Controlled Bleeding - “Carving Songs” 2xCD

Outer limits remixes 

A heavy-duty revisitation and reinterpretation of Bleeding’s “comeback” album of 2016, this expansive double-disc set opens with the new track, “TROD (Defiler’s Song)” — a wild and hardcore mesh of noisy thrash-edged rock (actually not far from the group’s old Skin Chamber project) with a more subtle electronic angle. It’s potent and downright frighteningly intense. The other tracks here, mostly remixes, alter the group’s diverse sounds into even more unique and unusual feels and sound-worlds.

Highlights of disc 1 include former Chain Reaction minimalists Monolake delayering/remixing “Carving Song” into their own austere rhythmic drum-loop style. “As Evening Implodes (Barnacles Remix)” brings a gentle and moody seaside strings vibe that serves as a pleasant interlude. The long-lost Renaldo & The Loaf take “As The Evening Fades” into a rich playground of exotica and, strangely,  animal sounds. JK Broadrick slices “Swarm” into a roomy, blackened, near-Godflesh slab, while the legendary Ramleh brings “As Evening Fades” into an opium den-soaked gauze of psychedelia. Rothko’s “Garage Dub” is a shoegazey wisp of ambient jazz, if that makes any sense, whereas ambient composer Tim Story remixes “Needle Evening” into a shimmery vapor-trip to finish off the disc.

Disc 2 begins with “Perks Pt 1 (Perv Mix)” — an amalgamation of grind/prog/metal/jazz that thunders along massively. Ron Anderson’s remix of “Carving Song” is a weirdly funky take, while Crowhurst’s remix of “A Loathing Supreme” is a terrifying free jazz/noise horror skronk. “Fusion Song (Le Syndicat Remix)” is a beautifully messy auto-crash of blistering electronic frequencies, lacerating post-dub beats, and overloaded effects (perhaps my favorite piece here) while Merzbow recalls Controlled Bleeding’s early years well with his abstract noise remix of “Perks Of Being A Perv”. 

Whereas many “remix albums” sound more like compilations (which they, by nature, are), Controlled Bleeding’s already vast musical terrain and the experimental tendencies of the remixers here make for a consistent and cohesive double-album that complements well the group’s uniquely visceral vision. This is not rock, nor jazz, or even industrial. Just call it Controlled Bleeding.

Artoffact Records

Controlled Bleeding - “Body Samples” 2xCD

Early sounds from legendary avant group

Controlled Bleeding’s 1985 debut LP for Germany’s Dossier Records is here reissued into a definitive double-disc edition, thanks to the wonderful ArtOfFact/Storming The Base label. “Body Samples” was an early breaking of tradition for the experimental group. Prior to this LP, the band had become known more for brutal power noise and agonized feedback with albums like “Knees And Bones” and a series of limited cassette albums. “Body Samples” showed the group opening their sound up with more subtle ambient textures alongside their post-industrial electronics. 

Opening with the ambient-oriented “Chote/Wheels/Hair”, the band quickly dissolved minds with the brief harsh feedback piece “Lungs Half” before heading into different waters with the percussive Neubauten-inspired “Experiments With Fuck”. “Blood Sack” is another hard noise cut, before “Scourge Sack” throws some tape loop atmospheres into the mix. “II” is a brief mournful ambient piece that anticipates the band’s later interest in dark proto-classical atmospheres. “Wall Shine Seed” sounds like Middle Eastern music behind a wall of screams and feedback. “Bulges Fakes” closes the initial disc with an upbeat melodic guitar sketch.

The second disc here is 39 minutes of other tracks recorded around the same time period (1983-1985), and with a similar mix of textures and noise. The ominous “Rust Bag” was recorded for a Broken Flag compilation but was left unreleased. Other tracks were either unreleased or originally bonus tracks on the initial “Body Samples” CD release on the now-defunct Dossier label. 

The diverse textures of “Body Samples” were still raw and certainly harsh, but the forceful insistence and unrelenting nature of the group’s earliest releases was held back a bit in favor of different moods and more subtle textures. Hints of the band’s later forays into ambience and beat-driven songs can be found here alongside the jagged feedback and screams. “Body Samples” is a challenging recording, sure, but it’s a classic and unique listening experience, and one that takes some unpredictable turns and diversions into areas of relevance for any fan of experimental and early electronic music. Cheers to Paul Lemos and all involved in bringing this landmark recording back into consciousness.

