M:UD old skool

Hello again, by now you're probably aware of what this section of M:UD is about. If not, I cover the "classics" of electronic music, from the older days long gone.

This month, I'm going to talk about something a bit different. From the days before electronica even had labels, anybody was using the term "old skool" and people were just starting to find the technology... it wasn't always associated with banging your head to in a club. This month, I'm going to talk about Die Form.

For those who don't know, and I'm sure many don't, Die Form began as an artist making experimental and noise music in the early '80s, pretty much inventing some of the foundations of techno without knowing it. He became somewhat more famous later on for his songs such as "Savage Logic", which were more synth pop oriented, and he's still going today. But it's these early works he did which stand out for me. Really, they're just fascinating. A mixture of 909 and 808 drum machines with lurking vocals, abstract distortion techniques and ancient synth noises, but so skillfully crafted that it could have passed for something done in 1990. And even more strangely, you have to consider that as you listen, Die Form wasn't really trying to start anything, or think about how to do something new, it was just in the moment improvisation and creativity.

I could talk about a few of his early releases, all put out on cassette (cassette was the big format in the 1980's for experimental music of all kinds), even name a few to look up, "Die Form 1", "Camera Obscura - Terrains Vagues", "Fine AutomatiC - OrgasMECHANISM", but the one in particular I'm going to talk about today is "Excisions". For me, this one stood out as the most forward thinking of all his early works. Some of his very first tapes lacked structure, and so though they were definitely genius, they weren't quite accessible. Excisions takes this to the next level, each of the tracks are rhythmic, blending his unusual sounds with something closer to the likes of synth pop or disco that were around at the time (in the most twisted possible way). And of course, this combination is golden. There's also more of a contrast in sounds, whereas his previous releases were purely down to the harsh, challenging ideas, Excisions has some calmer moments where it's all about the melodies too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQH5uUOKNKQ

Sadly, it's not easy to find clips of anything from this amazing album! In fact, I could only find 1 on YouTube, which I've put below. There are also places you can download it, but... yeah, I'll let you figure that one out for yourselves. The whole album carries even more innovation than "Instruments" below suggests, though. "Torture" as a definitive example of an early industrial tune, with an unbelievable surprise at the end I won't spoil. "Screams From The Monastery" and "Projected Sign" have definitive techno influences, in the case of the latter one mixed with Philippe's own vocals, and "Arabian Draught" literally sounds like a Ras G tune 20 years before he was even around!

Don't expect to find any of Die Form's tapes easily, though. As with many in these out of the way scene (generally known as the "post punk" scene, for people who want to explore), tapes were either pressed in very limited numbers, or for a select mail order audience. Expect to be paying anything over £40 if you come across as a second hand copy of one of his works. Everything about them was meant to be alien and inaccessible, including electronics no doubt helped that along. But as a strange stroke of genius from out of the darkness, "Excisions" is a masterpiece and real genre bender.

On another note, if you think this cassette scene was ancient news, think again. In the last few years, the whole idea has cropped up again, and a ton of select little labels are pressing their tapes in limited numbers. Some of it is dark ambient, some of it is abstract rock music, and some electronic with the likes of dubstep influences being thrown in. If you're interested in looking into this, this website is dedicated to keeping track of them. I can confirm that there are a lot of hidden gems emerging http://animalpsi.com.

That's all from me for this month. It seems nobody's really interested in emailing in about questions... I get the picture, haha. Nonetheless, M.U.D.oldskool@gmail.com is the address you need to know. Over and out.