Filth & The Dilloway

This year saw the realization of a release that had been in the workings since 2006. Back then Steve Underwood of Harbinger Sound made it known that he wanted to put out a vinyl record of IBF AKA Ideas Beyond Filth AKA a project that I was involved with back in the 1980's. First came the idea of a lathe cut disc limited to 23 copies. Harbinger Sound being masters of the ultra limited lathe cut release. Think Culver, think Government Alpha, think MOTE.
I had to get in touch with the other half of IBF to find out if he was all keen and thumbs up, and what would he like to hear on the record. The other half is a guy called Tim who lives in the 'burbs of Perth Western Australia.
Back in the 1980's IBF released a couple of cassettes and appeared on a plethora of compilation cassettes, perhaps our greatest achievement was being included on the 1986 compilation LP "Songs Of the New International" that Recloose Org released in Picture disc format. The track was produced by Simon Crab of Bourbonese Qualk. Our track "Why The Confusion?" is a favourite of Steve's and when I first met him in 1994 and mentioned that I was in IBF I think he has always been keen to put something out.
Tim compiled the EP. He is a computer wizard and managed to clean up some old cassettes.
That was 2006. At the end of 2008 Steve called to say that he had given up on the idea of a 23
lathe cut release and was prepared to put out a 12" pressing limited to 100. He had mentioned the idea of releasing a product by IBF to a few folk and a few folk had shown interest, so a 100 limited edition it was.
IBF began in 1983. Sean Rorke, Tim Bayes and myself. Lincoln, UK, 1983. Back then a group of us would get together, make a noise, make a few tapes and maybe play a gig only to disband and reform under another name with a new kind of noise. This is what happened in 1983. We made a racket, recorded some of it and played a one-off live show in Sean's house. We split, with Sean & I moving to Manchester and Tim spending a few months in Austin, Texas. Tim never liked the UK winter and would fly out to Austin to live with Dan Plunkett & Co. (The ND Magazine folk.) come the winter months. In 1985 with Tim now firmly back in the UK and myself back in Lincoln we resurrected IBF. For roughly 6 months we created a "daily regime" where we recorded every day. I was living in a place that was a recording studio and rehearsal space.
If we knew that 23 years later what we were recording would be released on vinyl - then maybe we would have produced more "quality" material, but Tim and I would probably spend three / four hours max on an idea and then it was on to the next.
In 1986 we kind of split when I moved back to Manchester. I still did recordings with Tim, but not under the IBF moniker.

Steve being the generous soul that he is gave me a wodge of IBF 12"'s and pointed me in the direction of Hanson Records. At the start of the year I was on Facebook. (Not now though - don't try and find me). Aaron Dilloway was on Facebook too, Aaron was keen to have the 12" on his mail order roster. Aaron remembered IBF from the time when we were releasing stuff on compilations. ND Tapes, Recloose Org and especially the "Wolfsangel" 2xC90 release that Peter Zinken @ Bloedvlag Produkt put out in 1986. I (more or less) traded all of my copies of the 12" to Aaron. In return I got a box full of Hanson goodies.
At this point I have to point out that I had never heard a Dilloway record - cassette - CD. I knew he was a founder of Wolf Eyes, but, I had never heard Aaron Dilloway as a solo or collaborative artiste. I was thinking he would be something along the lines of a cheap bedroom noise master, there are so many in the States! I have seen pictures of Aaron with contact mic's and microphones stuck in his mouth, pictures of a writhing noise artiste. Needless to say that I was and am pleasantly surprised. What I received (i am eternally grateful) is probably the best stuff I have heard in years. The 12" "Lucifer Rising" and split cassette/CD with Robert Turman are masterpieces with which I shall be buried.

Aaron wanted me (as Dieter Muh) to support him on his UK tour in the Spring. The tour he did with Nate Young. Unfortunately the tour was pretty much a closed book vis-a-vis support and the only one we could do was in Newcastle, with no guarantee of payment, but we could kip on somebody's floor. I live in Torquay and do not drive. We had to turn it down. Shame.

In the spring of 2009 the 12"EP was released. It sold. It bloody sold. It got good reviews and a positive response. What the bloody hell was going on?
In November I got a call from Aaron. He wants to release an IBF album on compact disc. Aaron was playing a show at the ICA in London in November, I had to go and meet. We met and chatted, swapped stories and product. Aaron wants to put out, on Hanson Records, a full album by IBF. New material?? Old material?? Aaron was not concerned, just wanted to hear what we wanted to release - so 2010 will see the first album by IBF. (we will drop the <<>> brackets and the full title of Ideas Beyond Filth). 27 years after we all gathered in Sean's bedroom in Lincoln we shall produce all new IBF CD.
Life is strange.
Hopefully Sean will be able to appear on a track too....