Artoffact/Storming The Base

Controlled Bleeding site

Controlled Bleeding - “Larva Lumps and Baby Bumps” 2xCD

Explosive new work from reformed experimental group

After some years of sporadic activity and the unexpected deaths of primary members Chris Moriarty and Joe Papa, this double-length album marks a serious return for Paul Lemos’ venerable noise-prog-jazz-ambient-dub behemoth. Through the years, Controlled Bleeding have provided a rather schizophrenic mix of genres, from outright power electronics to industrial dance to ambient to sacred music hybrids. Now, with new members, the band has found a focus on a wild out-jazz, prog-rock, post-rock madness that refuses to “fit” anywhere comfortably, but it sounds just amazing.

Opening with the frenzied prog-rock intensity of “Driving Through Darkness”, the album leans in for a darker, funky post-punk grind in “Carving Song”, which will more than please fans of “Filth”-era SWANS a bit. “Trawler’s Return” is a feverish jazz-thrash attack that careens headfirst into a Lemos guitar shredding, set to a pace that would please any classic punk rocker. “As Evening Fades” is a sweet and mellow ambient dub piece, leading into the 22-minute closer, “The Perks Of Being A Perv”, which ends the first album in a tour-de-force of pounding post-industrial rhythms lashed alongside Lemos’ maniacal guitar. Call this one more jazz-prog-thrash, every bit as intense as any metal could hope to be. The track evolves/devolves into pounding experimental improv noise, a sort of harkening back to the band's famous days as one of America's premier industrial noise groups.

The second disc is “The Bisi Sessions”, recorded live in the studio back in 2011 with legendary NYC producer Martin Bisi (known for his work with SWANS, Sonic Youth, Live Skull, and tons more). These 7 tracks (well, 8, as there's an unlisted bonus cut) are an ideal accompaniment alongside the initial “Larva Lumps” disc — weird, complex rhythms and genre-busting arrangements all centered around the remarkable guitar chops of Lemos himself. Approaching a kind of hyper speed-core on most cuts, Controlled Bleeding’s potent musical ramblings (all instrumental here aside from a rather pop-oriented "Trang's Song", with sweet vocals from longtime collaborator Trang) are both befuddling and somehow invigorating. 

Music doesn’t need to belong to any category or genre, and Paul Lemos and company have spent many years proving that great music comes, rightly, from far outside the mainstream. Cheers, Paul, and here’s to many more releases and reissues.

ArtOfFact/Storming The Base

Controlled Bleeding site

Controlled Bleeding - “Distress Signals I + II” 2xCD

Early violent noise remasters

A surprise deluxe reissue of the ultra-rare 1984 cassette originally issued on the legendary Broken Flag label, this debut album from NY based Controlled Bleeding includes an extra disc of previously unreleased material that was originally intended to be the Broken Flag release, but somehow the tapes got mixed up and, well, 30 years later we get both albums, remastered and together for the first time.

The initial disc is the Broken Flag album, here titled “Distress Signals I”. With track titles given from Broken Flag owner and Ramleh member Gary Mundy (and favoring his early affinity for Holocaust shock value), this, like the band’s vinyl debut “Knees & Bones” (also rereleased at the same time), is harsh and jagged power electronics / industrial noise. There are moments of reprieve, as with the use of Middle Eastern religious tapes in “The Spitting Cell” or “A Human Invention”, but it's all based around overloaded feedback and unintelligible primal screams. Brutal, uncompromising, and not for unadventurous listeners.

Cd2 is the recently unearthed “Distress Signals II”, a set of 11 never-released harsh noise tracks from the same era, and these follow the same pattern. This is destroyed music, full of primal violence and anything resembling structure or melody. Fans of Controlled Bleeding’s later forays into textural gothic soundtracks or industrial dance should think twice if they can handle this scarring assault on their eardrums. Me? I enjoy, but only in smaller doses. 

