The Enigma Variations

I'm going to be in San Francisco all week-end at the Treasure Island Music Festival & I plan on not being in any condition to post for a few days afterwards as well, so here's some tuneage to tide you over until whenever...

Enigma Records was a popular rock & alternative record label in the 1980s, focusing on punk rock, alternative, & heavy metal though it also released techno, jazz & classical music through subsidiary labels. It was initially a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/distributor, from which it split off in 1985 to become its own company. The label was initially located in Torrance, California, then El Segundo, California & finally Culver City, California.

Released in 1985, this two disc compilation of Enigma artists was released to showcase Enigma acts to help promote the newly independent label. Quite a mixed bag.

Various Artists - The Enigma Variations 1, Enigma 72001-1, 1985.

Side One:








Maniac - Screamin' Sirens
from the Enigma LP
"Fiesta"

Shadowdrive - The Jet Black Berries

from the cassette version
of the Enigma/Pink Dust LP
"Sundown on Venus"

Flesh on the Wall - Naked Prey
from the Enigma/Down There EP
"Naked Prey"

Oh Mother - Tex & the Horseheads
from the Enigma/Bemisbrain LP
"Tex & the Horseheads"

Straight Ahead - Greg Sage
from the Enigma LP
"Straight Ahead"

Time Stands Still - Chris D./Divine Horsemen
from the Enigma LP
"Time Stands Still"

A Blind Man's Penis - JohnTrubee

from the Enigma single
"A Blind Man's Penis"

Side Two:







No Easy Way Down - Rain Parade
from the Enigma EP
"Explosions in the Glass Palace"

Disengaged from the World - Plasticland
from the Enigma/Pink Dust LP
"Plasticland"

Worm Boy - The Pandoras
from the unreleased Enigma EP

Just for the Moment - Get Smart!
from the Enigma/Fever LP
"Action Reaction"

Leaving Trains - Leaving Trains
from the Enigma/Bemisbrain LP
"Well Down Blue Highway"

Sixteen Ways II - Green on Red
previously unreleased version
of a track from the Enigma LP
"Gas Food Lodging"

24 - Game Theory
from the Enigma/Rational LP
"Real Nighttime"





Side Three:




Insurance from God - 45 Grave
from the Enigma LP
"Sleep in Safety"

Blue Funk - The Effigies
from the Enigma/Fever LP
"Fly on a Wire"

Juvenile Justice - Kraut
from the Enigma/Cabbage LP
"Whetting the Scythe"

Citadel - Redd Kross
from the Enigma/Gasatanka EP
"Teen Babes from Monsanto"

Flowers by the Door - TSOL
previously unreleased version of a track
from the Enigma LP
"Change Today"

True West - Channel 3
from the Enigma EP
"Airborne"

Side Four:

A Situation Of - Cathedral of Tears
from the Enigma EP
" Cathedral of Tears"

The Yellow Boat - Passionel
from the Enigma EP
"The Apostle"

Lebanon - The Untouchables
from the Enigma?Twist EP
"Live & Let Dance"

Where Did We Go Wrong - The Pool
from the Enigma/Moment LP
"333"

Cowpunk - Scott Goddard
from the Enigma/818 EP
"Your Fool"

Playback - SSQ
previously unreleased









Enjoy,
NØ

UPDATE

Thanks to a comment from anonymous (ph), I found out that the link to this file was dead. It has be re-uploaded 31 October 2008. If any further problems occur, please let me know. Thanx, NØ

Re-uploaded as per Renfrew requestrew 2rew Mayrew 2013rew. Thanks good sir.

(N)icing on the cake (for Nietzsche's niece from Nice)

The Stranglers - Nice in Nice (Porridge Mix) 12" 45rpm,
Epic 650055-6, 1986.

A Side:
Nice in Nice (Porridge Mix)
Since You Went Away

B Side:
Midnight Summer Dream (live)
The European Female (live)
all one track on record, I split them into two songs
recorded at Le Zenith, Paris, 29 April 1985.

Arresting layout by J.L. & the local Lubyanka

Enjoy,
NØ

Richard Wright - R.I.P.

UPDATE: This post was
re-uploaded 09/15/2013.
Enjoy, NØ.


With the passing of Richard Wright, keyboard player for Pink Floyd, many music fans are saddened. My daughter Lao is a huge fan of Pink Floyd. I believe it would be safe to say they are her favorite band. I am posting this for her & all other Floyd fans (so if you aren't, I don't want to hear any shite, I warned you & this ain't fer you). Floyd's of London is a bootleg of the 30 September 1971 BBC London John Peel show. It was broadcast & recorded in stereo, which makes it kinda rare. I have two copies & both are in rough condition, so I've tried to get the best of the two. Ladies & Germs: Gilmour; Waters; Mason; & Wright.

