Radegast - "Homo Novus" Demo '86, Selt Titled Demo '89, Split Live Tape With Skimmed 1990
"Sometime in 1982, three young punx under the influence of early American hardcore bands like Minor Threat, Youth Brigade, Battalion of Saints and Poison Idea composed their first songs and slowly the first Czech hardcore band Radegast originated. This primary lineup consisted of Milan Jonsta on guitar and vocals, Jaroslav Sonek on drums, and Miroslav Stanek on bass. They soon started playing shows. The first lineup changes occured in 1984, when Jiri Bobes took over on bass, Pavel Kaniok on drums, and Dana Kalousova joined on vocals (she sang together with Milan). With this line-up, Radegast attempted to play out again, but the gigs were often shut down by the police.
The first studio demo was recorded in 1986 and released on the bassplayer's label 'Rytmicka Mladez'. These songs mapped the early era of the band and it is rough, violent stuff: short songs with aggressive female vocals and strong distorted guitar. Soon after the demo was recorded, Dana and Pavel left Radegast, rendering the band temporarily inactive. At last they found a new drummer and the band was once again a three-piece, Milan Jonsta on guitar and vocal, Jiri Proks on bass, and Josef Jano on drums. Radegast played several great shows in this period, most memorable of which was the 1988 gig with H.N.F. where the audience was more cops than punx. The second demo was recorded in 1989 and was also released on Rytmicka Mladez label. Once again, speed and intensity were one hundred percent, and the band incorporated interesting basslines and classic old school guitar solos. This formation of the band was influenced by groups like early C.O.C., Napalm Death, Cryptic Slaughter, Wehrmacht, and Wretched.
Radegast made their first appearance on vinyl with their six-song contribution to the 'Fuck Off Major Labels' compilation LP, which was intended as a reply to the production and practices of Eastern European labels like 'Multisonic' and 'Monitor'. These tracks showed an improvement in recording quality from the demo sessions, but at the same time lacked the roughness and ferociousness of those old recordings. That same year Radegast released an LP themselves called 'Otravena Generace' (which included re-recorded versions of the demo songs), but this record was also slightly worse than their older stuff. In 1992, shortly after the LP was released, Radegast broke up and the members moved on."
Cock Blockin' Beats: DJ Sets 1996-2016 By Lenny Dee & Cirillo "Cocorico", D.O.M "Live Act", DJ Freak "Nasenbluten Mix", H.C.O.N. "Tribute To Christ Of Noise", Mark N "Krafty Radio Fistography Mix", Radium "Terminal Trauma", Skoza "Psychik Genocide Mix", Train Wrecks "Kurt Eckes / Drop Bass Interview", UKTM "Soldiers Of Core" (Bonus: Timothy Leary "How To Operate Your Brain (Audio Version)" & Tom G. Warrior "A Grunt For All Seasons" Megamix)
Death In June - "Nada!" LP 1985 (FLAC)
"Compulsion Zine" interview with Douglas P. (focusing on "Nada!")...
I've always been curious about the photographs on the sleeve of NADA! (and subsequently 93 Dead Sunwheels), where were they taken? What was the significance, if any, of the skull and daggers?
I've always been curious about the photographs on the sleeve of NADA! (and subsequently 93 Dead Sunwheels), where were they taken? What was the significance, if any, of the skull and daggers?
All the photographs for these albums were taken in Brookwood Cemetary which is an old Victorian cemetary situated just outside of London. In fact, it used to have its very own railway station when it was known as the London Necropolis whose entrance was situated almost opposite to where we recorded all of this material near Waterloo Station. It's a place I've frequented since the late 1960s when my parents used to take walks in it.
Two of the bayonets belonged to Patrick Leagas and the dagger belonged to me. Just the look of them in the photographs is great but they do also have significance. They are both aesthetic and meaningful. The skull belonged to David Tibet and I believe it is Chinese in origin. But, I may be wrong about that as there seemed to be skulls popping up from everyone in those days so it could belong to someone else. Anyway, there are different ones in different photo sessions from that period.
Two of the bayonets belonged to Patrick Leagas and the dagger belonged to me. Just the look of them in the photographs is great but they do also have significance. They are both aesthetic and meaningful. The skull belonged to David Tibet and I believe it is Chinese in origin. But, I may be wrong about that as there seemed to be skulls popping up from everyone in those days so it could belong to someone else. Anyway, there are different ones in different photo sessions from that period.
