were primarily in that category.

One clear influence I detected in Meat Beat Manifesto was Public Enemy. The Bomb Squad’s wall-of-noise style certainly influenced Meat Beat, as did the heavy sounds from the more caustic side of Adrian Sherwood’s 80s beat projects, notably Mark Stewart + The Maffia. From there on, it seemed almost every new genre of dance music, fast or slow, had some dots that could quickly be connected back to this early period of Meat Beat Manifesto.

A few months later, college radio DJs would be going nuts over the release of the long awaited Beastie Boys second album Paul’s Boutique. To be fair, it was primarily long awaited by those who wanted a Licensed To Ill, Part II, not nearly as much by college radio DJs. Paul’s Boutique is now considered the group’s best album by far, even if it sold poorly at the start.

Why the mention of Paul’s Boutique? As much as I would later love this album, Storm The Studio had trumped this album, in time, in sound, in dance — even if only a small fraction of Paul’s Boutique’s lovers cared. Paul’s Boutique has and deserves a huge legacy in hip-hop’s history. Both Storm The Studio and Paul’s Boutique committed the same techniques of obscure and not-so-obscure dance/funk samples, fragmentary/collage arrangements, and a kaleidoscopic clash of fun and hard work to achieve two completely different beasts. All in all, 1989 may be the greatest year in dance music and hip-hop experimentation ever.

Around this time, with the notable critical acclaim Meat Beat Manifesto and Greater Than One brought, Wax Trax! started experimenting more, fighting the “industrial” label. A year later, the label would be the very brief home of The KLF. However, it was great timing, as Wax Trax! can claim to be the first US label to release the classic godfather of New Ambient album Chill Out. A couple of years later, when Industrial had already decayed, the label quietly released Polygon Window, a project by someone who would also form a little known alias named Aphex Twin. A year after that, Autechre’s first release. 

Storm The Studio plus the final days of Wax Trax! would form the largest prototype of 90s and 00s dance music, years before “electronica”, “IDM”, and much more. (Notably, nothing Industrial.)

Storm The Studio has received a few serious makeovers since Meat Beat’s signing with Trent Reznor’s Nothing label in the late 90s. The album itself became a remix project in 2003.

Meat Beat Manifesto have released several albums since, each one very different than the previous. Jack Dangers, long since the only original member, has done innumerable remixes. Meat Beat are still at it.

#18 <— #17 + (“Strap Down Part 3” audio link) —> #16

L.A.’s Jackknife doing “Kill-O-Zap” from the 1992 EP She’s Groovy.

While Pussy Galore carved a single dimension of noise-rock and grandeur, it was a great dimension. However, Jackknife did the same thing without the delusions thereof. Having released several singles, EPs, and albums on Sympathy For The Record Industry, Imp, Munster, and other labels, Richard & Sandra — the primary two members, both of whom sang and played guitar and bass — were a thrilling rock band from L.A. that mysteriously never got their due.

This version of “Kill-O-Zap” is a mono remix done for this EP on Imp records. An original stereo version was released on a prior 7” on Munster.

Yes, time to revive the “Loss Angeles” series big-time with these guys.

rRope’s “Nr 23” live at Aron’s Records in L.A., March 1996.

rRope were another great Bay Area rock band that helped expand the “weirdo rock” thing that had a spotlight in the 90’s but has somewhat been put aside.  While bands like Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 (also from the Bay Area), Trumans Water (Portland via San Diego), and Polvo (Chapel Hill) had a relatively higher profile under that moniker, there were far more just as deserving who barely got the accolades they deserved. rRope are on the top of that list. One of the band mmebers has thankfully uploaded a dozen live rRope YouTube clips… This is the clearest and best one of the bunch.

Hedgehogs part 2: Hedgehogs are the most “NOISE” of all animals. Warning: video not safe for ears

peachfuzz:

Butalwinkle.

(via dethjunkie)

The album art source of John Wiese’s Soft Punk?

“Slogun” by SPK (from the “Mekano” single in 1979) is the first “noise rock” song as “noise rock” is defined today.

‘Noise vs. music’ is an age-old subjective Ear Of The Listener debate.  That said, the dawn of the 2000s put many noisy rock bands in a brighter light — notably groups like Boredoms, Lightning Bolt, Wolf Eyes, whatever John Dwyer was in at the time (The Coachwhips? Pink and Brown? Zeigenbock Kopf?), and much more.

What’s united musical artists that are called “noise” is the live experience.  The extremities of the music are too constrained into the two parallel single dimensions that an audio track provides, since no music medium is infinite in capturing high volume and most caustic timbres.  There’s a literal gut level that’s necessary to feel. And in special cases, a communal feel is a major attraction.

However, “noise rock” is a related yet different matter. The “rock” is inferred to be the rhythm or pulse that gives the noise velocity.  “Slogun” is one of the earliest examples of a noise track where the pulse is unavoidable.  One either nods nervously to the track in an adrenalin rush, or is disgusted and skips to something else entirely.

While none of the sounds resemble anything that would be classified as any darker form of metal, the roots of metal are all over “Slogun”.  All one has to do is replace the pulse with a double-kick master, and each oscillator with rapid guitar shredding.

(“Slogun” is also available on the recent CD issue of SPK’s Auto-Da-Fé)

Missing Brazilians should have been a more prolific dub/noise group. Their single album release Warzone (from 1984) on Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound label is among the label’s highest points in a sea of quality releases.  The anonymity of On-U Sound’s one-offs is another method of the label’s madness. Missing Brazilians, however, is arguably the best of these. The track here, “Gentle Killers”, has “Little” Annie Anxiety Bandez on lead vocals.

A few more dozen albums in this style would have certainly made our music world better — some nice, housekeeping slow-tempo noise, riddim & paranoia for your weekend.