Various Artists ‎– "From Czech Electronic Music Studios" (Supraphon ‎– 1 11 1423) 1974

If ever there was a soundtrack to life in a police state then this is it. On State Label Supraphon, with cover art from some twisted nightmarish detention centre inmate after a long spell of sleep deprivation, this musique concréte escapade emits all the joylessness of a lifetime spent under curfew.
Largely involving tape manipulation,and thankfully lacking access to the Soviet Union's state-owned EMS synthi 100 in Moscow, the edited and varispeeded recorded sounds have all the characteristics of a fully furnished subterranean dungeon in Prague.
Each new track is like an interrogator saying "Let's Go back to the Beginning",as it seems we've been here before but still aren't any wiser as to what you did last summer,especially as every day feels like winter.Music that'll make you admit to anything to avoid the 'Bath of Shit' part of the afternoon.Nothing's worth that illegally imported pair of jeans you purchased from that under-cover policeman last July.
Most of Czechoslavakia's prog rock fraternity were locked up in the same interrogation centre that this stuff evokes,but you could get away with it if you achieved the status of of 'Official Musician'. Without the nod from the State you weren't allowed to play music to a paying audience,if at all.Anything 'western' or subversive was an arrestable offence; as the Zappa-esque Plastic People Of The Universe found out. 
The composers of these creepy early electronic cattle prod-a-gogo instruments of aural torture,were,of course, possessors of pieces of paper that allowed them the distinction of being official 'State Composers', so they were safe in their state provided accomodation.....undoubtedly bugged,but its a rent controlled roof over one's head, where subversive thoughts could be encrypted into indecipherable weird noises and passed off as 'Avant-Garde'.


Tracklist:

1 –Zbyněk Vostřák - Scales Of Light (1967) 13:55
2 –Miloslav Ištvan - Isle Of Toys (1968) 9:25

Two Parts From The Kinetic Ballet (1968)

3 –Václav Kučera - The Labyrinth 14:00
4 –Václav Kučera - The Spiral 7:35

DOWNLOAD the sudetenland of electronics HERE!

MCH Band ‎– "Jsme Zdrávi A Daří Se Nám Dobře" (Fist Records) 1983

The MCH band couldn't get on groovy state label Supraphon,so they had to do the same as the UK bands who couldn't get on EMI, and make their own cassettes.
This is their second on Fist records.
More excellent proggy post-punk from darkest Czechoslovakia.

Tracklist:

A1 Prasinec
A2 Procházka Kolem Pivovaru
A3 Maškara Na Větvi
B1 Prej Hoří Národní Divadlo
B2 Viselci
B3 Truppen Marschieren Bei Nacht
B4 Kdo Ví

DOWNLOAD mch and his band HERE!

MCH /post Extempore/ Band ‎– "Krokodlak" (Fist Records) 1982

The MCH band, named after band leader Mikoláš Chadima, bless him,was a more forward looking Czech Prog band that exuded elements of Post-Punk experimentalism, with a Rock In Opposition vibe, and the much needed influence of punk rock's immeadiacy. That means theres not much singing,no over long tracks, trimmed beards, and shorter shoulder length hair.They could even be the best thing to come out of Czechoslavakia since The Plastic People of the Universe....who were obviously a major influence.
This was their first cassette underground release, when they had just changed their name from The unrecorded, Extempore Band (Better name), to the initials of the lovely Mikoláš.

Tracklist:

A1 Pydlisyn
A2 Peklo
A3 Krokodlak / Vènováno V.T./
B1 Hobit / Zpěv Skřetů/
B2 Jak Šlo Vejce Na Van Dr
B3 Král Hromady

DOWNLOAD some post extempore czech prog-punk HERE!

Bohemia ‎– "Zrnko Písku" (Panton ‎– 11 0699) 1978

Oh Alright then!
Here's the sole album of progressive Jazz Rock Fusion.from Czech-Prog super group, Bohemia.
Made up of Jan Kubík (ex-Flamengo), Lešek Semelka (ex-Blue Effect), Michal Pavlíček (ex-Expanze), Vladimír Guma Kulhánek (ex-Flamengo), Jan Hála and Pavel Trnavský (ex-Expanze)......so i'm told.

The music is standard Jazz Rock in the tradition of, dunno?...Return To Forever? Etc.

