The Conditioning is the second EP by Pennsylvania-based dark electronic band, The Number H.
The Conditioning explores feelings of loss, frustration and regret. The first song of the album, “Nothing”, opens with a thunderstorm and hits hard with the feelings of frustration: “Nothing will come of Nothing” references inaction begetting no progress and thus no change in condition.
After frustration we move to “Grief” depicting the feeling through the imagery of the words cherry-picked from Constance’s monologue in Shakespeare's King John and the atmosphere created by the layered soundscapes throughout the track. Confusion of self and purpose is then explored in “Tell Me” referencing King Lear’s “who is it that can tell me who I am”, an echoing question of existential confusion to which there isn’t an answer.
The EP concludes with “Undone” referencing “what’s done, cannot be undone” wherein the burden of regret should be dispelled and focus shifted to that which can be impacted. It is a reminder to the listener here at the end of the EP to not dwell on regret and to give themselves the space for growth and forward motion.
The Conditioning stays true to the first EP in that it uses a mixture of found and original spoken phrases, harvested sounds and layered dark electronics beats and soundscapes. The found phrases originate exclusively from Shakespeare plays – with their timeless and flawless description of raw emotions.
The harvested sounds are all that which are encountered and recorded in day-to-day life – the sound of running footsteps, a passing train, a thunderstorm, a leaky faucet – manipulated and creatively incorporated into beats and soundscapes to enhance the feeling of the tracks.
44 years ago, on June 16, 1978, Suicide performed their legendary 23 minutes lasting show at the renowned Brussels music club Ancienne Belgique, as support for Elvis Costello. The live audience recording, originally taped by a friend of the band, Howard Thompson, is not so much a registration of the quality of their actual live performance but it gives an indication of the general public's reaction to this confrontational electronic duo during their early days.
Before Suicide even starts playing booing can be heard from the crowd, indicating that they only wanted to hear the main act, Elvis Costello. Between every song the booing seems to become more intense. After roughly 10 minutes the crowd can be heard chanting "ELVIS! ELVIS!”. Then, after the band has been almost 20 minutes on stage, a loud applause can be heard; someone stole Alan Vega's microphone …
After receiving the microphone back he continues to sing "Frankie Teardrop" a cappella. After even more booing Vega shouts "SHUT THE FUCK UP! THIS IS ABOUT FRANKIE!". A few moments later the band leaves the stage.
That night Elvis Costello played a very short and angry set in which he made no secret of his outrage over Suicide's treatment by the crowd. This incited a riot. The show was cancelled and Vega's nose was broken.
The recording was first released only as a promo in 1978 until it was remastered and released as a bonus track on the band’s 1998 reissue of their self-titled debut album.
21½ Minutes In Berlin / 23 Minutes In Brussels (1978 LP tracklist)
| A 21½ Minutes In Berlin | ||
| A1 | Ghost Rider | |
| A2 | Rocket USA | |
| A3 | Cheree | |
| A4 | Harlem | |
| A5 | 96 Tears | |
| B | 23 Minutes In Brussels | |
| B1 | Ghost Rider | |
| B2 | Rocket USA | |
| B3 | Cheree | |
| B4 | Dance | |
| B5 | Frankie Teardrop | |
Out on 8th June is "Midnight Express", a brand new single by an up and coming post-punk / new wave project Roobanok, recently signed to SkyQode.
Born in the depth of the Ural Mountains as a one-man project, Roobanok manages to create his own kind of danceable post-punk music with the air of a light melancholy, reminiscent of Kino, Molchat Doma, Motorama and the like.
In addition to the title track, the single features another track "Where", as well as their instrumental versions.
Today it’s exactly 43 years ago since Joy Division released their debut studio album Unknown Pleasures (15 June 1979).
Today it’s exactly 43 years ago since Joy Division released their debut studio album Unknown Pleasures (15 June 1979) on the renowned label Factory Records. The album was recorded and mixed in only three successive weekends in April of the same year and was produced by Martin Hannet who incorporated a number of unconventional recording and production techniques into the group's sound.
The cover artwork was designed by artist Peter Saville while the centre sleeve depicts "100 consecutive pulses from the pulsar CP 1919" as found by Bernard Sumner in The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Astronomy (See more about the artwork in the video below)
It is the only Joy Division album that was released during lead singer Ian Curtis's lifetime.
Initially, sales of Unknown Pleasures were slow until the release of the non-album single, 'Transmission'. The album sold over 5000 copies within the first week of it's release, 20.000 copies were sold within the first year. However the album did not chart until it was reissued after the suicide of singer Ian Curtis. Then the album peaked at #71 in the UK Album Charts in August 1980 while it reached No.2 in the UK indie charts and spent 136 weeks in the chart in total. Factory Records did not release any singles from Unknown Pleasures,
It has since received sustained critical acclaim as an influential post-punk album and has been named as one of the best albums of all-time by publications such as NME, AllMusic, Select and Spin.
Instead of side A and B the sides were named Outside and Inside.
Unknown Pleasures - tracklist
A Outside
1. Disorder
2. Day Of The Lords
3. Candidate
4. Insight
5. New Dawn Fades
B Inside
1. She’s Lost Control
2. Shadowplay
3. Wilderness
4. Interzone
5. I Remember Nothing
Industrial band, The Royal Ritual addresses organized religion ethics with debut LP, /Martyrs/
UK industrial band, The Royal Ritual has just unveiled their highly anticipated debut, full length LP, Martyrs.
Martyrs is a thematic exploration into organised religion, and how it can negatively influence our most basic ethical choices.
"Within a short time after moving to the USA my hostility towards organised religion grew. I saw ordinarily good people doing undoubtedly wicked things in the name of religion, and it got to the point where I felt I needed to address it in the only way I knew how – through music.” - David Michael Lawrie
The first song on the album, “Pews In A Pandemic", is a direct response to the hypocrisy of the megachurch culture in the USA during the Covid-19 pandemic. As the album progresses further, topics spanning from faith based, institutionalized scandals, to the absolving of responsibility in the name of holy war, to the acceptance of the finite nature of life are explored. The album climaxes with the raucous pulse of “Finally Free,” which explores the blame shifting nature of those in power.
Blending harsh synthetic tones; dark, percussive sound design and traditional world instruments, a new industrial landscape is being forged in The Royal Ritual, created by award winning sound designer and music producer, English born David Lawrie.
After a series of singles and a successful crowdfunding campaign, the first major, full length release, Martyrs is available NOW in digital, CD and limited vinyl LP formats!
Drawing from Lawrie’s work in film as a sound designer, Martyrs contains rich soundscapes as well as foley elements that combine to replace the function of typical elements. For example, instead of a snare drum, Lawrie uses an intriguing blend of gunshots mixed with steel barrels and hydrophonic recordings. This layered approach, combined with live performances of traditional and vintage instruments (such as the Hammered Dulcimer and Marxophone), as well as retro synthesis techniques akin to Vangelis’ work on the iconic Blade Runner, makes for a unique and memorable listening experience. Its roots are industrial but its branches are organic, even ethereal.
