Wednesday 31 December 2008

He Said Omala - Matching Crosses

World Domination Recordings WDM10095-2. 1998


Not nearly as good as I remember. Starts off a cross between Jimi Tenor and Barry Adamson, goes a bit mainstream and dull, peaks with the brilliant Troubled Mind (consisting mostly of a sample from Roy Orbison's Blue Bayou), ending with a couple of electronic drone tracks, the last of which is pretty damn good.

Not much more to say really, other than I forgot to type up the last couple of Heads albums.

And my head hurts from all the wine.

Thursday 6 November 2008

The Heads - Under Sided

Sweet Nothing SNCD011. 2002


Relentless psychedelic sonic onslaught from Bristol's finest underrated acid freaks. Heavy as a bad trip, sweet as a good one.

I don't know where they find the energy, though Simon Price doesn't expend too much with his spoken vocals. Lazy, but they fit nicely.

I'm worn out.

The Handsome Family - Through The Trees

Loose VJCD105. 1998


They're still midway between the country sound of later work and the backwoods alt-twang of the earlier stuff. This is pretty much the perfect balance, and for me their best album.

Weightless Again was the first HF track I heard, and you'll know why I dug out their other stuff when you hear it. 

"That's why people OD on pills, or jump from the Golden Gate bridge - anything to feel weightless again"

The Handsome Family - Milk and Scissors

Carrot Top SAKI011. 1996


See below. Earlier, not as country, but still tiptop.

"Sometimes I can't wait to come down with cancer, at least then I get to watch TV all day"

The Handsome Family - In The Air


There's nothing at all wrong with this. A brilliant slice of what would appear, on a casual listen, to be fairly straight-up country. A more intent ear reveals a twisted, dark humour throughout. Brett Sparks has an amazingly smooth baritone, and the pair of them (wife Rennie makes two) are pretty damn fine musicians. Buy this now.

"Darling can't you see? It's only human to want to kill a beautiful thing." 

"Listen to me, butterfly. There's only so much wine you can drink in one life, but it will never be enough to save you from the bottom of your glass."

(Sounds better in a baritone country twang than it looks on screen).

Wednesday 5 November 2008

The Hafler Trio - A Thirsty Fish

The Grey Area KUT6. 1994


More of the good stuff.

I'm kind of glad this is the last THT disk on the shelf though. Some music would be nice.

The Hafler Trio and The Sons Of God - Resurrection

Touch TO:22. 1993


Might have been a bit more interesting to have been at the performance this was recorded at - 2 actors, 6 cookers, 6 baths. Where have all the Dada-ists gone?

After a slowish start it gets cracking and is a worthwhile listen, though don't bother to dust off the dancing pumps.

I saw Zbigniew Karkowski play in France a few years back, at a venue in Mulhouse. I'd been drinking wheat beer. The PA caught fire due to the extreme frequencies he was pumping through it at high volume. I'd not witnessed that before. Most amusing.

The Hafler Trio - All That Rises Must Converge

The Grey Area KUT5. 1994


At the more interesting end of THT spectrum. A reissue of 1986's The Sea Org and Brain Song eps. Familiar territory, with treated field recordings, cut-ups and drones, but this is the McKenzie I like. Lots of slowly building soundscapes, sudden loud bursts and flipping instantly between seemingly unrelated material which eventually makes some kind of sense.

Luverlee stuff.

Reptilicus and The Halfler Trio - Designer Time

Staalplaat STCD068. 1994


Utterly pointless.

Thursday 30 October 2008

The Hafler Trio - Intoutof

Soleilmoon SOL14CD. 1998


More dark (even though the first half of it is clearly made with those whirly tube doofers) drone delight. Second half is harsh.

This is slower than the original vinyl, as they had to speed the tapes up to make it fit on each side of a record. Those crazy cats.

Lock the doors.

The Hafler Trio - Masturbatorium

Touch TONE1CD. 1991


The soundtrack to the Annie Sprinkle performance.

Eerie, and anything but erotic.

The Hafler Trio - Four Ways Of Saying Five

Soleilmoon KUT4. 1995


First track is a lengthy (48min) edit of lectures given in the Netherlands in the 80s, on the theories and writings of Robert Spridgeon. Though embelished with Hafler Trio drones and clickety-clacks, not exactly recreational listening. The subject matter is a bit too indepth to really grasp by listening, so I don't really see the point.

Second and final track is a montage of snippets of installation soundtracks and performances, and is easier (????) on the ear.