The tracks get rather funky at some point, but the singer.....the singer!

Thats the trouble with these eastern european records, their language doesn't suit rock and soul music whatsoever.

I've said this before, to some amusement I may add, that the Lingua Franca of 20th century popular music is, undeniably, English.As for Opera its Italian. 

Instrumentally this album is rather good, but rather spoiled by those harsh sounding words and those harsher, rasping vocals.


Tracklist:

1.Chór Minulých Nohou V Průchodu „Pasáž” 7:16
2.Zátiší Peronních Lístků 6:32
3.Sen O Snu 5:56
4.Horké Letní Stmívání 9:14
5.Milenci Před Pollockovým Obrazem 7:24

DOWNLOAD some bohemian jazz rock fusion HERE!

Combo FH ‎– "Věci / Things" (Panton ‎– 8113 0184) 1981

Amother I got from the bargain bin in the Ultima Thule progressive record shop in Leicester back in the nineties;I think this was one pound.

More Czech, brass heavy prog, with a distinct Zappa influence.

Apparently there is a Frank Zappa statue in Prague somewhere. The Zappa family did originate,rather fittingly, from bohemia before they wisely emigrated to California.I did have a friend from the same area, who ultimately drove into a tree and died, but he did look like Zappa, a grungier version of Zappa, but nonetheless he had that Bohemia look.(especially after the accident!)

There was also a Czech prog fusion band actually Called 'Bohemia', which i considered posting, but its a bit too jazzy for me....as well as being a bit Shit....but is considered a Czech prog classic...and why not?

Combo Fh could have easily fitted into the UK post-punk prog scene if they had been let out to hang at Rough Trade in London...but,alas, they would have needed a major make over, a shave at least, to make it alongside Pigbag or Blurt.

Tracklist:

1.Guma-Gu / Rubber Blubber 4:13
2.Sedli A Jedli / They Sat And Ate 3:13
3.Ouklejí Slalom / Dace Race 4:26
4.Juta Targo 1:49
5.Řezník Zítra Nepřijede / The Butcher Won't Come Tomorrow 1:59
6.Sen Sušené Jahody / Dried Strawberry's Dream 3:46
7.Laserová Pouť / Laser Pilgrimage 2:49
8.Koko A Bučka / Koko And Bottage 1:35
9.Je Za Deset Minut, Pardále / It's Ten To, Bully Boy 2:55
10.Přilož Ucho / Give Your Ear 3:01
11.Druhá Nejlepší Pastička Na Myši / Second Best Mousetrap 2:29
12.Zelený Muž / Green Man 1:48
13.Tam Na Horách V Rákosí / On The Hilltops In The Rushes 1:35
14.Asi To Zabalíme, I Josef Už To Zavinul / Weather Report For 15.Tonight, Let's Call It A Day 2:29

DOWNLOAD some things HERE!

Progres 2 ‎– "Dialog S Vesmírem" (Panton ‎– 8113 0130) 1980

Typically for the eastern bloc, Progres 2 were formed over a decade before they had their debut album put out by the state.Around about the time of the 'Prague Spring' uprising.

No room for teenage troublemakers over the other side of the wall....not on the state labels at least.Especially after the Soviet Tanks rolled in around 1968.

If you couldn't grow a bushy moustache they didn't wanna know.Back to the chemical plant and those adorably slack health and safety regulations. Teenagers with green hair in the soviet bloc were not generally adolescent rebels with a handy bottle of hair dye as a rule.Their verdant locks came courtesy of chemical poisoning at work, or they lived within 50 kilometers of a state industrial plant. So most musicians who lived on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain were often near death by the time the debut album got out.

At least Progres 2 seem to have survived their pre-fame era intact, as this complex and symphonic Czech-prog classic attests.

Tracklist:

1.V Zajetí Počítačů 3:07
2.Země 2555 4:07
3.Píseň O Jablku 9:34
4.Odlet 5:42
5.Planeta Hieronyma Bosche I 4:38
6.Planeta Hieronyma Bosche II 6:20
7.Tisíce Mých Očí 4:53
8.Hymna Robotů 4:37

DOWNLOAD and make progres towards an end of all this eastern european prog HERE!

