⨂ - Various Unreleased

Here's a nice thing I got on my pc and have absolutely no recollection of how'd it got there.. probably via soulseek some years ago, but no idea.

If you by chance aren't familiar with those who are often called Circle X, than you better start off with their formal releases (I think all is available online somewhere, if ya can't find something, ask for it).
If you are familiar, than I can assume you're a sucker for them just like I am, hence this one is a real treat.

Massive compilation of songs referred to Circle X, my guess, from varied periods, and not only "pure" Circle X tracks. Some are probably from their "inactive" period of the late 80's, perhaps some by side projects ((for instance, one is actually credited on the file to Life of Falconetti (which were Bruce Witsiepe, Michael Pullen and Ricky Feather)), other versions for released songs (1st Species sounds like early version of '92 7" Compression of The Species / Sweet Song and Machine were released as '94 studio bonus tracks for Live In Dijon '79 release of 2009 / Crash was released on VA '90 compilation St. Sebastian of The Hood), some might even be dated way back to their Dijon era (as they sound extreme noisy as they were back then, and one track's title is Dijon Infirmary).

No matter which, what or when, all track has that distinctive raw sound of Circle X, the one that sure makes them one of my own faves,

Bruce Witsiepe (1951.05.12 - 1995.04.28)
by Jeanne Liotta

truly artistic and innovative group of individuals.

(I left the folder just as it was, that's how I got it, with tracks 5-6 missing, and those titles)
1. Obey The Lash
2. Sweet Song
3. Machine
4. I Go On Stairs
7. Last Days of Capitalism
8. Glory
9. Country Cinematique
10. 1st Species
11. Club of Despair
12. Aloness
13. Cowboy Song
14. Hundred Years War
15. Cinematique
16. Dijon Infirmary
17. Pyramid l Volcano
18. John The Vines
19. Police Chief l Wax Fruit (Bruce Voc
20. Crash
21. Strange Siesta

Some things don't grow back...

Perennial Divide - Purge

Keep'em coming with the short posts, I think this one is quite difficult to find in this version these days.
Perennial Divide were a short living five lads group hailing from Swindon, active for about only two years before dissolving. They managed to release two 12"s and a great full length in 1986 by Sweatbox.
What I meant by "this version" is that it was re-mixed instrumentally in 1988, version which stayed unreleased up until 2007, when it was given to the world as a second cd for a compilation called Archive Things / Purged by Meat Beat Manifesto.
What do MBM have to do with this ? well, MBM started as a side project for two PD man, John Corrigan (aka Jack Dangers) and Jonny Stephens, and for some reason Corrigan thought this album sounds better in it's instrumental version... Well I very disagree on that, vocals are a major upgrade for that one, so uploaded it here.

l-r: Ward, Stephens, Corrigan, Freegard, Searly
(though am not really sure, so if anyone can confirm)

Among the two I've mentioned, were also Paul Freegard, Andrew Ward and I don't know his first name Searly. Even though this is usually referred as proto-MBM, musically, it's more similar to a link that no one looked for between the aforementioned and seminal experimental industrial/post punk groups reigning England that decade. Album of pure distinctive british sound, upbeat rhytm, noises, dub vibes.. everything from 23 Skidoo, Hula, Cabaret Voltaire, Coil and on and on, to the fully electronics sounds of early MBM.

YOU TO TUGGY TOO TOO / AW VS CARPETS

The End of The End of The Year List

Yeah, so I really didn't thought I'll make a list this year, but since I was offered to join a local magazine called Slowly Growing Deaf some time ago, I thought why not publish it over there as a guest, in Hebrew.

Apparently, making it is the same pain in the ass, no matter the language, so this'll be the last time for sure. Maybe if I'll feel like I'll just start posting about new albums who truly deserve it, among old gems (hopefully it'll give me some boost to keep posting in this dying blog).

So if you've enjoyed my lists before, you really shouldn't mind you can't understand my lazy writing, you should just give all the marvelous bands in it a listen (I swear it's much shorter this time!).
You know the drill, there's not particular order, no big names, only the true hidden gems which drowned among the ocean of releases for no good reason.
One more click wouldn't hurt you:

The Good Things You've Missed on Days 736570-736935 to the Christian Counting

Yeah, I'm putting this dumb list thing to sleep, who gives a shit about this stuff anyway.
Painting by brilliantly talented Beth Moore Love.