NADA! is unique in Death In June's history as it forged the talents of Patrick Leagas, Richard Butler, David Tibet and yourself. How did you approach compositions in those days? Was there a collaborative aspect or were songs written in isolation?
Patrick and Richard tended to work together at home and bring into the studio the basic backing tracks of some of the more electronically oriented songs and then we would work on the lyrics or I'd add guitar or another keyboard line etc. Tibet's contribution was really providing me/Death In June with a lot of writings that I/we could use in anyway I pleased. With the exception of 'She Said Destroy' nothing he provided was complete. I or, once Pat with 'The Torture Garden', would take a title from here or a word or sentence from there. Whatever fitted was used. Tibet came down to Alaska Studios a few times to see how things were going and shouted or growled a bit here or played a thigh bone there but wasn't involved in any of the production/mixing process. That was really Iain O'Higgins our sound engineer for many years, Pat and myself. All of my material, both acoustic and electronic, was written at home with things being added in the studio as they developed. It wasn't until we started recording all of these things that we realised that we had something pretty unique on our hands albeit a lot of the writing process for me, at least, was littered with 'peculiar' events that were pointing in the right direction.
The entire NADA!, From Torture To Conscience and Born Again period must have been quite exciting. Do you have any recurring memories / pivotal moments of the recording process or related time?
The "NADA!" period for me really began on Christmas Day, 1983 when I deliberately didn't go to dinner with Jack, my partner of the time but instead stayed at home to write a song using the lyrics Tibet had given me over the previous few months. That turned out to be 'She Said Destroy'. It was a special moment to start many special moments for the "NADA!" period. Those Yuletide holidays were put to good use by Patrick and myself who I think was writing 'The Calling' at about the same time. After we did what turned out to be our final performances with Tony Wakeford in France in early January, 1984 Patrick, Richard, Tibet and I came together for rehearsals and basically compared notes. Hearing 'The Calling', 'She Said Destroy' and 'The Torture Garden' all for the first time was very reassuring and memorable. The photo sessions were always very inspiring and special.
The Champagne breakfast by the banks of the River Thames as dawn came up over London on the morning that we completed the original album recordings was memorable. Touring "NADA!" in Italy in April 1985 was literally magical. There are many special times from those days. But, there have always been in Death In June so I don't find myself overly preoccupied with what happened nearly 20 years ago. So much has happened since.
The Champagne breakfast by the banks of the River Thames as dawn came up over London on the morning that we completed the original album recordings was memorable. Touring "NADA!" in Italy in April 1985 was literally magical. There are many special times from those days. But, there have always been in Death In June so I don't find myself overly preoccupied with what happened nearly 20 years ago. So much has happened since.
NADA! features a formidable mixture of acoustic and electronic tracks. What were the prime influences at the time: musically philosophically, and culturally? Do you ever wonder where Death In June might have gone if the group had continued in this direction?
I think those "influences" have always been the same. The only difference is the way they are used to articulate whatever it is to be communicated/exorcised/whatever at any particular time between 1981 up to the present day in 2003. That said I have to say that I was reading a lot of stuff by The Marquis De Sade and Crowley that Tibet had given me and my first real ventures into the occult were beginning and instantly proved successful. I used to wonder what Death In June would have developed into if Pat had stuck with it but that was not to be and in retrospect probably just as well. So much was yet to come that there are definitely no regrets. Shoulda, woulda, coulda are all irrelevant aren't they!
The careers pursued by Patrick, David and yourself have been widely documented but whatever happened to Richard Butler? And wherever did he come from?
He was in Pat's original group called The Runners From '84. During the period between the actual breakup of Crisis, my first group, and the founding of Death In June with Patrick, Tony had worked with this group. So he knew Richard and as DIJ developed into something that became difficult to represent in the live arena as a 3 piece both he and Pat thought it was a good idea to rope Richard in to help with live performances. He was never an actual member of Death In June and by his own admission didn't really know what we were on about. However, he was willing to work during this period and when his time came to an end he was asked to leave. During the recording of the 'Born Again' 12-inch I was feeling uneasy about certain things so as I departed the studio I asked Pat to deal with it. Afterall, I had 'dealt' with Tony which wasn't exactly easy. I think all he has done musically since is help out with Pat during photo sessions for 6th Comm or Mother Destruction. I'm not exactly sure but, he was always good at those things. Richard had a good sensibility regarding striking the right pose.
In the intervening years Patrick has continued to record (and release) a number of these songs. Any comments you care to make?
