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Old Peace & Freedom Press Music Reviews
Reviewed by Peace & Freedom and Eastern Rainbow magazine

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Contact Obsession - Because It Seemed (CR-1100A/Vinyl/Single) (1989)

Best single I've received. Innovative, driving, catchy, moody, melancholic, neat tempo changes, gruff male honey-sweet female counterpointing. Pity they've split up!

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 7, No. 1, Spring 1991

Costes (France)/Suckdog & Psychodrama (U.S.A.) - The Last Mass (Cassette) 

Makes The P&F Band seem very commercial. I was told by Costes this is "an opera that we played together in Europe (12 shows in France, Belgium and Holland) last summer." Would have been interesting to have seen Lisa Suckdog screaming in the same vein as on this tape. A mixture of church organ and mellow vocals to screeching distortion and yawping. Interesting.

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 6, No. 3, Autumn/Winter 1989

Dark's Pandemonium Music Reviews

Taunting Mr. Sunshine

A 3-tracker with a subtle, environmental, lyrical slant and impressive guitars. Catchy tunes. Comes with "Watching Sister Vomit", which, despite the title, is a sensual little 'zine of poetry, cartoons, thoughts and reviews. The 'zine is $1 ($2 o/seas).

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 6, No. 5, Summer/Autumn 1990

Det Wiehl Music Reviews

It's a Great Day For Dying (Stride)

Weird lyrics, delivered at machine gun speed, amidst a cacophany of sound.

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 5, No. 1, Summer 1987

Het Zweet Music Reviews

Untitled

Six tracks of "industrial noise" I guess NME would categorise. Interesting percussive variations, but not a tape to judge on first hearing, as it's so different from the norm. £1.20 from Stride.

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, No. 3, January 1986

Hypertonia World Enterprises Compilations

The Pony - Hyper Hyms Compilation & Who's Laughing Now? - Hyper Horror Compilation (HWE022 & HWE023)

Fantastique! Two very high-class tapes form Norway. The Pony is a compilation of some 32 "Hymns, psalms, national anthems, folk songs and general blasphemy". Trigger B, from West Germany, are the first to appear, with a symphonic epic entitled "Heldented" - Wagnerian" my pa called it. Some sweet Norwegian and French songs from Åreknuteknyterne and the sea-shanty "What a Way to Die" from Beerbellies (Norway), then Deleted & No Unauthorised having fun. Also on side 1 is "Royal Blood", an Andy Xport re-mix - one of his best, lyrically and musically; Dead Goldfish Ensemble claim to be playing "The National Anthems of China, Bhutan and Qatar", but hard to check the validity of that. Crippled Hippo do an AIDS song, while a classical extravaganza from Sack and Bill Pritchard - style synth ambience from 48 Cameras (on side 2, too), particulary memorable. As is Lord Litter doing Grieg at the start of side 2, then a monster, anti God-TV piece from White Lord Jesus. Sweet Nicole Campau, historical voices of Z.B.Z., La Marseillaise send-up by Deleted (appropriate this year), our national anthem sung in Norwegian, by Bullwinkle and Simon Parsnip's Scientifical Theatre (sounds better in Norwegian), gentle folk of Political Asylum, watery sound of Åreknuteknyterne - these are the highlights of side 2, of a comp., which is as good as the old ISC ones, and I think that's saying something.

On Who's Laughing Now?, quite a few of the same artists appear. On here is "WSFO 2 Horror Version" by Sack; "Blood Clot Shampoo (Dracula's Best Friend Re-mix)" with Andy Savage and guitar friend revealing what their hobbies really are. Yet more weirdness from him at the start of side 2, subtle Floydian sweetness from Åreknuteknyterne, which breaks out into sinister voices... which leads to Lovely Ivor and his masterpiece (aren't they all?), which is entitled "Contemplation 29" - and why not? Hermanos Guzanos is brilliant in a Texas Chainsaw send-up, and that film closes things, just as "Evil Dead 11" starts off the tape. The end is not for the squemish... I'm still throwing up. Both tapes: NKR 40/£4/$6, sent Airmail.

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 6, No. 3, Autumn/Winter 1989

Moisten Before Use Music Reviews

Still No Reply

A tape with a religiously orientated theme. Incredible vocals on "Cocktails for Two", spaced-out news cut-ups on "News from Youranus". "Breathing Out", "Amen", "Let Sleeping Ships Lie" all steal the show for originality and quality. A superb tape. Comes with free booklet.

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 6, No. 2, Summer 1989

Peter Mackie Music Reviews

Piano

Some nifty ivory tinkling, featuring Peter's poetry set to music, and various pieces, including "Tubular Bells", "Greensleeves", and Mozart's "Rondo".

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 7, No. 3, Winter 1991

All Over the Shop

is a cassette album from Peter Mackie of piano/synth music. Liked the melancholy of "Forest of Life" and jauntiness of "All Over the Shop". Also includes "Greensleeves"!

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 12, No. 1, Summer 1997

Rest In Peace Music Reviews

Promotape 1992 (SBS)

A 10DM/$7 tape of superior high-octane rock. Side 1 is the more powerful of the two, with "2" being a side of disorientating tempo switches.

- Paul Rance, Eastern Rainbow, No. 2, Spring 1993

Seven Deadly Sins Music Reviews

Four Deadly Songs

Neo power-pop, very distinctive vox, and nifty guitar chord structures.

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 6, No. 4, Spring/Summer 1990

Tea For Two Music Reviews

Get It Cheap

Pro-sounding, slo-fast thoughtful work. $2 and blank C60 from Helmet Colfen, Duisberg, W. Germany.

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 6, No. 4, Spring/Summer 1990

The Ordinary Music Reviews

Ad Ordinary (Color)

Very unordinary. Spaced-out noiz from this odd combo.

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 5, No. 1, Summer 1987

Touch Compilations Music Reviews

Feature Mist

While most of us indie merchants have to settle for comps of bands only three men and a dog have heard of, this one is different... New Order, Simple Minds, Shostakovich and the like. A sort of montage where everything blends in. New Order and Simple Minds contribute moody instrumentals and there's even a Robert Wyatt interview mutilation. Tuxedo Moon, Flesh, Mayakovsky, Gamil, Randon, Death & Beauty Foundation and Eisler complete a line-up Liverpool would be proud of. Nice 1.

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 5, No. 4, Autumn/Winter 1988

UWE Mindrup Compilations

World Unite

42 punk tracks from 16 bands around the world. Not my cup of tea, but Wild Youth are a band to watch, or would be if they didn't live in oppressive S. Africa.

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, No. 4, Summer/Autumn 1986

Wunderlich Ausgang

To (Cassette)

French band, Wunderlich Ausgang, have a new tape out entitled, simply, "To". It's a big synth production job, and works well and is cleverly done, also some good tunes. Remember them?

- Paul Rance, Peace & Freedom, Vol. 7, No. 2, Summer 1991

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