Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Area Condizionata 3: Videogames For The Blind (tape, 1983)


Vittore Baroni from the infamous Trax label released a magazine called Area Condizionata, which lasted three issues. The first one was about Italian industrial music, the second about 'the voice' and the third about videogames. I don't have the other two, but this one is quite nice, with contributions from Nocturnal Emissions, Attrition, Asmus Tietchens, Bourbonese Qualk, and others less known. On the b-side the tracks are cross faded with some jingle like sound, making it impossible to seperate. Includes a complete scan of the magazine. If anyone has the other two volumes, or indeed any tape on Trax, please let me know (433rpm@gmail.com)


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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Nemesis (tape, Zona Music, 1989)


Nemesis was an Italian magazine, which I no longer have (I think), but the third issue came with a compilation that included Robert Horton's Plateau project, O Yuki Conjugate, Zone, Los Espejos Velados and Nature And Organisation. A bit of a stupid cover, me thinks, but especially O Yuki Conjugate and Zone are nice.

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Monday, October 29, 2007

Nasmak - Duel (LP, Plurex 3200, 1983)


Third album by this group from Eindhoven, after some line up change. I don't think it was well-received at the time, but I think it was perhaps way ahead of its time. Soon to follow are their fourth and last LP, and four of the six Indecent Exposure tapes. I am still looking for volume 5 and 6, as well as the Zick Zack 12", Heartache Blow Up 12" and Plaster 7", so if anyone can help. 'Duel' was donated by an anonymous source, so I don't have the original (hence no extra images)

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Sunday, October 28, 2007

Boh Sampler (tape, Boh De Records, 1983)


Boh stands for 'Binnenlandse Ontwikkelings Hulp' and was foremost a fanzine from Den Haag, The Netherlands. They released a bunch of tapes, which I never saw, except for this one which love and cherish. It has (post-)punk like bands like Niet Reeel Aanbod, Gruppenbild, Zyklon B, but also electronic music from Accessibility, Frans Lelieveld and Texas Instruments. Lelieveld is also the guy that is responsible for the 'Alien' 12" published earlier on this blog. I was a good boy and scanned the entire booklet that came with it.

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Saturday, October 27, 2007

The Visitor - Liquid & Crystalline (12", Tophole, 1983), Ecoline (tape, Shifting Time Production 1982)



At last, another record, for those who dispared that I wouldn't be doing any records anymore. Following their 'Eye Of Madness' 7"posted here ages ago, here are the follow-up releases to that 7", their self-released cassette 'Ecoline', which sold some 1400 copies in it's days and the mini-album Liquid & Crystalline. The Vistor came from Friesland out of a folk band, this all highly inspired by Joy Division and The Cure this music, but still stands in time. This post was donated by an anonymous source, who also took these picures. Some of their later records are apparentely still available from Top Hole, at least looking at their website: top hole, so these I won't post. Still, the golden rule: buy records and support independents

new download link, is not mine, and includes also black and gold cassette

Friday, October 26, 2007

Narwal - Nirvana 4 (tape, De Fabriek, 198?)



Not much else to report than this is the fourth Narwal tape, and not the second as said earlier. Rather than changing the download, it's easier to change the image. Nirvana 2 will follow soon then.

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Thursday, October 25, 2007

PGR/Thessalonians - The Concentration Of Light Prior To Combustion (tape, Banned Production, 1986)


More by them, but splitted here. One side has four pieces by PGR and the other three by Thessalonians. Nice packaging like usually with Banned Productions, and especially the PGR pieces are a must hear.

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Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Provoke Oktober 1988 (tape, 1988)


The other volume I have from this magazine, includes music by Stetsasonic, Skinny Puppy, Mute Drivers, Philip Boa & The Voodooclub, The Klinik, Boys & Girls University, Scarecrow, Pearls For Swains, Sugarcubes and Greater Than One.

