Background Noise: The Sydney DIY/post punk cassette scene 1979 to 1983
this morning a special preview of the Sydney post punk tribute performance event called Wiltshire Street Noise (Wiltshire Street Surry Hills being the location of the pivotal M squared studio) on Sunday, January 17 from 5 PM to 10:30 PM at the Sandringham Hotel Hotel upstairs, in Newtown. Background Noise and the dust Museum following will present a joint foray into the Sydney DIY/post punk cassette scene (very limited editions) from 1979 to 1983. Nearly all of the music will come from the archives of Richard who was the founder of Severed Heads. And he used to co-present the cassette show on this very radio station at the time. It was a very vibrant period musically with the energy of punk but injected with a whole variety of new musical ideas and experimentation. Many recordings were done in bedrooms on four track reel to reel tape recorders and cheap cassette recorders. As you will know from past programs post punk was a worldwide phenomenon. This morning you’ll hear from groups such as M squared groups, The Makers of the Dead Travel Fast and the farewell concert of The Systematics also, Great White Noise, negative reaction, no-v-bleet , mice against God (with the Godfather of the Sydney underground at the time and former MBS contemporary music pioneer, Ian Hartley), Hiroshima chair and the wet taxis. It’s over to you Richard.
Cassette, artist, track title, year
two of M squared cassettes, 100 copies only
boxed brownies (M squared groups recorded live on a cassette player), the makers of the dead travel fast (who have reformed with original members and will be playing at Wiltshire Street noise), promenade promenade and funny timing, the Neapolitan man inhales water, 1981 at brownies upstairs at the old Paddington Green the home of M squared nights
stall (the farewell performance of the Systematics at the trade union club in Sydney),, New Year’s Day 1982. MC was someone familiar, 28 years ago, in a career from my 21st on December 13, 1980 until New Year’s Day 1982 the Systematics did 40 live performances playing with other M squared and post punk bands, laughing clowns and even supporting the cure. All over Sydney and Wollongong and Newcastle.
introduction +3 tracks
Background Noise: 2009 review in music and the arts
Richard Fielding and John Blades return for our annual review of the year in music and the arts. It has been a very rich year culturally, the biggest year for outsider art and a wealth of Australian exploratry music releases on CD and vinyl and incredible compilations. Tinged with some very sad passings. We will intersperse my top music releases for the year with lists of other releases and the events of the year. The music you hear this morning will be my selections from the releases from this year approximately in the order in which they were released. Also, program promos from some of our local and international guests during the year. There are a number of releases from this year, 2009 which we will be playing in the year as we did not get around to playing them this year.
LISTS 1 and 2, DVD’s and books (1′ 15″)
Artist, Title, Label, Track, Title, Duration
1.various, pardon me for barging in like this -M squared box, vinyl on demand, release of the year, scattered order (label founders Mitch Jones and Michael tee) record 1 (waiting for you to come home) side 1, track 4 , “Untitled”, 3′ 12″
record 5 compilation (your company’s logo here) side 1, track 2, Height dismay, dusk,1′ 53″
2.Rauschgold: Alec Empire, Alec Empire plays staubgold, staubgold, 10,faust,a seventies event,2’ 17”,
3.various, BAKU: SYMPHONY OF SIRENS SOUND EXPERI.MENTS IN THE SOVET AVANT GARDE – ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS AND RECONSTRUCTIONS of 74 KEY WORKS of MUSIC, POETRY and AGITPROP from the RUSSIAN AVANT GARDE 1908-1942,rer megacorp, -cd/book release of the year, exquisite, CD 1, , 8,laboratory of hearing,Dziga Vertov, 1916,34″
9,dziga vertov filmmaker,1916,1’ 18”, created phonogramsusing the phonograph discs.
16,overture,igor severyanin,1915,1’32”, ego futurist – new rhythm in poetry and a new orchestration of sounds.
