cult of the week makes a tentative return this week...watch these spaces!

artist: S.Y.P.H.

title: Am Rhein

year: 1987

label: Atatak Records

personnel: Uwe Jahnke (guitars), Harry Rag (vocals), Jojo Wolter (bass), Ralf Bauerfeind (druns)

tracklisting: 11. frau im harem, die matchbox-generation, mein esel ist kaputt, oliver, but the girls, schwesterlein, platz da, julischka, pop horror, geteert un gefedert, sturm auf dich, taris

further info: http://www.syph.de

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artist: Stump

title: Quirk Out

year: 1986

label: Stuff Records

personnel: Mick Lynch (vocals), Chris Salmon (guitar), Kev Hopper (bass), Rob McKahey (drums)

tracklisting: tupperware stripper, our fathers, kitchen table, buffalo, everything in its place, bit part actor

further info: http://www.spoombung.co.uk/

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artist: Wet Taxis

title: From the Archives

year: 1984

label: Hot Records

personnel: Simon Knuckley (lead guitar), Penny Ikinger (rhythm guitar), Nick Fisher (drums, scrotum), Tim Knuckley (bass, vocals), Louis Tillett (vocals, piano),Gary 'Moneywoe Bradbury (rhythm and tapes), Dr. Bronstantine Karlarka (vocals), various (backing vocals)

tracklisting: but mono never dies, last time around, unchain my heart, i'm gonna burn, you burn me up and down, i wanna come back, rich with nothing, nun's strike, it's gonna rain, hypnotized, in the past, vomit, bucktooth gobbler, love

further info: http://www.louistillett.com/biography.html

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artist: Asphixiation

title: What is this thing called 'Disco'?

year: 1980

label: No label

personnel: Jane, Leigh, Maria, Ralph, Philip, David and Chris

tracklisting: the beat aesthetic, feelings, asphixiation, blurred movement, hunger-food-nausea, innocent rhythms, aural risk, tradition europe, self denial (is a beautiful thing), african disco queen, + l'acrostique d'amour, the crush (bonus twelve inch)

further info: good luck!

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artist: Suburban Lawns

title: Baby

year: 1983

label: IRS Records

personnel: Su Tissue (vocals, keyboards, congas, bongo, bass, synthesizer), William Ranson (bass, vocals, guitar), Frankie Ennui (guitar, vocals), Chuck Roast (drums, percussion), John McBurney (guitars), Richard Mazda (guitarsynthesizer, synthesizer)

tracklisting: flavor crystals, enjoy, hug you, baby, cowboy

further info: http://www.irscorner.com/s/sublawns.html

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artist: Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls

title: Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls

year: 1980

label: RSO Records

personnel: Pauline Murray, Martin Hannett, Steve Hopkins, Robert Blamire, John Maher, Dave Rowbotham, Dave Hassell, Vini Reilly

tracklisting: screaming in the darkness, dream sequence, european eyes, shoot you down, sympathy, time slipping, drummer boy, thundertunes, when will we learn, mr x, judgement day

further info: http://www.hiljaiset.sci.fi/punknet/murray_e.htm

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admiration for the work of Factory Records' remarkable in-house producer Martin Hannett has grown with each year that has passed since his untimely death in 1991. time, then, to appraise one the of the lesser known works in the Hannett catalogue, production and arrangement duties for ex-Penetration singer Pauline Murray's solo debut with the assistance of Steve Hopkins.

those familiar with Hannett and Hopkins' best known appearance as the Invisible Girls - namely, the majority of the recorded output of punk poet John Cooper-Clarke - will be familiar with the sounds and textures here. despite Hannett's better-known associations with gloom (i.e. Joy Division), his work as an arranger is much lighter and poppier. piano, wispy synthesized strings and pads, distant guitar textures and typically echoing drums are all perfectly suited to Murray's fey, quite ornate vocals and give the album a wonderfully expansive, but nevertheless, edgy, feel. fortunately, the songs are more than up to the task. from the pure (dark) pop of 'Dream Sequence' and 'Shoot you Down' to the artier and more urgent 'Mr X', each track manages to maintain a defiantly European quality which avoids even the slightest hint of a blues-based melody and should appeal to most.

invisible, perhaps. but let's hope not for much longer.

artist: Ivor Cutler and Linda Hirst

title: Privilege

year: 1983

label: Rough Trade Records

personnel: Ivor Cutler (harmonium, piano, drums, voice), Linda Hirst (voice), David Toop (alto flute, banjo, singin, percussion, effects, night insects), Steve Beresford (euphonium, piano, trumpet, singing, percussion and effects)

tracklisting: lots!

further info: http://www.ivorcutler.org/

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artist: Richard Strange and the Engine Room

title: Going-Gone

year: 1987

label: Interphon Records

personnel: Richard Strange (vocals), James T. Ford (electronic hardware), numerous guests

tracklisting: damascus, the lion's den, banco celestial, dominoes, the fall of the house of 'u', fear is the engine, wounded, love scare, pride time and inspiration, pioneering surgery

further info: http://www.richardstrange.com

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artist: Crawling Chaos

title: The Gas Chair

year: 1982

label: Factory Records

personnel: ???

tracklisting: macabre royale, creamo coyl, left hand path, guinness, arabesque, harry, disierta membra, canadian pacific, breaking down

further info: http://www.ltmpub.freeserve.co.uk/cchaosinfo.html

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artist: 17 Pygmies