Difficult.

The Hafler Trio - Play The Hafler Trio

Staalplaat SPCD031. 1991


I've always had a lot of time for the work of Andrew McKenzie, though I'd stop short of the hero worship and labelling of 'genius' that some arseholes bestow all too lightly.

That was until he let myself and a colleague down badly by pulling out of a performance at the 11th hour, making us look shit and costing us a four-figure sum on non-refundable airfares, hotel bookings and publicity material. For no good reason. Twat.

This is THT in typical slow-building drone loop mode. No surprises, but very listenable.

Heligoland - Heligoland

Calcium Chloride CaCl003CD. 2000


My favourite band of all time was Talk Talk. Oh, what a sad day it was when they eventually split.

They couldn't have gone in much further directions than they did. While Mark Hollis stuck with the overall minimalistic, bleak feel of their last album, Laughing Stock, for his solo effort, Tim Friese-Green has picked up a guitar or two and some cheap keyboards, setting free his alt-rock alter-ego.

This is a beautiful record. Understated, seemingly effort-free. It sounds home-recorded, which it was, and has an honesty about it that would be hard to emulate in the studio. It sticks with the melancholia and general doom of Talk Talk's final foray ('We're all here to die. Put your head on the altar. Can you swear you've lived enough?'), but who needs happy-happy-joy-joy all the time?

Remind me a lot of The Auteurs, and his voice is often a bit John Lennon-ish - all good. There's a pointless version of Purple Haze hidden at the end which isn't worth waiting for. Other than that (and we probably can't count that since it isn't on the track list), 9 out of 10. Gold star.

Not to be mixed up with the Aussies who've nicked the name.

Holger Hiller - Demixed

Mute CDSTUMM102. 1992


All the greatness of the original tracks, shoved through a mangle and given a bit of a squeeze. I wouldn't say any of these are better than the starting material, but nothing comes across as too tragic, though track 8, XXX remixed by A.J. is a bit annoying and unnecessary.

I just noticed a sample from World Destruction by Timezone on this listen, which I've not made out before. There you go - I've achieved something today.

For fans of squeaky door samples.

Holger Hiller - As Is

Mute CDSTUMM60. 1991


Coming on like the bastard offspring of The Art of Noise and Coldcut. Twisted, but funny rather than bitter. Lots of interesting sample use and groovy throughout.

Andrew Hodson - In Your Heart You Will Find Your Dreams

(No label info) TR00001. 2005


More masterful musicality from the Shandy. This was the result of a project at Royal Bolton Hospital's mental health unit, using found sound and recordings of performances of 'service users' and staff.

The result is quite diverse, but always enjoyable. So much so I considered releasing it myself to give it exposure beyond the 1000 copies produced for press, funders, friends and hospital use. It seemed to be getting a bit complicated with all the money people involved, so it never happened. Shame.

Andrew Hodson - Map Music

Beautiful Pigeon EON10. 2003


A soundtrack to a journey on the Tyne and Wear Metro system by Newcastle-based nice guy and all round musical wunderkind Mr Andy H (also responsible for The Matinee Orchestra).

Lots of manipulated field recordings, squeeky bleeps and all round pleasantness. Worth digging out, though I haven't made the train journey with the headphones on yet.

A Hawk And A Hacksaw - The Way The Wind Blows

Leaf BAY51CD. 2006


More of the same, and what's wrong with that. Very bleak feel to this.

Tuesday 14 October 2008

Sex For Ollie / Random Felch - tracks from 'Killed By The Machinery Of Sorrow' compilation CD

MORE OF MY MUSICAL MAYHEM.

Ecocentric Records ER103CD. 1991

This German label asked me for some tracks to go on this comp, and I obliged.

This was very early Sex For Ollie. In fact, the first track is a re-recording of the very first SFO track ever. Once again, this was all a bit hurried as he needed them straight away. Pretty simplistic stuff with very obvious sample sources, but I wasn't trying to be clever. Just mucking about really.

The Random Felch tracks were recorded in NF's bedroom, with 6 of us plugged into various devices, trying to be very quiet so's not to disturb his downstairs neighbour. We played both tracks live in one take each. It shows. We were more of a live band really, bordering on cabaret. I loved my CryBaby wah wah pedal.

Sex For Ollie
01 Faucal Dirge Re-revisited (3) (no longer death - almost - not quite)
02 Sex Crash (orgasmic destruction)
03 Plastic Structure Convention (entering the homogenous zones)

Random Felch
01 13
02 Butter

Download. Enjoy. Please comment.

