Thursday 5 April 2018

Tunes & Snot with a Message - The Recesses of the Anarchopunk World (Part 5): Clasping for the Future but there's Nothing to Hold

Here we are then, this is the last part of Tunes & Snot with a Message and hopefully these "post-mixtape" compilations were enjoyed by all. The rules to this closing chapter are similar to the previous ones. 30 songs from as many bands that were part of 80's Britain's anarchopunk world and a focus on lesser known acts or obscure recordings. 


I am aware that the very concept behind the comps can be seen as potentially problematic. In our current era ruled by the Great Equalizer, how meaningful are they? In the 80's, mixtapes were conceived as tools to share music with likeminded individuals and often included bands from your local area, or bands one was in touch with, or bands that had played your local venue, or little-known bands that were pioneering a new sound (I'm thinking of the early hardcore years here) and so on. They served a communal purpose and fitted in the "Think globally, act locally" mindframe and of course exemplified the DIY spirit in action. This practice has not disappeared (fortunately) and you can still find compilations promoting new relevant bands from one specific area that will prove to be, I'm sure, great historical and social documents in the future.

The compilations I made can not be perceived in the same light at all. They are tributes, deprived of nostalgia, and may hopefully convey a sense of what characterized the anarchopunk sound(s) of yore (assuming there was such a thing, I prefer to think in terms of vibe or songwriting tricks but whatever). 

I think I also needed a break from the Terminal Sound Nuisance routine of writing about records and the mechanics of compiling looked like a funny escape from it. But I will be back with more rants and ravings, as usual. 

Enjoy.        

01. Atrox "In for the kill", from the Hit the Oxide demo tape, 1984 (Dorchester, England)

02. Insurrection "Silence is plutonium", from the The People are Starving demo tape, 1987 (Guernsey, England)

03. Exit-Stance "Condemned to die", from a demo tape, 1983? (Milton Keynes, England)

04. Contempt "Six seconds", from the Familiarity Breed Contempt Ep, 1986 (Wolverhampton, England)

05. Plague "That's life", from the Catalogue of Terror demo tape, 1983 (Bristol, England)

06. Some Died Laughing "?", from a S/t demo tape, 1983 (?)

07. Desolation "Civil disobedience", from the A Midsummer Night's Boob compilation tape, 1984? (?)

08. The Downhill Musicians "I wonder", from the Ha! Last Week I Saw this Fella with Your Wife compilation tape, 1985 (?)

09. Liberty "Diluted rebellion", from the S/t demo tape, 1984 (North Kent, England)

10. InOrOut "Problems", from the Lie...f demo tape, mid/late 80's (Leamington Spa, England)

11. S.A.S. "Is mankind gonna abolish war?", from the Sing Along Songs demo tape, 1983 (Scarborough, England)

12. Freestate "Oppresion", from a S/t demo tape, 1983 (Ipswich, England)

13. Rudimentary Peni "Arkham hearse", from the Cacophony Lp, 1988 (Hertfordshire, England)

14. Syphletix "1984", from their 4th demo tape, 1984? (London, England)

15. Maximum Security "Pig ignorant (part 1)", from the From Innocence to Ignorance demo tape, ? (Glasgow, Scotland)

16. Six Minute War "Progress", from the S/t Ep, 1980 (London, England)

17. X-Cretas "Familiarity", from the 2nd demo tape, 1982 (Gillingham, England)

18. Hit Parade "Here's what you find in any prison", from the Bad News Ep, 1982 (London, England)

19. Poison Justice "Life to it's end", from the Punk Lives! Let's Slam compilation Lp, 1986 (?)

20. Eve of the Scream "Dare to dream", from the Control 12'', 1989 (Liverpool, England)

21. Arch Criminals "Falling, from the Hang 12'', 1986 (Barking, England)

22. Pro Patria Mori "Where shadows lie", from the Where Shadows Lie... demo tape, 1986 (Wokingham, England)

23. Condemned "Overhead", from the S/t demo tape, ? (Cardiff, Wales)

24. Suicidal Supermarket Trolleys "The power is ours", from their 1st demo tape, 1988 (London, England)

25. Silent Community "The day after", from an unknown tape, 1985 (Leeds, England)

26. I Breathe First "Shattered pedastal", from the Value of Defiance compilation tape, ? (?)

27. Spyin' For Brian "Mistake", from the Wessex 84 compilation tape, 1984 (Somerset, England)

28. Malice "Birthright", from the Grevious Musical Harm compilation tape, 1983 (Harrow, England)

29. Pseudo Sadists "Patriotic killers", from a S/t demo tape, ? (Swansea, Wales)

30. Deviated Instinct "Perhaps", from the Tip of the Iceberg demo tape, 1985 (Norwich, England)