Bis Aufs Messer Weekly News 02 March 2024
Hi, welcome to another newsletter - a bunch of cool stuff arrived like the CIA DEBUTANTE - Down, Willow LP, DISCOVERY ZONE - Quantum Web LP, MAG-AMPLITUDE - Wizards Of Today LP, MIDNIGHT MINES - Since My Baby Left Me LP, OMIT - InSec LP on Siltbreeze, a bunch of restocks of SST (Hüsker Dü, Black Flack etc), ANGEL HAIR - Insect Immortality LP, INSIDE OUT - Logo T-SHIRT, LAUREL HALO / JESSICA EKOMANE - Octavia / Manifolds LP, GEL - Only Constant LP restock, SSD - "HOW MUCH ART CAN YOU TAKE?" BOOK, GLEN E FRIEDMAN BOOKS also back in stock, VALERIO TRICOLI & HANNO LEICHTMANN - Cinnte le Dia LP, 75 Dollar Bill restock, Oppenheimer Analysis DLP restock, IKE YARD 1982 LP re issue, DOME re issues, Verbal Assault restocks, Unbroken restocks, Drive Like Jehu Restocks, Thou rhea restock, BEN FROST - Scope Neglect LP and more
And we also added (adding) a few more second hand LPs and 7“s to our discogs
https://www.discogs.com/seller/XMESSERX
Thank you as usual
Til then thank you for all your orders & support.
Robert & Norman
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LP
ANGEL HAIR - Insect Immortality LP (three on g - Clear With Blue Blob Vinyl. Angel Hair began in late 1992 in Boulder, Colorado, and as PunkNews described them: “Angel Hair was a five-piece from Colorado whose music would grow to be associated with the chaotic, inventive San Diego scene of the early nineties. Bands such as Heroin, Antioch Arrow, Swing Kids, Clikitat Ikatowi and Mohinder are good reference points, but Angel Hair had a unique intensity that not even their West Coast peers could match.” After many changes the lineup solidified in early 1994, issuing a split 7″ EP with Bare Minimum on Titanic Records, and touring the west coast. The lineup included guitarists Andy Arahood (Red Sparowes) and Josh Hughes (The VSS, Pleasure Forever, Rabbits, SSOLD), bassist Todd Corbett (Stiffwhiff), drummer Paul Iannacito (Generalissimo), and vocalist Sonny Kay (The VSS, Year Future, Mind Rider). During that tour, they recorded the 4-song Gravity EP with Matt Anderson in Chula Vista, which was released in time for a six week summer tour around the US in 1994. In that time they also released a split EP with The Fisticuffs Bluff on Unleaded Records. In the fall of ’94, they traveled to San Diego again to record the “Insect Mortality” 12″ which was released on Gravity in May 1995, four months after Angel Hair had broken up. Drummer Paul Iannacito moved away abruptly following a west coast tour over Christmas, and the band, feeling he was irreplaceable, called it quits after a little more than two years. During this time, they toured with peers such as Monsula, Clikatat Ikatowi, Spitboy, Garden Variety, J Church, Bare Minimum, Antioch Arrow, the Yah Mos, the Fucking Angels and the Vicious Ginks. The band explains of the release: “‘Insect Immortality’ combines nearly all our previous releases, certainly all the ones worth hearing. Most were recorded by Gravity’s Matt Anderson in San Diego in a variety of DIY spaces and setups, none of which would qualify as a studio per se. They were recorded quickly, mixed immediately, and often available on tour less than 2 months later. It was an incredible time in our lives and those recordings really do capture the energy and momentum of what we were creating. But three decades later, after our ears and minds have evolved along with technology, it became evident at some point that all the music we released could be made to sound much better. Thanks to Matt’s foresight and diligence, obtaining the original masters wasn’t difficult. We handed them over to Pete Lyman, a giant in the mastering world, and our old chum from Boulder, present at the first and last Angel Hair shows and many in between. Pete remixed the tracks from our 12″ and most of the EP’s from the ground up, and the difference is huge. These songs have never sounded so intense and everyone in the band is very well represented.” ) 36.00
BEN FROST - Scope Neglect LP (mute - The album Scope Neglect (Ltd. LP) by Ben Frost is a captivating and thought-provoking musical journey that pushes the boundaries of sound and experimentation. Released by Mute, this limited edition LP showcases Frost's unique blend of electronic and ambient music, creating an immersive sonic experience for listeners. With a runtime of approximately 45 minutes, Scope Neglect takes listeners on a mesmerizing sonic adventure through its eight tracks. Each composition is meticulously crafted, combining intricate layers of sound with pulsating rhythms and haunting melodies. Frost's ability to create atmospheric landscapes is truly remarkable, as he effortlessly blends organic and synthetic elements to create a sense of otherworldliness. The album opens with the track "Threshold Of Faith," which sets the tone for the rest of the album with its brooding intensity and ethereal textures. As the album progresses, tracks like "A Sharp Blow In Passing" and "Eurydice's Heel" showcase Frost's ability to seamlessly transition between moments of quiet introspection and explosive crescendos.) 30.00
