Various Artists - "The Men With The Deadly dreams" (White Stains Tapes WERK002) 1981

Ultra scarce compilation tape released by Geoff Rushton whilst producing his fanzine 'Stabmental' in 1981.
Produced by Chris Watson in May/June 1981, it includes two rare tracks from the long forgotten enigma that was Rema Rema.A droning bass driven dirge call "Why Ask Why", and 8 minutes of staccato Bass twanging with Kenny Morris style drumming(by Max aka Dorothy) that is called simply,"Christopher". Rema Rema were famed for the excellent "Wheel In The Roses" ep on 4AD, and more so for containing the infamous,or rather the Not famous,'Dorothy' in its ranks; the co-creator of the sublime Dorothy single on Industrial Records. Also contained within this group was one Marco Pironi,late of the Banshees and the Models, and later to find fame in Adam and the Ants.(Also credited with some stupid statement about how he lost interest in 'punk rock' when his little clique was infiltrated by 'us', and ruined it for him......ahhhh diddums; and here's me thinking it was elitism that ruined punk rock'....well, that and all the main bands selling out to the 'man!!)
There are two impossibly rare solo tracks from Cabaret Voltaire's Chris Watson and Richard H. Kirk. Watson's 'News Cut up 2/5/81 is an almost danceable industrial disco number, with relentless 808 deprogramming,and bubbling electronics, which point towards "2x45" era Cabs.
Whereas Richard H. Kirk's "Powermad" looks back to the proto-cabs sound of "Disposable Half-Truths", swapping clarinet for alto sax,improvising over a fuzzy rhythm-scape.
Throbbing Gristle's Chris Carter makes a rare solo appearance as well, with a rather creepy number called "climbing",complete with 'gristlised' electronics, merged with Diamanda Galas style screeching,and disembodied drum fondling.
Eyeless In Gaza go 'Industrial' with their track "Pale Saints",which sounds not unlike a combination of the Chris Carter and Richard H. Kirk numbers.
Culturcide, the crazily monikered M A Peacock and A House, all tread the same turf, with plenty of found sound cut up techniques a-plenty.
In all, a highly consistent compilation, full of lovely early industrial electronic experimentation.
If ever there was a K-Tel compilation of Industrial Music, it would have sounded like this. Mmmmmmm......nice.

Track Listing:

A1     Christopher R Watson –News Cut-Up 2/5/81     3:02    
A2     Rema Rema – Why Ask Why?                            8:25    
A3     Eyeless In Gaza – Pale Saints                            5:37    
A4     Culturcide – Land Of Birds                                4:32    
B1     Chris Carter  –     Climbing                                5:44    
B2     Rema Rema –     Christopher                             4:28    
B3     A House – Words From A Radio                        4:46    
B4     Richard H Kirk – Powermad                              4:29    
B5     M A Peacock –     Voices                                     2:56

DOWNLOAD these deadly dreams HERE!

Rema Rema - "Complete recordings" (1979/1980) + "Fond Reflections" (4AD 2019)

TrackListing for "Fond Reflections":

1-1 Feedback Song 7:36
1-2 Rema-Rema 4:25
1-3 Gallery/Oh Rock N Roll 6:39
1-4 Lost My Way 4:28
1-5 Short Stories 2:00
1-6 International Scale 3:43
1-7 Fond Affections 3:44
1-8 Why Ask Why 6:24
1-9 Instrumental 4:52
1-10 Entry 5:59
2-1 Feedback Song 6:32
2-2 Rema-Rema 4:34
2-3 Entry 6:02
2-4 Instrumental 4:02
2-5 Fond Affections 4:01
2-6 No Applause 4:22
2-7 Murdermuzic 4:23

