PGR started life as an industrial group in mid '80s under the Poison Gas Research moniker. Their studio was in a rough area in Oakland. To deter dubious people they affixed a sign with "Poison Gas Research" written on it at the front door.
After self publishing several cassettes under this name, the group name was shortened to PGR. Their first LP was 'Silence', which inspired the name of PGR mainstay Kim Cascone's label (and later distribution company) Silent. On this label a series of LPs and CDs was released, among them 'The Black Field' and 'The Chemical Bride'. In addition to these, a double CD was released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of LSD titled '50 Years Of Sunshine' (a collection with Genesis P-Orridge, Hawkwind and Timothy Leary). Over the years, the music of PGR navigates through industrial, psychedelic, ambient and musique concrète. [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
Oxbow began as a recording project. In 1988 bandmates Eugene Robinson (vocals, lyrics) and Niko Wenner (guitar, bass, keyboards, music) wrote songs with an approach decidedly different from their band at the time Whipping Boy. Wenner concocted an underlying musical architecture for his abrasive-then-plangent music, through use of arch form and musical palindromes unusual in the noise music genre the band was often placed. This organizing structure later grew to encompass the second Oxbow recording as well, and drew relationships between the two. For his part Robinson changed his vocal approach to include in-the-studio improvisations and extensive vocal multi-tracking. This first record, titled 'Fuck Fest' (1989) has drumming split evenly between Greg Davis and Tom Dobrov. Dan Adams (bass in Oxbow, drums in Whipping Boy) joined immediately on completion of the first recording. All but Davis and Dobrov were at various times members of Whipping Boy, Wenner and Dobrov had been bandmates in the hardcore band Grim Reality. Dobrov departed amicably after the band's 1995 European tour, but performed as guest second-drummer, with Davis, for the studio recording of "Shine (Glimmer)" on the 2002 album 'An Evil Heat'.
'Fuck Fest' was followed by 'King of the Jews' (1991) and then by two Steve Albini-recorded albums: 'Let Me Be a Woman' (1995) and 'Serenade in Red' (1996), the latter featuring guest vocals from Marianne Faithfull. 'An Evil Heat' followed in 2002 on Neurosis' Neurot Recordings label. Oxbow's 2007 album 'The Narcotic Story' was named the number one album in the "Best of 2007" by Rock-A-Rolla magazine, and was listed with three other bands' albums in the nomination of Joe Chiccarelli as 'Producer of the Year' at the 50th Grammy Awards. In May 2017 Oxbow released 'Thin Black Duke' their seventh full-length album, like 'The Narcotic Story' produced by Joe Chiccarelli and Niko Wenner and again on Hydra Head Records, to critical acclaim. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Notchnoi Prospekt was formed in Moscow, 1985, by Alexei Borisov (guitar, vocals, lyrics) and Ivan Sokolovsky (keyboards, electronics). At the very beginning of their activity the duo played electro-pop with the elements of rockabilly, twist, ska, post-punk and industrial. In 1987 the drummer Sergei Pavlov and violin player Dmitry Kutergin joined the band. Since that time Notchnoi Prospekt started to develop industrial electronics mixed with psychodelia, noise, free improvized music and absurdizm.
In the 80's Notchnoi Prospekt became popular in Russia, playing concerts all over the country and taking part at different rock and art festivals. The most famous live performances and recordings of Notchnoi Prospekt in the 80-s are 'Humanitarian Life' (1986), 'New Physicists' (1987), 'Democracy and Discipline' (1987/1988), 'Acids' (1988/1989) and 'Asbastos' (1989/1991).
The first concert abroad Notchnoi Prospekt played in Vienna, 1989, in Stalingrad club. After that Notchnoi Prospekt has been on tour in Scandinavia and released 'Sugar' LP at Accelerating Blue Fish label from Malmö (Sweden).
At the end of 1989 Sokolovsky left the band, having an idea to start his solo career.
Till 1995 Notchnoi Prospekt was active as a band, later beeing transformed into experimental modular project.
In 2000 the band was reorganized by Borisov, Sokolovsky and Kutergin. For the last 15 years Pavlov lives in Munich, but from time to time he joins the band on stage and in the studio.
The current repertoire of Notchnoi Prospekt consists of the reworked and decomposed songs of the 80's as well as new compostions. [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
'Elementary' was the lone album by early '80s UK goth / post-punk band, The Elements. They were from Keighley, West Yorkshire. The members Greenwood, Taylor and Nowell went on to form the goth band Skeletal Family and found way more success with that band. Vocals: Rosemary Robb; Bass: Roger "Trotwood" Nowell; Drums: Christina Willet; Guitar: Steven "Stan" Greenwood; Keyboards, Saxophone: Ian "Spud" Taylor. [SOURCE: YOUTUBE]
Etat Brut is a pioneer industrial / noise band from Brussels that operated from 1979 until 1983. The duo (Phillippe x and Philippe X, today academic scientists) released a dozen of cassettes, various flyers and xeroxed booklets. Some collective concerts were organized at that time with Club Moral and Pseudo Code. Cassettes like 'Emissions 1' (1981) or 'Géométrie D'un Assassinat' (1982) were released on their own label, some others in collaboration with Danny Devos (Club Moral) or Jerry WX (2Tracks, Digital Dance).