A great thing to have this rare material available again after so many years. Here’s my vote for Artoffact to release all the other obscure Controlled Bleeding albums and tapes that have sadly never been reissued, and some that are just plain unavailable. Great, legendary stuff for experimental and noise fans, for certain.

Artoffact Records

Controlled Bleeding site

Controlled Bleeding - “Knees And Bones” CD

Classic noise debut

This was the vinyl debut of the prolific noise/experimental group way back in 1985, and this latest reissue is the most comprehensive version yet. Emerging at time when the avant-garde, industrial and experimental music community was far-ranging and deeply set underground, this Long Island group crafted this set of ultra-harsh walls of screaming noise and feedback, as inspired by fellow subversives like Whitehouse and SWANS. The original LP, which comprises the extended opening tracks “Knees” and “Bones”, are shrill, gouging, and terrifying assaults of grinding electronic feedback and the incomprehensible agonized shouts of either Paul Lemos or Chris Moriarty (I can’t tell). There are moments where the noise settles a bit into a moody (yet still ultimately a primal and visceral) sound, but overall, this album is a raw and edgy collection of power electronics that doesn’t hold any semblance of structure, order, or melody. 

Bonus tracks are included here that only add to the noise and confusion. There’s a lengthy remix, called “Knees Power Mix”, another installment of the ongoing “Swallowing Scrap Metal” series of harsh feedback forays, and a remix of a wild and frantic track from CB’s out-jazz/scat side project, Breast Fed Yak.

Among a slew of other early releases (mostly on cassette), Controlled Bleeding’s earliest recorded output was a destructive primal scream that showed little evidence of their later trajectories into ambient, dance, or metal music that gained them a following in the late 80s and early 90s. This is about as harsh and noisy as you could ever hope to hear. Bravo! Here’s hoping Artoffact will consider other reissues of long-lost Controlled Bleeding recordings of this era.

ArtOfFact Records

CB website

Paul Lemos - "Sludge" LP

This forgotten oldie from 1989 was released on Dossier Germany, on clear vinyl only, though certain cuts (albeit in different mixes, it seems) have appeared on other Controlled Bleeding releases of the era ("Trudge", "Scourging Ground", "Songs From The Ashes", etc.). In fact, Lemos' "Sludge" could easily stand as a mid-period Controlled Bleeding "best of", as it features a variety of styles and sounds, and includes the participation of both Joe Papa (vocals) and Chris Moriarty (sampling, probably drums). The percussive "Hog Rhythm" flows into the industrial-beat sounds of "Now Is The Time", which recalls both Laibach as well as Skinny Puppy a little - strident and noisy. "Swallowing Scrap Metal" is a brief (under 2-minute) snippet of brutal feedback scarring, recorded live in 1983. Side B features the neo-gothic mutant-opera of "Music For Tape And Voice", and the more subtle 15-minute proto-classical/ambient "In Dark Waters". Really a fine recording that runs the gamut between shredding noise, industrial beat sounds, and weirdo avante ambient. (Dossier Germany)

"Of Sound Mind" compilation cassette - FREE

As I recently noticed that this release has been in semi-demand through discogs.com, so now seems a good time to make 'Of Sound Mind' available again, completely free to you, dear readers.

This is my very own compilation cassette, originally released in ultra-microscopic quantities via Godsend Productions & Magazine way back in 1993. If you like experimental and abstract noise and ambient sounds, this 90-minute collection of material from mostly fairly well-known international artists might be appealing. You can download it in 2 parts below. It got very positive reviews way back when from such mags as MUSIC FROM THE EMPTY QUARTER, E.S.T., AUDIO DRUDGE, and others. See what you think and please leave comments so I know you're out there! Did I mention you can download this for FREE with the links below? The artists were all personal friends back then, so it's all legit, too...

