Thursday, February 5, 2009

Beyond the Implode - The Atmosphere EP on Siltbreeze

As soon as I saw this on the Siltbreeze blog an immediately ordered it. The things on Siltbreeze are my kind of graduate school... between that and Terminal Boredom...it's a whole era, an underground punk etc time period that I missed. It's like reading the People's History of the US or hearing from the losing side of WWII.
Of course throughout music history
there's the usual bands everyone heard of that were marketed with the sole purpose of making someone money...and then there's everything else...

Beyond the Implode, who I just barely scratched the surface of, was a bedroom project from 1979 with:
The original line-up included Eddie Smith on guitar and vocals and Frank Hughes on bass, then expanded to include Ian Gardler (later Wild Weekend, Flesh Impact) on ‘second’ bass and minimalistic electronics, and the latter’s brother, Mike Gardler on lead guitar (who left before their first single came out). This line-up recorded (in Hughes’ and Mike Gardler’s bedroom) the songs that ended up on the band’s first vinyl release, on the band’s own label (Diverse Records), in September 1979.
There were only two singles of 250 copies each that ever existed....and now this one on Siltbreeze.
It sounds like Suicide, tons of echo, inhuman mechanical echo, droning electronics, some kind of Joy Division thing going on as well....I just don't have any idea what this might have been like to hear now...but for me it has the same kind of importance as Suicide. Completely out there, for reasons unknown entirely unique, untouched by an kind of scene...a weird beacon of nothing. But also the most honest, sincere document from 1979.
It's like a mundane photo of your grandparents hanging out on 42nd Street. It's just another day in the world, but at the same time so specific and unlike any other.
I think that's what was happening here a little.

I used to think it was so ridiculous that CBSFM and other radio stations my Dad listened to would play the same hits day after day, the same exact playlist, from the top 20 of the day. I always thought like today, there must be a million bands out there, maybe presing stuff for themselves, maybe only ever playing live...why wouldn't they play any of them? Take a year like 1966 and do some research....what other kind of music was out there, unknown bands with something just as good as the hits. You could spend a lifetime examining the minutae of the decade, the year, drawing new conclusions....but no, you play the same songs that have been played to death. Do the people want it? Or is there no other choice.

Well there is now and it's this Beyond the Implode single.

This is one hell of an essay about DIY vs Punk, the late 70's english DIY weirdo music ...real underground stuff...Beyond the implode is #2.

Go listen to 'Escape thru levitation'

Incredulous as it may seem, Siltbreeze is proud to announce the release of a super limited 7" ep from the legendary Beyond The Implode; 4 tracks recorded (at home) by the band in 1979. Tracks 1 & 3 ('This Atmosphere' & 'Steel Car') were originally issued on the band's 1979 debut ep 'Last Thoughts' while tracks 2 & 4 ('Disperse The Clouds' + 'Mid Ad Version') have remained unheard & unreleased lo these many years. Astute fans will no doubt hear 'Mid Ad Version' & perhaps "see" it as an alternate take on 'Midnight Adventures' (found on Last Thoughts) & if so, count yourselves among the lucky ones. This project was sanctioned by BTI head honcho Eddie Smith who also provided the master tape & as such making this 100% legit, i.e., NOT A BOOTLEG. Released in a one time edition of 300 copies, this ep is solely available from this site; no distro's, mail-order or blackmail. Not yet anyway. Once it's gone, it's gone.
Prices are as follows;

USA-11$ ppd
Canada-12$ ppd Europe-13$ ppd Elsewhere-14$ ppd

There is no limit to the number you can order, but there is no discount either. This is it. Paypal to;
sltrx@pil.net

2 comments:

  1. can you please provide the order of the tracks? Thanks

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  2. This is from the Siltbreeze link:

    Tracks 1 & 3 ('This Atmosphere' & 'Steel Car') were originally issued on the band's 1979 debut ep 'Last Thoughts' while tracks 2 & 4 ('Disperse The Clouds' + 'Mid Ad Version') have remained unheard & unreleased lo these many years.

    ReplyDelete