Pink Floyd - Floyd's of London bootleg, PF 3645 Matrix. 1971.
decryption code in comments

Side One -
1. One Of These Days
2. Fat Old Sun

Side Two -
1. Echoes

Enjoy,
NØ

Machine Age Music (Junk Funk) promo

UPDATE: 
This post was re-uploaded 
01/12/2014. 
Enjoy, NØ

A four song 12" promo from SPK on Elektra.

 SPK - Machine Age Voodoo (Junk Funk)12' promo, Elektra ED 5020, 1984.
decryption code in comments

Side A -
Machine Age Voodoo (Junk Funk) (Special Crash Mix) (5:53)

Side B -
Machine Age Voodoo (Junk Funk) (Special Crash Edit) (3:30)
High Tension (LP Version) (3:47)
Metal Dance (Original Mix) (4:50)

Enjoy,
NØ

Napoleon compilation 7"

This one is a tip of the hat to Aesop over at Cosmic Hearse...

Various Artists - Napoleon comp. 7", Monkey Bite Records, 1994.

This Side:
Not So Happy - Rover's Last Thought
All You Can Eat - F is for Food
Baby Carrot - You're so One Us on Up
Drippy Drawers - Song About Life

That Side:
FuckBoyz - Errol Flynn was a Mother Fucker
A Minor Forest - Wussy
Positive Greed - Same Dreams
Forty Percent Saline Solution - I Give

Enjoy,
NØ

BoneMen of Barumba

UPDATE: This post was re-uploaded 10/12.2013.
Enjoy, NØ.

Formed in late 1981, the BoneMen of Barumba was the brainchild of suburban Chicago's Tom Jonusatis & Mark Panick. They had met as part of the cities Super8-film art crowd. They dreamed up the band & concept while on a trip to New Orleans.






The B-Men were an underground art-punk weirdcore group similar in some ways to The Pop Group. They released two EPs & one LP, but never found their audience here in the States. They were popular in England & Europe after their first EP was picked up for distribution by Rough Trade/Green World & after getting airplay from John Peel on BBC. Although they had a unique sound & energy, they never were successful commercially. Their third & final release was a full-length album titled Icons that was a joint release on Fever/Enigma. The album didn’t sell well despite it being a good & diverse record & the band called it quits.

You can read more about the BoneMen & listen to their first EP here.

Their second EP is Driving the Bats Thru Jerusalem.

It features: Mark Panick - language, guitar, synthesizer, percussion; Jeff Jordie - guitar, synthesizer, funny talking, cabasa; Tom Jonusaitis - bass, keyboards; Mike Arturi - drums; & Mike Vicicondi - drums.

BoneMen of Barumba - Driving The Bats Thru Jerusalem,
Barumba Records Bone 002, 1982.
decryption code in comments

Naughty Party Monkey side -

Pity it Ain't
Talk is Fat

Renaissance Chimp side -

Thick Promise
Toombah for Ronnie

Enjoy,
NØ

Distorted Pony

UPDATE: This post was re-uploaded 09/01/2013.
Enjoy, NØ.


Another band that would eventually be a member of the Trance Syndicate family was the criminally overlooked Distorted Pony. Their earlier records were with BOMP!.


Formed in 1986 with members David Uskovich (vocals, guitar), Dora Jahr (bass, vocals), & Robert Hammer (guitars), Distorted Pony went through several drummers before relegating the drumming duties to a drum machine, until their first full-length LP, which was recorded in January 1992 with the help of Steve Albini.. There is an obvious comparison to Hammer Party era Big Black, but the heavy, sorrowful, enchanting sound is not Chicago, but creeps out of the grit & smog of Los Angeles. By this time, Distorted Pony had recruited London May (ex-Dag Nasty/ Samhain) as their drummer. Although this opened up their sound & allowed for more structured song writing, their 5-song EP is some of my favorite work by this band. Punishment Room & Instant Winner are both great albums, but Work Makes Freedom is still epic.

With a total disregard for their 'carbon footprint', DP dared to waste vinyl by releasing this 5-song ep. on one side of a standard 12" 33 1/3rpm record. The lyrics are etched into the B-side. Also etched in the run-out on the A-side is the reason??? perhaps - "Excess = Wisdom"

Distorted Pony - Work Makes Freedom ep,
Bomp Records BMP 4040, 1991.
all decryption codes in comments

Side A -

Fee Schedule
Sinners Prayer
Forensic Interest
Blare
Pillar of Salt

Enjoy,
NØ

UPDATE: Due to repeated requests, I am posting the links to Distorted Pony's two album releases. They were posted last December over at Shark Fin Blog. I don't know if that blog is active or not anymore as the last posting was 23 May 2008, but the links are still good, so I'd advise getting them while you can.

Punishment Room on BOMP!
all decryption codes in comments

Instant Winner on Trance Syndicate.

Update Update:
A suggestion from a friend from France...
Distorted Pony - Jahr Null, The Big One comp.,Flipside flip30,1991.

Enjoy,
NØ