Convulsif Big Band

When I made a list of 2016 releases you shouldn't miss, Convulsif made their first appearance here on the blog. 6 years later and I still love these guys. You can find most of their discography on their bandcamp page, all their recordings as a quartet.

What's not there is their first incarnation, the Big Band, and it's pretty hard to find online as well. So here I am.. I think they formed around 2009, by Loïc Grobéty. They had some kind of ever changing line-up concept at that time, which was abandoned as they fixed on the current quartet.

2011 - 1

- Guido Wyss / drum
- Sébastien Aegerter / vibraphone
- Gregor Vidic / baritone sax
- Marc Jufer / sax tenor
- Loïc Grobéty / bass
- Stéphane Loup / guitars
[not part of this recording but also around that time, - Benjamin Pluss / vocals]

My PC file says it's from 2013, but intertnet says 2011, internet wins.
I think it's a live recording of a show, one longass track.
Know that this is pretty different from the quartet, much less brutal and heavy, a lot more atmospheric jazz. But still retain some metallic ideas that would appear later on.
Goes through different segments, some slow and smooth, some free jazz crazylike.

2013 - 2

- Martin Perret / drums
- Matthieu Amstutz / drums
- Christian Müller / clarinet + electronics
- Loïc Grobéty / bass + electronics + K7
- Gregor Vidic / baritone saxophone
- Marc Jufer / saxophone tenor + soprano
- Stéphane Loup / guitar + electronics

Double CD.
The first is almost the same length as on the first album, and starts with the same segment, but continues different, so I guess it's another live recording from the same era, same vibes and atmosphere. The second one is mostly pure drone noise for you abstract lovers.

Konstrukt - Dis-Co

Found this on my PC, no idea where I got it from. Ultra sludge dirty powerviolence from Vienna, can't get much uglier than this. Couldn't find lot of info about these guys, in fact, couldn't find more of their releases except this split right here and very few other short tracks on youtube.

The download file has only one track, the full vinyl rip, both sides. I have no idea even what type of file this is (some unknown extension), but just play it with your media player, it works fine for me.. 
I actually tried to create time stamps but gave up fairly quickly (The Doors cover is on 08:44 (i think)  the Deep Purple one is on 30:04, if you care).
Also included are some cover photos taken by some guy who's selling this vinyl on ebay, so thanks man.

is hardcore dead? hardcore is disco...just become extinct

Infected - Breathe

Infected Mushroom (not the trance duo) was formed in a small Israeli town called Nahariya, released an album called Don't Panic in 1993 and broke up. Pretty soon after some of them moved to London and started Infected.
If you want to check that first incarnation you can get the album's re-released CD version (shorter than the original cassette) in this awesome dead blog (please come back).. personally I always had a mixed feeling about that one, it's a weird one, even for me. Avantgarde goth/post punk/funk metal idk, Bauhaus-Primus-Cardiacs, they didn't stop there, pretty diverse. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.

Shachaf Barkai, Amir Shoat, Jon Acker at Bull & Gate , 1994
Photo by Mick Mercer*

Anyways, we're here to talk about the London trio, which I have much more sympathy towrads. Amir Shoat (vocals) and Jon Acker (bass, synths and drum programming) were both the founders of the original group, they were joined by Shachaf Barkai (guitar) who also participated as a guest on Don't Panic. The three were a bit more focused this time, and embraced the goth-industrial influences to the end (I don't mean they've gone straight up Skinny Puppy by saying that). It's still weird, still very unusual, and great all the way doing their own thing.
They were active mostly around Camden Town, especially The Bull & Gate club, between 1993-'96, and recorded a couple of tracks which were compiled to their sole release, Breathe. I think it was released on tape in 1996, but I only have a CD version which says 1999, so I ain't really sure.

I need to get a new scanner..

1. Shake [1993]
2. Breathe [1993]
3. Happy [1993]
4. Grey [1994/95]
5. Toxic [1993]
X. Winelight [bonus track I added, taken from Fuckin' Hardfloor Volumes 1+2 Compilation, 1995]

"Breathe" (Lossless rip)

*That awesome pictures up there by Mercer was stolen from the Bull & Gate facebook group page, where, if you bother to search, you'll find many more by him and some flyers. Mercer actually published a photo book of them.