CIA DEBUTANTE - Down, Willow LP (silt breeze - With their 3rd vinyl long player for Siltbreeze, CIA Debutante have successfully out-flanked those critics who have been forever chattering, "will they ever be as big as Artery?" To paraphrase Fred Ward in Tremors "Artery? Hell, Clock DVA!" All bristling aside, such questions & answers don't carry much weight these days. Such is the language of pettifoggers. And who's got time for them? We're trying to sell records here. 'Down,Willow' sees our heroes Paul & Nathan attaining S.T.A.S. (Superior Third Album Status), honing in with a top gloss of new & proto experimental, post-punk, recitation & vibe. Imagine fusing The Fall's 'Grotesque' & Morton Subotnick's 'Sidewinder' into a sole entity? Sure, there's going to be lots of sparks, flash fires, smoke of all colors + bickering, but from this vantage, what a light show! There's even some shredding on here that sounds like they may have lit this fucker w/Martin Kippenberger's copy of Guitar Hero. Please take it off, it's too good If you've been paying attention to the bands countless tape efforts, or just their recent vinyl outings, there's no denying the Mach thunder 'Down, Willow' is gonna roll across thine cranium. And should this be your introduction to the band, feel free to pretend none of the aforementioned bullshit matters.
And welcome, adventurous listener! RIYL; Luxus, The Kuemmerling Trio, The Knowhow Knockers, Weib & Doof.) 30.00
DISCOVERY ZONE - Quantum Web LP (rvng - Quantum Web is the new album from Discovery Zone, the experimental pop project of musician and multimedia artist JJ Weihl. Dipping into a pool of musically stylistic depth and flipping themes of omnipresence in advertising and corporate culture sterility into aesthetic guideposts for her omnivorous compositions, Quantum Web represents the next evolutionary phase of Discovery Zone while arranging the past, present, and future across the infinite, invisible web that interconnects us all. First edition vinyl includes a printed inner sleeve with album lyrics.) 25.00
GEL - Only Constant LP (convulsive - You already know what this is. Hardcore for the freaks by the freaks. The culmination of Gel's world takeover- a debut LP following up the Violent Closure 7" and last year's Shock Therapy split 12" with Cold Brats. Hardcore punk music dripping with equal parts effect and authenticity. An exercise in groove and aggression that continues to be undeniable and anthemic. Welcome to the new era of hardcore punk - the freaks have inherited the earth.) 28.00
IKE YARD - 1982 LP (dark entries - Dark Entries flashes back to the grimy streets of New York City circa 1982 to bring us an unreleased album from cult outfit Ike Yard. Comprised of Stuart Argabright, Michael Diekmann, Kenneth Compton, and Fred Szymanski, Ike Yard sits between the sinewy proto-body music of the Neue Deutsche Welle and the shattered grooves of their No Wave peers in New York. The band’s initial run was short but blinding. They released an EP for Les Disques du Crépuscule in 1981, which was followed by their legendary self-titled LP for Factory in 1982. They disbanded within a year, frustrated by the slow pace at which the industry was able to release their increasingly challenging music. 1982 features 10 tracks which likely would have become the band’s second LP - only four of these songs have previously seen release on 2006’s 1980-82 Collected via Acute Records. Following the release of Ike Yard, they continued down their tortured path of hybrid electro-acoustic music with an arsenal of now-classic analog instruments, including the Korg MS-20 and the Roland TR-808. Skittering rhythms teeter on the verge of collapse while seasick synth warbles threaten to push us overboard. Electronic washes devolve into waves of feedback. Sneering basslines threaten dancers to move, but how can the body obey? This is dangerous music, gliding along the brink. The album features a live photo of the band by Makoto Iida and includes an insert with liner notes from Stuart Argabright. 1982 is essential for fans of post-punk and caustic electronics from Liaisons Dangereuses to Beau Wanzer.) 27.00