Pat was always a perfectionist and even in DIJ he would want to do his vocal lines over and over again until he got what he thought was the very best take. I have to admit he always did so I'm not surprised he wants to re-do his songs from the Death In June days. He is probably still searching for the perfect version. I don't mind in the least!
It's been mentioned previously that NADA! is NER's biggest seller. Can you relate any reviews from the time? How did Death In June fans react to the change in musical style at the time? In retrospect how do you feel about it today?
DIJ fans obviously bought it in droves which showed what they thought of it. The Burial album had incredulously been the best selling LP up until then but NADA! zoomed off into the distance - probably never to be caught by anything else sales-figures wise again. It has time and quality on its side. And, still has! The remastering of it last year before World Serpent came up with their out of Court settlement in my case against them was an illuminating experience. I heard the album anew and it reinforced how much of it is perrenial and now even more pertinent to the Zeitgeist. When the now defunct British music paper Sounds gave it 5 question marks rather than 5 stars in their review of the record, little did they know how spot on they would be.
Anything else you care to add?
Yes, well we mustn't forget that the reason behind this interview is the recent reissue of Death In June's NADA! CD (along with Boyd Rice And Friends' Music, Martinis & Misanthropy CD/Picture disc LP) which was forced upon me after 4 years of not being able to get my hands on what was rightly mine. So, a big "thankyou" to the 3 Piggies for inadvertantly giving me the chance to reinvent the best of Death In June's/NER back catalogue during the years that they tried to destroy me/Death In June. Such business acumen is hard to find these days. And, as I write this I have just heard that NADA! has reached #7 in the South Australian album charts during our present tour of Australia and New Zealand. Being up there with the likes of Regurgitator and Pacifier makes me feel so young and contemporary!
Wendy Carlos: Tron OST 1982 (2002 CD Remaster FLAC With Scans)
"Wendy Carlos (born 'Walter Carlos' Nov 14th 1939) is an American musician and composer best known for her electronic music and film scores. Born and raised in Rhode Island, Carlos studied physics and music at Brown University before moving to New York City in 1962 to study music composition at Columbia University. Studying and working with various electronic musicians and technicians at the city's Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, she helped in the development of the Moog synthesizer, Robert Moog's first commercially available keyboard instrument. Carlos came to prominence with 'Switched-On Bach' (1968), an album of music by Johann Sebastian Bach performed on a Moog synthesizer, which helped popularize its use in the 1970s and won her three Grammy Awards. Its commercial success led to several more albums, including further synthesized classical music adaptations, and experimental and ambient music. She composed the score to two Stanley Kubrick films, 'A Clockwork Orange' (1971) and 'The Shining' (1980), and for 'Tron' (1982) for Walt Disney Productions. In 1979, Carlos raised public awareness of transgender issues by disclosing she had been living as a woman since at least 1968, and in 1972 had undergone sex reassignment surgery. In 1985, Carlos further elaborated about the reaction to her transition: 'The public turned out to be amazingly tolerant or, if you wish, indifferent...there had never been any need of this charade [Formerly living as a man. --S] to have taken place. It had proven a monstrous waste of years of my life.' As of 2020, much of Carlos's discography is out of print, and has not been licensed for digital distribution to streaming or download platforms."
Lenny Dee & Radium - "Headbanger Boogie" & "Undisputed Truth" 12" EPs 2004-2005 (192 Highest Bitrate With Original Non-Bricked Mastering)
"I wanna see your head on a pole...
I wanna see your body all busted and cold.
I wanna see you bleed...
I wanna see you cry...
I wanna see you killed...
I wanna see you die."
Ultra Related...
Re-Animator: "The Definitive Edition" OST CD 1985/2003 (FLAC With Scans)
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An interview with Richard Band by Randall D. Larson...
Richard Band’s recent film score for the exceedingly graphic horror/mayhem/dark comedy film RE-ANIMATOR has sparked considerable controversy in the film music community due to its prominent use of a theme derived from Bernard Herrmann’s famous PSYCHO Main Title music. Some critics have even gone as far as to cry “plagiarism.” Interviewed in Nov. 1985, shortly after the release of RE-ANIMATOR, Band candidly spoke out on his approach to scoring the film and his use of the Herrmann motif.
How did you become involved with RE-ANIMATOR?
The producer, Brian Yuzna, knew of me because he had been involved on a writing project with my father. He knew of my scores, and when he produced this film independently he called me in.
At what point in production did you actually start work on the film?
Pretty much when the film was complete. It was not really anything to work with any earlier in the project.
What was your overall approach to scoring the picture? How would you describe score’s elements?
