Most definitely not a cover of Jordan & Loney's doctoring of Jagger & Richard - a spasm inducing paean to withdrawl - this is a Jonas Almqvist composition.
The Leather Nun was officially excommunicated in Gothenburg in 1979. Loosely a quartet, the collective drew on input from a number of musicians. Their first release - the 12" from which the following is culled - was issued on Throbbing Gristle's Industrial Records; home to Thomas Leer and Robert Rental among others. The label folded in 1980 following TG's documented collapse. Appropriately, given their manifesto to "mutate and collage sound"*, IR0016 - the last of the vinyl pressings - was allocated "Nothing Here But the Recordings" by William S. Burroughs.
The label was ressurected in 2008 to announce Throbbing Gristle's Thirty-2nd Annual Report.
"Slow Death" was subsequently reissued on Criminal Damage and Wire Records in the UK in 1984. The Leather Nun finally lost its habit in 1994 after flirting with a small receptive circle of pallbearers for close to fifteen years.
▼ THE LEATHER NUN: SLOW DEATH from "Slow Death" 12" EP (Industrial Records) 1979 (Sweden)
* Genesis P. Orridge, brainwashed.com
7 comments:
I remember that my room-mate and I used to play that song (or even better: the 15 Minute Live Version of it) a couple of thymes on parties in our flat-sharing psychick-student-community to cool our guests down when the vibe was going to be too uplifting or to disgust gatecrushers or bumchucks away!
Doing so we never failed our purpose.
Alas, siblingshot, it is has been quite a while (surely 'bout twenny years!)I haven't heard that track. It still seems to move me into a mixed mood between repulsion, respect for the hypnotic groove and a feeling of commiseration for the poor subject of the track.
Viva la Hamburger Lady!
pw: sub-ant (thats not politiclly correct)
anonymus no. 2
Hey, anonymous #2.
Always a pleasure to hear from you. The decision to include this was, again, prompted by recent discourse with Holly. This LN cut is actually quite new to me, although TG and Industrial Records is old, familiar territory. See my post on Supreme Dicks for more detail.
Anything remotely politically correct is uninvited round here. Let's piss all over that infirmity.
I uphold your use of music as a weapon. As a means of dispelling an occupying farce.
"Sister Ray" always did the trick for me. Or even sometimes Tommy James.
Genesis P'Orridge also was very interested in the subject of sonic warfare. He once told me after a psychik tv concert in a club called the Odeon in Münster way back in winter 84/85.
I reckon most of the early work of TG and p..kTV to a certain extend was a research about the impact of sonic warfare. And the audience was the guinea pig.
that doesn't mean I don't like him. After a very agressive and manipulative gig he was a charming and communicative entertainer at the bar of the place til closing thyme.
anonymus 2
Damn right. P. Orridge was - is - a sonic terrorist. There was a lot of experimentalism during that period regards recorded 'ambient' noise and its effect on the audience. ATV were at it too
A lot of wank, in the final analysis, I feel. I mean; a receptive gathering may be predisposed to antagonism. "Defiant" ? yes, probably. That doesn't necessarily mean Sid Vicious was firing on all brain cells or suggestible to social unrest any more than your average Millwall supporter.
And I ought to know.
Or not.
ATV - I agree.
the same with "Furious Pig", ever heard of them? Pure sonic terrorism! But very hip during my final 2 years in school.
You're a Millwall masochist? Congrats, then!
Ten days ago or so we could perceive the earthshaking Millwall war chant even here on the Continent. To my humble opinion their sonic assault was a clear breach of The Hague Conventions on illegal warfare.
ano 2
To clarify, ano 2:
No, not a Millwall foot soldier. Merely taking my cue from the "no one like us, we don't care..." part.
Wednesday evenings and Saturdays on the terrace are long behind me. I woke up on one morning and found I had lost all appetite for shivering in the cold and rain and waiting to be crushed against the barriers.
Mind you I am vaguely looking forward to the World Cup. Brazil might get my support, since my own national squad will not be (even tokenly) represented.
ATV. A fine bunch. Even in their incarnation as a descendent of the travelling Gong show. With Here & Now...
Furious Pig ? Rings a bell. Rough Trade full Devon Cream.
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