Yin and yang live next door, they're mentally ill and very poor

SFO - Raan (from Sky Flowers and Horse Eggs compilation CD)

ANOTHER BURST OF MY AURAL EMMISSIONS.


T'was early 1992. I'd recently become acquainted with BP. He mentioned he was helping put together a compilation CD, and asked if I wanted to be on it. Fine says I. I need the track tomorrow says he. Oh.

A quick phone call to NF, and I'm round his house the following lunch time. I've got an hour for lunch, including the 20 minutes travel there and back. Here's a cassette loop I made earlier (take it apart, slice it, stick the ends together with sellotape, re-assemble, cross fingers). Into NF's four track deck. A tone generator goes into one of the insert channels on the back, as well as the output from a turntable. One shot straight into DAT and I'm on the bus back to work. 

I quite like the roughness of this. I deliberately didn't filter the bass-heavy loop so it would fuck up and distort.

I'm sitting on the track list in fine company - Blackhouse, Étant Donnés, Nocturnal Emmissions, :zoviet-france:, to name but four. A proud moment for me.

Download my track here. Mind your speakers though.

Spoonfed Venusian Sex Organs - Fuck Mollusk

YET MORE OF MY PAST MUSICAL MERRY MAKING. DOWNLOAD AND ENJOY.


(unreleased). 1995

The dream team behind Projectile Afterbirth joined forces once again on this full length album. 70 minutes of rather eclectic noisy nonsense, mostly guitar based. The whole thing was written and recorded over two evenings at NF's house. Mostly live, straight to four-track or DAT. All first takes.

We thought this was going to be released by Fellatio Productions, along with the second Projectile Afterbirth 7", but nothing ever came of it. We couldn't be bothered to tout it around to anyone else.

We originally planned for it to be chopped into 99 tracks of equal length on the CD to make for some mad listening on random play. This copy is chopped into the actual tracks instead.

No track list - just make it up as you go along. If I remember rightly, the first track was called Nihil, the third was Terminal Flesh Addict

Download our slab of madness. Let me know if you like it, thanks.

Terminal flesh addict - wear your sins with pride.

( seksvirOlli ) - vandag se waarheid?190498

COMPILATION OF SOME OF MY EARLY 90'S EXPERIMENTAL/AMBIENT STUFF, REVISITED IN 1998 - DOWNLOAD AND ENJOY


(unreleased). 1998 (1992-3)

I've no idea why I named it in afrikaans. I used to record under the name Sex For Ollie, but must have decided on a slight name change when I revisited these earlyish tracks back in 1998. Who knows why...? Man, what a crazy kid. I think the title roughly translates as 'Today's value?"

All these tracks were recorded on my Fostex X30 four track cassette deck, using nothing more sophisticated than a cd player, 2 cassette decks, locked vinyl grooves (2p coins placed onto records to knock the stylus back on every revolution), a reverb box of some sort and a 1.2 second guitar digital delay pedal. I was making cassette loops at the time as well, and I think I use a couple on lisscom. That involved taking a cassette apart, chopping little bits of the tape and sticking the ends together to form a loop, and some kind of spring with cotton wool to keep it tensioned so it wouldn't just slip on the spools. Quite a haphazard, messy business, but I think they turned out alright.

I was always more creative when faced with the challenge of having so little kit to play with.

01 dphemst (18:26) - recorded 28.02.93
02 lisscom (23:43) - recorded 10.11.92
03 eleth (19:03) - recorded 26.11.92
04 exfremx (4:24) - recorded 18.11.92

Download it here if you so desire. If you like it, please say so. Thanks.

Tokyo Sex Wail - Scatalogically Obsessed 7" EP

ONE OF MY EARLY NINETIES EFFORTS - DOWNLOAD AND ENJOY


(unreleased) 1994.

Thankfully I've not got a copy of the planned cover art. This followed my earlier noisy guitar thrashings, shifting more into electronic noise. I can't remember exactly what I used for the non-guitar based tracks on this, but I'm positive it was acoustic sources which I looped and processed. Sorry about the rather nasty elements of this - there was a market for it! I'm a nice guy really.

I had hoped this would be released on Fellatio Productions, but the guy who ran it just stopped getting in touch so it was shelved.

Recorded on a Fostex X-30 four track cassette deck in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Side A
01 Digital Arse
02 Rectal Mucus
03 Balls (Run-out groove loop)

Side B
04 Bitch 1
05 Enema Rape
06 Bitch 2
07 Arse (Run-out groove loop)

Download it here, and send the kids out of the room.