Brutal - Bullshit, Attitude, And EXPERIENCE

This blog looks even uglier without a scanner

Four guys from Grangemouth/Falkirk (perhaps ?):
F.B. Coltrane (Brian Guthrie I think, Robin's brother and head of the label to release this- Anoise Annoys), Dogbite, Cheg and Bebop.
"Special thanks to Bigwar on track 2 and Russell McEwan on track 6. Sample sources, with thanks all round includes "The Cowboys", "Star Trek", "The Trial of The Chicago Eight", "The Day Today", "L.A. Law", "The Commancheros", "The Searchers" plus odd moments of David Essex, Sammy Davis JNR and Phil Harris".
Industrial rock, breakbeat with some Stretchheads angry energy. If you like Meat Beat Manifesto and such. Good stuff here.

'NEVER GIVE UP NEVER GIVE IN DON'T BELIEVE YOUR GOD DON'T BELIEVE YOU'RE GOD' (lossless rip)

More info ?

MONE¥I$GOD

So.. I kinda forgot to scan the cover
I'll get it done someday

2006 - MW (lossless)

The first one is just pure sonic blast mostly. Ultra-raw and heavy, sludge-noise metal.
Primitive Neurosis with Skullflower noise level and Killing Joke backbone.
The obvious better one among the two, don't miss it.

1. I Don't Kill You
2. For David
3. The Calling Out Of Soldier's Mind
4. Sencitive (My Soul)
5. Who's Next
6. The Deadly Friends (R.I.P)

2010 - M.A.R.K.Z (lossless)

Is much weirder. The line-up changed completely except for Kan (vox), and although the first track is written by Hyo Kagawa (who was the guitar player on the first album, and wrote all of it's tracks), the music is drastically different.
This is like a pub band is jamming that same sludge-noise metal (oh yes, it's still heavy), feeling liberated to go where ever they want (Ska beats, East Bay Ray surf punk guitar, you name it), especially the bass player (the best thing on this album) with his in your face bass lines after bass lines. Great remix by Balata at the end.
Could have been better with some guidance at the recording probably.

1. Cancer
2. Murasaki
3. Black Rainbow
4. Waltz
5. Hate Song
6. Black Rainbow (Monke¥ Wa$ Dubbed Remix)

Thanks to Zager for lending me his copies.

Ragewar - Backlash

In case someone is looking for this, there it is. Otherwise I wouldn't bother.
Very generic industrial techno with some typical zeitgeist vocals.
Very.. Mortal Kombat theme song 'inspired'.

1. Reality
2. Silent Majority
3. Dare To Care
4. Equality
5. A Word From Dave
6. Thought Crime
7. Here's Ragewar
8. Hardcore Overload
9. Urban Forest Odyssey

Kano doesn't approve

Casual Approach - Acid Rock Noise Cowboys... Just Playing The Blues

Pittsburgh quintet of some local scenesters, the better known among them is Joseph Roemer of Macronympha. Formed around 2008 and this is their sole release, long album full of lo-fi psychedelic noise blues jams, yeah pretty much like the album title suggests.

1. Dead Man's Lament
2. Funky Monkey Dance
3. Sludge - Live At Howlers
4. Surf's Up Dudes... Live @ Rock Room (Sharks In The Water!)
5. Sinister Highway
6. The Spanish Cafe
7. Her Beauty's Like Glass - Live @ Belvederes
8. Billy's Bonghit Odyssey
9. Crooked Creek Blues
10. Swamp Whiskey Roundup - Live @ Nick's Underground Cafe Show
11. Space Ace
12. It Takes A Village (Excerpt) - Live @ Jason's Party
13. Showdown In The Hot Surrealistic Sun
14. "You Talkin' To Me?"
15. Dragon Rider
16. Half An Inch
17. Sayonara, Good Friends

Taste the acid

Les Jeunes - Plug

Looking at the credits, no idea who Fred and Duke are, but Raph is Raphaël Rastelli who's done some nice things along his career, and now active in von Stroheim. Big Jock played with Raph in a group called Nutshell.
They started up around '87-'88 and that sums up what I could find about these guys.. pretty straightforward 'industrial' rock/alternative metal à la Brussels. Casual '90s album, has its highs and lows.

1. Suck My Plug
2. Comme A L'Hôpital
3. Violence (Non Merci)
4. Tetsuo
5. Rapburger
6. Encore Une Journée
7. Vivisectie
8. Asphalte
9. Cocaine
10. Ce Soir
11. St-Nicolas
12. Pastor Osvaldo
13. Libre!
14. Josette
15. Petit Martin
16. Fée Du Logis
17. Ce Soir (E! Mix)

L'humanité est un cafard..

