SLAVESTATE - 1992-1993

"SLAVESTATE, from New York, were of my favorite bands from that mess of mostly forgettable powerviolence bands from the 90s. They’re a great example of how lack of fidelity can work to a band’s favor. Had this stuff been recorded in a proper studio, a lot of the power of these recordings would be missing. During their short existence they released a demo, split 7”s with RUPTURE and LACK OF INTEREST and some compilation tracks before changing their name to PNEUMATIC VALUES, then again to AVULSION. The demo was pressed on vinyl by Sludge Records in France, the last song of which appeared on the “Son of Bllleeeeaaauuurrrrgghhh!” 7” compilation. 26 tracks in less than 20 minutes are all that exists from this great band. A lot of shittier bands from that era have had their material released on a discography CD/LP. Someone needs to extend the same gesture to them." All via MORTVILLE NOISE

DOWNLOAD

Knyx Breakfast

TTT

Belbury Poly

Ghostbox

previous post... The Willows

Happy People

A Year in the Taiga (Dmitry Vasyukov & Werner Herzog, 2010)

Herzog and Vasyukov glamorize life in the Taiga. The fur trappers’ existence is simple. They have few material possessions which they do not make themselves. A rifle, snowmobile and outboard motor are the lone exceptions. There’s something immensely satisfying about seeing the hunter making skis and a canoe in the fall, then using them in the winter. They are nearly completely cut off from the modern world. The only intrusion it makes into the film is when a Siberian politician visits on a boat, a curiosity to which the villagers pay little regard.

The men live for the winter hunt, and this is clearly the part of their lives which the filmmakers found most interesting. We hear more about their hunting dogs than we do about their wives or children. The only time we see real emotion from a hunter is when he describes watching a bear kill his favorite dog. Less pleasant things are talked of only briefly: the native people have been largely displaced by ethnic Russians, and those who remain are alcoholics. The protagonist of the movie was brought to Bakhta by helicopter thirty years ago to trap for the communist government. They had few supplies. Another man came with him, but he was “not up to the task” of survival.

This is a beautiful film which offers a glimpse into an increasingly rare way of life. Herzog and Vasyukov portray it as simple and remote, but I think is more due to their editing than to the reality of life in Bakhta. What about the women, who never speak in this film? Or the natives? Happy People leaves you respecting the people who live in the Taiga, but wanting to know more about them. Danvk.org

Werner Herzog talking about the film

WATCH

(Mind the volume is a bit low, use headphones or Boom)

In This Society: The Rejected

The next town on from where i'm from, Sunderland... pure shithole. Good clip though, kick a bin!

+

SEMI DETACHED

A collection of films made by Gee Vaucher, member of CRASS and the artist behind their groundbreaking graphic art. Made between 1977-1984, these films are visual extensions of the music and ideas of CRASS and were shown during all of their gigs. Includes the songs Reality Whitewash, Shaved Women, Smother Love, Mother Earth, Bomb and Yes Sir, I Will.

http://akuk.com/

THE HILL (1965)

In a British Army "glasshouse" (military detention camp) in the Libyan Desert, prisoners convicted of service offences such as insubordination, being drunk whilst on duty, going AWOL or petty theft etc. are subjected to repetitive drill in the blazing desert heat.



The arrival of five new prisoners slowly leads to a clash with the camp authorities. One new NCO guard who has also just arrived employs excessive punishments, which include forcing the five newcomers to repeatedly climb a man-made hill in the centre of the camp. When one dies, a power struggle erupts between the camp's Medical Officer (Michael Redgrave), the Regimental Sergeant Major Wilson (Harry Andrews), and a pair of brutal Staff Sergeants, Harris (Ian Bannen) and Williams (Ian Hendry), as they attempt to shift blame.
Roberts (Sean Connery) is a former Squadron Sergeant Major from the Royal Tank Regiment, convicted of assaulting his Commanding Officer - the reasons for which he explains to his fellow inmates. The RSM is a career soldier who sees his task as breaking down failed men, then building them back up again, in his words, "into men!"
Staff Sergeant Williams is new to the prison, and his ambition is matched only by his cruel treatment of the prisoners; he seeks to use their suffering as means for promotion. "And what are you supposed to be," Roberts asks him when he is accused of cowardice in battle, "a brave man in a permanent base job?" The RSM seems to agree; in another scene, he slyly mentions the fact that the Germans were bombing the UK (including the civilian prison Williams worked at) just as Williams was volunteering for prison duty in Africa.
Staff Sergeant Harris is the conscience of the prison who sympathizes with the men, too closely, according to the RSM. The officers of the piece, both the CO (Norman Bird) and the Medical Officer, take their duties casually and, as Roberts points out, "everyone is doing time here, even the screws." wiki

WATCH

Alternative links here (don't bother downloading any plugins or anything, just create a free account and you should be laughing) ...or here

Can Free Concert

Live at the Cologne Sporthalle in 1972

Hunger Farm

Hunger Farm were a punk band from Long Beach around in the late 80's, various songs from these two 7"s featured heavily on the Gullwing Full Power Trip video from 1990, notably the Matt Hensley section in NYC. Some songs are good but some are a bit shit, i suppose the same goes for a lot of the bands that featured on the soundtracks of old skate vids... there was a time and a place and a context.



Download

Hensley pic thanks to The Chrome Ball Incident

Worked World

For fans of Neil Blender and Jason Jesse ... go here

See G&S Footage and Pray For Me - The Jason Jesse Movie