I've got a digital arse full of digital shit. I don't need to think 'cos my arse does it.

NEW FUN-FILLED FEATURE

Just to keep it interesting I'm going to gradually upload a lot of my own musical endeavours from over the years. It spans many musical(????) styles, and varies greatly in quality.


If you fancy a laugh, give it a go. I ain't chargin'!

Wednesday 8 October 2008

A Hawk And A Hacksaw - Darkness At Noon

Leaf BAY43CD. 2005


An altogether more satisfying listen than their first outing. Although there's a phenomenal amount of instrumentation on this, it does have more of a feel of their live presence. I've seen them at least twice, maybe more (once in a tiny room in the tower of a city wall which holds perhaps 40 people, once in the hull of an ex-fishing factory ship). Jeremy on accordian and percussion (playing cymbals with a stick attached to his hat) with Heather Trost on violin. They're great. Very passionate, talented and entertaining. As is this.

Incredible version of Portland Town. Pass the hankies.

A Hawk And A Hacksaw - A Hawk And A Hacksaw

Leaf BAY35CD. 2004


Did anyone survive Neutral Milk Hotel intact? It become apparent after mere moments of pressing play that this album is the fermented fruit of a slightly rotten mind.

I will qualify that. Jeremy Barnes sports, or at least has every time I've seen him, a full beard. As we all know, anyone that favours so much facial fluff is as mad as several fishcakes.

This is an exhausting collection of frenetic masterpieces of the bizarre. It's difficult to keep up with the instrumentation and field recording jammed together in 40 odd minutes, and I can't say it's a pleasant experience.

Interesting enough to hang on to.

Tuesday 7 October 2008

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven!

Kranky KRANK043. 2000


A great big dose of epic.

There's a few bits where it gets a bit dramatic (I prefer the slow building loveliness rather than the in-your-face onslaught bits), but on the whole jolly super.

I seem to remember they were good live.

Monday 6 October 2008

Gultskra Artikler - Kasha Iz Topora

Miasmah MIACD006. 2007


I wouldn't know where to start describing this. Erm.... 

If Steve Stapleton met a band of mushroom-tripping eastern european gypsies in a creaky lift, and dropped the resulting soundscape in a bath of milk poured by Brian Eno in 1980.

Any help?

I had this playing when JK's aunt popped round a few months ago. As she was leaving she said 'What would you call this kind of music?'. I had no reasonable response to offer.

Proof that the proliferation of download culture doesn't necessarily have to be damaging to the industry: This was a random online snatch that lay dormant on my ipod for weeks, if not months, before I accidently clicked on it. I listened intently once, twice, thrice, then ordered the CD the next day. I'll eventually get around to ordering this chap's entire back catalogue, though I'd never heard of him before that fate-click.

My album of the year 2007. Please, please buy this.

Wednesday 1 October 2008

Gold Chains - Straight From Your Radio EP

Tigerbeat MEOW06. 2002


Big improvement on the GC ep. Turn it up!

Get that coochie over here I want to fuck it (oh yeah!), get that coochie looking tight I want to lick it all night. (ad infinitum)

Gold Chains - Gold Chains EP

Play It Again Sam PIASB078CD. 2001


I'd never heard of him. I was off to see Kid606 play at the Buddle in Wallsend, and Gold Chains was playing too. He's a mad little fella. Cool as fuck.

After the gig we all went back to BP's, ate take-away curry and watched the continuing footage of 9/11 - neither K606 or GC had seen any of it until after the gig. On seeing the planes doing their smashy thing, K606 - "fuck it, that's east coast shit".

File under hispanic bass-party rap. Check out the album Young Miss America, especially the epic Break Or Be Broken.

"Everybody rocks at a Gold Chains party"

Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump

V2 Records VVR1012252. 2000


I probably give this album too much of a hard time. It's ok. I was just disappointed with it after the glory of ...Freeway.

It isn't as dull and one-tempo'd as everything that came after it, but nothing really jumps out.

Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway

Big Cat ABB152CD. 1997


A.M. 180 has to be a contender for the best keyboard riff ever committed to tape. That track is a work of genius that Mr Lytle has yet to better, or even match. I can't remember where I first heard it, but I knew it was something special immediately.

The rest of the album is good too. Probably the most varied effort they've put out. Not a single filler.