'EB001' was released by Club Moral in 1986, a few years after the facts. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]
Belgian industrial band; initially active from 1979-1982. Pseudo Code are self-defined as playing "potlatch music", motivated more towards emotional expression than anything else. Their mastermind Alain Neffe is also founder of Insane Music (Trazegnies, Belgium), one of the first great underground tape labels in Europe. Guy-Marc Hinan is one of the two men who formed the label "Sub Rosa". Xavier S. has a radio show on the Belgian national radio. The group had been temporarily shelved while Alain Neffe concentrated on his main project Bene Gesserit. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]
D.R.I. (aka Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) were one of the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal, along with Suicidal Tendencies and Corrosion of Conformity. Starting off as a speedy, straight-ahead punk band, they gradually mixed more elements of heavy metal into their sound; as they did so, their songs got longer and featured more sections and more variety in tempo. D.R.I. managed the then-rare feat of crossing over to metal audiences while retaining their skatepunk and hardcore fan bases -they had something for all those audiences to love (or hate). Vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy were the two constants throughout the band's frequent lineup shifts, and kept them going for well over a decade.
D.R.I. were formed in Houston, TX, in May 1982, evolving out of a defunct hardcore band called The Suburbanites. Singer Kurt Brecht, drummer Eric Brecht (his brother), and bassist Dennis Johnson had all played in that outfit, and with new guitarist Spike Cassidy in tow, they renamed themselves Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, after a frequent insult from the Brechts' father (who objected vehemently to their rehearsals). The band was soon performing live around Houston, and before the end of the year, they issued a 22-song debut, 'Dirty Rotten EP', on their own Rotten label. Pressed in limited quantities, it was reissued as a 12" LP in 1983, appropriately retitled 'Dirty Rotten LP'. The wider exposure for this version helped make the group's name in the punk underground, and after a supporting tour that year, they relocated to San Francisco.
The going was rough at first, and bassist Johnson quit to return home to Houston. He was replaced by Sebastian Amok for a tour with the Dead Kennedys, after which Amok was in turn replaced by Josh Pappé for the 1984 EP 'Violent Pacification'. Eric Brecht also left the band later that year to get married; he would soon join Hirax. In the meantime, D.R.I. replaced him with Felix Griffin. During the recording of the band's second album, 1985's 'Dealing With It', Pappé took a leave of absence to deal with a drug problem. Mikey Offender, of The Offenders, filled in for him during the remainder of the sessions, and the album was released on the Death label. With Hirax's help, D.R.I. scored a deal with Metal Blade, and a substantial buzz built around the group, especially when Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo praised them in an interview.
D.R.I.'s Metal Blade debut arrived in 1987 in the form of the boundary-blurring 'Crossover', whose title made their punk-metal fusion ambitions crystal clear. Their songs were growing from short bursts of speed into full-fledged, multisectioned compositions, and their unification of the two genres was the most seamless of their career. On the 1988 follow-up, '4 of a Kind', the metal influences began to predominate, even if the band's hardcore roots were still audible. Buoyed by the video for "Suit and Tie Guy", '4 of a Kind' became the first D.R.I. album to make the national charts. The following year, Pappé accepted an offer to join Gang Green, and was replaced in D.R.I. by John Menor, formerly of Mantas. Menor made his debut on 1989's 'Thrash Zone', the band's most metallic offering yet, and one that was also widely acclaimed among their best. "Beneath the Wheel" and "Abduction" landed some airplay on MTV, and the album became their second straight to chart.