Here's the tracklist and bio:

OF SOUND MIND compilation tracklist
CD1
1. Psycollapse - torture lab
2. Merzbow/Arthur Potter - sub-urban
3. Amoeba - feedback study: steel
4. Amoeba - spectacle of false faces
5. Amoeba - elith
6. Beautiful People, Ltd (featuring Jarboe) - newborn child
7. PBK - totem
8. Stereotaxic Device - slash and burn
9. Illusion of Safety - inside
10. Psycollapse - burning up time
disc a
CD2
1. Robert Rich - birdsong for aleta
2. Robert Rich - circle
3. PBK - a dream
4. Konstruktivists - khos (live 1982)
5. Konstruktivists - kardboardia (live 1982)
6. Vidna Obmana - by abundant rain
7. Beautiful People, Ltd. (featuring Jarboe) - suicide song
8. Trance - the other side of silence
9. Trance - rain in hind
disc b

OF SOUND MIND compilation bios:

PSYCOLLAPSE:
This was a loose "band" consisting of Todd Zachritz, Clint Davis, and Brian Zachritz. These tracks were both strictly improvised, and show the dark, more mysterious side of their work. Besides this type of stuff, they also dabbled in many other styles and genres, from hard dance to punk rock to ambient, reflecting an interest and enthusiasm for nearly every genre of music. The band has been inactive for some time, though a reunion is always possible. PSYCOLLAPSE has left behind a catalog of over 40 cassettes of unreleased material, some of which may be compiled in the future.
Godsend Productions
(c) 1992 Godsend Productions

MERZBOW/POTTER:
"Sub-Urban" is a rare collaboration between two very respected figures in the international "post-industrial" noise scene--Japan's MERZBOW and New York's Arthur Potter. This track combines Masami Akita's brutal, grinding electronics/processing with Potter's spoken text/poetry. The result is nothing less than scalding.
MERZBOW has been responsible for an immense number of recordings internationally, while Arthur is primarily a visual designer who's done cover art/designs for numerous CONTROLLED BLEEDING releases as well as volumes 3, 4, and 5 of the seminal DRY LUNGS compilation series and an exclusive cover design for GODSEND's 18th issue.
He has also worked on music with longtime friend Paul Lemos of CONTROLLED BLEEDING fame.
(c) 1992 Merzbow/Potter

ROBERT RICH/AMOEBA:
Hailing from Stanford, California, composer Robert Rich has released an impressive number of fine solo albums of his emotive, ambient soundscapes. He has also worked on collaborations with such atmospheric music luminaries as Steve Roach, Vidna Obmana, and Brian Lustmord. The 5 tracks selected for this compilation are unreleased outtakes pointing to a variety of directions and atmospheres.
His side project AMOEBA is an outlet for his more extreme sound experiments, as presented here. He has also since released several CDs of strange ambient pop under the AMOEBA moniker. The track "Feedback Study: Steel" is based on a "prototype instrument made from a sheet of steel". AMOEBA's "Spectacle of False Faces" dates way back to 1985--an early document of his future direction. "Elith" is an electronic improvisation.
His contributions as Robert Rich include "Birdsong For Aleta", a dance piece written for a solo performance by Aleta Hayes, and "Circle", which uses an instrument Rich built in 1985 called a mallet kalimba.
Robert Rich
(c)1992 Soundscape Productions

THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, LTD:
This was a "band" consisting of Jarboe and Lary Seven. Jarboe is best recognized for her collaborations with M. Gira as SWANS and THE WORLD OF SKIN, though her solo career has been fruitful and productive as well. These songs were another outlet for her creativity, and she released a full-length BPL CD and remix single on Belgium's Sub Rosa label (now available again on the Atavistic label). She has also released several excellent solo albums, and continues to collaborate with artists like Justin Broadrick (of Godflesh and Jesu), Neurosis, and a lengthy list of innovative modern artists from all over the world.
Jarboe
(c) 1991 Jarboe Music

PBK:
PBK has become an important part of the international cassette and experimental scenes. His style of "sound painting" utilizes samples, loops, and synthetic sources to produce a very individual, intuitive type of sound. His many releases on labels such as RRR, Lunhare, and ND show a great range of directions, from the harsh noise of his early work to the near-ambience of recent releases. He has also collaborated with many other artists, including Jarboe, Vidna Obmana, Brian Ladd, Deaf Lions, M.Gira, and Chris & Cosey. PBK now works in a vaguely jazz-like context, though still quite electronic in nature, and certainly more experimental than that term may imply.
PBK
(c) 1991 PBK