Flamingo /Фламинго ‎– "Вокально-Инструментальный Ансамбль/Vocal-Instrumental Ensemble «Фламинго»" ( Мелодия ‎– Д-30743) 1971

From the group that gave us "This Is Our Soul",Flamingo had the privilege of having a release granted on the CCCP's state label Melodija.
Recorded in glorious Mono during 1971 while the group was on tour in the USSR.It was the hottest gig in town,and it would be very interesting to see what the tour itinery was;there were probably riots in Siberia when Flamingo hit town.Something akin to catching The Sex Pistols at Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall in '76,or Bill Haley and his comets in Coventry back in '58.
All tracks are sung in the Czech language,and is admissable evidence that English is certainly the Lingua Franca of Pop to the exclusion of all other languages.For example you won't find an English,man singing an English folk song in Polish would you,and Pop music is basically modern Anglo-American Folk music....innit?

Ahhh bless 'em, they tried their level best to bring Soul to the peasants and povo's*(*East Midlands slang word for poor people) of the Soviet Union,while at the same time amusing us arrogant western arseholes of the 21st century. It's a two edged blade of fun is their version of 'Our Soul'.They almost made it 'Their Soul'...but.....naaaah! And aren't we glad they didn't?

Tracklisting:

A1: “Dívčí král” – cover version of “Never Marry A Railroad Man”
A2: “Měsíční pán” – cover version of “Cracklin’ Rosie”
A3: “Růžová pentle”
A4: “Tento mladík” – cover version of “Spooky”
A5: “Opatruj svých sedmnáct”
B1: “Mít pouhej tejden” – cover version of “Good Morning Freedom”
B2: “Michael” – cover version of “Michael And The Slipper Tree”
B3: “Agnes”
B4: “Pštrosí pera” (instrumental)

DOWNLOAD czech versions of Our Soul HERE!

The Flamingo Group (Featuring Marie Rottrová & Petr Němec) ‎– "This Is Our Soul" (Supraphon ‎– 1 13 1024) 1971

HaHaHaHaaaaaa, you americans think you invented Soul music don't you? Like captured Nazi's got you to the moon (or not as is suggested in certain quarters?), and West African slaves invented the blues and therefore your beloved Rock and the Rollings! You stole your culture,whereas we in the glorious soviet empire  created very funky soul music for our comrades to sit still and listen attentively to under strict anti-subversion laws. In 1968 we Russians,the KGB specifically, brought in this secret Soul music to stop the violent unhappiness that was spreading amongst our brothers and sisters in the Socialist Republik of Czechoslavakia. Our glorious Tanks forced them to enjoy life and tap their feet to the God mother of Soul and hero of the revolution, Marie Rottrová.

Phew!.....i'm back in the room now.Its taken me weeks of being in character to achieve this concise explanation as to why Soul was gifted to the world by white eastern europeans.
This album has to have the greatest title of any album ever released or what? I challenge yee!

