CARNYX: SOUNDS OF THE VIKING AGE (1985)

This is 'authentic' Viking music played with replicas of instruments that would have been used at the time, such as Panpipes, Bone Flutes and Sutton Hoo Lyre. The music is accompanied by special sound effects, like birdsong, cattle blaring and the general hub-bub of human activity.

The Watchman mp3

BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH- RADICAL RAPPING (1989)

Dr Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah was born and raised in Birmingham, England. He cannot remember a time when he was not creating poetry but this had nothing to do with school where poetry meant very little to him, in fact he had finished full time education at the age of 13. His poetry is strongly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica and what he calls 'street politics'.
In the early Eighties when Punks and Rastas were on the streets protesting about SUS Laws, high unemployment, homelessness and the National Front, Zephaniah's poetry could be heard on the demonstrations, at youth gatherings, outside police stations, and on the dance floor. It was once said of him that he was Britain's most filmed, photographed, and identifiable poet, this was because of his ability to perform on stage, but most of all on television, bringing Dub Poetry straight into British living rooms. The mission was to take poetry everywhere, he hated the dead image that academia and the establishment had given poetry and proclaimed that he was out to popularise poetry by reaching people who did not read books, those that were keen on books could now witness a book coming to life on the stage. (www.benjaminzephaniah.com)

Benjamin Zephaniah-man woman mp3

CASSETTE ART

This posted is dedicated to Cassette art, I got this Leonard Cohen tape from a garage sale and was pleasantly surprised when I opened it up to find this creative piece of art.
Here are a few more interesting uses for tape cassettes.
here
here
here

THE MUSIC OF KURT WEILL: LOST IN THE STARS (1985)

Hal Willner is among the most eclectic and original producers in contemporary music, helming a series of wildly ambitious concept albums and live shows which tapped the talents of artists running the gamut from pop to jazz to the avant-garde. Growing up in the sixties and seventies, he turned childhood obsessions of TV variety shows, sixties FM, comedy albums, and any music that his classmates hated into an inimitable career. He first earned notice in 1981 with Amarcord Nino Rota, a tribute to the legendary composer best known for his collaborations with filmmaker Federico Fellini. In addition to contributions from pop icon Debbie Harry and jazz piano great Jaki Byard, the collection also featured appearances by then-unknowns Wynton Marsalis and Bill Frisell. ( www.pomegranatearts.com)

What I discovered when I was reorganizing my music collection, whilst thinking about yet another blog project, was that I had four different Hal Willner productions. Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus, The Lion for Real: Allen Ginsberg, Redoing Childhood: Kathy Acker and The music of Kurt Weill: Lost in the Stars. the latter being the one that I've listened to the least, but I appreciate it more with each listen.

Surabaya Johnny- Dagmar frause mp3

BLYTH POWER- LIVE AT THE BRICKLAYERS ARMS (1986)

Released on 69 tapes a cassette only label run out of 96 Brougham Road, a squat in Hackney, North-East London, which was also home to 96 tapes and All the madmen records.
Blyth Power once described as Post-punk, medieval, folk rock, power pop, sang songs about, cricket, Greek mythology, Elizabethan playwrights, poets, obscure events in English history and of coarse trains. Joseph Porter as well as being the drummer and vocalist is probably one of the best lyricists in England at the moment.

Blyth Power_ bricklayers Arms mp3

CULTURE SHOCK- LIVING HISTORY (1986)

Anybody who had access to copying equipment could release a tape and publicise it in the network of fanzines and newsletters that existed around this scene, therefore cassette culture was an ideal and very democratic method for making available music that was never likely to have mainstream appeal. Arguably, such freedom led to a large output of a poor quality and self indulgent nature being foisted upon an unsuspecting world in the name of 'artistic creativity'. Yet on the other hand, many people saw cassette culture music as imaginative, challenging, beautiful and ground breaking, standing up more than adequately beside much output released through more 'conventional' channels. (From: www.knowledgerush.com)
Culture Shock was formed in 1986 after the break up of The Subhumans.
While a lot of bands at the time were becoming louder and faster, the lyrics buried behind a wall of noise, Culture shock pushed things in a different direction with ska rhythms and almost, dare I say pop aesthetic.

Side 1.
No Chance in a Million
Living History
Colour T.V.
United
Stonehenge
Punks on Postcards
You are not Alone
If you don't like it

side 2.

Six foot rooms
Ten percent off

Culture shock- if you don't like it mp3

THE SOUND OF RADIO: TELLUS The Audio Cassette Magazine # 11

Found this at a thrift store years ago, it became a regular on Sad and Beautiful World a radio show I was co-hosting with a friend of mine at the time. We played a lot of audio art and created our own live on air mixes, this tape was ideal for that. The track I'm making available for download is Abbott and Costello Meet the Anti-Christ by Edward Haber.
download it here
Here's a few links for more information on TELLUS here here

BUTTHOLE SURFERS- DOUBLE LIVE (1989)

This was the first album released on the band's own label,Latino Buggerveil. It was limited to 10,000 vinyl printings, 7,500 cassettes, and 4,750 CDs, U.S. and U.K. combined.
I saw them play in 1987 at the Clarendon Ballroom on Hammersmith Broadway in London. It's hard to capture the intensity of their live show, but this recording does it's best.

Butthole Surfers- Suicide Here

RAP'SURES (1987)

This is Christian 'Rap' aimed at young people, to help steer them in the right moral direction. Which only goes to prove that the Devil has all the best music. Their first release was Gospel Rap ('85) O.T. Rap was followed in 1990 with Loud, Proud and Born Again.

"The Rap-Sures used the cheesiest drum machine ever (it was like a $19.95 Casio keyboard, only without the coolness) and did cheesy lame white-guy rap. These guys made Vanilla Ice sound cool, they were that bad".
Track List:
side A.
1. OT Rap
2. Noah's Ark
3. Joseph's Coat
4. Jacob's Dream (Check It Out)
5. Moses and The Burning Bush
6. Tower Of Babel
7. Samson and Delilah
8. The Battle Of Jericho
9. David and Goliath
Side B.
1. Complete accompaniment tracks [instrumental - no vocals]

Rapsures- Jacob's Dream(check it out) Here

KRIME CASSETTE COMPILATION (1986)

KRIME was arranged by Krome.
PRODUCED by Paradigm Creatorsinc.
MASTERED at Grapevine, December 1986.

Could not find out much about this one, Front Line Assembly(Canadian electro-industrial) are the only artists I've heard of here. Paul Serret is a Santur player who has collaborated with The Melodic Energy Commission from Vancouver. This tape is a interesting mix of electro acoustic with samples and some spoken word at the end by Judy Rydell, done in that sing song delivery that was so prevalent in the mid 80's.

Paul Serret- Arabic Wind mp3 here