STEREOTAXIC DEVICE:
On the electronic beat side of the musical spectrum was STEREOTAXIC DEVICE. Their music, which approached downright danceable at times, used varying atmospheric textures and sound collage to create a rich and layered brand of electronic music--both experimental and accessable at the same time. They released 2 full-length CDs and one single on Belgium's KK Records before disbanding around 1993. This track originally appeared as a CD-only bonus track on their "Lostland" CD single and in different form on their "100 Per Day Extinct" CD.
Recently, vocalist Daniel Williams was active in industrial-dance act THINKING MAN (on Metropolis Records) while keyboardist George Sarah has recorded electronic dance sounds with his project T.H.C. Sarah is now an established Hollywood score composer and has most notably worked on the cult TV series, 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer', among others.
(c)1991 Stereotaxic Device/George Sarah, courtesy of KK Records

ILLUSION OF SAFETY:
IOS are a revolving group centered around Dan Burke. They've released a large number of releases on labels such as Staalplaat, Tesco, RRR, as well as Dan's own Complacency Productions, and they have quickly become some of the most respected crafters of experimental sound. Their vast catalog of work includes everything from ambient fields of sound to crunching noise to the beat-driven textures of their legendary (and polarizing) "Inside Agitator" CD.
Illusion Of Safety
(c)1991 IOS/Complacency

KONSTRUKTIVISTS:
This group has been making their own style of experimental music since the early 1980s. Never ones to be predictable, the group have gone from the noise of their early Third Mind LPs to the more recent neo-techno of their "Tic-Tac-Toe" and "Forbidden" CDs. Core members of KONSTRUKTIVISTS have performed with such "industrial" legends as CHRIS & COSEY and WHITEHOUSE. These 2 live tracks are archival examples of their early psycho-tronic work and date all the way back to 1982.
Konstruktivists
(c)1992 NKVD/Ouragouras Music, Inc.

VIDNA OBMANA:
Belgian composer Dirk Serries has been one of the finest ambient artists in recent times. His soundwork is serene and immaculately constructed, reflecting an atmosphere of delicate, unfolding beauty. His experimentation with nontraditional sound sources has led to some likewise interesting collaborations with other artists including PBK, Marc Verhaeghen (of the KLINIK), Steve Roach, and Sam Rosenthal (of Projekt/BLACK TAPE FOR A BLUE GIRL), among others. Serries also collaborates with others in the more guitar-drone-oriented Fear Falls Burning.
VidnaObmana
(c)1991 Vidna Obmana

TRANCE:
Mason Jones, the man behind the avante/noise group TRANCE, quickly made a name for himself in international experimental music circles, both through his soundwork, and through his label. Charnel Music (which released a stream of fine CDs by such artists as CRASH WORSHIP ADRV, ZENI GEVA, GRAVITAR, and K.K. NULL, among others).
TRANCE, which was chiefly a solo venture, released several CDs and cassettes that range from grinding guitar melee to neo-tribal percussiveness to the solemn, classically-influenced work on his "Augury" CD. Mason is also active with psychedelic rock band SUBARACHNOID SPACE and continues to collaborate with a number of legendary experimental musicians from around the world.
These 2 tracks showcase some of his more percussive music,and show the diversity and subtlety TRANCE is capable of.
Charnel House
(c)1993 Charnel Music

"The Three Trials" DVD (director: Randy Greif)

This feature-length indie flick from renowned ambient/industrial composer Greif is a study in psychedelic post-industrial psycho-sexual fantasies. Using a variety of notable artists as the soundtrack (SPK, Controlled Bleeding, Lustmord, Illusion Of Safety, Nocturnal Emissions, Nurse With Wound, Muslimgauze, and Greif himself, among others), this tale unfolds as a nun named Catherine (played by the lovely Molinee Green) stumbles across the convent's Mother Superior and a priest engaged in a scandalously compromising position. It's a seductive, beautifully-visual, and artfully-rendered picture of sexual excess, as Catherine is whisked off (abducted) to a strange castle where she makes some rather fantastic liaisons with some other abductees (yum), but soon finds herself in grave danger. Her escape sees her dressing solely in a fox carcass, and she is saved by a beastly man-yeti who becomes her lover and eventually transforms into a human who becomes her personal master in an S&M relationship. Got all that? Catherine transforms herself through all of these surreal scenes, and the integration of experimental film techniques interspersed within the storyline makes it never truly clear what is imagined and what is truth. An odd journey, certainly not for sexual prudes (or religious prudes) as there are a number of pretty graphic scenes here that will titillate and/or offend. Solid work, certainly with aspirations far and above mainstream cinema. And can't fault that soundtrack, either. Kudos! (Swinging Axe Productions)

