What We Listened To - October 2024
Tom kicked us off with Bruce Haack’s Electronic Record For Children from 1969, taking us back to a time when at least part of the intended audience for wiggy electronic weirdness was kids, via the somewhat harrowing Spiders. Then we enjoyed the strangely affecting MIDI-folk of Thomas Bush’s Old And Red (2018) before finishing with an outsider classic from Ireland, Michael O’Shea’s self-titled album from 1982 in which he conjures up some dark and deeply percussive soundscapes from a homemade zither-like instrument constructed from an old door.
Tom M treated us to a selection of covers - Silverfish’s hardcore version of White Lines from 1990, Revolting Cocks’ take on Da Ya Think I’m Sexy (1993) which boasted both a great groove and a mildly upsetting KY Jelly-filled sleeve, and finally Saint Etienne’s delirious acid reworking of I’m Too Sexy (1992).
Josh drew up some more treasures from his inexhaustible well of 7-inches, starting with You’ve Got What It Takes - a 1964 release from Mandy Rice-Davies in a charming bid to parlay her Profumo notoriety into a pop career. Next, we heard two covers of the Misfits’ Angel Fuck - one by Pajo from Scream With Me (2009) and one from Orange Hell’s self-titled comp from 2023. Finally we heard 1966’s Makin’ Deals by The Satans - a song that bears a remarkable resemblance to the later Sympathy for the Devil.
Jeremy introduced us to Deutsche Grammophon’s Avant Garde imprint with two selections from a 1968 recording by Chor Des Norddeutschen Rundfunks Hamburg - David Beford’s Two Poems for Chorus and Ligeti’s Lux Aeterna, which boasts some truly stunning dense vocal textures.
Paul kept us in the avant-garde space with an except from Conlon Nancarrow’s relentless Complete Studies For Player Piano Volume Four (1984), before switching into disco mode for Lata Ramasar’s India-via-Trinidad 12” The Greatest Name That Lives (1980) and finishing with George Coleman’s Bongo Joe (1969) - performed, according to the credits, on a 55-gallon oil drum.
Harry introduced us to the wonderful, late James Chance via a live LP of his band Contortions, Live Aux Bains Douches from 1980, including electrifying free-funk covers of Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough and I Got You (I Feel Good) - killer stuff.
Nick brought us the dub-disco of Tappa Zukie’s 12” Freak - a record he didn’t know he owned until choosing something to bring - before bringing us a really intriguing mispressing - a record that alleged to be Captain Beefheart’s Bluejeans & Moonbeams (1974) but actually contained a side of psychedelic jazz-prog from Hatfield And The North - released on Virgin in the same year.
Erin took us back to 2005 with Death From Above 1979’s Blood on our Hands 7”, before switching up into hardcore mode with Alexisonfire’s Accidents from the same year.
And finally Ben rounded out the night with an amazing grab-bag of stray singles and one-offs from the mighty KLF - Disco 2000’s Uptight, America What Time Is Love, Kylie Said To Jason, The Jamms’ It’s Grim Up North, The Timelords’ Doctorin’ The Tardis and of course the anthemic Justified And Ancient with Tammy Wynette.