21,the family of vowels laughing, David Burliuk,1915,57”, father of Russian futurism
22,Finland,Elena guro,1913,1’14”12’30”
promo 1, LISTS 3, performances and events (4′)
4.Laurie Scott Baker,gracility, musicnow, CD 1, 12,pibroch the call,3′ 27″, Evan Parker
5.Germ (Clare Cooper and Chris Abrahams), germ studies, splitrec, CD 1, 9,eating own shoulder,1’ 32”,94,full metal guzheng,2’ 01” *,
6.Pimmon ,Smudge Another Yesterday, Preservation,1, come on join the choir invisible,2′ 41″
4, Don’t Remember,3′ 30″
7.various, Elementality revisited, bases frequencies,, Elementality remix part one, The Loop Orchestra,5′ 12″
promo 2, LISTS 4, Exhibitions (1′ 30″)
Background Noise Tuesday, December 29, 2009 continued
8.Shane Fahey, the slated pines, endgame records, 4, scatter floor for food,4′
9.roil (Chris Abrahams piano, Mike Majkowski double bass, James Naples percussion, meaning, Rufus records,5, lam into,5′ 14″
10.the necks , Silverwater, fish as milk,34’-38’,
11.various, Messthetics #107 — DIY 78 — 81 London three,hyped2death, 15, 49 Americans, Newton’s laws,1′ 11″
12.Gods gift — pathology 1979 — 1984,”, 6, the strong and the weak,3′ 50″,
Promo 3, list five, movies and television (2′) (lists reading –8′ 45″)
RIP, slipped away but not forgotten
musical tribute to Nick Waterlow, The Loop Orchestra, Anthony Mannix and Dr Gareth Jenkins, excerpt from a cerebral odyssey
Background Noise: UK DIY/Post Punk music from London 1978-81 and Manchester 1979-84
this morning A Prelude to the 2010 festival of Sydney tribute to Sydney post punk from 1979 to 1983.Signal to noise.
We Return to the Independent DIY post punk English music. Two new releases on the hyped2death label.
Messthetics #107, DIY 1978 to 1981 London part three, and a collection called pathology by Gods gift from Manchester 1979 to 1984. But firstly the years following punk in London and the energy of punk was joined by a plethora of new musical arrangements and ideas. It was real DIY cottage industry with handmade 7 inch limited-edition (commonly 500) record covers with the edition numbers hand drawn. One of the important small labels was the dining out label. Relevant more widely known groups interacting with the London DIY scene included a certain ratio ,the pop group,joy division,swell maps and scritti politi. Some of the groups were listening to German Kraut rock and early Brian Eno. John Peel was a great fan of many of the bands. And his support was very important. Bedroom recordings on four track were the order of the day. Most recordings are from the years 1980/81.
Some Band members became members of groups such as 23 skidoo and the flying lizards.
Track, artist,title, duration, information
3, avocados, I never knew, 2′ 26″
4, occult chemistry, occult chemistry,1′ 32″
5, patterns, the Bishop (edit ) 4′ 14″, featuring really inventive vocal and musical arrangements and the voice of Blatt from the native hipsters who formed from Patterns.
6, six minute war, weathermen, 2′ 50″
7, Demon preacher, Royal Northern,2′ 45″
10, stolen power, Little White lies,2′ 54″
BREAK
11, flags, is God love?, 2′ 54″, sounds like scattered order, they developed completely independently proving that post punk was a worldwide phenomenon.
*15, 49 Americans, Newton’s laws,1′ 11″, they had over 49 members over their existence, the main member was a fellow by the name of Giblet. Other members included at various times improvisers Steve Beresford, David Toop and Max Eastly (hence interaction with the London musicians collective), Viv Albertine from the slits and nag and Bendle from the door and the window.
*17, the milkmen, since you went away,2′ 17″, recorded one of their demos at Ariwa studios of the then relatively unknown mad professor.
*19, design for living, one to the wise,2′ 46″, formed by Fawcett from Patterns.Everybody helped and encouraged each other.
21, 49 Americans, should be more ideal,1′ 54″
Background Noise Tuesday, December 15, 2009 Continued
moving north to Manchester:
Gods Gift (deliberately and ironically with no apostrophe ) , Collection Called Pathology 1979 — 1984. The mainstays of the band over the years were Steve Edwards on vocals and Steve Murphy on guitar, his Musical interests at the time of their formation was rock and Steve Edwards included Roxy music and David Bowie. Bands which they went to see included the Buzzcocks, The Fall and Joy division. Their main inspiration for starting the band was the Velvet Underground. They thought, they cannot play their instruments but they are brilliant. Rather cynical and often nihilistic Steve Edwards famously said to the audience “watcha dancing for, it’s tuneless you pillock”. At least six of the members over the years worked inside Prestwich Asylum, the largest psychiatric hospital in the UK at the time (2500 patients). The hospital’s grayness, hopelessness, and constant menace permeated not just GG’s tunes and lyrics, but their very stage-presence, Edwards in work clothes and Murphy with his back to the audience.They Were Associated with the label new hormones at a time when factory records dominated Manchester. They became involved with the Manchester musicians collective through which they were always assured of gigs
Track, Title, Duration, details
1,3,4,5,6,
1, anaesthetic,4′ 06″, about drinking culture in the north-west of England
3, Jacqueline’s admission,5′ 41″, based on a short story written by Steve Murphy while working on an acute admissions ward at the hospital.