'Thrash Zone' proved to be the band's final effort for Metal Blade, however, and Felix Griffin departed in 1990, effectively bringing D.R.I.'s most successful period to a close. After a couple of short-lived replacements, Griffin's slot was filled by Rob Rampy IV, and Spike Cassidy revived the band's Rotten label to release 1992's 'Definition'. By this time, the alternative explosion had substantially reduced the audience for thrash, and 'Definition' accordingly looked back on the band's punk roots; still, much of their old audience had evaporated. After recording the late-1992 gig that was eventually released as the 'Live' album, Menor left the band and was replaced by Chumly Porter. Porter made his debut on the 1995 studio set 'Full Speed Ahead', and the band spent the next few years touring, even if there was no new product to speak of. Porter left in 1999 and was replaced by Harald Oimoen, who helped continue D.R.I.'s road-warrior existence. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Perennial Divide was a British electronic music band, formed in 1986 by Jack Dangers, Jonny Stephens and Paul Freeguard. It was relatively short-lived; Dangers and Stephens left it in 1988 to form Meat Beat Manifesto. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Logic System is a musical project of Hideki Matsutake. Hideki started as an assistant for Isao Tomita in the 70s and is well-known as the sequencer programmer and modular synthesizer operator for the Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), but he wasn't a member of YMO. He worked on several of their albums and toured with his huge collection of synths. He also did sequencing work for numerous technopop albums for other artists, particularly in the early 80s. In 1996 he performed in a big concert event organized by Isao Tomita and was also guest on Towa Tei albums. [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
Krozier & The Generator were an Australian psychedelic synth outfit that only released a rare, lefter-than-leftfield, previously private press LP. The group’s eccentric front man, Geoff Krozier (R.I.P), is fondly remembered for his ritualistic on-stage shamanisms and magic performances that apparently combined equal parts Aleister Crowley and Arthur Brown for a bewildering, drug-fuelled performance backed by an unhinged, freeform rock backing. 'Transformer' opens with the standout "House Of The Sun" -a bizarre, tripped out, kosmiche free for all with Krozier’s oddball occult ramblings on top, followed by the tropical, snake-bite laced "Slave Traders" and the swelting, synth exotica of "Temple Of Exotic Delights". A truly unique, one of a kind LP that is difficult to compare to anything, although highly recommended for fans of curious acts such as Father Yod’sYa Ho Wa and Doxa Sinistra or the deranged experimentation of Cosmic Jokers. [SOURCE: BLEEP]
Iron Curtain was a minimal wave band from Santa Barbara, CA, who played regularly in the Los Angeles underground music scene. They were heavily influenced by The Cure, OMD, Joy Division, and Kraftwerk. The band released several records in small quantities even though they had a great fan base, and hence over the years these releases have gained mass cult appeal which has driven the prices of used copies up into the thousands. After several years of searching for Steve Fields (front man for the group), Pylon Records brings the entire catalog into print for the first time on CD. Featured on the CD is the cult classic “The Condos”, the goth-club-friendly track “Tarantula Scream”, and the much-sought-after track “Legalize Heroin”, which has a stark resemblance to My Bloody Valentine. [SOURCE: MINIMAL WAVE RECORDS]
Los Humillados is a duo from Manresa (Barcelona) formed in 1985 from the ashes of Síndrome with Artur Ríos and Esther Subirana, at the same time that they were creating their own record label, Grabaciones Góticas. In 1986, '6 Nuevas Bandas Catalanas' is the first appearance of the group, with another five bands, initially published by the EPDLM label, although it was reissued a year later on Grabaciones Góticas.
In 1987 they released their album, 'El Baile De Las Sombras'. 1989 was a truly fruitful year for Los Humillados. One of their best and most successful albums, 'El Descanso Eterno', appears, which opens the doors to the more ethereal, subtle and vaporous sound of the band. Also this year, the fourth album by Los Humillados 'De Guerra, Pasión y Sentimiento' would be released.
In 1990, in a collaboration between Grabaciones Góticas and Facadas Da Noite, in EP format, Los Humillados surprised with an unpublished track, "Tormenta Sobre La Piel", and also appeared in the compilation 'Berlín, Timisoara, Manresa'. At the end of 1990 they publish the EP cassette 'Homenaje A Ian Curtis', the leader of Joy Division. The following year, they return to collaborate with the poet Joan Borda (the first one was in 1989 on the film "Minimal"), with a limited edition EP entitled 'Lirian'. Grabaciones Góticas expands its pretensions in the compilations, 'Spanish Gothic Bands' where the shadow of Artur is omnipresent.
Together with the band from Zaragoza Gothic Sex, Los Humillados edited the shared CD 'Ritualis Mortis'. In 1995, a compilation, 'Dark Archives. 1985-1995', distributed all over Europe, is a worthy introduction to Artur and Ester's career. A year later, in 1996, 'El Conjuro De Los Poetas Malditos' appears on cassette. Six years later, 'El Canto Agónico De Las Estatuas', supposes a clear evolution in their sound, at the same time as a reaffirmation of their characteristic, spectral and melancholic sound. The ethereal backgrounds and the ghostly voice of Artur Ríos coexist with the most rhythmic songs ever recorded by the band and with warmer and closer songs. Sinuosity, sadness and nightmare environments merge with themes in which a certain light opens a hole in the dark nothing that configures this album.
In 2010 appears the last album released by the band entitled '9125 Dias En Las Catacumbas', or what is the same, the sum in days of the existence of the band over 25 years. Instead of publishing the usual commemorative compilation, Los Humillados decide to edit an album with new songs. The uniqueness of this album is that the sixteen songs that compose it are united in one, making the listener spend more than an hour listening to it. That same year (2010) the group released two CDs entitled 'Lost Tracks. Vol. 1' and 'Lost Tracks. Vol. 2', where they rescue the tracks discarded from the 2008 sessions. The CDs were not on sale in shops or distributors.