The film is so unique from the standpoint that it is so gory and so bizarre, that there was no way I felt I could approach it seriously. Therefore, I decided to use a lot of humor in the music, and beside that, do some musically outlandish things, some very weird rhythms and stuff, a lot of electronics, and really go what I would describe as overboard when it comes to a questionable musical tastes. My approach was to match some of the bizarreness of the movie but to add a lot of humor that I didn’t feel came through as much as it would with humorous music.
It seems to mix a lot of things from symphonic to pop-styles stuff to very eerie, electronic synthesis.
Exactly. It called for a kind of mish-mosh of things all with a degree of humor and obviously that’s the way I started out the picture, by utilizing a familiar Bernard Herrmann feel for the main title sequence, to start off on the footing that people should not take this as an extremely serious movie.
A lot of people have noted the similarity between your main theme for RE-ANIMATOR and the Bernard Herrmann PSYCHO music…
No coincidence!
Would you describe the genesis of that particular piece of music. How did you happen to choose that music to use?
When looking at this movie, the nature of the character of Herbert West is a psychotic sort of maniac, and behind him he has this driving force. To me, when I saw that, the driving force that’s the main title of PSYCHO fit him perfectly. Therefore I used that as a base and modified the theme but kept that Herrmannesque feeling. I put my own theme in it, but I wanted that momentum there to create that psychotic movement that described the Herbert West character.
Did you do any studying of the PSYCHO score?
None.
To what extent do you think the music, the actual notes, are yours and to what extent are they an arrangement of the Herrmann piece. I think there’s a lot of similarity in the note structure…
You’re talking about the main title? Well, the theme is completely mine; the structure is basically the Herrmannesque structure. Obviously I wanted no doubt in anybody’s mind that that was a Bernard Herrmann takeoff.
Some critics have not been terribly pleased by the similarity, from some of the reviews that I’ve heard. Has that caused any problems as far as any feedback you’ve received from anybody?
Just the opposite. In fact I’ve read and quoted close to forty reviews that revered the music, and especially the humorous treatment of the Bernard herrmann thing. It’s been in fact ninety-five percent very, very positive.
From the standpoint of the Herrmann purists, who would perhaps be incensed at the use of his style in that particular cue there, how would you answer some of their complaints that may arise, as far as “you’re using our revered composer and you’re taking a piece of his music and transforming it, or ‘re-animating’ it into something totally different?
My answer would be that Bernard had a very wry sense of humor and he would probably laugh very loudly at it, and they should do likewise.
It seems to me that the humorous feel came about through the use of turning the PSYCHO thing, which was purely strings, and then adding this pop beat to it, which gives it an almost jaunty weirdness to it.
That’s true, yes, sort of an updated, modern version, pop and a sort of funny theme within.
The humor, also, seems to be brought in purely through the music as opposed to anything in the particular script.
Well, that’s true. But in an overall sense it’s so absurd and so horrific, that in itself is funny. There’s no one who can take this kind of picture seriously, and that’s the point of it. I wanted to make sure, musically, that there was no question about that.
How long did you have to compose the score?
About three and a half weeks.
And you recorded with the Rome Philharmonic?
Yes, recorded in Italy.
How large of an orchestra did you use?
The largest group, I’d say, was about forty players.
And that was supplemented with electronics. Was that live like you did in METALSTORM, or…
No, that was done after the fact, when I mixed down.
How closely did you work with the director and producer of the film on composing the score? What kind of music did they want?
Not very closely. Basically they left me on my own. I worked much more closely with the producer than with the director. He wanted me to stretch into some very bizarre directions; he did not want a conventional score. At one point, when I was about a third of the way through the writing, the director came over and I played him what I’d come up with and he loved it and that was that.
They didn’t have any input on any specific types of music or anything?
They had lots of requests and various things, but a lot of those were basically suggestions. It was the sort of picture, again, because of its bizarreness and uniqueness, that they really didn’t know what they wanted either. The main point that I emphasized was that I wanted to incorporate a lot of humor in the movie along with the other obvious elements.
Had they temp-tracked the film at all?
No, I don’t believe they did. I think they might have done a promo reel or something, but I don’t even remember if they did that.
Any other comments about this particular score?
No, not really. There was no problem working with Brian Yuzna and Stuart Gordon, who’s a fine director, and they’re doing another picture now, called DOLLS which I’m scoring, as well as another H.P. Lovecraft movie called FROM BEYOND which I’m also scoring. They were very very pleased with RE-ANIMATOR and want to use me on these projects as well.
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