4, no god (12 inch version),5′ 02″, written by Steve Murphy in a library at the age of 15.
5, discipline,4′ 24″, to be released in a special edition on the play loud label along with a live DVD in 2010.
6, the strong and the weak,3′ 50″, about the wide chasm between nurses and patients at Prestwich Asylum.
Both Releases are on the hyped2death label (hyped2death.com).Thank You to Chuck Warner from hyped to death for the CDs.
Next Program in two weeks will be our annual review of the year in music and the arts. You can listen to all previous editions of background noise at
anonradio.wordpress.com including the last special programme with Lloyd Swanton and Chris Abrahams From the Necks
Background Noise: Lloyd Swanton and Chris Abrahams, The Necks and their new CD Silverwater
this morning in a very special background noise we are proud to welcome to the studio two thirds of Australia’s internationally acclaimed globetrotting improvisers The Necks double bassist And bass guitarist, Lloyd Swanton and pianist/keyboardist Chris Abrahams, the other member being Tony Buck who plays percussion and more recently electric guitar resides in Berlin. Welcome to background noise Lloyd and welcome back Chris. Thank you so much for coming in. This morning Lloyd and Chris will be leading us through Silverwater, the new CD and along the way will be sharing some insights into their practice as well as some candid stories from their travels.
Background Noise: New Work by Australian experimental sound artists, Shane Fahey And A Cloakroom Assembly And Archival recordings by Rik Rue
this morning Three Meticulous Sydney-based sound sculptors. Shane Fahey founding member of the legendary Sydney post punk group The Makers of the Dead Travel Fast is a multidimensional sound artist. His brand new CD on his own label Endgame Records is titled The Slated Pines. And A Cloakroom Assembly, the mysterious Sydney post punk music and experimental sound project of M squared co-founder and one half of the original scattered order Michael Tee, and beautiful new sound explorations.Including Interviews with Michael in Canberra and Shane in New York. And a recently assembled collection of historic sound constructions by the highly respected rik Rue.
Firstly, the slated Pines by Shane Fahey.I spoke to Shane two days ago From New York.
Track, title, duration
3, get some out time,5′ 52″
4, scatter floor for food,4′ 00″
7, for and against the noise barrier,9′ 33″
Now,
A Cloakroom Assembly,new recordings and I spoke to Michael Tee about the new recordings from Canberra yesterday.
CD1,internal variations(…HD 189733b)
Track,title,duration
3,24032008c,6’22”
CD2,jZZbltn8
1,5
1,260208,5’17”
5, 080208a,5′49″
Finally Rik Rue (a collaborator with Shane Fahey over the years), recent and not so recent sound collage works.
Track, title, duration
2, Stockman one (cut up for future improvisation),1′14″ or
6, a fistful of grunts,3′ 22″
9, uncommercial ad hoc (mix three),5′ 59″
WHAT’S ON
A Music Night not to be missed at great the Abercrombie Hotel on
HotelHotel at 8 PM on Saturday, November 28 with reformed flagships of the M squared label, scattered order Mark one (with M squared founders Mitch Jones And Michael Tee) and the makers of the dead travel fast and the craftsmen of soundscape, a slow rip and carefully chosendjs .Entry $12 and the performances will be in the beer garden at the rear. Word games galore, the night is called three heads meet messmer and koo koo.
The next background noise will be a very special programme with studio guests Lloyd Swanton and Chris Abrahams from the necks presenting the new CD called Silverwater. As well as some candid necks stories.
Background Noise: Swedish Text Sound part two and forerunners of Swedish electronic music
this morning part two of Swedish text sound: a Stockholm Festival.CDs four and five from the five CD set released in 2005 on the Swedish label fylkingen. Swedish text sound is really an amalgam of sound poetry, text, concrete poetry and electroacoustics. There Is a Great Freedom of the Swedish word intended to free Swedish languageSome of the Work Is particularly Dada phonic reminiscent of Hugo Ball and Kurt Schwitters from the early 20th century. Unless stated otherwise all text sound pieces played this morning were realised at the studios of the EMS in Stockholm. Later forerunners of Swedish electronic music.
CD 4
track, artist, title, year, duration
3, Sandro Key-Aberg (1922 -1991), Tro-Hopp-Karlek (faith -hope -love) 1970,6′ 47″
He Was a major Swedish poet of his generation. This was his first attempt at text sound composition.