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Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Provoke Mei 1988 (tape, 1988)


In the 80s there was one big music magazine in the Netherlands, Muziekkrant Oor, who hardly wrote about experimental music. Vinyl, the one with flexi's, did, so it was a bit unclear why we needed Provoke. Three issues were made, with a cassette and that I think was the downside: nobody wanted a tape, even if it had 'well-known names'. The magazine disappeared after three issues. I have the tapes that came with the May 1988 and the October 1988 issue, I'll post soon the other one. This one has exclusive tracks by Thelema, Spasmodique, Guler, The Shaved Pigs, Sixth Comm, Legendary Pink Dots, Startled Insects and C Cat Trance. If anyone has the third tape, which had Muslimgauze, among others, please let me know (433rpm@gmail.com)


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Monday, October 22, 2007

Illusion Of Safety - Violence & Geography (tape, Complacency, 1987)


One of my favourite US bands that dabbled in many many kinds of music: improvisation, electronics, noise, musique concrete, techno. I intend to put up many of their releases. This one is not to be confused with their LP 'More Violence & Geography', but perhaps it's a kind of blueprint for that one. Not as noise based as some of their earlier work, and already forecasting the later stuff.


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Sunday, October 21, 2007

PGR/Thessalonians - Imbrication 2 (tape, Angakok, 1987)


Imbrication is just a difficult for 'remix' or 'rework', a friend of mine once muttered. This highly obscure Japanese release by PGR and Thessalonians has four tracks of radical different mixes of pieces from 'The Black Field' (which I think was on Mutant Sounds). Highly improvised music, with 'Ornament On A Rotated Grid' being the most PGR like.

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Saturday, October 20, 2007

THU20 - Nancy/Het Archief (tape, GROSS, 1994)


I know I said something about putting on tapes for a while, and technically this was a tape release, on GROSS in Japan, but I ripped this off the CDR release that Alluvial did later on and which is now sold out. THU20 exist since 1986 as the ongoing project, if only very sparsely, of Jos Smolders, Jacques van Bussel, Roel Meelkop and Peter Duimelinks (Guido Doesburg left a long time ago). They are a musique concrete group, using tape recorders in the past and no doubt computers these days. Their CD 'Eerste Schijf' was one of the first CDs I ever bought and still remains a classic. In the 90s and the new millenium this band is less active, certainly when it comes to releasing stuff. The reason for putting this up, is that a very rare concert by them will be held next wednesday in paradox in Tilburg. What the website doesn't tell you, that THU20 will have a fifth member that evening: Frans de Waard of Kapotte Muziek on acoustic objects. He played with THU20 before in Rotterdam (1987) and Bordeaux (1989) and wrote several liner notes for their releases (this one and 'Elfde Uni'). A special event, not to be missed.
This release has the full recording of their concert in Nancy as the first track, and all the other tracks are from their archives and do not have names. One of them is part of their live recording from the Earshot festival in 1990. These live cuts from the late 80s do not represent the current sound of THU20, which will be more subtle, so I am told.
This the 100th post!

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Friday, October 19, 2007

Earshot Festival October 1990 (Zoviet France, Etant Donnes, Co Caspar, Sigillum S and Nocturnal Emissions, unreleased live recordings)

A two day festival in Newcastle in 1990 of which the Dutch radio broadcasted these live recordings somewhere late 1990. Especially of interest is the forty three minute live recording from zoviet*france, but the others are nice as well, though much shorter. Sigillum S, whom I never liked, play a cover of Kraftwerk's 'Radioactivity'. Also on the festival were THU20, Silent Rumble and Test Dept, although I really don't recall seeing them when I was there. Tomorrow more from Earshot... download

Thursday, October 18, 2007

XX Committee - Steel Negro Music (tape, A.R.P.H., 1982)


As promised last week here's the tape release by XX Committee, released before the LP from two weeks ago.


