Night Lands compilation on Andrew's Hulme's Final image label
In 1987 Bryn Jones was approached by Andrew Hulme for a contribution to Nightlands, an ambient and electronic compilation on his Final Image label. In addition to being a small label owner, Hulme collaborated in several music projects, the most well-known being O Yuki Conjugate (OYC). OYC started in 1982 with Andrew Hulme (electronic, synthesizer, tape loops), Siblings Roger, Tim Horberry (both on percussion), and Claire Elliott (flute), who together initially made music based on improvisation, and Brian Eno’s ideas of ambient music. Eno had recently released a series of deeply atmospheric yet sparse instrumental/electronic albums, including a drone release with Robert Fripp, No Pussyfooting; sparse yet beautiful soundtrack work on Music for Films, and the album for which he coined the phrase “ambient music”. It was on the liner notes of Music for Airports where Eno described ‘ambient music’ as something that “…must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.” OYC extrapolated on Eno’s ideas to create a kind of music which was not fully appreciated until a decade later, first in post-rave chillout rooms, then later by savvy IDM-electronic music enthusiasts. OYC’s sound gradually morphed from initial electronic-experimental ambient, to rhythmic realms of atmosphere and ethno-percussion similar to Muslimgauze, to the point wherein tracks by respective bands complimented one another. The intent, however, behind said bands making music was profoundly different—one had political motivation, whereas the other found joy in sound for its own sake.
OYC jammed in various venues around Nottingham and Leeds, playing to sparse attendance at first, but developed richer, more in-depth textures with each passing year. Their debut, Scene in Mirage (1984) remains astonishingly ahead of its time for an ambient-experimental work, perhaps even a work of musical prophecy. Processed electronics, tape loops, synth-scapes, melodic drones, and deconstructed rhythms—not unlike what would later be called IDM music. (this was later re-issued as Primitive) Some dated sounds are present on the album, but in retrospect it can be likened to Boards of Canada’s haunt/nostalgic approach. Scene in Mirage is sometimes eerie, but in a good way. It more often sets the listener blissfully adrift.
OYC - "Primitive" A compendium of early OYC tracks
The following album, Peyote (1991), is stylistically closest to Muslimgauze for its use of ethno-traditional percussion, but with a more playful approach. There are even moments on some tracks that could have passed as Muslimgauze. Since they were headed in the same direction musically, Hulme solicited Jones for a contribution. As he recalls, “I’d spoken with him (Jones) on the phone before because I ran a label when I lived in Leeds called Final Image. He contributed a track called “Green is the Colour of the Prophet”. At the time it was a brief conversation, I couldn’t assess his personality at all. I felt we were working in the same area at the time, sort of soundscape type ambient industrial music. I just had a vision of a particular album that I wanted. I think I heard a track by him that I liked. I tend to go in and out of interest in people, I’ll listen to their music for a time and your attention drifts elsewhere. He sent me a track and that was pretty much the last I heard from him until ten years later.”
Consisting of members from OYC under additional alter-ego’s, as well as Bourbonese Qualk, Nightlands depicts how the contributors share similar musical attitudes, and at times even similar styles.
The premise behind Cultures of Resistance (COR) are communities who use arts and culture (as opposed to weaponry) to resist oppression throughout the world. It is my impression that Iara Lee is a pacifist who seeks non-violent resistance to oppression in all its forms. The COR film is situated in disparate locations as Brazil, Lebanon, Iran, Occupied Palestine, Burma, and throughout Africa to name a few. First the film identifies conflict in said places, like Israel-controlled Palestine, brutality against the populace (including monks) in Burma, resource exploitation and wholesale slaughter in Africa such as in Liberia, Congo, and Rwanda, and the impending invasion of Iran. Subsequent to identifying some of the issues, COR provides concrete examples of how poetry, music, film, dance, paintings and other artistic expression helps bring awareness, break down racial/social barriers, and resist injustice. To the film’s credit, examples of where non-violent resistance did not work is also shown such as in the Congo where peaceful resistance leaders were strung-up by despots. The Congolese resistance have resorted to armed struggle since. Another case was in Burma where the Buddhist Monks had large numbers of their ranks tortured and murdered since their peaceful protests, their price was steep and the best they got from their actions was perhaps world-awareness of just how brutal the Burmese government is. It is a sign of maturity and sophistication when a director can present both sides to problem solving, though COR’s bias rests firmly in the non-violence camp. The topic is vast and COR may require more than one viewing for the audience to absorb the deluge of information the film presents. It is a great way to bring awareness on timely issues going on in the world and artistic ways of resistance. A personal favorite is the Iranian hip hop group Mahdyar.