Not to be confused with underground prog subversives 'Flemengo',whose Ivan Khunt rivals this album title as the funnist thing from eastern europe since 'Ausfhart' autobahn signs.'Flamingo' were the soviet bloc's 'Official' Soul and Funk group; and Colonel Marie Rottrová & Field Marshall Petr Němec were ordered to be their Aretha Franklin and Otis Reddingski of communist Soul.
As a frequent visitor to Leicester's progressive music shop "Ultima Thule", I stumbled upon this classic in the sale rack for 50p......which was expensive for Ultima Thule, as the sale rack frequently had 'Free' albums stored there,as long as one purchased something else however. This was a straight no-catches 50p, the same price I paid for my first David Essex single("Rock On")!
Easily my best purchase from Ultima Thule, eclipsing any obscure Agitation Free offering, blowing  Urban Sax back to where they came from.....up their own Our Soul's.However that Dave Pike Set album ran The Flamingo Group pretty close, but the breaks on "Our Soul" were superior,and the Cheese factor was monolithic.
I did spend most of the 90's looking for breaks to sample and searching out the silliest easy listening tripe I could find.....this was my second wave of Punk as far as I was concerned.
Not a fan of Soul music in general,with the genre's vocalist busting a bloodvessel to convey some simplistic emotional nonsense about their 'Babies' having left them and shit! Does my head in!Get over it and calm the fuck down for christs sake!?
Marie Rottrová & Petr Němec's voices are, not to put a finer point on it,fucking terrible! Like they're having their tonsils sanded down by some No.5 glasspaper.....ear-defenders recommended. The music is fabulous, James Last-lite approximations of what Funky Soul isn't.Ending with the elevator organ work-out of "Quasimodo's Dream"...whatever the Hunchback of Notre Dame would have dreamt about is open to conjecture......some corrective surgery perhaps,or Ezmarelda's naked butt cheeks;she only gave him some water! Talk about misreading the signals.
My father, in his later Alzheimers-onset years, used to refer to my mother,unaffectionatly, as Quasimodo, as she had developed a Charles Lawton style stoop due to her debilitating Parkinson's syndrome.....don't judge him, he was old skool. So her dream would have been that I euthanize her,which she asked me to do on several occasions. Being shit scared of Prison, and having to go to my, previously discussed, 'Arse-Rape Place' frequently if convicted.I, reluctantly,didn't fulfill her wishes.
Ten loooooong painful soul-crushing years later, she eventually wasted away to resemble a shrunken little dolly,and died.....alone!
Dunno how I got onto this sad subject,but to rub salt in the wounds the UK Government made them sell their house to pay for their 'care?'.....which should have been renamed 'Don't Care'.So much for the National Health Service!?....so not only did the government condemn both my parents to a depressing and harrowing end,they stole their money and my inheritence!
So to end this rant about how the UK Government treats war-heroes like my parents, can I urge all Brits reading this to vote out the Tory Scum in this joke of an election,or live with the consequences of a Donald Trump brokered America first 'Trade Deal'(NHS on the table), encouraged by KGB traitor Vlad Putin.....who definitely was NOT responsible for the genius of The Flamingo Group!

(The Sound of Heavy Breathing)

Tracklist:

1.Big Chain 2:35
2.The Weight 2:55
3.Hey Lonely Girl 2:25
4.Ain't No Way 3:30
5.Sunny 6:50
6.Chain Of Fools 2:45
7.I've Got Dreams To Remember 3:40
8.Oh! What A Fool I've Been 2:15
9.Nothing's Too Good For My Baby 2:15
10.Purple Angels 3:20
11.Quasimodo's Dream 7:10

DOWNLOAD this HERE you arseholes!

Flamengo ‎– "Kuře V Hodinkách" (Supraphon ‎– 1 13 1287, Gramofonový Klub ‎– 1 13 1287, Čs. Hifi-klub ‎– 1 13 1287) 1972

Yes....this has got Ivan Khunt on....wait for it,wait for it.....on Organ!? Older brother of Ivor Cunt and the cousin of Issac Hunt of the Jubilets.But absolutely no relation to Cupid Stunt of the Kenny Everett Television Show fame, who,in turn, had nothing at all to do with Canterbury proggers ,Caravan and their Classic "Cunning Stunts" album from 1975.
Formed in August 1966,then forcibly disbanded in 1972 after being banned by the communist authorities,unlike those brown-nosing goody goodies, Modry Efekt.

They did however, have time to release their only album via the usual route of Czech music clubs,and then on to State label Supraphon.

It is, one must say, a progressive Rock classic of the highest proportions.

Tracklist:

1.Kuře V Hodinkách (Introdukce)
2.Rám Příštích Obrazů
3.Jenom Láska Ví Kam
4.Já A Dým
5.Chvíle Chvil
6.Pár Století
7.Doky, Vlaky, Hlad A Boty
8.Stále Dál
9.Kuře V Hodinkách

DOWNLOAD some cunning czechoslavakian stunts HERE!

Modrý Efekt & Radim Hladík ‎– "Modrý Efekt & Radim Hladík" ( Supraphon ‎– 113 1777, Gramofonový Klub ‎– 1 13 1777) 1975