Shintaro Sugiyama - Newton's Oblige

1960-1996

杉山晋太郎 was mostly known for being bass player in The Stalin, later he also participated in Hijokaidan and late Daisuck & Prostitute, among being a guest player in a few other projects.
In 1986 he released through legendary Alchemy Records his only solo album (with help from some friends), Newton's Oblige, which was also re-released by Inudow in 2007.
To be honest it's far from being a perfect album, but it's still an album I like to listen to in gloomy days like this. Gothic, bleak post punk/darkwave, with even some hints of industrial or no wave. Not a single track is a "usual song", all are repetitive eerie compositions, a bit like Mass, only less experimental. If you're into dark 80's and or Japanese shit, you should give a shot.
Unfortunately I've got a pretty bad rip (128kbps), so also added to the zip, an extract of the title track, which was used in 1988 Alchemism compilation, and is ripped correctly, giving you a sense how this should sound when ripper does his job right.







1. Lose One's Sense
2. オレンジ [Orange]
3. I.C's
4. 睫 (まつげ) [Eyelashes]
5. Newton's Oblige / Qui Vous L'a Dit
6. シーツ [Sheets]
[google translations so..]

Shintaro died in 1996, slipped while drunk from a staircase at a cabin in the Japanese Alps.

Just passing your music on, Mr. Sugiyama

13.13

Greg Williams, Lydia Lunch, Alex MacNicol, Johnny Nation

Mrs. Lydia Lunch of course needs no introduction, nor does 13.13, which were the gloomy incarnation she managed to somehow craft out of The Weirdos.
Here are two somewhat descent quality live bootlegs of their US tour promoting their one and only album (probably best Lunch effort in my opinion).
Unfortunately, no live version of This Side of Nowhere, but still includes almost all of the repertoire.
Info and photos were taken of From The Archives, thank you very much for your fine site.

Live at Peppermint Lounge, 1981
By Catherine Ceresole (taken from Beauty Lies In The Eye photobook)

1981.10.30 - Live at Jeds, New Orleans, Louisiana

1. Intro
2. 3X3
3. Snakepit Breakdown
4. Stares To Nowhere
5. Lock Your Door
6. Suicide Ocean
7. Afraid of Your Company
8. I Fell In Love With A Ghost

1981.11.14 - Live at Peppermint Lounge, New York City, New York

1. Intro
2. Snakepit Breakdown
3. 3X3
4. Stares To Nowhere
5. Afraid of Your Company (Cut due to fire department visit)

Enjoy

Det Glade Vanvidd ‎- The Rest of (1984-1989)

I think- Oddvar Njåstad, Harald A Nissen, Magne Njåstad, 1987

There really aren't much traces of info regarding Det Glade Vanvidd, as a matter of fact, it all pretty much sums up in their discogs page or in this fine norwegian blog. So frankly I've got nothing much to add (nor that I know anymore) about this nordic unappreciated group.

This compilation released in 2006 is gathering tracks from their cassettes, which are very musically varied, going through futuristic synth punk (Lov Song III), circus mess rock (Marx Brothers, Surfin' Beirut), cacophonic hardcore punk (Proklamasjon, Utfor Stopet), folk (Dansen Går På Skratteskjær), their epic dark post punk (Jakob, Ut Av Byen), and moreover, circulating more than 70 mins.
Now let's put an emphasis on the brilliant Ut Av Byen for a moment, just to show you how unique these guys were.. I mean, listen to it.. that shit is fucking proto black metal, that atmosphere, the riff that wouldn't embarrass Judas Iscariot.. Even though he and his necro friends won't admit it, it is possible that young Vikernes was at a few shows of these guys lol
And if all that's not enough to show you how awesome DGV were, there's a hidden track at the end, not less than a live psychotic cover to Scratch Acid's Cannibal (One of DGV members will later form Albino Slug, norwegian industrial noise rock act name after the SA song of course).

