Monday, December 2, 2019

Thule

Graeme Milton, Graham Perkins, Simon Doling, Martin Byrne
1993
With all due respect to both Norwegian groups (which there isn't much actually), the only one trve Thule that matters were this London group formed around 1987.
Now, while they didn't got much name outside local Camden scene, let alone England, they deserved much more appreciation for their unique experimental leftfield big beat/dub/industrial post rock. Yap, that's pretty much how they sounded like, making a brilliant british link from the 80's to the 90's, while performing mostly in western european countries and leaving not much recorded audio out there to document that.
Their old myspace page credits a long list of musicians in the line up, though I believe only the first five listed here were the main core, correct me if I'm wrong:
Graeme Milton - Drums, Programming, Percussion
Graham Perkins - Guitar, Keyboards, Programming, Percussion
Martin Byrne - Bass, Guitar, Keys, Vocals, Percussion, Programming
Simon Doling - Bass, Percussion (also played drums for World Domination Enterprises for some time, later to join Terminal Cheesecake and be replaced by Charlie Finke)
Perkins, Doling, Byrne, Milton
1993
Dave Smith - Vocal, Percussion
Mick Ritchie - Keyboards, Percussion
Kev Poree - Live Sound, Keyboards (from FOH mix position)

Their first 12", 1988's Dr. Lloyd, I've never managed to get, but two tracks out of it were featured on later releases, leaving us with only two tracks missing from their discography. Here's what I first thought of them before even knowing about Simon Doling's connection- "Terminal Cheesecake joining forces with WDE trying to mimic how Bark Psychosis would sound playing big beat records". Really, they fuse it all through industrialish very early big beat with dub touches plus heavy/ noisy rock tracks (Disko Beach, Dynamo, Murderball and few more).
Influences on myspace said to be Chrome, Kraftwerk, Tackhead, Can, 23 Skidoo, Cabaret Voltaire.. (and if I may add Finitribe, Slab!, Meat Beat Manifesto ?)
Later on Perkins, Milton and Byrne joined forces with Jason White acting as 95 Nil, playing pretty much what they did with Thule.



1989 - La Jamais Contente [160 kbps] (12", Wiiija Records)

1. Springtime (Etched In Ice)
2. Owed To Kreed
3. Looking Backward To See You
4. Disko Beach






1990 - Wheel [128 kbps] (Wiiija Records)

1. World Service
2. Looking Backward To See You
3. Springtime
4. S.G.L.
5. Sharps
6. Good Old Good Olds
7. Robber
8. Concave Bulge


1992 - 321 Normal 2 [Lossless Rip] (Clay Records)

1. While It Lasts
2. Dynamo
3. Idiomatic
4. Murderball
5. Three Legged Race
6. 4/5 Of 5/8 Of F/A
7. King's English
8. Park Keeper
9. Split
10. We Is You Am
11. Skyscraper

As usual, if you have any missing stuff, better quality, or just some nerdy trivia/info/memories, share with us common people.

8 comments:

  1. Thanks. I had been looking several years for this after hearing "Dynamo".

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    1. You're welcome. Same track got me hooked as well.

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  2. Very nice to see this, thanks �� I have some unreleased 94/95/96 Nil tracks including demos done with Peter Hook. Am now The Big Boss with 3 albums out and I Witness with Jason N Smith which is out today. Thule shaped me in ways I never knew!

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    1. Oi Martin ! Thanks for dropping by and leaving info. I will check The Big Boss and I Witness, glad to hear you're still active in music.
      (Obviously if you feel like sharing those Nil demos, please do !)

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  3. I guess i got lucky today.Visiting my favorite recordshop.I come from The netherlands.My name is kees van Lieshout.Scrolling through a collection of 12" vinyls somethin cought my eye.A white and orange sleeve .Yes , Thule .Crain 001. I never heard of the band or artist.My mind made the reference towards Factory records.I listened to it on the turntable.Instantly i understood this was something special. So i bought it. Mint-state priced 8 euro. I guess i played it today ,back to back, at least 5 times. I wondered how is it possible that this is so unknown. Tracklist: Dr Lloyd. here comes nothing.Good old good olds. Ssel gninaem I I a.
    The backcover contains adresses of Thule entertainment on in London and one in Edinburgh. The question now: will i find other recordings.

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    1. Great bargain! lucky find, I think it's quite hard to stumble upon this one. If you have a way to rip vinyls, is it possible you'll share the audio files ?
      All the other Thule releases are actually avaiable for sale on discogs for fair prices.

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  4. Sorry, i am not a guy with knowledge of such things.But i look for what i can do.

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    1. If you don't have the knowledge it also means you don't have the needed equipment ;)
      Don't break your head over it, thanks anyway ! hope you'll catch their other releases.

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