Aspects of Japanese pop culture has levels of sophistication and refinement not evident in most North American. A case in point is in animated television and film series. In North America, animation is generally associated with children’s programming whereas in Asia the distinction is not observed. (A cursory glance at some of the 18+ Japanese animation will quickly dispel that). There are animated series (we will call this “anime”) which both adults and children can appreciate, such as the Mobile Suit Gundam series that I have recently come to appreciate. The MSG is an epic interstellar adventure tale (since spawned off into a franchise) of two rival factions vying for space colonization and focuses on a handful of civilian survivors (including children) who through circumstance wind up as (often unwilling) combatants. During the episodic telling, themes like mortality, injury, war time atrocities, and notions that in war, often there is no clear distinction between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ sides and quite often, the enemy is from within. These things are rarely touched on in Western animation which tends to ‘dumb down’ characters to binaries of good and evil. Moreover, Japanese animation houses sometimes take the trouble to research the science in their science fiction. Add to that, a fallacious notion among Western animation producers that children cannot understand and appreciate or comprehend such details. That is why, as a youth, I valued Japanese animation like Starblazers, Robotech, Gatchaman, over anything Western counterparts like GI Joe or Transformers. Japanamation did not ‘talk down’ to their audience, only North American censors did, though we were lucky when some scenes did manage to make it past the excision knife. I recently reviewed some of the anime I grew up on and saw the deleted scenes such as sexual themes, substance abuse, depression, grief, and other things adults have to deal with. I do not think these scenes would have damaged my childhood, the characters are clearly adult and as such, it made sense they were dealing with adult problems. The kids remained kids though they had to deal with war issues. Though North American kids largely avoided war, other parts of the world face it daily.
The above mentioned anime shows are merely what I saw in childhood, and come to realize there was a lot more going on. In a strange way, the shows have seemed to have matured alongside with me. Lately, I have delved further into anime and have enjoyed shows and films every bit as cleverly scripted as Western masterworks as The Twilight Zone, The Sopranos, House (early seasons), Northern Exposure, and The Wire. Some examples of great Japanese anime are Planetes (done with assistance from NASA), Welcome to the N.H.K., Genshiken, Cowboy Bebop, Sumarai Champloo, Usagi Drop, and pretty much anything Ghost in the Shell related. If you doubt me, simply check some of the IMDB ratings for these humble anime shows.
A spot where I get my fix for Japanamation is Anime Extreme in downtown Toronto (3 bucks, tax in, nets you seven days rental). They also have a great selection of manga which I get on occasion (got all of Genshiken and am working on Bakuman) and gorgeous mobile suit model kits I hope one day to afford. The staff is knowledgeable, they initially made anime selections for me, the place is well laid out and made out into an animation enthusiast’s dream. Even if you are not a fan of this stuff, it is well worth a walk through to look at the amazing figures and art. There are anime/manga selections for children, adults that include both men and women. My tastes are conventional (sci-fi and slice-of-life) but there are weird things there to satisfy the more exotic palettes. The manga is a pretty good value, in contrast to something like DC or Marvel comics. The stories and art are often better, with a balanced marriage between style and substance. Also, a manga book is a thick volume of story with very little in the way of ads. American comics tend to be heavy on ads, expensive, and not much value for your dollar.
Rows upon rows of awesome manga
Rows upon rows of model kits I cannot afford (would go for the Zaku if I did)
Another Muslimgauze press write up I penned on an album that never received a proper release. This was previously issued on DAT or CD-R upon request. Now The Mulsimgauze Preservation Society aim to give this the 180 gram audiophile vinyl with liner notes and poster treatment.
The Muslimgauze Preservation Society proudly offer a proper issue of the cinematic Satyajit Eye on 180 gram audiophile vinyl packaged in previously unrevealed sleeve art by Bryn Jones. Each release will also have a fold open insert of a Jones graphic, like ones included with Limited Editions releases (his own label during the 1980′s) as well as liner notes on the recording of this significant work in the Muslimgauze canon. Satyajit Eye is in fact a companion release to Vote Hezbollah, the first time John Delf and Bryn Jones worked together in the Cutting Rooms studios back in 1993. At the time, Delf was freshly trained to engineer conventional rock bands when in walked Jones with his instruments and DATs, asking, “there you go, can you mix it?” Delf had no idea what Jones wanted. The music and approach was unlike anything he heard or learned in vocational school. For Delf, Muslimgauze sessions were experimental as they proceeded to use the studio equipment in ways not originally intended to produce a sound not thought of before. Half of Satyajit Eye are excerpts from the Vote Hezbollah sessions, while the other half are extra songs. So began one of the mutually longest working relationships in Delf and Jones’ career. Among the early works, Satyajit Eye is also one of the more pristine and has the varied emotional range of an epic film, alternating between fervent and reflective moments like struggling through a storm to reach its quiet eye, then info the fray once more. Psychedelic, the music is evocative of fevered dreams of sun burned valleys of Pakistan, Pashtun controlled mountains of Afghanistan, post war plains of Iran, and Israeli incursions in occupied Palestine. Now is your chance to experience this high quality recording in an ideal setting, packaged the way Bryn Jones would have done himself, while paying homage by excerpting a fragment of the upcoming Muslimgauze: Chasing the Shadow of Bryn Jones.