Three Trials website with downloadable trailers, music samples, photos, and more info

Controlled Bleeding - "In Blind Embrace (Songs From The Shadows)" CD

Originally released in 1996, this obscure title from American experimental act Controlled Bleeding shows a darker, more ambient side of the unpredictable noise/jazz/industrial act. The bold and operatic vocals of Joe Papa grace the dramatic gothic opener, 'Tormentor's Song', which seems to symbolize strength and pride before the transitional 'Red Hands Waiting', which can be downloaded for free *here*. This is a more contemplative, subtle, and moody piece that features deeply-intoned vocals and hints at the group's unique jazz/industrial hybrid sound, though never quite falling into either camp. The transformational 'Scalding/Black Rain' begins with a brace of noise and disjointed loopiness that gives way to a distinctly different second part that again joins Papa's vocals with big, dramatic, and orchestral music. 'Mother' features guest vocals by former Christian Death mainman Rozz Williams, and 'Hymn From The Shadows' is a long (25 minute) totally ambient instrumental journey that resembles, with it's percolating electronic effects, some long-lost krautrock gem - it's celestial and drifty in all the right places! 'Psalm' is a minimalist exercise, expressing a tone of solitude and regret, with Papa's voice accompanying martial drums and light keyboard textures. These final 2 tracks are the highlights for me, focusing more on the mood rather than song. Appealing more to fans of stuff like the Projekt Records stable than the usual noise/industrial crowd, 'In Blind Embrace' is laced full of dark textures and drawn-out moods - ideal for contemplation and introspection. (MVD Audio)

Controlled Bleeding - "Before The Quiet" CD

New York's Controlled Bleeding are known as one of America's earliest industrial noise acts. From the early 80's, the group, centered around Paul Lemos, has created a dizzying array of releases, covering a wide swath of sounds both soothing and confrontational. 'Before The Quiet' collects their very earliest recordings, and dates back to the late 70's. And while the playful experimentation is there, much of this is closer to a wild free jazz/improv/prog-rock format. The track 'Controlled Bleeding' itself is set to a frenzied and almost thrashy tempo. 'Veal', with it's surf organ, is another anomaly - uptempo and quickly giving way to another breakneck speed-surf-riff-o-rama. 'Fiddles & Joey' features the inimitable scat-singing of Joe Papa, and other tracks (some recorded live, others in garages, on 2-track, etc.) are similarly unique. And strangely, despite this material being nearly 30 years old, nothing here sounds really dated. If you wrote off Controlled Bleeding based on their harsher 'industrial' past, this could change your mind, as these musical chameleons can confound as well as anyone. (MVD Audio)

Check out a free mp3 of CB's first ever single, 'Wall Of China Love Letters' here.

and visit the band's website here.

Controlled Bleeding "Sundance, NY 11.19.89" + RIP Chris Moriarty

I didn't ever know Chris Moriarty (who passed away March 22), but I was a huge fan of his work with respected industrial/noise act Controlled Bleeding (as well as satellite groups Skin Chamber and Body Clock). Group leader Paul Lemos, along with Moriarty and third CB member Joe Papa, played a Wax Trax! Records showcase, as I recall, in New York (their home), way back in 1989. Some of this material is their more beat-oriented, "commercial" industrial dance period, which Lemos now regrets, but really, it was pretty solid work in the same vein as Front Line Assembly or Revolting Cocks. About half of this show was also the group's more ambient, funereal music, featuring the mournful vocals of Papa. So it certainly wasn't a 'sellout', by any means. Anyhow, this show was recorded by a friend with a tape recorder, and thus the sound is not exactly CD-worthy, but still a nice document of a time long passed. And a tribute to a fallen comrade. Controlled Bleeding

various artists - "Of Sound Mind" C90 cassette (1993)

Here's something special and neat for you. This is my very own compilation cassette, originally released in ultra-microscopic quantities via Godsend Productions & Magazine way back in 1993. If you like experimental and abstract noise and ambient sounds, this 90-minute collection of material from mostly fairly well-known international artists might be appealing. You can download it in 2 parts below. It got very positive reviews way back when from such mags as MUSIC FROM THE EMPTY QUARTER, E.S.T., AUDIO DRUDGE, and others. See what you think and please leave comments so I know you're out there! Did I mention you can download this for FREE with the links below? The artists were all personal friends back then, so it's all legit, too...