Steel Negro Music

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Ahoe Ahoea - True Love Never Dies (tape, 1983)



I can imagine that one could easily think that I am inventing all these releases, and then say: oh here's another about which I don't know anything. Well, can't sing, play drums and guitar, so I certainly can't have produced this tape. Ahoe Ahoea are from Nijmegen, The Netherlands and I asked around but nobody even ever heard of this. There is a very small piece of paper that goes with this, with all the lyrics and a phonenumber in Nijmegen. I remember getting it back then, and was so enthusistiac about that I told Staalplaat to buy five of these. I don't think they were ever sold. Quite powerful garage rock muziek from these blokes.

download link is no longer available as this cassette is now re-issued on LP and download link from Bunkerpop Records
Support the underground and purchase!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

La Sonorite Jaune - Ersatia (tape, SJ organisation, 1987)


This band was behind the SJ Organisation, one of the better French mailorder outlets in the 80s. At the time I thought La Sonorite Jaune was a sort of ambient industrial band with psychedelic influences, but hearing them now, I see actually also many ties to tape-collages and musique concrete. The band was a duo of Zin-Kaia and Orange Princess. I have various of their releases, which I will all put up here in the next few weeks.

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Monday, October 15, 2007

De Div - Pasodoble (tape, Plexus, 1981)


Following last week's 'Open Zee' here is the only cassette release by De Div, which shows them in a slightly more experimental mood. As a bonus the missing 'Als Lemmingen' from the 'Open Zee' post (thanks you know who). I don't have the original tape, but ripped it from a CDR I was once given. I doubt wether Discogs is right with the year, but anyway, I think it's a great tape. For the next few days, or weeks even, I am going to concentrate on putting on tapes for a while. I selected a nice bunch which I transferred to my computer... again, one a day (well or two if they are really short)


Pasodoble

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Narwal - Nirvana 1 (tape, De Fabriek, 198?)


The great Mutant Sounds blog offered three releases by Dutch Narwal, saying they dont' know anything about them, and little do I know. But I think it's Richard van Dellen from De Fabriek in close collaboration with Peter van Vliet of Mekanik Kommando/Use Of Ashes fame. They made four volumes of 'Nirvana' of which the first one is really different than the spacious and psychedelic other three volumes (number 3 is on MutantSounds). Here is number one to start with, 2 and 4 will follow shortly.

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Saturday, October 13, 2007

Portion Control - Dining On The Fresh (tape, In Phaze, 1981), Surface And Be Seen (12", In Phaze, 1982) - no flexi...!




More early Portion Control! What a great synth pop and what a pity not more of it is officially re-released. 'Dining On The Fresh' is a really short cassette, only 10 minutes. It came with a flexi, but that one is bumped here, so I couldn't record it. I however scanned all the inserts, except the misplaced button, and the balloon which I never heard. 'Surface And Be Seen' was their first outing on vinyl and is still great too. Let me know if anyone has the flexi as a MP3, as I more than happy to replace this upload with a more complete version (433rpm@gmail.com).

'Dining On The Fresh' (tape, In Phaze, 1981)
'Surface And Be Seen' (12", In Phaze, 1981)

more early portion control

Friday, October 12, 2007

Muziekkamer - Kamermuziek (tape, Muziekkamer 1, 198?)


The second post about the Muziekkamer. Unlike 'Popmusic' they play highly ambient music here, in four long pieces. Very ambient in the vein of Eno. Still no information has come forward. Unindexed.

enjoy

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Thursday, October 11, 2007

Mecano - A Shapeless Volume (CD, HP Productions, ?)


This Dutch band Mecano released this year their first CD in 22 years, following a 'complete' 2CD 'The Half Inch Universe' in 2002. To find information about this 'A Shapeless Volume' is quite difficult. On the website of the Dutch Popinstituut we find that in 1981 Dick Polak, Mecano's vocalist, did some recordings with Martin van Leer and Peter Graute, the owners of Backstreet Records, but surely it's not this release. This release can be found on the official list of mecano, but without a year and a labe (although on the image we read HP Productions CD 9512), so what it is: it beats me. It's certainly a stranger album for them, a bit more experimental and not great in every inch, but this fills a nice hole in the history of this otherwise great band. Thanks to Pokem, the first fan of this blog (!), for sharing this.

