New 40 minute collection on Neil Campbell’s own label of recent private tapes from Paul ‘Nonnen’ Walsh, one half of legendary UK underground actionists Smell & Quim. Minimal tape work, primitive concrete accumulations of cut and splice electronics, digital processing of rhythms and huge shadow-forms, dark monolithic drones: this one exists on the cusp of basement noise and 20^th century avant garde composition as previously hinted at by Dylan Nyoukis and Blood Stereo while expanding it with a glossier, hyper-digital patina.

Hand-numbered ‘bootleg’ edition of only 30 copies reissue of what was originally released in a run of 32 copies on American Tapes in 2000. Universal Indians were the trio of John Olson (Wolf Eyes), Aaron Dilloway and Gretchen Gonzales, playing hardcore free jazz/psych from the early 90s. This disc collects a bunch of live jams where they are joined by Neil Campbell (Vibracathedral Orchestra/Astral Social Club et al), some of which are variously fucked with in post-production by Olson. It’s a fantastic collection, moving through violent hovering drone work ala Vibracathedral with junk percussion, wailing atonal foghorn jazz moves ala Borbetomagus and classic twonked string confusion. This still sounds great and only confirms what an amazing time the 1990s were for underground music. Highly recommended. 

Another fantastic archival release of potent pre-UK underground DIY from the vaults of Neil Campbell. Redemption Inc were a post-ESP Kinetic group that Campbell (Vibracathedral Orchestra/Astral Social Club et al) led during the mid-to-late 80s and that featured MS Turner, Caroline Gormley, Stewart Walden of The Strolling Ones/Well Crucial/A Band et al and Andrew Watson. Redemption Inc were heavily influenced by Whitehouse, Throbbing Gristle and early SPK with barracking vocals over percussion and synthesizer but with a less ‘sophisticated’ sound than their Industrial forbearers, combing the crude no-fi approach of the UK tape underground with a high energy confrontational stance. Campbell seems to have been the firebrand influence on the pre-underground, dragging them kicking and screaming out of their avant Church Of England lunacy and into more transgressive punk-primitive realms, complete with lyrics like “The rhythm of love is the rhythm of power!” Uh, okay! But this is a blast, two live sets from the group that fill a whole bunch of speculative holes, recorded in Amesbury in December 1986 and at a punk festival in Dundee in January 1987. Can’t get enough of this archival UK underground stuff. Highly recommended.