Abt 409 - Shiver

The only album by the new line up of this Swiss group, including future The Young Gods drummer, Bernard Trontin. I personally prefer their '80s material, primitive industriallish post punk, though this one is pretty good as well, presenting more open-minded, variety of sounds.

1. Case Report
2. Time Lag
3. Checkmate
4. Glassblowers
5. Selfish
6. Red Dust
7. Snakebite
8. Synergy
9. Incorporated

Shiver

I didn't bother uploading older releases cause I think you can easily find them online, but if anyone needs a link, ask for it in the comments.
I myself am looking for their 1989 cassette, so do share with us if you have a rip of that one.

Slave One - Repulsor

If you enjoyed the Public Hanging post, here's another 90s industrial metal album with an awful artwork.
A Rochester duo, they've already released a demo called Uglify in 1994, under the name Golgotha, a bit more death metal less electronic than this one here, but both are solid releases.

1. Sated

2. Hybrid Strain

3. Cesspool

4. Repulsor

5. Catalyst

6. Static

7. Private Traps

8. Threadlock

9. Apart From Me

Lossless rip

And The Birds Flew South

While on the quest of creating room on my pc, I often find myself contemplating, do I even need to bother post these kind of stuff ? Clearly no man in the world is looking for this, except perhaps for the creator who's looking for the files for the sake of nostalgia.. and why not ? it takes my five minutes.

Two tracks, by a fellow named Tyler, whos playing the guitar creating what seems to be template for unfinished songs in the post black metal area field. I think it was recorded on 2011. So Tyler, if you were looking for this, enjoy.

1. Isolated With Oaks
2. Realization


Flew they flew indeed..

Anarchitex - You Can't Fight City Hall

By the time this was released, the Houston anarchists group led by Torry Mercer had already gone through a couple of line-up changes, until stabilizing upon this killer quintet affiliated with Happy Fingers Institute, Really Red and Pain Teens. Musically this can be compared to late 70's/early 80's Von LMO stuff, some early Butthole Surfers, Legionaires Disease. Yeah, good stuff, just like you'd expect.
As you can see, this was released as a split with very early PT, but I don't have that side, even though I'm pretty sure you can find most of the PT tracks on their other tapes, which are all available on bandcamp. 

Most of the Anarchitex tracks were re-recorded for their Digital Dark Age, 2011 re-union album, which is surprisingly good, even though it lacks Dave's Saxophone. This post comes in time cause they just re-released it first time on vinyl, and you can get it on their bandcamp.

Lossless rip, thanks to John Davis sharing his copy.

Public Hanging - Mass Black Experiment

Ignore the horrendous artwork, here's the sole crushing album by this Sydney trio, released via Melbourne's Black Hole Records which was definitely responsible for a large outcome of Australia's heaviest during the 90's. For fans of Godflesh, Sonic Violence, etc..

1. Without Worth
2. Blackmail
3. New Plans
4. Reprise
5. Stay Strong
6. Freeze Die Revive
7. Active Neglect
8. Grip

Ruthless Aussies

Various Artists - The Mercy Killing of Tarantula Pie

An excellent compilation featuring bands affiliated with London's Bull & Gate during late 90's. Lots of alternative british bangers on this one, I liked it a lot.

1. The Courtesy Group - Roll Out The Man

2. The Brain of Morbius - I'm A Busy Bee & I'm Loaded

3. Malowski - Sour Crutches

4. The Beale - Manns

5. Reverend Pike - I Lost My Coat

6. I, Ludicrous - We're The Support Band

7. Normal - Ton O'Bricks

8. Treatment - Under The Lie

9. Probing Cranks - Tuxtla

10. Nero Burns - River Of Sleaze

11. Diary - Central Line Arseholes

12. Pence Eleven - I Cried When I Hurt My Mouth

13. Gertrude - X-Ray

14. The Bigots - Margarine Man

Loseless with full artwork scans
Thanks to Saint Zager for providing me his copy.
Posted more The Bigots last year, you can find it here.

Airs

Just like the last one, this post is in the ongoing serie of me making space on my hard disk. Airs started up in San Francisco by Chris Broyles, soon to be joined by Aaron Kelley. Initially the idea was leaning towards the than freshly hyped Black/Shoegaze thing, but not only they abandoned the Black Metal early on, they kept jumping between genres in that area [post rock/post punk/noise pop/emo, you name it]. Unlike a lot of other bands from that time that were trying to imititate Alcest/Deafheaven, Airs were actually influenced by some other stuff as well, and you can hear it.
At first I was planning just to upload a few releases I had and couldn't find online at all, but than changed my mind to just post it all, and even went on to look for some stuff I didn't have. So there it is, A LOT of lo-fi, raw, immature stuff here. Most of it is solely for Airs fans, but some might be enjoyable for all, one can sure find some gems here and there.