enjoy

Mecano - A Shapeless Volume

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Tapes - On A Clear Day (LP, Passport/Wea, 1981), The Tapes - Blue Tighs (7", Passport, 1980)



As promised last week or so, here is 'On A Clear Day' by The Tapes, the third and final album. For this album Huba de Graaff of Transister was a member, but she left the group during the recording. Also present are Henk Hofstede and Michiel Peters from The Nits and Mathilde Santing. The album was well received, but didn't sell very well and the band decided to split up. Various members will show in Mathilde Santing's band later on.

As someone asked me about the 7"s. From this album 'Bits And Pieces' was released as a 7", which I don't have, so I don't know if it sounds different. However from the previous album, I have the 'Blue Tighs' 7", which of course I should have included when I uploaded 'Party', but I didn't, I do it now. Thanks to the same source who gave me 'Party'!


call me
on a clear day

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

RTC/De Fabriek - Is It Safe (7", De Fabriek, 1986), RTC - Toekomstmuziek (7", De Fabriek, 1986)



RTC is one hell of an obscure band from Groningen, The Netherlands. Besides these two 7"s, there is also a double LP on De Fabriek and a LP on their own Futuremusic. I have the double LP which I will do soon, but not the other one. The band consisted of Nick Roovers and Ron Overbeek, but it's only because it says so on the cover. The 'Is It Safe' 7" came in a wallpaper package, which certainly had its impact on the vinyl. It cracks like hell. According to discogs side a is by RTC and the b-side by De Fabriek, but I have no evidence that it is true. The whole thing is about nuclear energy. The 'Toekomstmuziek' (meaning future muziek) 7" is quite nice I think. A bit of electro pop, with a nice psychedelic edge to it.


RTC/De Fabriek - Is It Safe (7", De Fabriek fabprod 6, 1986)
RTC - Toekomstmuziek (7", De Fabriek fabprod 8, 1986)

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Monday, October 8, 2007

Korm Merz (tape, Korm Plastics, 1987)


Dada has been an inspiration for many musicians (Cabaret Voltaire for instance) and also the collage work of Kurt Schwitters inspired bands, of which Merzbow is still the prime example. In 1987 it was the 100th anniversary of Schwitters and the Dutch label Korm Plastics released this tape, with various bands with some Schwitters connection: SBOTHI, Merzbow, Luis Mesa, Prilius Lacus, Richard Franecki (of F/i) and Paul Hurst/Mark O'Brien (of Produktion). It was the second thematic compilation for this label (the other will follow one day) and taken from the CDR re-issue that Korm did when it was part of Staalplaat. I don't think it's available in either form (cassette and CDR), so safe to put it here. Quite a nice compilation of collage music, not at all the heavy industrial type of stuff you'd expect from this label. Haven't got any proper scans of the package though.



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Sunday, October 7, 2007

De Div - Open Zee (12", Plexus, 1983)



De Div came from Delft, The Netherlands and had quite a solid live reputation, although I never saw them play live. In the early days, they sang in dutch. De Div consisted of Art Zaaijer (sax, vocals) Marc de Reus (bass), Michel Schoots (drums), Niek van Slobbe http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif(guitar, synth). Started in 1979, released 'Stap Voor Stap' in 1981. Their sound is funky, not unlike Gang Of Four. They then released 'Europa Is Hier' (LP), 'Pasodoble' (cassette, will follow soon). This 'Open Zee' was produced by Jean Marie Aerts of TC Matic. The band will later on sing in english and stop in 1990.

