"A tent is a soft house." Lamargi
For manyyears, we avoided participation in compilation projects, although opportunities were frequently presented to us. We have developed our music in such a way that it is most appropriately experienced in isolation. Therefore, allowing it to be presented in a form where it could be proceeded and succeeded by other recordings, over which we would have no control, was alien to our intention. It also seemed (and in many cases still does) that compilation projects serve little purpose other than to fulfil the collector or editorial aspirations of the originator. In such circumstances the listener becomes little more than the end-user.
In 1984, following an approach from Jon Wozencroft of Touch seeking a contribution to Lands End, we revised our policy: we inverted the criticisms outlined above and sought to exxagerate them so that they became a positive technique in their own right. We encouraged the active and overt contribution of the compiler so that the project would become more than the sum of its parts. In practice this required us to produce music akin to the incidental music produced for fim and television soundtracks, music that could be cut up, manipulated and reworked into new contexts, yet still retain its inherent characteristics. Now, with the general availability of sampling technology, the appropriation and translocation of music in this way is widespread, elevating the end user to a position of experiential collusion.
More recently, we have adopted a more closely defined stance, working only with those projects behind which we can perceive a unifying concept, either of form or purpose. Most of the recordings on this CD were created in this context and therefore represent a degree of creative input on the part of the labels concerned - Prometheans all!
Soviet France
Newcastle, June 1992
- Ram (recorded 9-10 September 1984, first released 1985 on the cassette 'Land's End' produced by Touch (Touch T33.4)
Now deleted.
Touch: l3 Osward Road, London, UK, SW17 7SS - Sprey (recorded July 1983 First released in 1986 on the magazine/cassette compilation 'Bad Alchemy Nr 4' by Bad Alchemy
Now deleted
Bad Alchemy Franz-Ludwig-Strasse 11, D-8700 Wurzburg, Germany - Le Mur Mur Nu (recorded 19 September 1986, first released, 1986 on the LP 'Fight!' produced by Cathexis Recordings (CRL 14)
Now deleted
Subsequently released in 1989 on the CD 'Absolute' produced by Soleilmoon Recordings and Parade Amoureuse
Cathexis contact: Total: PO Box 284, Glasgow, UK, G12 9 AW - First Vigil (Recorded 17-18 August 1987, first released in 1988 on the CD 'A Classic Guide to No Man's Land' produced by No Man's Land (nml8813cd)
No Man's Land. Postfach 84. D-8700 Wurzburg , Germany - White Dusk (Recorded1987, first released in 1989 on the LP 'A Bead To A Small Mouth' produced by Barooni (BAR 001), Subsequently released in 1991 In CD format by Barooni and Soleilmoon Recordings (BAR 001CD)
Barooni: 12012 3501 AA Utrecht, Netherlands
Soleilmoon Recordings PO Box 83296, Portland Oregon, 97283, USA - Something This Beautiful (recorded March 1990, first released in 1990 on the CD 'Mouvements' produced by La Legende Des Voi x (LDV 003). Now deleted.
La Legende Des Voix: 21 rue du 8 Mai, 37270, Mountlouis, France - Fugitive (recorded 1990, first released in 1991 (shortened version) on the CD 'Death Of Vinyl' produced by DOVentertainment (DOVECD22)
DOVentertainment: 2 Bloor Street West # 100- 149. Toronto, Canada, M4W 3E2