Chris Broyles

2010.01.15 - Happy Songs For The Terminally Ill

1. Counting The Moments to Oblivion
2. I Wish Everyone Would Die Post-Haste
3. A Feeling of Pain
4. There's No Place Like Hell

2010.03.01 - Kill Yourself On Valentines Day

1. Kill Yourself On Valentines Day (Nobody Cares)
2. A Beautiful End To This Timeless Dream

2010.04.11 - Untitled

1. Untitled
2. Untitled (Remixed & Remastered)

2010.07.15 - Joyless

1. Joyless
2. Never Too Late to Hurry Up
3. Ende der Ewigkeit kommt in der Nacht
4. Ravish
5. Joyless (2009 Demo ver.)

2010.12.21 - Rainclouds Over The Remains of Hope

1. Overcast - Das Ende Der Zeit-
2. Rainclouds Over The Remains Of Hope
3. Cast Into The Sea
4. Innocence
5. Everyone Has Died Post Haste
6. Joyless
7. Never Without
8. We're Still Drifting
9. Passing
10. Clear Skies - Und Zeit Beginnt Von Neuem-

2011.03.07 - Airs / Lunarie

1. Home
2. White Pantomime
3. Indigo
4. Lucid

2011.07.14 - Live on Pirate Cat Radio Cafe, San Francisco, CA, USA [Debut live, acoustic]

1. Interview
2. A Left Turn At Happiness
3. Gloomlights (Intro)
4. Rainclouds Over The Remains Of Hope
5. Scott Pilgrim Vs. You
6. We're Still Drifting
7. Caves
8. Coffee And The Music Industry (Dead Ringer Cover)
9. Little Fury Things (Dinosaur Jr. Cover)
10. Variations On The Theme From Top Gun (Have A Nice Life Cover)
11. Speak (N.T.T. Fucks Cover)
12. Passing

2011.09.23 - Soundtrack for a Cancer Cell as It Is Born in the Center of Your Brain

1. Soundtrack for a Cancer Cell as It Is Born in the Center of Your Brain

2011.10.01 - Gloomlights

1. Harvest Moon
2. Scott Pilgrim Vs. You
3. White Rose
4. Knee-Deep In The Dead
5. Hollow
6. Heart
7. Caves
8. Feathers
9. Halfway There
10. Butterfly
11. The Watchers
12. Scene
13. Ghost
14. Gloomlights
15. Movement
16. Velvet
17. Cascades Of Grey
18. Shift (Repeat)

Gloomlights (Part III) [Bonus CD released on 2013 edition]

1. Scene (Original Ver.)
2. Ghost (Original Ver.)
3. Clouds
4. Bright
5. Despair & Consequence
6. If/May/Trust
7. Consume
8. Foggy Smiles
9. Highroad
10. I Miss You, You Know
11. Gloomlights (Original Ver.)

2011.12.01 - Everything Reminds Me of You

1. Lonesome Smiles
2. Dreaming
3. Everything Reminds Me of You

2012.01.01 - Blanket Shores

1. Blanket Shores 
2. We're Still Drifting (2012 ver.)

2012.01.01 - Gloomer

1. Woe unto Us (Have a Nice Life Cover)
2. Being a Teenager and the Awkwardness of Backseat Sex (Planning for Burial Cover)
3. Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division Cover)
4. Little Fury Things (Dinosaur Jr. Cover)
5. Oh Righteous One (Bad Braids Cover)
6. Coffee and the Music Industry (Dead Ringer Cover)
7. Speak (N.T.T. Fucks Cover)

2012.02.12 - White Rose

1. White Rose (New Mix)
2. ''2'' (White Rose Demo Ver.) [I added this one here, it was originally on 2011 version of this single, which included this and the Gloomlights version for this track]

