IDM Mailing Archive

High, maybe this is old, but I've been told there was a new Mark Stewart album out. Someone's got it? I know he's worked with someone else but I can't remember WHO!!! Don't blame me, my brain almost exploded the same night: I saw Orbital live!!! Don't miss them!!! TERRIFIC! Greg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gregory SAUGIS <saugis@lifl.fr> http://www.lifl.fr/~saugis

Yesterday I found Mark Stewart's self-titled album (1987) on Mute from a local junkyard sale, and I have to say it's excellent stuff. The album is recorded with Maffia (=Keith LeBlanc, Doug Wimbish, Skip McDonald) and produced with Adrian Sherwood. I hadn't heard Mark Stewart or Maffia before, and it's quite obvious Meat Beat Manifesto (among many others) was *heavily* influenced by this one. The LP also has all these cool samples: that spiky Steve Stevens guitar intro to Billy Idol's "Flesh For Fantasy" (I have to come out of the closet now, and confess I was a huge *Billy* fan in the mid-80s ;) , an electronic version of Erik Satie's "Trois Gymnopedies", Donna Summer's "I Feel Love", and *lots* of paranoid industrial dub noise a la MBM; really refreshed my day in this Finnish cheesy house hell I'm living (ask no more...) :) So, any other Mark Stewart recommendations, o you omnipotent holders of the IDM knowledge? Web page, anyone? e k k u i r r a t i o aka e r k k i r a u t i o <a href="http://www.uta.fi/~trerra/">pHinnWeb</a>

quoted 4 lines So, any other Mark Stewart recommendations, o you omnipotent holders

> > So, any other Mark Stewart recommendations, o you omnipotent holders > of the IDM knowledge? Web page, anyone? >

If you like that, chances are you'll like many other On-U Sound productions: Tackhead, Strange Parcels, Keith LeBlanc, etc. There's an On-U mailing list: on-u-request@connect.com.au will get you added. There are discographies floating around too, but I'm not sure where they are located at the moment. The consensus on the On-U list is that Mark Stewart's latest album (DREAM KITCHEN) is also his best. I haven't heard it yet, though. I'm partial to AS THE VENEER OF DEMOCRACY STARTS TO FADE. His all-time best track, IMHO, is an extended workout called "The Wrong Name and the Wrong Number." This was originally released on the first or second MYTHS compilation on Sub-Rosa, but I think it's turned up as a CD bonus track on the DEMOCRACY reissue. The track features lots of William S. Burroughs samples, including the one that has almost become an On-U trademark: "Pay it all, pay it all, pay it all back. Play it all, play it all, play...it...all...back." :-) Hope this helps. -- Mark Turner mturner@netcom.com

Mark Turner wrote:

quoted 6 lines So, any other Mark Stewart recommendations, o you omnipotent holders

> > > So, any other Mark Stewart recommendations, o you omnipotent holders > > of the IDM knowledge? Web page, anyone? > > > If you like that, chances are you'll like many other On-U Sound > productions: Tackhead, Strange Parcels, Keith LeBlanc, etc.

Indeed. I also recommend Audio Active; they sound a lot like a dubbed-out Mark Stewart in terms of noisiness and structure. Also, there are a couple "Pay It All Back" compilations worth seeking out; these are On-U label tasters. Try 'em, you'll like 'em!

quoted 2 lines The consensus on the On-U list is that Mark Stewart's latest

> The consensus on the On-U list is that Mark Stewart's latest > album (DREAM KITCHEN) is also his best.

I'd have to agree with this.

quoted 2 lines His all-time best track, IMHO, is an extended

> His all-time best track, IMHO, is an extended > workout called "The Wrong Name and the Wrong Number."

I'd have to agree with this as well. Total headfuck material. Listen loud with headphones, and you won't be able to think for at least two days.

quoted 4 lines This

> This > was originally released on the first or second MYTHS compilation > on Sub-Rosa, but I think it's turned up as a CD bonus track > on the DEMOCRACY reissue.

Actually, it's on the CD reissue of his only On-U released album (all his others are on Mute), _Learning_To_Cope_With_Cowardice_ (which also has a great version of "Jerusalem" on it). ObIDM: I *really* like the Mike & Rich CD. This disc is twitchy, melodic, and loads of fun besides. Buy it ASAP!!! -- Adam J Weitzman ----- Individual, Inc. ----- weitzman@individual.com "I love the music of the 20th century!" - Bruce Willis, "12 Monkeys"

quoted 2 lines The consensus on the On-U list is that Mark Stewart's latest

>The consensus on the On-U list is that Mark Stewart's latest >album (DREAM KITCHEN) is also his best.

I concur with this. It's interesting how he's managed to absorb the influence of techno while holding on to his trademark grittiness--and it's pretty amazing that after so many years (and at his age) his music continues to have so much aggression. Ashok

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quoted 1 line

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Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 19:15:48 -0500 (CDT) From: Mark Kolmar <mkolmar@xnet.com> Subject: Re: (idm) Portishead / Orbital Mark Stewart did some great lo-fi, megaphone-throated, highly-damaged songs on his 3rd album (the one with the microchip on the cover). Produced with Adrian Sherwood. It contains a cover of the theme song from _Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (sp?)_ which starts off distorted and creepy. By the end it has fallen apart, into a mess of tangled tape. You can't go wrong.