There comes a time in every Rock bands lifespan when the songwriter wants his name in front of the bandname. Even in communist cold war europe where everyone was a team player whether they like it or not, had bands unfortunate enough to have a songwriter /lead guitarist with an ego. Formerly just called Modrý Efekt, or M Efekt, translated as the Blue Effect; 'bandleader'Radim Hladik, who did his national service previously in The Czechoslovak Radio Jazz Orchestra, decided to have his name in lights outside the normal band moniker.....a bit like Led Zeppelin being called Jimmy Pages Led Zeppelin...probably exactly how Jimmy actually thought it should be actually.
I could be wrong of course, as its more common for Record Companies or concert promoters to promote the leader above the band then add an '&' as the filling in the sandwich, pissing off the other group members.Hopefully the group will split and a solo artist will emerge from the rubble to save on royalties and increase company profits.
Either way, Hladik was, by 1975, Czech state label 'Supraphon's preferred Modry Efekt member.
Perhaps he passed the strict exams that were introduced after the 1968 Soviet invasion,to dicipher if you were a worthy socialist musical professional. If they did not pass the humiliating requalifying exams, they were not allowed to play anywhere legally. Bands were also forbidden to sing in English, have long hair, and organize unannounced concerts. Lyrics were severely censored and musicians were not allowed to criticize the regime or politics in any way. So The Blue Effect were obviously accepted by the regime,unlike The Plastic People Of The Universe who were put in a show trial and banged up in Jail around the time of this release.
Just in case the album had something dodgy about it,apart from the Monty Python inspired cover art, it was released by one of those music clubs who sent its subscribers an album a month unless they 'opted out'. I had the same problem in the UK,pick five albums for 19 new pence each and we'll send you the album of the month every month of your 12 month contract.So not opting out quick enough, I regularly received unwanted Elton John records,Steely Dan's 'Aja'or similar,, and further nonsense like that.
I did also get sent a 'Wishbone Ash' album as my monthly punishment, which is not unlike the Music on this 'Gramofonový Klub' record of the month 1975, 'Modrý Efekt & Radim Hladík'.Track 2, Čajovna,sounds like one of those tunes that must have been written by someone else,it has that immortal melody thing going on,and stands out from the rest of the sub-Wishbone Ash guitar led whig-outs.
I actually admit to seeing Wishbone Ash in concert around 2010 in the middle of the southern French wilderness, at a fortified medeaval village near where I live, supporting ....I couldn't believe this at the time....Hawkwind!?....here's the video evidence,click here!....and here, if you should care to click on it, is the link to Wishbone Ash's set at the same place!
No Modry Efekt though.

Tracklist:

1 Boty9:57
2 Čajovna 4:01
3 Skládanka5:49
4 Ztráty A Nálezy 5:12
5 Hypertenze 12:30
Bonus Tracks:
6 Armageddon 6:22
7 Clara 4:13

DOWNLOAD with immeadiate blue effect HERE!

The Plastic People Of The Universe ‎– "Leading Horses" (Boží Mlýn Productions ‎– BM 8301) 1983

As its thirty years today since the start of Czechoslavakias 'Velvet Revolution',here's the third installment of Velvet Underground inspired Czech Velvet Revolution underground prog heroes The Plastic People Of The Universe'.
They don't sound so much like a Mothers Of Invention tribute band playing VU's WhiteLight/White Heat no more. Its more of a dark prog opera in a proto-Rock in Oppostion stylee kick in the balls.
Its down dirty and doomy, almost as if they'd been in a communist era prison......hang on guv'nor, theys have.Poor sods.
That which challenges one serves to make one stronger.See prison as an opportunity rather than a punishment.Lots of free time,unless you're sentenced to hard labour like the plastics.The few plus points of the inevitable forced sodomizing are that you can develop an ability to switch off mentally during future episodes of severe trauma, commonly known as your "Arse-Rape Place".Never will you have to listen to your nagging wife again,because you now can escape to your 'Arse-Rape Place'......good eh?
The more dubious benefits of prison life, like being stabbed up by a Nonce, are clearly less beneficial....unless you've already been bummed silly by Mr Big in the shower block and developed your "Arse-Rape Place" in advance of being knifed and brutalised,then you're sorted.Just twelve months of this to go and then its back to band practice......but this time don't get banged up FFS!!!
If you can't play in time, don't do the crime!

Tracklist:

1 Co Znamená Vésti Koně 4:15
2 Slovo Má Buben 7:04
3 Samson 5:13
4 P.F. 4:57
5 Májová 6:24
6 Delirium 5:07
7 Fotopneumatická Paměť 7:31
8 Rozvaha Neuškodí Ani Kuřeti 6:10
9 Mše 3:45
10 Osip 11:14

DOWNLOAD the inspiration of doing stir in the big house HERE!