Realised at the Swedish radio.
5, Ilmar Leaban(1921 -2000), Stentorsston 1968,4′ 56
He Was Born in Estonia and moved to Sweden in 1943. He was very steeped in the tradition of the European avant-garde.
Particularly Dada phonic and a real freedom of the Swedish language. Electronic sound poetry. His work is pure sound poetry with echoes of Russian zaum (linguistic experiments in Russian futurism coined in 1913) and French lettrism began in the 1940s — a real dissection of language in this case Swedish and annihilation of the word.
6, Ilmar Leaban, I revolutionens sno (In the Snow of Revolution, 1970,3′ 51″
Again Swedish Dada phonics, electroacoustic sound poetry.
8, Ilmar Leaban, Ciel Inamputable (unamputable sky), 1970,4′ 07″
More freeing of Swedish language through multitrack Dada phonics
9, Ilmar Leaban, Des Dalles Et Des (about stone plates and dices) 1970,2′ 40″
CD5 Some European points of reference from the festival in Stockholm.
track, artist, title, year, duration
1, arrigo lora-totina (b 1928),chiacchere, 1976, 5′ 07″
He Is a poet, performance artist, painter and leading figure in Italian avant-gardism.Realised in his own studio in Italy.
5, Ladislav Novak (1925 -87), les miroirs aux alouettes, 1968, 3′ 07″
Was a Czech poet, painter and most notably collagist and a pioneer in Czechoslovakian concrete poetry.
6,”,ceterum autem, 1969,2′ 12″.These pieces have very little if any electroacoustic treatment.
9, Paul De Vree (1909-84), Stockholm ode, April bel sneow, 1971,5’07”front figure of the Belgian avante- garde.His concrete poems were very influential.First text sound composition in 1965.
Now some forerunners of Swedish electronic music,1955-65 from cd released on fylkingen in 2008.The first electronic music studio the EMS in Stockholm didn’t open until 1965.These early compositions mainly with reel-to-reel tape were made at home or other tape studios.
Track,Artist,Title,year,Duration, where realised
2,3,5,6,7
2,bengt hambraeus, doppetrohr 2, 1955,4′ 01″, realised at the studios of WDR cologne
(1928 -2000) The First Important Composer and Introducer of electronic music in Sweden. Very much musique concrete composition. He connected with Stockhausen and others in Germany.
3,rune lindblad,optica 2,1958-1959,5′ 57″, realised at the composer’s studio vastra frolunda
(1923 -1991) The First Person in Sweden to make tape music (1953). This piece is the result of experimentation with magnetic film sound.
5,arne mellnas,nite music,1964,6′04”, realised at the San Francisco tape music centre
(1923 -2002).He Was Involved in studies at the Darmstadt School in Germany in 1960. Wonderful early table loop composition.
Background Noise: Swedish Text Sound Composition Part One
this morning the first of two parts on Swedish text sound composition courtesy of the Swedish fylkingen label. Released originally between 1960 and and 1977 in conjunction with the Swedish radio.Documentation of the international text sound composition a Stockholm festival which occurred several times between those years in Stockholm. This is a reissue on five CDs (2005)of the long out of print seven LP records of the recordings. Incredible recordings many of which were realised at the Stockholm Conservatory. Although the festival was international I have chosen to concentrate on the work of the lesser known in Australia, Swedish text sound artists. The Swedish text sound is really like a marriage of text and fragments of language and electroacoustics,intended to free Swedish language. Utilising electronic studio processing of text readings.With Elements of concrete poetry and music. A few historical markers:
Concrete Music was introduced to audiences in Sweden at a fylkingen concert as early as 1952. In the words of one of the important Swedish text sound composers Sten Hanson: Fylkingen was founded in 1933 as a chamber music Society to organise concerts in Stockholm mainly of contemporary music. In the mid-60s Fylkingen was divided into several working groups with different artistic and theoretical roles not solely music .One of which was dedicated to the linguistic arts and was chaired by 30-year-old bengt emil Johnson. The term text-sound composition was coined in 1967 in Sweden by the composers/writers Lars-Gunnar Bodin and Bengt Emil Johnsson
The reason for choosing the term text sound composition was that it could be neutral in its description. And could cover everything from sound poetry to Stockhausen.It embraced a whole history from Russian(zaum) and Italian Futurism(which freed the word),Dada poetry(such as Hugo Ball and Kurt Schwitters),surrealism and the Fench Lettrism.Also the new electroacoustics and the reel-to-reeltape recorder a la Pierre Schaeffer’s musique concrete.
bengt emil Johnson and Lars Gunnar Bodin worked at the Swedish radio and in 1967 they were sent to a conference on radiophonic art.All the pieces you will hear were recorded at the studios of the EMS(Electronic music) Stockholm unless stated.