JOE BATAAN - Drug Story LP (now again - Now-Again Records presents catalog-wide reissues of Latin music propellant Joe Bataan’s legendary Ghetto Records. The series concludes with Drug Story - Rare and unreleased material from Joe Bataan and his Ghetto Records vaults, including an entire side of Bataan’s neverbefore-issued Latin Funk that spans the gamut from Salsa to Soul. Drug Story was inspired by true events and ranks highest among Bataan’s finest achievements as the poet laureate of El Barrio. Ghetto Records was Joe Bataan’s way to get over on “The Man” and out of the ‘hood, a bold move by an artist looking for independence and creative control in an industry that had exploited his talents and treated him like chattel. As Bataan puts it today, “Ghetto Records was part of my journey, a stepping stone to everything else that I’ve done. I learned enough that it enabled me to get out of the box with my thinking, it showed me how to deal with adversity.” Like many dreams and schemes born of the street, this one was audacious, perhaps even reckless to a fault. Hatched from desperation yet full of hope Ghetto Records came crashing down shortly after its inception. The seven albums in its discography languished out of print - until now. These are the definitive reissues of these albums, licensed from Joe Bataan, with his oversight and input into a 16 page oversize book by Pablo Yglesias that details Bataan’s larger-than-imagination life and his little Latin label that could.) 33.00
LAUREL HALO / JESSICA EKOMANE - Octavia / Manifolds LP (portraits arm - Laurel Halo: Octavia - Octavia, a piece for piano and electronics, explores the relationship between melodic motifs and textures in a singular way, intermittent moments of melody, harmony and sound materials connecting and disconnecting, to indicate a series of nets or webs, swaying in and out of one another. These sonic nets gently float, spin and merge, and the effect is one of gently floating over an abyss. The work is inspired by the “spiderweb city” of the same name in Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities: “Below there is nothing for hundreds of feet: a few clouds glide past; further down you can glimpse the chasm’s bed....Suspended over the abyss, the life of Octavia’s inhabitants is less uncertain than in other cities. They know the net will last only so long.” Jessica Ekomane: Manifolds - Entirely computer-generated, Manifolds is a work that explores the multiple possibilities of polyphonic writing, extending it to the “multiphonic” universe where sources and timbres diffract themselves in the listening space. The different voices of the composition no longer follow the traditional parallel trajectories of musical dialogue, but find themselves propelled as if into a particle accelerator, a “collider” freed from all formal rhetoric to reach a state of liberation of energies that is truly confounding. It is then that, in the multi-layered universe of sonic electrons, as if against its own will, a “chant” of overwhelming humanity is revealed. —François J. Bonnet, 2023) 25.00
MAG-AMPLITUDE - Wizards Of Today LP (Siltbreeze - If you ever thought Debris was Oklahoma's only entry into the bloodstream of feral, batshit rock, guess again. Mag-Amplitude's, 'Wizards Of Today' appeared in a miniscule, self released edition of 100 in 1983 & was the brainchild of a blind, guitarist-vocalist by the name of Matt Muncil. On 'Wizards Of Today', Muncil-considered by the psychedelic mafia to be the "Higney of Heavy Rock'- & drummer Scott Roher proceed to lay down over 7 tracks an incredible wall of wildly fuzzed & primitive bash that is a singular testament to loner, outsider brilliance. Heavy on double tracked guitar riffs & growling, incomprehensible vocals concerning outer space, rocket ships & rock, Mag Amplitude's 'Wizards Of Today' is a half hour slab of muzzed disorder of the highest possible recommendation. This Zaius Tapes reissue is in a one time pressing of 292 copies. Our first foray into (re) introducing fans & collectors into the cimmerian forest of American real people/outsider psych rock. RIYL; Randy Holden's 'Population II, (Eric Moore's) The Godz, Nicodemus. -Johan Klepp, for Zaius Tapes ) 30.00
