Knife And Ape - Sexual Tension

Aaron Dilloway #8

Meeting Aaron Dilloway and seeing his live performance at the ICA (London) in late 2009 was (for me) a turning point in how I approach, construct and present 'sound". His sound (to me) seemed to open doors of possibilities - still does - and then discovering Hanson Records a whole new catalogue of performers / artists was there … ready … I know, late to the party (as ever) but at least I'm here!
Since 2009 I have been trying to snap up any Dilloway release I can get my hands and ears on, the latest being the C40 cassette "Banned/Bent" on Banned Productions.
Late last year and I am sitting in the living space of Michael Muennich. Hamburg. We are chatting about the state of things when Michael says he has a new release coming out on "Bent". I smile, nod etc and ask where Bent are from. "U.S.A." … "You must have heard of Bent?" All I could think of was Pork Dukes. Weren't they on Bent Records? "They have released Haters and A:M:K". My mind was still a blank. "Bent Productions" says Michael incredulously "B-A-N-N-E-D .. Bent" Finally it sunk in .. "Ahhh Banned Productions, I've got an MB LP on Banned…yeah - fine label". So when I find out that Aaron Dilloway has released a cassette on Banned called "Banned/Bent" I wondered if he had had the same problem? Michael did organise a Dilloway show in Hamburg a year or so ago.

"Banned/Bent" does not disappoint. Two slices of classic Dilloway. "Banned" with a slow build of clicks, taps and slides and subtle introductions of layers of analog synthesisers, slowed voice samples and a didgeridoo which shift into a nervous swirl of insectual electronica and flutes. Well, that's what it all sounds like to me. A piece with no beats but plenty of rhythm. "Bent" is more of a journey / travelogue with the first ten minutes or so sounding like a walk from the sheet metal factory to the leafy suburbs with the sound of smashing metal (looped), light aircraft, bird song, traffic noise … reminiscent of Vile Plumage and their "The Plan Be Vile" mini album. Sub-conciously the sound shifts to electro-hum and that of a life support system before (slow) fading to raw bones and bare beef. Beautiful!
Keep the play button pressed down as there is a bonus track of jazz record loops …

Five years on and I have yet to hear a "poor" Dilloway release, or poor Hanson Records release to that matter. www.bannedproduction.com Necessary.

MuhMur SoundArt Radio Broadcast 20:03:2014

A wet and windy walk to the studio after a lovely bag o' chips and a cheese and onion "fry-it" from The Silver Grill…the finest chippy in Totnes. Chipper mood which was good seeing as March 20 was International Happiness Day! A few covers in the playlist including John Murphy's rendition of "Rose Garden" that appeared on the "36 Aus 430 Von 30" compilation, and "Charming Man" by the mysterious Unknown Singing Objects. The programme is uploaded on MixCloud. Please copy and paste :
http://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-soundart-radio-broadcast-200314/

Playlist:
01: Kranioklast : "No Caveman Bites The Dog" (Sonoria) 1997.
02: Bene Gesserit : "On Protėge Bien Les Requins (EE Tapes) 2012.
03: Unknown Singing Objects : "Charming Man" (Not On Label) 2012.
04: Nurse With Wound : "Pre-Menstrual Music For Merry Maidens" (SAF Publishing) 2003.
05: Margitt Holzt : "Bears Head" (Alrealon Musique) 2012.
06: Contrastate : "Haunted" (Verlautbarung) 2014.
07: John Murphy : "Rose Garden" (Edizioni Passarotto) 2013.
08: Con-Dom & The Grey Wolves : "Falling Star" (Power & Steel) 2002.
09: John Foxx : "No-One Driving" (Metal Beat Records) 1980.
10: Scars : "Horrorshow" (Fast Product) 1979.
11: White Hand : "Cusp" (Banned Productions) 1985.
12: Bombay Ducks : "Sympathy For The Devil" (Complete Control) 1980.
13: Nocturnal Emissions : "Sealing A Phase" (Soleilmoon Recordings) 1999.
14: Moon Unit : "No Money No Nothing" (Krayon Recordings) 2010.
15: The Past 7 Days : "Raindance" (4AD Records) 1981.

Thanks for listening …

Dieter Müh #53 : London Electrowerkz.

Dieter Müh will be playing their 53rd live performance at London Electrowerkz on Saturday April 26. Also performing will be You The Living, M.A.O., Black Light Ascension and Kommando. Tickets are £5 and the doors are 19:00 - 23:45.
Looking forward to meeting up again with Dan Hoffman lead protagonist of Kommando and ex-memeber of Thorofon. We met in Augsburg about 10 years back when Dieter Müh were supporting Genocide Organ. He told me about his deep love for all things Abba - no wonder I am looking worried.