CD 1
Track, Artist, Title, Year, Time
2,Lars Gunnar Bodin,Fom Any Point To Another,8’57”, 1968
(b.1935) has been a central figure in Swedish electroacoustic music since the 1960s.
4,”, Plus,1′ 18″, 1976 start the program with
5,svante bodin, Transition to Majorana Space, 10′ 59″, 1968
(b.1942)is the brother of Lars Gunnar Bodin is a meteorologist and during the 60s and 70s he was a text sound composer using his experience in science as a base for his compositions.
CD 2
Track, Artist, Title, Year, Time
7, Sten Hanson, Che,1′ 24″, 1968
8,”,coucher et souffler,3′ 25″, 1968
9,”, La Destruction de votre code genetique par drogues,toxines et irradation,1′ 47″, 1969
11,”, au 197.0,5′ 43″, 1976
12,”,biopsie 9.ne restez pas debout,4′ 15″, 1968
(b.1936)has worked in experimental music, literature and performance art since the 1960s.President of Fylkingen 1961-84.
Background Noise Tuesday, October 20, 2009,CONTINUED
CD 3
Track, Artist, Title, Year
8,Bengt Emil Johnson,2/67(Medan),1967
Recorded at the Swedish Radio(b.1936)Started working with text sound composition in 1963 and is one of the first in the field.Pioneer of Swedish text sound composition.
visit www.fylkingen.se.Thanks to Daniel at Fylkingen.
WHAT’S ON
Firstly, the exhibition opened last night and I spoke to Prof Colin Rhodes a few days ago.The Gallery Is Open Monday to Friday 10 AM to 4:30 PM and midday until 4 PM on Sundays, Anne is visiting from America and will be speaking at the exhibition today, Wednesday from midday to 1 PM phone 9351 6883
Everyone should see the quintessential outsider art exhibition in the first exhibition by Susan King from New Zealand at the Callan Park outsider art Gallery, Sydney College of the arts in Rozelle, open Saturdays 11 AM to 4 PM or by appointment.Until Saturday, October 31.
Next Program CDs Four and Five from This Collection of Swedish Text Sound Composition As Well As Some pioneers of Swedish electronic music.
Background Noise: Music That Shocked the World, the incredible outsider art of Susan King
The link is here this morning parts three and four of the special four-part radio series music that shocked the world produced by APM studios. We begin with part three.
Part four is a multilayered mega-mix/montage of musical styles from the 20/21st century. The styles and genres covered include the development of blues and jazz, avant-garde orchestral, electronic, minimalism and rock ‘n’ roll. For background to the programs and samples visit www.apmstudios.com.au/mtstw.
Interview with the curator Peter Fahey of a quintessential outsider art exhibition by New Zealand outsider artist Susan King. Raw, visionary, intuitive and overwhelming. Her first exhibition.
this morning an interview with and feature on Brisbane-based sound artist Joel Stern and the label Nature Strip . He is a multifaceted artist with a deep knowledge of and passion for experimental film. We Will Be Featuring a range of releases on the label with insights provided by him. I Spoke to Joel yesterday afternoon from Melbourne.
CD 1 (label release number five) Leaves by Eugene Carchesio and Leighton Craig
track, title, duration
1, untitled,5′ 56″
7, untitled,9′ 23″
CD2 from Joel Stern 2008, objects, masks and props (nature strip release number six).
Track, title, duration
1,Stradbroke Verse,4’57”
4,Wake In Fright,2’18”(a homage to the 1971 Australian film,a soundtrack?)
6.Dead Lakes,4’33”
8.Fortitudes End,4’12”
CD three
loren chasse -the footpath (nature strip release number seven),
6, footpath apparitions IV,7’16”
7,arbor pores III,4’16” (nothing like a close recording of rain falling)
Background Noise: Interview with and feature on Paul Lester, English post punk/beat poet
this morning at feature on the punk/beat English poet Paul Lester from his earliest recordings in 1975 to a CD of recent readings released last year. He really came into recognition during the post punk movement in the English Midlands(Birmingham) in 1980 with his group Lester and The Brew. Continuing on from our Sydney post punk excursions in the last two programs Through M Squared. The same vibe and musical vibrancy and inventiveness was happening in the years following punk all over the world: Australia, UK, Europe and America. I spoke to Paul Lester yesterday and his words will be intermingled with his poetry.
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