TAIJI

Musique Concrete (8" flexi, 胎内レーベル, 1986, Japan)

Finally picked this up a few weeks ago, and I'm excited to share it. Self-described as "Unconscious & Finality Music." One long, and two shorter tracks of dark & hypnotic post-punky bass, distressed vocal, drumachine & electronics stuck in Divin purgatory. Totally excellent!

Their 1985 7" flexi release is available here. It's in a much more trashcan industrial vein. Would love a chance to hear their cassettes if anyone has them.

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Justine & Juliette

Kiss Of The Whip (cassette, Arbeit Group, 1988, US)

S&M themed industrial release from Arbeit Group collaborators, Elise Fife and Elizabeth Stephens-- their only tape. Recorded May '88 at the Arbeithaus. Engineered and mixed by Thomas Thorn.

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VA - Hora Aurea

Various Artists - Hora Aurea (cassette, Arany Kor, 1989, Austria)

Nice ritual/ambient/industrial compilation on Gerhard Petak's (of Allerseelen) label. Artists included are Mental Measuretech, Allerseelen, Place Of Clod, Salo Mentale, Kadmon, Dependance, Luciano Dari, Vox Populi!, and Act Of Faith.

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transmission 18

Here's a cavernous one.

Laughing Hands - Four

A.C. Marias - Drop

The Loved One - Crashless

Collectionism - The Side Effect

Dome - Breathsteps

Savant - Sensible Music

Mechthild Von Leusch - Rungholter Tanz 5A

Breathsteps

General Strike

My Body (7", Canal, 1979, UK)

This project consisted of three experimental music figureheads-- David Cunningham (Flying Lizards, Piano Records, etc.), David Toop, and Steve Beresford. Two wonderfully brief avant-pop-dub tracks.

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Gara

Manifest (8" EP, Explosion Records/Vital Plant Ltd., 1985, Japan)

Originally posted years back on the short-lived, Ghosts In The House. Unique & relentless dark postpunk/deathrock. This needed a repost.

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Sempiternels

Ekphrasis (cassette, La Légende Des Voix, 1989, France)

First release from Eric La Casa's La Légende Des Voix label. Great experimental/industrial.

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Metgumbnerbone

Cops Of Matter (cassette, Aeon, 1983, UK)

Rare & demented release from the enigmatic UK ritual improvisation group.

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Pacific 231

The Lost Judgement (cassette, Le Syndicat, 1985?, France)

Excellent early release from french sound artist, Pierre Jolivet a.k.a. Pacific 231 (Le Syndicat 08).

A new 2xCD documenting a large amount of unheard material from this time period, 1983-86 Compendium, is available to order here.

Pacific 231 Official Site

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transmission 17

In the last couple of months, I've dived head first into the world of Japanese 80's under-underground music. The dedicated bloggers at Stalking Duppi, Habit Of Sex, and a few others are solely responsible. This is a mix of some personal favorites I've found. The music is difficult to describe -- truly unique, dark, and sublime. I've included links to the tracks' respective posts.

Funeral Party - Dream Of Embryo (サンドノイズにまける子等) +

Duppi - はつねつのみやこ +

Pneuma - 滅びの塔 +

Lost - お前は呪文を唱へる +

Salaried Man Club - The Thought Of Y +

Noise - 羊 +

MLD - Dynamo +

Pale Cocoon - 自動人形 +

The Mask Of The Imperial Family - Untitled II +

A Page Of Madness

Nord

Nord (LP, Pinakotheca, 1981, Japan)

Debut LP from this dark-electronic duo. Nord is best known for the tense, minimal pulse-isms of their second and third LPs, LSD and Ego Trip. This one is much more abrasive, but still hints at the atmosphere they would conjure later.

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Le Syndicat

Le Document (cassette, Le Syndicat, 1982, France)

One of the earliest cassette releases from France's merciless bruitiste masters.

For an extensive history and shop catalogue visit - the official Le Syndicat site.

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EP-4

Lingua Franca-X (12", Atelier Peyotl, 1984, Japan)

From what I understand, this is what R.N.A. Organism morphed in to. Excellent repetitive experimental funk in the Czukay/Plank tradition. Atelier Peyotl was also responsible for the fantastic international compilation, Sound Cosmodel.

The second track, "dB", is the obvious standout. A whoosh of atonal guitar... precise, in-the-pocket rhythm section, hypnotic bell-synth (?) line, chanted/effected vocals.... all of this, within a crowded train station during a thunderstorm. Great stuff.

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Their full-length from 1983, "Lingua Franca-1" is available to check out here.

Anode/Cathode

Punkanachrock (7", Pinakotheca, 1981, Japan)

Posted years ago in the vast and essential archive which is Mutant Sounds. Supposedly recorded from 1975-77, but released by the highly sought-after Japanese Pinakotheca label in 1981 (in an awesome triangular sleeve).

There's a lot happening on this little record.... acid warped guitar, short delayed vocal ramblings, claustrophobic vibe throughout. Maybe a kindred spirit to Cabs' 70s attic explorations?

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They also appear on Vanity's elusive Music double LP compilation.

Bourbonese Qualk

The Spike (LP, Dossier, 1985, Germany)

Excellent & unique third full-length from the classic early industrial(?) pioneers.

The remaining members of the group set up an online archive of nearly all of their material, which you can check out here, 100% free.

BQ instigator, Simon Crab also has a very interesting blog - stalker.

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Art & Technique

Clima-X (LP, Hi-Tec Records, 1981, France)

The fantastic debut LP from France's under-appreciated avant-electronic unit. This is their only release that wasn't available for preview on the web. I thought I would change that.

Side A is quite an ambient venture in a similar synthetic, murky realm as maybe Mask Of The Imperial Family or a more muffled Empirical Sleeping Consort. Side B hints more in the direction of the record's successor, Diabolus In Mecanica, with its excellent use of rhythm boxes, sound generators and strange vocals- a la early Esplendor Geometrico, or possibly Bryn Jones' pre-Muslimgauze moniker E.g. Oblique Graph.

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More Art & Technique:

Putsch In Memoriam [7", 1981]

Diabolus In Mecanica [LP, 1982]

Alea Jacta Est [12", 1983]

YouTube channel

Hello again,

I've been uploading songs via YouTube daily under the username heliae.

Check in for dark electronics/post industrial/ritual/post punk/no wave/80's underground tracks here.