Händer Som Värder

For the past few months I have been enjoying the sounds of Swedish project Händer Som Värder via various Swedish compilations such as "Sverige" LP, "Venice Of The North" cassette and recently the "Slutstationen" cassette on Styggelse. I got quite excited when I found the cassette "Depopulation" available through (the excellent) Swedish distributors Torden Ljud.
Händer Som Värder is the solo project of Henrik Söderström. Henrik also operates the label Unik Eld. "Depopulation" is a slight disappointment in a way that it is so poorly recorded it is unlistenable. It is one of those cassettes that makes me check if my cassette player is working OK. I run a couple of pro-dubbed and clean sounding tapes before getting the Q Tips out … Last year I bought a cassette by Slow Listener. "The Long Rain" released by Exotic Pylon. I met Robin Dickinson (aka The Slow Listener) at the Extreme Rituals event in Bristol and we got chatting so I was quite keen to hear his sound, but the cassette is unlistenable - Lo-Fi In Extremis. "Depopulation" reminds me of "The Long Rain". It is like listening to a slow trek through ear sludge and slime .. sounds / noises are just an undefinable bog. The title piece has such a "tape hum" it makes me think that it was recorded on a Carousel Portable tape machine that hasn't had a head clean since 1973. In the case of Slow Listener I thought I had a "bad copy" but I was told by Robin that his sound was meant to be really bad and sound like it was recorded on a Carousel Portable tape player etc etc. Is this the case with "Depopulation"?
"Depopulation" is on the Finnsh noise label Obscurex.

Notes From The Popside #5

The first real sunny day of the year, so a trip to Plainmoor was necessary. A man from the BBC said it was "Hotter than Greece in the South West" which is nice to know, what he didn't say was that folk in Greece were walking past the Parthenon saying "It's a bit nippy for this time of year", but never mind.
Torquay United, two thirds through the season are struggling. Rock bottom of the football league, and on their second manager of the season. Fleetwood Town (newcomers to the football league) are pushing for an automatic promotion slot - if not then definitely the "play-offs".
The match was OK. Plenty of football being played on the pitch. It was not all kick and rush like the last time I watched The Gulls in action, more like they were when they beat Yeovil Town in a pre-season friendly. Unfortunately they lacked penetration, no-one to get in to the areas and to have a pop at goal, in fact neither keeper was troubled much during the whole match.
Twenty or so minutes into the second half and it is still stalemate so Fleetwood Town make a double substitution and on comes their number 9 Jon Parkin. Built like a centre forward from the 1970's he (naturally) got the abuse of "Who Ate All The Pies?", and "Join Weightwatchers" etc but it was his pass that took out three Torquay Untied defenders, a beautiful (yet so simple) through ball to the feet of Jamille Matt that put Fleetwood one nil up and winners of the match. Torquay United would love a player like Jon Parkin.
Mumbles and grumbles on the walk home overhearing that it was all the referee's fault, poor decisions etc. but it was the match that sees Torquay United all but relegated and playing Conference League football next season. Northampton Town are the team above them and there's a 10 point gap! Never mind at least I will get to see 'em play Lincoln City next season …

Pictures.
1: Programme (Damien Lathrope on the cover).
2: Oscar & Ben study the programme.
3: The hardest job in show business.
4: Goalmouth action!

MuhMur SoundArt Radio Broadcast : 06:03:2014

A playlist mainly driven by the thought that 6+3+14 = 23, time to dig into some old "industrial" sounds and mix with the new! On my way to the studio the mist and fog was drifting over the moor towards Totnes making the Current 93 piece the perfect soundtrack … The Academy 23 + The Grey Wolves track is from the compilation "Power To Destroy" on Lebensborn and the Hunting Lodge track is from the Vinyl On Demand box set rather than the original Nekrophile cassette.

Playlist:
01: Current 93 : "She Is Naked Like The Waves" (Coptic Cat) 2010.
02: Trepaneringsritualen : "ÅKALLAN:Mimir" (Malignant Records) 2014.
03: Dieter Mũh : "Let Him To Sleep" (Licht Und Stahl) 2010.
04: Psychic T.V. : "Themes 2 (Part 2)" (Cold Spring Records) 2011.
05: The Anti Group : "Love Flowers In The Desert" (Atonal Records) 1985.
06: Phauss : "Supreme Bliss (She Killed Them All And They Liked It)" (TOPYScan) 1990.
07: Academy 23 + The Grey Wolves : "Terror Intensifies" (Lebensborn) 1983.
08: X-TG : "Breach" (Industrial Records) 2012.
09: Wertham : "Which Way Western Man" (Old Europa Cafe) 2008.
10: Z'ev : "Wipe Out" (Fetish Records) 1982.
11: Throbbing Gristle : "The Old Man Smiled" (Industrial Records) 1980.
12: Hunting Lodge : "Learn To Will 2" (Vinyl On Demand) 2010.
13: The Pop Group : "She Is Beyond Good And Evil" (Radar Records) 1979.
14: The Desperate Bicycles : "(I Make The) Product" (Refill Records) 1978.

The broadcast is uploaded on Mixcloud - please copy & paste this link:
http://www.mixcloud.com/muhsteve/muhmur-soundart-radio-broadcast-6314/
The next programme will be 9pm on March 20.

Sleaford Mods - Tied Up In Nottz