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This mentioned LP is I believe the 4th and maybe even the 5th LP of Mark Stewart. I've got a pile of 'em at home. I'll try to figure it out. Agreed on the LP that is mentioned here, but *do* look up " As the veneer of democracy starts to fade " . I'm guessing early 80s? This is similar to above mentioned but grittier and uglier and way more Sherwood-y. Definite precursor to a lot of the flat, distorted, minimal "electronica" of today. Did Mark Stewart die? I heard heart attack. I also heard heroin. But I've learned to mistrust *all* rumors in the music industry. Anyone? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ bpm0@interport.net, Peter Becker - North American Distribution, Retail marketing, DJ Pool, Demo tape filter Asphodel : PO Box 51, Chelsea Station, NY NY 10113 p: (212) 965-0265, f: (212) 965-0959 , http://www.asphodel.com ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Peter Becker writes:

quoted 4 lines but *do* look up " As the veneer of democracy starts to fade " .

> but *do* look up " As the veneer of democracy starts to fade " . > I'm guessing early 80s? This is similar to above mentioned but > grittier and uglier and way more Sherwood-y. Definite precursor to > a lot of the flat, distorted, minimal "electronica" of today.

big definite yepper to that one. this album forms a trilogy of sorts, with cabaret voltaire's "code" and ministry's "twitch"... they were all produced by sherwood around the same time (1985 sounds right). gave me another rude awakening hearing them. one of those "i didn't know music could be THAT" feelings. sherwood used to melt my brain on a regular basis back then. -- Jon Drukman jsd@gamespot.com SpotMedia Communications ...I was an infinitely hot and dense dot...

anyone remember his band Maffia? talkin about smokin..... tom w np: maffia - metatron On Thu, 18 Sep 1997 10:02:58 -0500 bpm0@interport.net (Peter Becker) writes:

quoted 51 lines reference quote:

>reference quote: > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 19:15:48 -0500 (CDT) >From: Mark Kolmar <mkolmar@xnet.com> >Subject: Re: (idm) Portishead / Orbital > >Mark Stewart did some great lo-fi, megaphone-throated, highly-damaged >songs on his 3rd album (the one with the microchip on the cover). >Produced with Adrian Sherwood. It contains a cover of the theme song >from >_Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (sp?)_ which starts off distorted and >creepy. By the end it has fallen apart, into a mess of tangled tape. >You >can't go wrong. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > >This mentioned LP is I believe the 4th and maybe even the 5th LP of >Mark >Stewart. >I've got a pile of 'em at home. I'll try to figure it out. Agreed on >the >LP that is mentioned here, >but *do* look up " As the veneer of democracy starts to fade " . I'm >guessing early 80s? >This is similar to above mentioned but grittier and uglier and way >more >Sherwood-y. >Definite precursor to a lot of the flat, distorted, minimal >"electronica" >of today. > >Did Mark Stewart die? I heard heart attack. I also heard heroin. > >But I've learned to mistrust *all* rumors in the music industry. > >Anyone? > >^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > >bpm0@interport.net, Peter Becker - > > North American Distribution, Retail marketing, > DJ Pool, Demo tape filter > >Asphodel : PO Box 51, Chelsea Station, NY NY 10113 >p: (212) 965-0265, f: (212) 965-0959 , http://www.asphodel.com >^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > > >

On Fri, 19 Sep 1997, Maarten D. Schermer wrote: I wrote:

quoted 6 lines Produced with Adrian Sherwood. It contains a cover of the theme song from

> >Produced with Adrian Sherwood. It contains a cover of the theme song from > >_Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (sp?)_ which starts off distorted and > >creepy. By the end it has fallen apart, into a mess of tangled tape. You > >can't go wrong. > > The track is called "Stranger Than Love", from his third (superb) album

Actually it's "Forbidden Colour". "Stranger Than Love" is the single, which mixes a melody from Erik Satie with a distorted version of New Order-ish pop.

quoted 3 lines "As the veneer of democracy starts to fade" (HEAVY dub,

> "As the veneer of democracy starts to fade" (HEAVY dub, > extreme Sherwood (over)production, you can hardly hear the songs for all > the reverb, and it was mastered on a Betamax cassette - excellent),

This is the essential one to get. I mentioned the 3rd album because the Portishead single reminded me of a much-tamer version of some things he was doing there.

quoted 3 lines "Metatron" (good album, some groovy tracks with David Harrow) and "Control

> "Metatron" (good album, some groovy tracks with David Harrow) and "Control > Data" (sounds a bit dated, lot of Underground Resistance influence on some > tracks).

These are both a bit tame compared to what came before -- but that may be an advantage for the uninitiated. People always said _As the Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade_ would give you brain damage. --Mark