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Saturday, October 6, 2007

Truss + Instruments 79/80 (cassette, private, 1980)


As promised here is that Truus de Groot tape that I promised last week. As lazy as I am, I copy a large chunck of info from http://www.tikibosko.com/truus_bio.htm:

Truus’ musical career spans over the last 3 decades. Born in Eindhoven , The Netherlands she debuted as a chanteuse just at the beginning of the Punk craze in 1976. Playing in a number of Dutch bands she released her first single in 1979 with a duet called “Plus Instruments”. Playing odd electronic instruments and vocals most of their performances were improvised. She teamed up Michel Waiszvich the inventor of the Crackle Synthesizer in numerous performances. At the same time she was also the lead singer in the popular Dutch New Wave Band “Nasmak”. Who released an album in 1980. But after hundreds of performances all through Europe Truus was looking for more challenges and in 1981 got on a plane to NYC never to call the Netherlands her home again.. Armed with background tapes of electronic percussion she reformed Plus Instruments with Lee Renaldo (now in Sonic Youth) on guitar and David Linton on Drums, while Truus played Bass and sang Lead Vocals. With this line-up they hit the New York club scene, released an Album and on to a European Tour. After returning to the US Truus again reformed the band with a number of musicians always very active on the club scene both in NY and Europe. At the same time she worked on her solo career performing at the famed “Kitchen” in Soho, and playing with Rhys Chatham. In 1983 she hooked up with James Sclavunos ( Lydia Lunch, Sonic Youth, the Cramps and now with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) to start a completely new chapter. She took a U-turn from the Electronic Euro-Beat and temporarily moved to Memphis to start Trigger & the Thrill Kings with Jim Duckworth (Gun Club) playing a very raunchy Blues, country rockabilly mix. Again they toured throughout Europe and the US and released various records. After so many years of touring, and numerous record releases, TV and Radio performances she decided to quit the music business in the late 80’s. Throughout the years she has been creating and recording her music. Some of the songs were recorded by The Vanity Set (James Scalvunos’ new band). In 1998 she married renowned artist Bosko and moved to Escondido, CA. Inspired by Bosko’s love for Polynesian Pop and encouraged by him to share her creations with the world, she finally decided to release a brand new CD entitled Muzotica in 2000. Her most recent follow-up is Rancho Exotica. Both feature a unique take on Exotica Music.

Ok, back to the tape. I acquired this only recently, but it's from 1980. Most of the recordings are from 1979. Truus plays the Steim crackle box, korg, putney and rhythmbox, guitar, plastic toy guitar, organ, flute, i.c. mic. television, echo system. Oddly enough the tape cover says 'play it mono'. Some pieces are indeed one channel affairs, with the other channel blank, which makes sense to play it mono. But not all tracks are like that, and those stereo pieces are super stereo. I left things entirely as they were, so one some pieces one channel might be louder than the other. This cassette is not mentioned on the website. It doesn't sound like anything like Nasmak, Plus Instruments ever did. Highly experimental electronic music of an improvised nature.


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Friday, October 5, 2007

One Hour For Spits (tape, Eksakt Records 003, 1982)


In the good old days of cassettes sometimes the packaging was more exciting than the music, but that is not the case with sponz packaging of 'One Hour For Spits' on Eksakt Records. Only five bands are present here (Cinema Club (with Milco Bogard, who will later play in Nasmak), Eric van de Boorn, Days Of The Cadillacs (with Gertie Raaymakers, who will produce a solo tape for Stichting Stopcontact), Exploiting The Profits and A Live Detail (who I believe are the succesors to Signals, who had a flexi with Vinyl magazine). The music is quite funky, with all of these bands, except Van de Boorn, being real bands with a regular line up. Think A Certain Ratio, 23 Skidoo or Cabaret Voltaire: funk music with a healthy amount of experiment. Back then and still one of the favorite Dutch compilations.