1. Lov Song I

2. Roter Wedding
3. Lov Song II
4. Yallesong
5. Lov Song III
6. Proklamasjon
7. Ut Av Byen
8. Terror
9. Salme
10. Dansen Går På Skratteskjær
11. Rock & Roll Oh Yeah
12. Jungel Nord For Dovre
13. Jeg Er Død
14. Ingen Problemer
15. Utfor Stupet
16. Marx Brothers
17. Marx Brothers
18. Surfin' Beirut
19. Shakespeare In The Bush
20. Jakob (+ Cannibal (Scratch Acid Cover))

If you have any of their cassettes, please share !
Enjoy

Tox Modell

André Bach, Xavier Serge Martin, Marc Tegefoss and Arjen Schrama
Live at first Ultra night at Oktopus, photo by Ronnie Kroes 1980.09

Ultra, as you can read on quite a few places online, was an Amsterdam movement/scene/whatever happening around Oktopus club and Vinyl Magazine, circling experimental/post punk/electronics groups bla bla bla

The most interesting group among these, were undoubtedly Tox Modell, comprised of four guys line up, two guitars, bass and vocals, no drums, often switching duties among themselves. They were probably the closest things to the industrial "punk" of early SPK singles back than. They managed to create the same psycho-robotic sonic mayhem of the aussie pioneers.

Unfortunately only 3 songs were descent quality studio recorded (hopefully for some to pop up on the web as things always do) and released as a split with fellow Ultra's Plus Instruments, on a flexi disc included in a Vinyl Magazine issue.
Other than that, two gigs were released on tape by Lebel Period (run by the group's guitar player Marc).

1981.03.21 - Live at Groote Keyser, Amsterdam (Flac)
1. Electric Intermissions

Live at Parkhof, photo by Arie de Jong 1981.04.11

2. Numbers Two
3. Paris St. Lazare
4. Dustland
5. Stalingrad
6. Obedience
7. P.C.F.
8. Subanarchy
9. Marrakesh
10. Some Gaims

1981.04.11 - Live at Parkhof, Alkmaar
1. Numbers Two
2. Paris St. Lazare
3. Bye Bye Dutchland
4. Stalingrad
5. Obedience
6. P.C.F.
7. Marrakesh
8. Some Gaims
9. Sub Anarchy !!!!
10. Electric Intermission (Live at Simplon, Groningen, 1980.06.14)

1981.05 - Split with +Instruments (recorded 1981.03.26)
1. Paris St. Lazare
2. Stalingrad
3. Numbers Two

Ultra harsh and raw (including all three releases)
You should check out those live videos of Stalingrad and Numbers Two to know what you're facing with.

Toll - No Doubt

In 1984 Ramleh took a break willing to discover more musical areas and gathering new ideas. That's when Toll were formed and served as a first step for Gary Mundy's evolution from the "conservative" early power electronics. This evolution will continue in various forms like playing in Breathless, participating in Anne Clark's albums, and creating the eccentric Hole In The Heart (which is in a way a missing link between early and late Ramleh), thus experiencing and experimenting different aspects and musical forms.
Well.. that's at least how I see it..

Croydon based Toll were Mundy, Tim Soar and Matthew Frith (which for my understanding was initially a recording guest), and together they released Christ Knows (cassette and LP) and No Doubt (cassette only), both in 1986, featuring wide vary of directions within the noise-industrial-ambient-soundscape spectrum and even some minimalitic post punk vibes, and while some is as harsh as early Ramleh, it is much more "musical".
Recordings of the "studio-written tracks with no pre-planning" included few other guests (mostly of the Broken Flag rooster) such as Tim Gane (Stereolab, than- Uncommunity), Paul Lemos (Controlled Bleeding), Pierre Jolivet (Pacific 231), Zag Ring and Gavin (thank you for your violin whoever you are).

Christ Knows was re-released on CD in 2006 by Cold Spring Records, and you can and should get it through their bandcamp or the online shop. Remastered and with three bonus tracks off of the second Toll cassette titled No Doubt.
For a reason which is beyond my knowledge (please enlighten me), both cassettes, shares pretty much the same tracks, some in different versions, so I've left out of the file all the tracks that appear (with better sound) on the Christ Knows' re-release. So don't act surprised, the file is only partial!:

1. Broken Frame (Instrumental version)
2. There Must Be More Than This [Released on Ohrenschrauben compilation, Also re-recorded for Ramleh's Grudge For Life]
3. As We Live And Breathe
4. Forge
5. Parch (Parched instrumental different version)
6. Out From Your Shell
7. Matter of Fact (Instrumental Version)
8. Perfecting Naivety
9. Radio Moscow
10. Unfinished (A bit longer version, ends different)
11. Matter Of Fact
12. Christ Knows
13. Broken Frame (Dub)
14. Brute Freeze (Dub)
15. Out From Your Shell (Dub) [Released on Riposte compilation, titled Out 2]

As said, all bolds are unique for this cassette, the rest of the tracks included in the re-release
No Doubt (128kbps, sorry), enjoy.