27 April 2014

The Music Fugitive





 
When most people hear the name David Janssen, they usually think of the American film & television actor best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Kimble in the television series The Fugitive. But there is another renowned DJ.
 



 
This David Janssen is probably better known around these parts as Ted the Loaf, half of the often featured Renaldo & the Loaf. Renaldo & the Loaf are an obscure English musical duo comprised of pathologist David Janssen & architect Brian Poole (Renaldo Malpractice). They met while in school & starting in the late 70s made experimental music that defied description. While on holiday in San Francisco they gave a tape to one of The Residents. The Residents were suitably impressed. Shortly thereafter they made an album for Ralph Records called Songs for Swinging Larvae which is known as one of the strangest records of all time.





When Renaldo & the Loaf ceased working together in 1986, David stopped making music for the next 20 years. A reunion with his former musical partner in July 2006 led to his reconnection with music. After living as a non-musician for 20 years, David now works with sound samples & a PC.

The Darkening Scale is one of the numerous solo music projects of David Janssen. First off we have Hydrogen Kaleidoscope. The title comes from a conversation Janssen had with a friend some years back. They were talking about a news item regarding the Large Hadron Collider. Janssen’s friend referred to it as the ‘Hydrogen Kaleidoscope’. David thought that it was such a wonderful malapropism that he filed it away for future use as either a song or album title.


The Darkening Scale – Hyrdogen Kaleidoscope, self-released, 2010.
decryption codes in comments

Tracklist –

The Digital Larynx I
Dog Leg Army
A Cankered Lightness
Discordant Smog
Riding the Bull Home (feat. Sylvie Walder – piano)
Doberman Newsgirl
A Finger Pointing at the Moon
Lyric Poetry of the Useful Zebra
No Finger, No Moon
Timid Cowslip
Arable Rabbi Pt. 1 & 2
The Digital Larynx II

Secondly is a Darkening Scale remix project entitled Stuck Bad. It’s a remix of the Duck Stab album by his friends & label-mates The Residents. (I switched the track order to exactly match Duck Stab. Sorry David.


The Darkening Scale – Stuck Bad, self-released, 2011.

Tracklist –
Continental Sop (Constantinople)
Sexier, Arresting Goat (Sinister Exaggerator)
Bake Sore Toe (The Booker Tease)
Boulder Buses (Blue Rosebuds)
Hugging Salon (Laughing Song)
Acid Ash Bed (Bach is Dead)
Had Visions, Bless (Elvis & his Boss)

You figure it out,

7 comments:

  1. Hydrogen Kaleidoscope
    Jxd2128-GD7onxcShgo-zSBcMVVKEEJloMYNs4QL-tk
    Stuck Bad
    B8gW9SUFDvUe1aKwgRgx-CceeWsuhKS2f3aGIbRsZH0

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am sure you know of this, but http://mrsneff.wordpress.com/

    Good to see this stuff getting some respect.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for including the link to his stuff. I always forget to do that, thinking that if someone is interested (struve & sneff, etc.) s/he will take the initiative & follow the clues (with search engines abounding), but this day 'n' age...yeah, right. Renaldo & the Loaf are near the apex of my Respect-o-meter.

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  3. Hi, I am desperately looking for this amazing The Darkening Scake - Stuck Bad album. Please help! Thank you very much!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dunno if my previous comment reached you, so I try to publish this again, is there a posibility to get a download link to The Darkening Scale - Stuck Bad album? Please help! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lucian, just copy the decryption code for Stuck Bad from the first comment (B...0) & paste it when prompted by MEGA after you select the link (the title of the release directly below the cover art). That's how it works here. Thanks for the comments, hope this helps. If you have any further problems, let me know here or elsewhere.

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  5. It worked, and I am deeply greatful to you. You cannot imagine how happy I am. Thank you very much!

    ReplyDelete