I've just been to yet another funeral, and this sits snuggly between happy and melancholy. Nice.

If you're only going to own one Grandaddy record, make it this one.

Tuesday 30 September 2008

Grandaddy - The Broken Down Comforter Collection

Big Cat ABB1005692. 1999


Comprising the Machines Are Not She and A Pretty Mess By This One Band eps.

I prefer early Grandaddy like this and ...Freeway. It can't be just me that thinks everything they've done in the last five years sounds like one long boring record.

Nothing much to say really. Sorry. Not in a writing mood. Too much to do. I'll stop now.

Girls Against Boys - **House of GVSB**

Touch and Go TG149CD. 1996


Better, but nothing really stands out. It's all a bit samey. Yawn.

Girls Against Boys - Nineties vs Eighties

Adult Swim AS3CD. 1990


First three are canny (side A of orig. 12"). 4-6 suffer from eighties-itis. Annoying crappy samples. Could be deliberate (hence the name?), but why spoil what could have been perfectly decent songs?

Greg Ginn - Let It Burn (Because I don't live there anymore)

Cruz CRZ CD 036. 1994


If you can't say anything nice...

Monday 29 September 2008

Genesis - Nursery Cryme

Charisma CASCD1052. 1985 (1971)


WHAT?!?!?!?!

It's Peter Gabriel era, right, so just fuck off.

Actually, scrub that. Gabriel or not, it's shite.

Grasshopper and the Golden Crickets - The Orbit of Eternal Grace

Beggars Banquet BBQCD 201. 1998


Decent effort from the Mercury Rev guitar chap. It's mosty MR-esque, apart from a few of moments of madness (the twisted head-nodder Univac Bug Track particularly).

Worthwhile.

Highlights: opener Silver Balloons, Univac Bug Track

Goldie - Angel (Single)

FFRR FCD266. 1995


The dreaded ad-nauseum female vocal sample.
The multiple 'mixes' of the same tune that all sound the same.

Not very good at all. Next.


Steve Gibbons - Short Stories / Stained Glass (2xCD)

Road Goes On Forever Records. RGF/SGDCD048. 2001


This is the first time I've listened to either of these disks. I only have this as I did the artwork for the CD reissue.

Short Stories - 1971. I wouldn't know what to describe this as. Dull. Mainstream. Nondescript RnB. Early seventies twaddle. There's nothing actually wrong with it, it just doesn't have anything at all on here that grabs my attention. Albert Lee plays on it, if that's any help.

Stained Glass - 1996. More mainstream nothingness. All of the above. His voice veers between Man Who Sold The World-era Bowie and seventies Dylan. I don't know how you can fail with Tom Waits' Looking for the heart of Saturday night, but he does.

Not for me. Sorry Steve. Cracking artwork though!

Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Boy Named Charlie Brown

Fantasy FCD-8430-2. 1989


Pure brilliance. This is (mostly) lounge jazz perfection. VG has an exquisite touch on the piano. It sounds casual and effortless.

I defy anyone to suppress a smile during Linus and Lucy. All that's missing is Snoopy doing his mad little jig.

This is labelled as Children's Jazz on discogs.com, but forget the Charlie Brown thing and listen to this for what it is - great tunes.

Finished off with an out-there version of Fly Me To The Moon.

I

LOVE

IT

Groove Armada - Vertigo

Zomba Records 0523782. 1999


Not nearly so good as my memory would have it. Pleasant enough in the car but I wouldn't play it at home again. A couple of classic funky tunes (I see you baby / If everybody looked the same) and the mellow groove of At the river stand out.

Monday 22 September 2008

Godflesh - Slavestate

Earache MOSH30CD. 1991


Just different enough to get away with it in a world that already had Big Black, Swans, Cop Shoot Cop, Skinny Puppy et al. Though if they weren't from the UK I doubt they'd have even raised an eyebrow with this.

Should have put a bit more thought into the shoddy synth bass bits though.

Godflesh - Pure

Earache MOSH32CD. 1992


The first 20 seconds of Avalance Master Song on Godflesh (1988) won me over. I saw them tour with God shortly after, and they were great. (I'm pretty sure Kevin Martin spent the entire God set cupping one hand to his ear and furiously pointing to a monitor. Really, the entire set.) I was inspired to buy a drum machine. I wish I could remember what kind it was. I stood in the tiny electronics department of (I think) Rock City in Newcastle, where I'd previously bought myself a Charvel Model 1 pointy headstock rock guitar, and said to the guy 'Will it go 'du-dum, du-dum, du-dum-du.... du... du'', mimicking those first few bars. He assured me it would, so I spent my cash. I think I sold it to NF a few years later, who it turned out had owned it before me. Bizarre.