Here's the tracklist and bio:

OF SOUND MIND compilation tracklist
CD1
1. Psycollapse - torture lab
2. Merzbow/Arthur Potter - sub-urban
3. Amoeba - feedback study: steel
4. Amoeba - spectacle of false faces
5. Amoeba - elith
6. Beautiful People, Ltd (featuring Jarboe) - newborn child
7. PBK - totem
8. Stereotaxic Device - slash and burn
9. Illusion of Safety - inside
10. Psycollapse - burning up time
disc a
CD2
1. Robert Rich - birdsong for aleta
2. Robert Rich - circle
3. PBK - a dream
4. Konstruktivists - khos (live 1982)
5. Konstruktivists - kardboardia (live 1982)
6. Vidna Obmana - by abundant rain
7. Beautiful People, Ltd. (featuring Jarboe) - suicide song
8. Trance - the other side of silence
9. Trance - rain in hind
disc b

OF SOUND MIND compilation bios:

PSYCOLLAPSE:
This was a loose "band" consisting of Todd Zachritz, Clint Davis, and Brian Zachritz. These tracks were both strictly improvised, and show the dark, more mysterious side of their work. Besides this type of stuff, they also dabbled in many other styles and genres, from hard dance to punk rock to ambient, reflecting an interest and enthusiasm for nearly every genre of music. The band has been inactive for some time, though a reunion is always possible. PSYCOLLAPSE has left behind a catalog of over 40 cassettes of unreleased material, some of which may be compiled in the future.
Godsend Productions
(c) 1992 Godsend Productions

MERZBOW/POTTER:
"Sub-Urban" is a rare collaboration between two very respected figures in the international "post-industrial" noise scene--Japan's MERZBOW and New York's Arthur Potter. This track combines Masami Akita's brutal, grinding electronics/processing with Potter's spoken text/poetry. The result is nothing less than scalding.
MERZBOW has been responsible for an immense number of recordings internationally, while Arthur is primarily a visual designer who's done cover art/designs for numerous CONTROLLED BLEEDING releases as well as volumes 3, 4, and 5 of the seminal DRY LUNGS compilation series and an exclusive cover design for GODSEND's 18th issue.
He has also worked on music with longtime friend Paul Lemos of CONTROLLED BLEEDING fame.
(c) 1992 Merzbow/Potter

ROBERT RICH/AMOEBA:
Hailing from Stanford, California, composer Robert Rich has released an impressive number of fine solo albums of his emotive, ambient soundscapes. He has also worked on collaborations with such atmospheric music luminaries as Steve Roach, Vidna Obmana, and Brian Lustmord. The 5 tracks selected for this compilation are unreleased outtakes pointing to a variety of directions and atmospheres.
His side project AMOEBA is an outlet for his more extreme sound experiments, as presented here. He has also since released several CDs of strange ambient pop under the AMOEBA moniker. The track "Feedback Study: Steel" is based on a "prototype instrument made from a sheet of steel". AMOEBA's "Spectacle of False Faces" dates way back to 1985--an early document of his future direction. "Elith" is an electronic improvisation.
His contributions as Robert Rich include "Birdsong For Aleta", a dance piece written for a solo performance by Aleta Hayes, and "Circle", which uses an instrument Rich built in 1985 called a mallet kalimba.
Robert Rich
(c)1992 Soundscape Productions

THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, LTD:
This was a "band" consisting of Jarboe and Lary Seven. Jarboe is best recognized for her collaborations with M. Gira as SWANS and THE WORLD OF SKIN, though her solo career has been fruitful and productive as well. These songs were another outlet for her creativity, and she released a full-length BPL CD and remix single on Belgium's Sub Rosa label (now available again on the Atavistic label). She has also released several excellent solo albums, and continues to collaborate with artists like Justin Broadrick (of Godflesh and Jesu), Neurosis, and a lengthy list of innovative modern artists from all over the world.
Jarboe
(c) 1991 Jarboe Music