2012.04.08 - Adrift

1. Adrift
2. I'll Never Meet You

2012.10 - Collected Vol. I: Acoustic Demos 2011-2012

1. 1980
2. Softly/Oh Pain Oh Agony
3. Blanket Shores
4. Ending

2012.10.15 - Under Radiant Gloomlights

1.1. Rainclouds Over The Remains Of Hope (Rehearsal)
1.2. Blue (Rehearsal)
1.3. Joyless (Rehearsal)
1.4. Never Too Late To Hurry Up (Rehearsal)
1.5. Caves (Rehearsal)
1.6. We're Still Drifting (Rehearsal)
1.7. Morgan & Frankie (Rehearsal)
1.8. What You Were (Rehearsal)
1.9. Rainclouds Over The Remains Of Hope (Acoustic Forest Rehearsal 8/8/12)

2.1. Rainclouds Over The Remains Of Hope (Brentwood 8/10/12)
2.2. Morgan & Frankie (Brentwood 8/10/12)
2.3. What You Were (Brentwood 8/10/12)
2.4. Joyless (Antioch 8/11/12)
2.5. Caves (Antioch 8/11/12)
2.6. Introduction (Fresno 8/16/12)
2.7. We're Still Drifting (Fresno 8/16/12)
2.8. Morgan & Frankie (Fresno 8/16/12)
2.9. What You Were (Fresno 8/16/12)
2.10. Caves (Las Vegas 8/17/12)
2.11. Morgan & Frankie (Las Vegas 8/17/12)

3.1. Gloomlights Intro (Los Angeles 8/18/12)
3.2. Rainclouds Over The Remains Of Hope (Los Angeles 8/18/12)
3.3. Blue (Los Angeles 8/18/12)
3.4. Lonesome Smiles (Los Angeles 8/18/12)
3.5. Joyless (Los Angeles 8/18/12)
3.6. What You Were (Los Angeles 8/18/12)
3.7. Introduction (San Francisco 8/19/12)
3.8. Rainclouds Over The Remains Of Hope (San Francisco 8/19/12)
3.9. We're Still Drifting (San Francisco 8/19/12)
3.10. Morgan & Frankie (San Francisco 8/19/12)
3.11. What You Were (San Francisco 8/19/12)

2012.11.26 - Morgan & Frankie EP
[third track is exclusive for this release, second one is from last release, first one is from next release]

1. Morgan & Frankie
2. We're Still Drifting (Live - Fresno 8/16/12)
3. What Would You Do?

2014/15 - Final Album Demos

1. Love Daze (Demo)
2. Evergreen (Demo)
3. June Gloom (Demo)
4. Bliss (Demo)
5. Guilt Trip (Demo)
6. Night (Lost Ghosts) (Demo)
7. Enemies In Low Places (Instrumental Demo)
8. Psychic Death (Instrumental Demo)

Miscellaneous [Just some stuff I compiled]

2010 - A Song for the End of the World (Short ver.) [Probably from some compilation I can't find, by their own running label Serpent Spine Productions]
2010.06 - Ravish [Instrumental demo]
2010.08 - Sunny Sundea Smile (My Bloody Valentine Cover) [A Curious Box of Captured Unfortunate Scenes]
2013 - Pendulum [Adore bonus cd-r]

Most of the releases since Adore and on are still available in their bandcamp, so if you need it the link is here.
While trying to complete this list, I found on soulseek some guy that has a couple releases I don't, but it seemed like he's hoarding it to himself, which was quite funny, his nickname is inhalinginhalants and I bet his mother sure is proud of him. If you're eager to get releases like: Performing "Adore" or Wind-Up , than go bug him up about it.
And yeah I'm way too lazy to start adding all the artworks for these.

3 Gordons

As is often the case, don't have too much info about these folks. Two guys from Vienna I think (plus a drum machine from Japan ?) released the first album, later to be joined by a drummer right in time for the recording of their mini-cd. Nothing special here, casual 90's alternative rock, american style, some metallic vibes on occasion. Not bad at all though.
Could never put my hands on their second album, 1995's In Yoland, so if you have it and feel like sharing..
If you like what you hear, check out their drummer's soundcloud where you can hear some tracks live.

1991 - Cybercircus [192kbps]

Artwork scans available online are so awful,
had to go with this nice photo

1. This Is Not
2. Corrode Me
3. Pigs: - - On The Rock / Slaughterpigs
4. Advertising
5. Desert
6. N.W.G.E.
7. Cybercircus
8. "17"
9. Get The Gun
10. Hi Fred!
11. No Power
12. Land Fucked Up

1992 - Noise By Law [128kbps]

1. Long Tall Dwarf
2. Clean The Highway
3. Creativity Is Sleep
4. Santa Sangre