MIDNIGHT MINES - Since My Baby Left Me LP (minimum table stacks - Minimum Table Stacks is proud to present the second LP in the planned "Rock n Roll Trilogy" by Midnight Mines "Since My Baby Left Me". The first full-length vinyl from the band since the self released "If You Can't Find A Partner Use A Wooden Chair" from 2016. The LP reissues a previously released limited cassette on the legendary Loki Tapes label from 2017. Edition of 300 copies on black vinyl. Reverse board cover. Comes with 8.5x11 printed and hand-stamped insert plus 12 page digest-sized zine. "Don’t look now, but this Midnight Mines lp, ‘Since My Baby Left Me’ deftly constructs a ghoulish, aural hellscape as dazzling as it is devilish. Flickers of Richard Earl’s ‘The Egg Store Ilk' & Esplendor Geometrico’s ‘Eg1’ ferociously stalk the parameters, pushing a crescendo that ultimately detonates like a chain fight between ‘Parable Of Arable Land’ VS ‘Metal Machine Music’. Hear what it means to open up & bleed.“ - Tim Bucktoo,The Fiddletown Penny-Saver Gazette, NSW) 30.00
MSPAINT - Post-American LP (convulsive - While it may be tempting to pin MSPAINT down stylistically, with labels like "synth-punk," these attempts fail to capture a band that transcends the sum of its parts and the hardcore and punk communities it occupies. Most of the records we release critique the world as it is. MSPAINT go a step further. This record is a triumph because it presents us a future of connection and light and allows us all to imagine living Post-American.) 28.00
OMIT - InSec LP (siltbreeze - Omit’s ‘inSec’ is “new,” but not new. Recorded in 2013, the masters lost in the label’s murky somewheresville that always shows up when moving. For those who don’t know, Omit is an experimental electronics artist from New Zealand’s south island who, since 1990, has released thirty-some xerographed cassettes and CDrs in the Dead C orbit for those who do. It’s not enough to say that ‘inSec’ is an ambient masterpiece bringing to mind a John Carpenter soundtrack performed by the Hub because listening to it engineers new species. In this century that flatters itself to be of drinking age, it is a queer thing we haven’t come face to face with aliens. Besides the xenobiological effects, Omit constructs your sentiment through timbral concepts that repeat and shift with minimal reference to harmony, melody, key, or mode. Streams jump and skitter, knitting tightly high and low in a dense rattling driven to the long and most plaintive tones amongst the countless gizmos (that’s including you, but not “you”). This one is for big fans of Anode/Cathode, Papa Srapa, & Insignia refrigerators. ) 30.00
PAINT IT BLACK - Famine LP (rev - Clear With Black And White Swirl Vinyl. Since forming in 2002, Philadelphia, PA's Paint It Black has rewritten the rules of hardcore punk with each new release. "Famine" is the product of years of plotting, planning, and prepping, with the goal of making the most impactful statement possible. Throughout the eight songs that make up "Famine," Paint It Black proves that the most potent hardcore-punk releases are ones that come from a space of vulnerability, honesty, and authenticity.) 28.00
S*GLASS - Cesspool of the Angels LP (First solo LP of 2023 by S. Glass of Glands of External Secretion, Bren’t Lewiis Ensemble, This Is Yvonne Lovejoy and Bananafish Magazine. Numerous practices make up the electro-acoustic sound collages created by S Glass. He combines tape music, electronic processing, voice, found sound, and chance operations. Every show uses a different batch of curated audio, mixed live, while the self-produced studio albums are more refined assemblages. The playing of non-musical objects is sometimes incorporated (dental floss, aluminum foil, wind-up toys, metal lunch box, cabbage). Self-shot video is screened during sets, which are mostly textures made with multiple layers that slowly wobble out of sync, jump cuts, and a smattering of primitive animation. The overall effect is one of surreal disorientation.) 26.00
THE SHEAVES - Excess Death Cult Time LP (minimum table stacks - 'Minimum Table Stacks is proud to present Excess Death Cult Time, the vinyl debut of Phoenix, AZ quintet The Sheaves. Previously released as a limited cassette by Moone Records, the album was recorded over the course of a year by the band at The Baby Room, their own home studio. Excess Death Cult Time is the result of Eric Mudd (along with drummer Joe Vittetoe, guitarist Lucas Aguirre, bassist Matt Hamel and Daniel Schurgin contributing drums, synth and organ work) meticulously assembling bits and pieces of various ideas and mixing the sounds to the point that the actual tapes began deteriorating, much to his delight. The result is a scuzzy post-punk blur of Jad Fair-style guitar pop as channeled through the ’80s “UK DIY” sonic disassembling of whatever “punk” was supposed to be. Think: Josef K, the Swell Maps, The Fall, the Homosexuals. Half-Japanese playing Chrome’s “Chromosome Damage.” The Sheaves are not moving the way you are supposed to.') 26.00