PBK:
PBK has become an important part of the international cassette and experimental scenes. His style of "sound painting" utilizes samples, loops, and synthetic sources to produce a very individual, intuitive type of sound. His many releases on labels such as RRR, Lunhare, and ND show a great range of directions, from the harsh noise of his early work to the near-ambience of recent releases. He has also collaborated with many other artists, including Jarboe, Vidna Obmana, Brian Ladd, Deaf Lions, M.Gira, and Chris & Cosey. PBK now works in a vaguely jazz-like context, though still quite electronic in nature, and certainly more experimental than that term may imply.
PBK
(c) 1991 PBK

STEREOTAXIC DEVICE:
On the electronic beat side of the musical spectrum was STEREOTAXIC DEVICE. Their music, which approached downright danceable at times, used varying atmospheric textures and sound collage to create a rich and layered brand of electronic music--both experimental and accessable at the same time. They released 2 full-length CDs and one single on Belgium's KK Records before disbanding around 1993. This track originally appeared as a CD-only bonus track on their "Lostland" CD single and in different form on their "100 Per Day Extinct" CD.
Recently, vocalist Daniel Williams was active in industrial-dance act THINKING MAN (on Metropolis Records) while keyboardist George Sarah has recorded electronic dance sounds with his project T.H.C. Sarah is now an established Hollywood score composer and has most notably worked on the cult TV series, 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer', among others.
(c)1991 Stereotaxic Device/George Sarah, courtesy of KK Records

ILLUSION OF SAFETY:
IOS are a revolving group centered around Dan Burke. They've released a large number of releases on labels such as Staalplaat, Tesco, RRR, as well as Dan's own Complacency Productions, and they have quickly become some of the most respected crafters of experimental sound. Their vast catalog of work includes everything from ambient fields of sound to crunching noise to the beat-driven textures of their legendary (and polarizing) "Inside Agitator" CD.
Illusion Of Safety
(c)1991 IOS/Complacency

KONSTRUKTIVISTS:
This group has been making their own style of experimental music since the early 1980s. Never ones to be predictable, the group have gone from the noise of their early Third Mind LPs to the more recent neo-techno of their "Tic-Tac-Toe" and "Forbidden" CDs. Core members of KONSTRUKTIVISTS have performed with such "industrial" legends as CHRIS & COSEY and WHITEHOUSE. These 2 live tracks are archival examples of their early psycho-tronic work and date all the way back to 1982.
Konstruktivists
(c)1992 NKVD/Ouragouras Music, Inc.

VIDNA OBMANA:
Belgian composer Dirk Serries has been one of the finest ambient artists in recent times. His soundwork is serene and immaculately constructed, reflecting an atmosphere of delicate, unfolding beauty. His experimentation with nontraditional sound sources has led to some likewise interesting collaborations with other artists including PBK, Marc Verhaeghen (of the KLINIK), Steve Roach, and Sam Rosenthal (of Projekt/BLACK TAPE FOR A BLUE GIRL), among others. Serries also collaborates with others in the more guitar-drone-oriented Fear Falls Burning.
VidnaObmana
(c)1991 Vidna Obmana

TRANCE:
Mason Jones, the man behind the avante/noise group TRANCE, quickly made a name for himself in international experimental music circles, both through his soundwork, and through his label. Charnel Music (which released a stream of fine CDs by such artists as CRASH WORSHIP ADRV, ZENI GEVA, GRAVITAR, and K.K. NULL, among others).
TRANCE, which was chiefly a solo venture, released several CDs and cassettes that range from grinding guitar melee to neo-tribal percussiveness to the solemn, classically-influenced work on his "Augury" CD. Mason is also active with psychedelic rock band SUBARACHNOID SPACE and continues to collaborate with a number of legendary experimental musicians from around the world.
These 2 tracks showcase some of his more percussive music,and show the diversity and subtlety TRANCE is capable of.
Charnel House
(c)1993 Charnel Music