The Plastic People Of The Universe ‎– "Passion Play" (Boží Mlýn Productions ‎– BM 8001) 1980

Whats this all about then? Surely these Bohemian drop-outs weren't religious types were they?
Most disappointing if true.
Maybe they saw themselves as something akin to a bunch of hirsute Christ figures in the Czech Communist pop world. Crucified for their sins against the state?
This is the self-view that many a psychopath has of themselves.Some go on to kill,some head muti-national conglomerates,others play superior underground avant-rock.The christ delusion is usually the domain of a singular psychopath rather than a group of Christs as if audtioning for the role of leader in a loss-leading broadway musical....."Would the dancing Christs please wait in the wing!We are only seeing Singing Christs!"
Whoever the lead christ figure is or was at this time in the PPU's history is open for debate, but the musical intrepretation of the last week the son of god spent on Earth is typically Zappa-esque with a splash of White Light/White Heat production values.

Tracklist:

A1 Exodus 12
A2 Nebo Jití Jest Hospodinovo / For It Is The Lord's Passover
A3 Kázání Na Hoře / Sermon On The Mount
A4 Nepotřebujeme Krále / What Need Have We Of A King
A5 Čist Jsem Od Krve / I Am Innocent Of The Blood
A6 Zhřešil Jsem / I Have Sinned
B1 Reprise
B2 Otče, Otče / Father, Father
B3 Noc Temná / Dark Night

DOWNLOAD to forgive yourself for other plastic peoples sins sins HERE!

The Plastic People Of The Universe ‎– "Egon Bondy's Happy Hearts Club Banned" (LTM ‎– LTM 1001, Boží Mlýn Productions) 1978

In comparison to the toytown rebellion of the Sex Pistols in the UK, The Plastic People Of The universe was the real deal.In 1976 the PPU were arrested and put on trial by the communist government to make an example of these smelly hippies.They were convicted of "organized disturbance of the peace",which i guess is correct(?), and sentenced to terms in prison ranging from 8 to 18 months.
I remember that promotional Julian 'I was privately educated' Temple's super-8 movie of the Pistols on Richard 'I was also privately educated' Bransons Boat on the Thames on the Queens Jubilee day.During which we see and hear a pre-addict Sid Vicious being a very shy and clearly well-spoken nice young man, with the obviously staged part of Malcolm Maclaren being 'arrested'...not....and Steve Jones' voice overdubbed after the fact, emphasing the point with a badly acted "They've arrested Malcolm,They've Arrested Malcolm!"....shock horror yawn!
Well the Czech police arrested everyone and anyone to do with the Czech underground music scene, and didn't let them go until they'd done some hard labour either! Like the Pistols, however, they were also banned from playing live,and had to do their concerts in secret. Nothing about their Zappa influenced compositions was particularly 'Political', and insisted that all they wanted to do was play their music;but their bohemian  lifestyles went directly against government philosophy,so they had to go.
This just forced the burgeoning Czech music scene very underground.....will "They" never learn?
In 1974, thousands of students traveled from Prague to the town of České Budějovice(you all know where that is of course?) for a PPU performance. Stopped by police, they were sent back to Prague in, alarming nazi-style, cattle trucks, and many were arrested. The band was forced underground until the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Unable to perform openly, an entire underground cultural movement formed around the band during the 1970s,and this album was eventually released in the west after being smuggled out to France in 1978.

The Music???

Well, if that actually matters, it sounds like a lo-fi Mothers Of Invention album of out-takes. Which ,I guess, is good.....?

Anyone who performs wearing a Toga is alright by me.....I include Capes in that bracket also by the way.

Tracklist:

1 Dvacet 1:53
2 Zácpa 7:58
3 Toxika 3:56
4 Magické Noci 6:13
5 M.G.M. 0:20
6 Okolo Okna 5:54
7 Elegie 1:16
8 Podivuhodný Mandarin 5:46
9 Nikdo 3:33
10 Jó - To Se Ti To Spí 3:28
11 Já A Mike 1:05
12 Ranní Ptáče 1:23
13 Francovka 3:01
14 Jednou Nohou 4:13
15 Spofa Blues 2:49
16 Apokalyptickej Pták 8:14
17 Píseň Brance 6:46

DOWNLOAD the very real people of Czechoslavakia HERE!