I digress. I lost interest in GF with this release. Instead of the relentless, sludgy dirge they'd spewed out previously, they got a bit melodic here. Some of the riffs even sound a bit bluesy-rock. I'd put that down to the new presence of Robert Hampson (Loop) in the line-up, but a quick look at the track-list would indicate otherwise. He doesn't play on the rockity ones.

The production sounds a bit weak to me. Doesn't hurt the head like it should. Never mind.

Gwar - Scumdogs of the Universe

Master MAS CD001. 1990


My copy pre-dates the 'explicit lyrics' gumph on the cover. 

This is, frankly, fucking dreadful.

I think my ex must have bought it after the first time we saw them live. It was an outstandingly brilliant spectacle, which left us coloured pink for weeks from the torrent of fake blood. I remember walking around town the following weekend, you could tell who'd been to the gig. They weren't so good the second time around, but that could be down to us knowing what to expect. I had the hots for Slymentra Hymen pretty bad.

How do you hide money from a hippy? Hide it under the soap!

Genius/GZA featuring D'Angelo - Cold World (single)

Geffen GFSTD22114. 1995


I swear to whatever the atheist equivalent of god happens to be, I've NEVER heard this. Where do these things come from?

Again with the disk full of remixes of the same damn track. Three versions of the title track on here, when one would actually be too many.

The guy obviously is a genius if he's managing to get people to buy shit like this. Including me, apparently.

Rubén González - Introducing....

World Circuit WCD049. 1997


Oh, what the hell. I need something to take the taste of Diamanda Galas away...

Part of that whole Buena Vista Social Club thing that made Cuban music reet popular a few years back. This chap is pretty damn good with his joanna. 

I was in Havana in November 2003 to look at some artsy stuff, and while wandering the back streets at night the air is heaving with music like this. Literally every other bar has a live band belting out Cumbanchero.

Hang on, I've been through this in the BVSC entry. Sorry. 

Back to Rubén. Good stuff, but nothing to make it stand out from everything else BVSC-related.

Diamanda Galás - Plague Mass

Mute CDSTUMM83. 1991


Did I ever really like Diamanda Galas? Or did I just want to appear strange? 

Recorded live in NYC, 1990, this is all about the Aids n that. I'm not sure it could possibly be any more miserable and depressing to listen to. I was quite cheery earlier on. Now I'm on edge, have a headache and just want to go to the pub.

That's put me off listening to stuff for the rest of the day now.

Check it out!

The Goats - Tricks of the Shade

Columbia/Ruffhouse CK53027. 1992


Damn funky intelligent hip-hop. 

I programmed a 'favourites' setting on my old CD player for this to cut out every other track, as they've got an annoying story thing going on through the album in between the toons. Don't people listen to their records before releasing them? Surely they'd have realised it would boil the piss of even the most patient hippity-hopster to have to skip the skits every listen.

Just to reiterate - this is really, really good. And that's from a chap who wears clothes that actually fit.

Grooverider - Mysteries of Funk (2 x cd)

Higher Ground/Sony HIGH06CD. 1998


I used to love this, but I prefer my DnB a bit more straight forward. Less of the annoying 'atmospherics' samples, more.... well, drums and bass really.

This also suffers that cancer on the spleen of many a potentially good DnB record - those damn spurious female vocal snippets. Honestly chaps, leave them out!

It'll go on again, but with a finger poised on the FF button on the remote.

10 months in a Saudi jail is a bit much for a bit of dope the size of a mouse's tit in your pocket, mind you. Welcome home Groove. Hope you get your job back at the BBC.

The Go's (Genbaku Onanies) - On Time, Live At Open House

Alchemy ARCD019. 1991


Bought at Volume Records, Newcastle upon tyne, £8.49 (sale price).

Very playable three chord punk. Glitchy live recording, but fun enough to get past that. I haven't got a clue what they're singing as it's all in Japanese.

According to a scribbled note stuck in the case by one of the kindly staff of Volume (I'd imagine, being the kind of music this is, it'd be Lee or Has), the name translates as 'A-bomb Masturbations'. Fancy that. Come to think of it, I'd say this is the first time I've actually seen the front cover, as I'd never removed the note.

One of the more obscure items on my shelves, and there it shall stay.