The Dubrovniks were established in August 1986 as The Adorable Ones with the line up of James Baker on drums (ex-The Victims, The Scientists, Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, James Baker Experience); Roddy Radalj on guitar and vocals (ex-Exterminators, The Scientists, Rockets, Le Hoodoo Gurus, The Johnnys, Love Rodeo, James Baker Experience); Peter Simpson on guitar and vocals (ex-Teeny Weenies, Super K, Spectre's Revenge, Hoi Polloi); and Boris Sujdovic on bass guitar (ex-Exterminators, The Scientists, Rockets, Beasts of Bourbon). Early in the next year The Adorable Ones renamed themselves as The Dubrovniks to honour the birthplace of Radalj and Sujdovic -the historical Croatian city of Dubrovnik. They had to change their name due to a Brisbane band of that name.
Chris Flynn on guitar and vocals (ex-Headstones) replaced Radalj and the band signed to Mushroom Records. The band's first album on Mushroom, 'Audio Sonic Love Affair' appeared in September 1990. It was produced by Kevin Shirley (Hoodoo Gurus, The Angels, Cold Chisel) and was preceded by the single, "She Got no Love" in June. Another single, "Love Is on the Loose", followed in October. In between albums, Baker and Sujdovic toured and recorded with Beasts of Bourbon. In early 1991 they severed their commitments to that group to concentrate on The Dubrovniks. Also in that year Glenn Armstrong (ex-Horny Toads, The Girlies) replaced Simpson on guitar.
The band issued their third album, 'Chrome' in June 1992, which was also produced by Shirley. The album provided two singles, "Saigon Rose" (February 1992) and "French Revolution" (June). However, Mushroom dropped the group in 1993. German label, Normal, issued their fourth album, 'Medicine Wheel' in Europe, while Mushroom Distribution Services (MDS) distributed it in Australia.
The Dubrovniks broke up in 1995. Afterwards Baker returned to Perth, where he joined a power pop band, Satellite 5. Flynn and Sujdovic formed a new band, Black Dirt, together with Chris Collins and Paul Loughhead. The Dubrovniks reformed in 2015 to play a series of shows in Australia, Greece, Spain and Austria. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
The Grey Wolves were David Padbury and Trevor Ward. They have existed since the early 1980s when they began releasing a number of tapes via their label Anal Probe, which later split into Artaman and Zeal SS; the latter changed its name quite often, incl. Strength Through Awareness, Lebensborn and Open Wound. In 1992 they were contacted by Tesco Organisation and recorded their first LP. Their art is definied as "A Manifestation of the Cultural Terrorist Network", and their packages and visuals are collages of disturbing and provocative images, photos and symbols. The Grey Wolves play heavy industrial noise with a genuine punk attitude, being irreverent and nasty, but never lacking self-awareness and irony. [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
Flat Duo Jets is an American psychobilly band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Athens, Georgia. They were a major influence on several bands of the 1990s and 2000s, including The White Stripes. In interviews, Jack White (The White Stripes' lead singer and guitarist) has often acknowledged Dexter Romweber's influence.
Their first album, 'Flat Duo Jets', was recorded direct to two tracks in a garage in the late 1980s but not released until early 1990, the same year in which the band opened for The Cramps on a national tour of the US. Jim Dickinson produced their second LP, 'Go Go Harlem Baby'. Their ninth studio album, 'Lucky Eye', was their first major label release (Outpost Records). It was produced by Scott Litt, best known as a producer of R.E.M..
Singer / guitarist Dexter Romweber has pursued a solo career since the 1999 breakup of the Flat Duo Jets and has toured with Cat Power, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Neko Case and others. Crash LaResh replaced Crow on and off from 1995-1999 and continued to drum with Dexter full-time from 1999-2005. His older sister, Sara Romweber, a founding member of Snatches of Pink, played drums with her brother as the Dexter Romweber Duo from 2006 until roughly 2013. Dex & Crash released a new LP as the duo in 2016 on Jett Plastic Records titled 'Our Night at The Great Jones'. Dex & Crash were touring Spain May 2016 as well as other countries across Europe in the summer of 2017.
The Flat Duo Jets' drummer, Crow Smith, resurfaced in 2005 with a debut solo album of his own. The bass guitarist, Tone Mayer, played with Romweber from 1979 and helped form an earlier band, The Kamikazees, in 1983. Mayer left the Duo Jets around 1990 to join The Chicken Wire Gang. In 2008, nearly ten years after the band's demise, a live soundtrack to 'Two Headed Cow', a documentary film about Dexter and the Flat Duo Jets, was released. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