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Thursday, October 4, 2007

Happy Halloween (Roel Meelkop) - complete Turntable Tapes catalogue (1985)






Maybe you never heard of Roel Meelkop, but he's a composer of modern music, which he performs on his laptop. He's also a member of Zebra, Goem and Kapotte Muziek with Frans de Waard and Peter Duimelinks and a member of THU20. A serious old man but with a long history in music. Before THU20 he was a member of Club Rialto, a bass, vocals, rhythm box (with various future members of THU20) band and Meelkop had his solo project called Happy Halloween (before using the monikker Mailcop and releasing two excellent tapes on Midas Music). As Happy Halloween he played his own brand of popmusic, experimental and industrial music using guitar, rhythmbox and a bit of electronics, but which sounds remarkably fresh in these days. He released three tapes on his own Turntable Tapes, recorded at home using the ping-pong method (record on two tapes and mix those to a third, using that as the next layer etc.), so there is a fair amount of hiss involved. The reason for putting up this post today is that Roel Meelkop plays a solo concert at Cuba in Munster, Germany tomorrow, together with Marc Behrens (whose very early works I no longer have). Meelkop's latest CD '5(Zwischenfalle)' willl be released on Auf Abwegen anywhere soon, and the concert is a sort of presentation. More info:
http://www.muenster.org/cuba/haus/blackbox/programm.html



Happy Halloween - Four Days In Monotony, Turntable Tapes tt 001, april 1985
Happy Halloween - The Speed Of Mind, Turntable Tapes tt 002, august 1985
Happy Halloween - To All The Leaders, Turntable Tapes tt 003, october 1985

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Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Peeping You (7", De Fabriek, 1984?), Fabretsinika (7", De Fabriek, 1988)



Second bunch of De Fabriek 7 inches. 'Peeping You' is a compilation with The Lost Attic, Soft Joke Prod, Daan Meester and De Fabriek. I believe more cover variations exist, but I have only seen the one I have myself. Whereas Peeping You is pretty clear product as to who does what, Fabretsinika is nothing like that. De Fabriek may have played the music, but it might also be Dim.Retire. One thing is certain, it's all about Greece, the favorite country of De Fabriek, I'm told. The release comes in a carton box, with lots of inserts on Greece, including a nice booklet with four plastic bags, inc iron and also hash. A german mailorder owner was arrested when customs opened his box. Obscurity all around here.

Peeping You, De Fabriek Records & tapes Fabprod 03, 1984?
Fabretsinika, De Fabriek Records & tapes Fabprod 11, 1988

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Tuesday, October 2, 2007

XX Committee - Network (LP, Thermidor, 1983)


If I'm not mistaken this is the first US release I put on my blog, but it's a great release. The masters are gone, and therefore was never released on CD. XX Committee (pronounce as Twenty Committee) was Chris Scarpino on synth and guitar and Scott Foust on guitar, bass and rhythms. "The LP suffered a bit from a sort of dead mix when we went from our 4 track to reel-to-reel in the studio (courtesy of an engineer who would later have a couple singer/songwriter releases on a big independent label). That may some day be rectified. Chris and I used to let the rhythm tracks run for hours through an Earth cabinet in my parent' basement (pity them), refining the sound. I think the constant desire for more austerity was a huge buren on both of us. Chris became more and more disillusioned with music as time went on. He is now an engineer at MIT" (quote from Scott Foust - The Fighting Sensualist 1981-2001, cassette). Foust himself went on to play in Tart, Y Front, Braces, Anschluss, The New Peculiars and Idea Fire Company and is the best dressed drinker/smoker I know. And oh Massmirror doesn't work today so only on rapidshare. When Massmirror is back up up I'll put it on there. But perhaps for the next days on only rapidshare.

update: 17/7/2008: I have removed the link for XX Committee's 'Network' release. There is a CD version now available from Impulsy Stetoskopu. Send them an e-mail to get one:

Monday, October 1, 2007

Alu - Geistige Erneuerung (tape, Der Letzte Schrei, 1983)


I always believed Alu was a German trio of Johannes Vester, Ludwig Papenberg and Nadja Molt, but this live tape from 1983 only gives credit to Molt and Vester, so perhaps by 1983 Papenberg left the band. The music, taped at 3 different concerts, however didn't change: strong harsh rhythm box, sequencers and synths with strong female vocals. Pretty strong electro music, along the lines of Suicide or The Screamers. American label C.I.P. released a CD by Alu 'Autismenchen', which I highly recommend.

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