The Conet Project - Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations (Irdial Discs 1997)

SPY DIY!
Accidently, during the cold war, spys made the weirdest music ever! Sounding like the fuzziest lo-fi electronic musique concrete this side of the berlin wall.
A short synopsis of what is contained on the four discs of this collection,is basically,the coded transmissions from various intelligence operatives from allover the world,which usually consist of repeated phrases,spoken number sequences,and looped passages of classical music.They used shortwave frquencies because they could be received using a normal transistor radio,and not attract suspicion.....spooky.
From the booklet : "For more than 30 years shortwave radio has been used by intelligence agencies to transmit secret messages, by hundreds of 'numbers stations'. They (and by inference, spies) are as busy as ever. Why is it that in over 30 years, the phenomenon has gone almost totally unreported? Why are the eastern European stations still on the air? How is it that they are allowed to interfere with services like air traffic control and shipping?"
The project's name comes from a mishearing of the Czech word konec, or "end," which marks the end of transmissions on the Czech numbers station.

A favourite instrument of the early DIY scene was always the shortwave radio, as it was quite easy to tune into something weird; little did we know we were listening to spy transmissions from some unscrupulous czech agent somewhere shadowy. This,along with W.S.Burroughs' tape experiments,was obviously the main influence for Cabaret Voltaire's basic sound.
Download and prepare for an erie and etherial experience.Basically this is fucking WEIRD!

Disc One:
CD1-01 (G2A) The Swedish Rhapsody
CD1-02 (G5) Counting
CD1-03 (E14) Counting ‘Control’
CD1-04 (E10) Phonetic Alphabet - NATO
CD1-05 (G13) 5 Dashes
CD1-06 (E3) The Lincolnshire Poacher
CD1-07 (G3) Gong Station / Chimes
CD1-08 (G14) DFD 21
CD1-09 (E1) Ready Ready (15728)
CD1-10 (S2B) Bugle
CD1-11 (S10) 5 Note Version ‘Czech Lady’
CD1-12 (G4) Three Note Oddity
CD1-13 (V13) New Star Broadcasting
CD1-14 (V5A) Counting Station (Spanish)
CD1-15 (E17) English Lady / 00000 Ending
CD1-16 (V2) Attencion / 3 Finals
CD1-17 (G8) 4 Note Rising Scale
CD1-18 (V1) Ciocîrlia
CD1-19 (S10) Czech Lady
CD1-20 (G16) 2 Letter ‘YS’
CD1-21 (G16) 2 Letter ‘EL’
CD1-22 (G13) 5 Dashes
CD1-23 (E16) 2 Letter ‘RK’

Disc Two:
CD2-01 (V12) NNN
CD2-02 (G11) ‘Strich’
CD2-03 (G14) DFD21 / DFC37
CD2-04 (S2) Drums & Trumpets
CD2-05 (E12) NNN
CD2-06 (E17) English Lady - 00000 Ending
CD2-07 (G12) NNN
CD2-08 (S6) The Russian Man (‘D-va’ Northern Russian Voice)
CD2-09 (E10A) Phonetic Alphabet - NATO
CD2-10 (V6) Spanish Lady
CD2-11 (E11) ‘Strich’
CD2-12 (G16) 2 Letter ‘NU’
CD2-13 (G11) ‘Strich’
CD2-14 (S8) YT
CD2-15 (E13) 5 Dashes
CD2-16 (G19) German Man
CD2-17 (E6) English Man
CD2-18 (S7/G7) English Man + German Lady
CD2-19 (G6) German Lady
CD2-20 (V) Chinese Numbers
CD2-21 (V6) Spanish Lady
CD2-22 (E16) 2 Letter ‘MD’
CD2-23 (E6) English Man
CD2-24 (G6) German Lady
CD2-25 (E10A) Phonetic Alphabet - NATO
CD2-26 (E10) Phonetic Alphabet - NATO
CD2-27 (E15) Nancy Adam Susan
CD2-28 (E14) Counting ‘Control’
CD2-29 (E15) Nancy Adam Susan (Male Voice)
CD2-30 (E4) Cherry Ripe
CD2-31 (S21) Russian Lady
CD2-32 (S6) Russian Man
CD2-33 (E12) NNN
CD2-34 (E15) Frank Young Peter
CD2-35 (S12) Cherta
CD2-36 (S14) Russian Counting Man
CD2-37 (S16) OLX
CD2-38 (X6) 6 Tones
CD2-39 (XPH) High Pitch Polytone
CD2-40 (XPH) High Pitch Polytone
CD2-41 (XPH) High Pitch Polytone
CD2-42 (XPH) High Pitch Polytone
CD2-43 (V9) Oriental Language