SLIMELORD - Chytridiomycosis Relinquished LP (20 buck spin - Slimelord, England's strangest death metal oddity, has brought together a wild and hallucinatory tale from the subterranean depths on their debut album Chytridiomycosis Relinquished. The search log interweaves the most unusual elements of geology, ancient myths, world history, environmentalism and fantasy. A concept as detailed and complexly bizarre as the music itself. After several highly acclaimed EP releases of swampy death and doom weirdness, "Chytridiomycosis Relinquished" finds Slimelord at their strongest yet in terms of speed and heaviness. The massive riffing, coupled with their ability to conjure dreamy, twisted repetition and improvised unorthodoxy, is complemented by layered effects pedals and even field recordings to create an atmosphere of extreme density and eccentric myth-making that allows for total immersion in the darkness .) 28.00
SOMA - If You See Me… (Let Me Be) LP (pike - Screamo from Penzance, UK - Soma is a screamo band from the UK with members from Crows-An-Wra, Ravachol, We Came Out Like Tigers, Crocus, Goodtime Boys and No Omega (amongst many others!). Starting as a demo project during the first Covid lockdown in 2020, Soma quickly formed into a full band soon after, with songs written and recorded remotely in Cornwall, Norwich and Berlin.) 15.00
VALERIO TRICOLI & HANNO LEICHTMANN - Cinnte le Dia LP (Edition of 300 copies, embossed sleeve - It all started with a crashed computer and it certainly didn’t end there. »Cinnte le Dia« is the third collaborative album by Hanno Leichtmann and Valerio Tricoli, their first entry into Ni Vu Ni Connu’s duo series that focuses on Berlin’s Echtzeitmusik scene and beyond. Having already released two joint records on the now-defunct Entr'acte label, the two musicians wanted to document a 2018 concert in Berlin, but technology failed them. Undeterred, the sound artist and percussionist and the electroacoustic composer went to the former’s Static Music Studio to record six of the eight tracks on this record straight to tape, with two additional ones being recorded during a performance at Eupen’s Meakusma festival in 2019. After 2016’s »The Future of Discipline« saw the duo enter the studio for a one-take session with added synth-bass overdubs and 2018’s »La Casa delle Chimere« documented a live gig in Kyiv, »Cinnte le Dia« presents a synthesis of the two approaches. Mixing the album together and adding overdubs—Leichtmann with his synth-bass again, Tricoli with his trusted Revox B77—the duo combined the special energy of their performance in front of a live audience with the intimate atmosphere of a studio session between two exceptional improvisers and composers. The pieces are accordingly marked by their sonic density, but also a rhythmic intricacy that makes the album as a whole negotiate its place in music history between bass-heavy, dubbed-out club music and electroacoustic as well as musique concrète techniques. Leichtmann worked with a mix of acoustic percussion routed through a modified looper and a granular live sampler as well as electronic drums consisting of three modular sampleplayers, a Syncussion drum synth and a bass drum module. Depending on the current set-up, the two fed this input through Tricoli’s B77 either individually or collectively to further manipulate single elements or the entire sound. What might look complicated on a tech rider sounds intuitive on record: these are two versatile musicians engaging in a play of difference and repetition, acting and reacting to each other in real-time, but also creating additional layers by inserting new elements after the fact. In a very literal way, »Cinnte le Dia« is the duo’s most refined album, yet at the same time a testament to the uncanny energy they unleash during their improvisations. It’s solemn and moody, spontaneous and driving at once. Of course a computer couldn’t handle that.) 30.00
BOOKS
MERCI LA NUIT - Musique du diable III BOOK (Devil's Music III – presents a selection of Flyers linked to Free Party culture, taken from the collection of Mö, Turntablist-Artivist. Merci la nuit is a documentary project on rave culture from the 90s to today in Europe. During the creation process, the directors of Merci la nuit designed the fanzine Musique du Diable which brings together the flyer collections of Mö, free party DJ-artivist.) 28.00
SSD - "HOW MUCH ART CAN YOU TAKE?" BOOK ("How Much Art Can You Take?" compiles over 170 images, many of which have never been seen before, plus first-hand commentary from the band and their crew, spread across 190 pages in a beautiful, 10" x 10" hardcover book.) 46.00
MERCHANDISE
INSIDE OUT - Logo T-SHIRT (revelation - Classic Inside Out shirt (Gildan Ultra Cotton) with front and back print. In S/M/L) 30.00