Disc 1:
Tracks: 1,2,9,10 Live Rehearsal Recordings From 1979 @ Halligans Rehearsal Space
Track: 6 Recorded @ Halligans In Stereo On Quarter Inch Tape, 1979
Tracks: 3,4,5,7,8 Recorded In A Portobello Road Basement On A Teac Quarter Inch Four Track Machine, September 1978
All Tracks Licensed From Le Coq Musique (c) 2019
Disc 2:
Tracks: 1-3 Produced By Rema-Rema And Wally Brill. Recorded At Pathway Studio, London
Tracks: 4-7 Recorded Live At The Albany Empire, July '79
Yes, Dorothy was Max from one of thee great lost bands, Rema Rema. So here's a collection of everything that was captured on tape by said band.
It includes the beyond magnificent "Wheel in the Roses" e.p. on 4AD, the two live tracks they contributed to "The Men with Deadly Dreams" compilation(coming next here), and a live bootleg of a support slot at the Lyceum in 1979,containing a few tracks that I have no clue what they are called at all.
The band consisted of Gary Asquith (guitar/vocals), Marco Pirroni (guitar), Mick Allen (bass/vocals), Mark Cox (keyboards) and Max (drums). Their sole EP, Wheel In The Roses, featured one side of studio recordings and another of live material. Their songs ‘Fond Affections’ and ‘Rema-Rema’ were later covered by This Mortal Coil and Big Black respectively.
Rema-Rema split up shortly after the EP's release in April 1980. Pirroni later hit the big time with Adam And The Ants. Asquith, Allen and Cox formed the short-lived Mass with Danny Briottet. Asquith then moved on to Renegade Soundwave, while Cox and Allen stayed with 4AD as part of The Wolfgang Press.
Drummer Max, aka Dorothy,eventually joined Psychic TV full time.

Now with added Remastered.live and rehearsal recordings from back in the day in the form of "Fond Reflections", as released by 4AD in 2019. I've waited nearly forty years for a Rema-Rema album, and its finall here.....its brilliant.There are still a few tracks missing, but we have them here on the "Complete Rema Rema" download....now it really is complete!
Definitely a pivotal group in my long lost Youth.

DOWNLOAD fond reflections fondly HERE!

DOWNLOAD the complete Rema Rema HERE!

Dorothy - "I Confess" (Industrial Records IR00014) 1980

In my world, 'normal' music is stuff like Throbbing Gristle, and 'weird' music is stuff like Steps and the Crazy Frog. This also applied, one thinks, to the musical tastes of one Genesis P. Orridge, who made no secret about his obsession with easy listening legend ,the great Martin Denny; who's music was far stranger than most out there; only challenged for 'strangeness by Esquivel, The Three Suns, and Les Baxter (you have gotta check out Les Baxters' 'The Passions', it'll fuck your life up! Jello Biafra once claimed to have had sex whilest playing this magnum opus? Not recommended).

Some of the most bizarre music ever produced was made in the name of 'Pop', so for all real adventurers into the nether regions of musick, you ain't earnt your stripes 'til you understand the true meaning of 'Pop'!
One such student of the genuinely strange was one Alex Ferguson, late of Alternative TV, who penned this charming little number, and assisted on the B-side by another pupil of the perverse, Genesis P. himself. Together they wrote what can only be described as two catchy Pop classics,the toe-tapping 'I Confess' and the danceable disco ditty, 'Softness'.
Alex F was obviously getting into subverting the industry from the inside; a concept that was to come into full effect on the 1981 Alternative TV album 'Strange Kicks', which is brilliant beyond words. (Click here to download this great album). Gen and Alex were to do this again on the first Psychic TV album, with 'Just Drifting'.
The tongue ,firmly, in cheek liner notes, describe Dorothy as a 19 year old girl with no prior releases, but apparently she was an established 25 year old (I mean,just look at her picture) musician named Max who played in the criminally forgotten, Rema Rema.
Probably the 'weirdest' record Industrial Records ever released.
Like it says on the cover: "Love and Kisses, Dorothy."

Track Listing:

A- I Confess
B- Softness

DOWNLOAD Dorothy HERE!