the
CONSUMER PRODUCTIONS Archives
cassettes page 3
Do
You Mind If I Stab This/ Human Host
A split release between two similar minded posses of pricks. The DYMIIST side starts with 'trapped electricity' which is the highlight of the entire cassette, it's title says everything about the piece, the players act as wardens in a prison of sound who aren't strong enough to keep everything contained. Lachlan Conn is the common denominator between the two groups and he is responsible for the cover artwork, there is more inside and on the cassettes themselves. The Human Host side is titled 'Monotype Times' and contains some of the earliest recordings of the band. There is a lot of drums and percussion in these tracks, more than will ever been seen again. "lots of humming, high pitched guitar screetching, the odd 4/4 beat..and on and on"1
Patrick
Street Pete - Far Too Soon, End of Story
The second cassestte from PsP, the first being released through UnstableApe. Two sides of distinctly different material; side one is recorded on 4-track, but still improvised, still the PsP drums, vocals, guitar and all still sounding like they are being played at different times. Some people would call it eclectic, some would refer to it as insane, I know the people who made it and I can't really disagree. It's loose, noisy and exciting, side one is their most accessible work. Side two contains all the same ingredients but comes with added hiss and lack of distinction through the hand-held cassette recording method, it's even more exciting than side one which comes off sounding like pop music in comparison. Everyone I've talked to likes this tape, those that don't, I go out of my way to avoid. Beautifully packaged in brown paper bag covered in homemade glue containing the cassette and a bonus poster.
Various Artists - Dogmatics in Wotopia
The
brain child of Asher Teague, owner of Westie Of The Overpass. A real dog of
a tape, four bands with 15 minutes each, all have nothing in common. It starts
with Page 27's and their usual pop antics mixed with undescribable
interludes of nineties culture, these guys crack my head open and spit in
it, real cool. "There's guitars mainly, doing all sorts of stuff,
with abundant samples of odd telephone conversations and a general grab-bag
of sounds and quasi-music put together in an uncompromising and pleasing mess."2
The next 15 minutes leave me alone in the dark crying for a better world,
the Invisible Barbed Wire Fence were a short lived band and what destroyed
them was what made them great, possibly the greatest. Simple, repetitive riffs
backed with drums providing more emotion than rhythm, rock music inverted.
There are only two songs here, the CD version of Dogmatics will contain another.
Side two is of a very different nature, the first band Prosthetic Gland
sound like a highschool band who have just replaced their cover songs with
originals without changing their sound or style. Empusa is the solo
work of Cameron Stops and is indicative of his influences, I don't mind it
but I have to admit, I don't listen to it. This may not sound like much of
a rave for a tape I'm supposed to be stocking and supporting, but I honestly
believe that side one carries it over the line and makes it worth five dollars.
Not to mention the sexy colour artwork, and entertaining photographs of all
the cunts involved. (all male..eeuch!)
Karen Carpenter - The Bathroom
For a while in Hobart, Karen Carpenter were synonymous with 'having a good night', they never failed to please. The Bathroom is ecclectic, there's some live stuff and some home-studio fuckatronics and some jamming, totally Karen.
Prince Dirt
Recorded
in 1997, mostly on 4-track and mostly improvised, this is the fifth and final
Ben Consumer album. 100 copies were made, with printed cases and swish packaging,
it was a joint venture with Woto Records.
"The
sounds here are markedly different from Ben's first tape. There's a lot more
guitar, in fact it's mostly guitar.....lo-fi four track sound of recording,
the big minor chords..... And there's also moments of pure noise, not so much
huge agro power electronics but more abstract sounding."3
1, 2, 3 - Taped Crusaders