Disc Three:
D3-01 (E1) Ready Ready
CD3-02 (E3) Iran / Iraq Jamming Efficacy Testing
CD3-03 (E5) English Lady
CD3-04 (E5) English Lady
CD3-05 (E6) English Man Version 1
CD3-06 (E6) English Man Version 3
CD3-07 (E6) English Man
CD3-08 (E9) Magnetic Fields
CD3-09 (E9) Magnetic Fields
CD3-10 (E11) Oblique
CD3-11 (E12) NNN
CD3-12 (E13) 5 Dashes
CD3-13 (E16) 2 Letter ‘KG’
CD3-14 (E21A) 4 Figure Counting (10 Rough Tones)
CD3-15 (E17A) 2 Voices In One Transmission
CD3-16 (G1) Tyrolean Music Station
CD3-17 (G4) 3 Note I.S.
CD3-18 (G5) 10 Rough Tones
CD3-19 (G7) Achtung!
CD3-20 (G8) ‘A’
CD3-21 (G8) Voice Sample (1-10)
CD3-22 (G8B) Rapid Dots
CD3-23 (G11) Strich
CD3-24 (G14) Hier Ist DFC Sieben Und Dreizig
CD3-25 (G15) 2 Letter ‘PN’
CD3-26 (G16) Sample Count
CD3-27 (G16) 2 Letter ‘VO’
CD3-28 (G16) 2 Letter ‘HK’
CD3-29 (G16) 2 Letter ‘DM’
CD3-30 (G18) 8 Note Rising Scale
CD3-31 (G20) Spruchnummer 1
CD3-32 (G20) Spruchnummer 4
CD3-33 (G21) Random Pop
CD3-34 (G22) Nomer 101
CD3-35 (S3) Okno Okno Okno
CD3-36 (S4) Nomer 198
CD3-37 (S5) 723 Papaqui
CD3-38 (S6) 298
CD3-39 (S6) 815
CD3-40 (S6E) 167
CD3-41 (S7C) Moscow Coup Attempt

Disc Four:
CD4-01 (S7) Russian Man Complete
CD4-02 (S8) YT
CD4-03 (S10A) 555 Konec
CD4-04 (S11) Preska
CD4-05 (S12) Cherta
CD4-06 (S13) Count In Russian
CD4-07 (S13) Count In Russian
CD4-08 (S14) 1-10 Announcement
CD4-09 (S14) 1-10 Announcement
CD4-10 (S) Counting in Polish
CD4-11 (S17A) Konec Konec
CD4-12 (S19) Pozor
CD4-13 (S21) Russian Lady Test Count And Message
CD4-14 (S25) Russian Man
CD4-15 (V2A) Spanish Lady (2 Finals)
CD4-16 (V5) Spanish Counting
CD4-17 (V5A) Spanish Counting
CD4-18 (V7) Spanish Man
CD4-19 (V6) Spanish Lady
CD4-20 (V6) Spanish Lady
CD4-21 (V8) Eastern Music Station
CD4-22 (V8) Eastern Music Station
CD4-23 (V) Unidentified Chinese Station
CD4-24 (V12) NNN
CD4-25 (V18) NNN
CD4-26 (V19) Whiskey Tango Veinte Y Uno
CD4-27 (XC) The Crackle
CD4-28 (XM) The Backwards Music Station
CD4-29 (XF) Faders
CD4-30 (XW) Workshop
CD4-31 (XX) The Pip
CD4-32 (XB) The Buzzer
CD4-33 (M1) M1 (197)
CD4-34 (M1B) M1B (463)
CD4-35 (M2) M2 (712)
CD4-36 (M3) M3
CD4-37 (M3) M3
CD4-38 (M3) M3
CD4-39 (M3) M3
CD4-40 (M3) M3
CD4-41 (M3) M3
CD4-42 (M3A) M3A
CD4-42 (M3B) M3B


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