Press release write up I did for the latest Muslimgauze on Staalplaat:
Hefty slabs of beefy beats are seasoned with spicy South Asian melodies while mouth numbingly hot bass lines are smothered in distortion chutney; Souk Bou Saad was broiled in Machester’s finest tandoor and is now served by Staalplaat. If you love East-Indian flavor with a neo-Bhangra beat, this disc will not disappoint, equally at home on the dance floors of Bradistan, UK or Mumbai, India. On a buffet, this sizzling dish ought to be placed somewhere between Silknoose and Lahore & Marseille, but with some unique takes on Bhangra beats. The disc opens with the fading echoes of breaks before a woman’s voice croons an old Punjabi song for several seconds; enter track two with its infectious stomp-beats, slices of sizzling distortion, masala violin with turmeric dulcimer and ghee laden hand percussion bits. Muslimgauze fans will need to dance off this caloric intake. Tracks two through five can school even the likes of MIA on what grime laden ethno-dance beats are really about, best for the more intensely choreographed moments of a Bollywood dance routine. Hovering throughout most of Souk Bou Saad, like dense smoke from a barbecue flame, is a layer of distortion as if from a not-quite-tuned-in radio. When the distortion crackles in time to the beats, the realization hits that this was just another texture the late Bryn Jones used, the way a sculptor works with sheet metal and a blowtorch to add a new dimension to abstract works. By track five the album style veers into ambient-drone-radio-play territory as bass lines roll through agitated voices in North African dialects amidst urban environs, evocative of material from Veiled Sisters. Track six brings back the beat, this time in the same dusty North African villages while flute melodies, string instruments and ‘Gauzified slabs of distortion recall parts of Jebel Tariq. Track six returns to East Indian flavors with a variance from Hussein Mahmood Jeeb Tehar Gas, only with restrained beats culled from hand percussion but with menacing bass lines and distant Punjabi vocals. The final track book-ends the album on a South Asian bent with celebratory beats and ululating vocals with harmonium bits and lots of distortion, almost to the point of obscuring the music. Though Souk Bou Saad overall is decidedly East-Indian, it also acts as a bridge between above mentioned albums. Great for Muslimgauze completists who want to hear all versions of previously released works along with something new, but essential to those who are slaves to the rhythm.
Perhaps the most beautifully packaged Muslimgauze release is Nadir of Purdah (Jara, 1995) designed by Mark Crumby. Crumby used to run an electronic/industrial music fanzine called Impulse! in the early 90′s where he interviewed Bryn Jones as Muslimgauze. Crumby, who hailed from Norfolk, England was among the few Brit Muslimgauze fans and could not figure out why his fellow countrymen were not releasing this music. So Crumby negotiated the release of Nile Quartra on his own Jara imprint. The packaging outraged Muslims and Crumby did not want to repeat the incident, read about it in Muslimgauze: Chasing the Shadow of Bryn Jones
Nile Quatra (1994) that upset some Muslims
so by next release Crumby decided to do the packaging art work himself. The result was a breath taking work of art that garnered art gallery attention. See for yourself in the image below,
Nadir of Purdah
Recalls Crumby, “Nadir of Purdah tracks are on Kashmiri Queens. I liked the idea of having a clear vinyl record, it was an absolute nightmare to get this record pressed, because I had to fight the pressing plant to make a clear vinyl record with no label on it. They told me that it screwed the machines up. It took six months. The sleeve photo was the top of a mosque I got from a book. The cover was quite expensive to do as well. Then after the record came out, I got a letter from the Barbican Art Gallery asking permission to put the sleeve in an exhibition of graphics in London. This was 1996, a year after the record came out. Someone must have seen the record in a record shop and asked for the sleeve to go in. Also, after I put it out, I did actually play it to a guy I knew who spoke a little bit of Arabic. I asked him if he could translate the words, because it is one of the few that actually has full singing on it. Bryn took some Arabic singing and just put the drums on top of it. It is like a proper song. I had no idea what this woman was singing, so I played it to this guy to make sure it was fairly innocent, and it wasn’t anything serious so it wasn’t a problem.”
Barbican Art Gallery request to display Nadir of Purdah 12 inch
Letter to Steve Barker came with Muslimgauze promo records, On the Wire
In pre-internet days, one of the best ways to learn about new music was through the radio. I first heard the music of Muslimgauze on CIUT 89.5 FM, University of Toronto radio, at a time I could not afford to buy the CD’s or records. Come to think of it, college and community radio is probably the only place you can hear ground breaking new music as mainstream radio by definition has no interest in cultural development, rather predictability and repetition.
Steve Barker then
Back in the 80′s, Bryn Jones scanned radio dials in search of new and interesting sounds and paused at On The Wire, Steve Barker’s (still running!) radio program on BBC. Barker made a point of keeping abreast of contemporary urban music like electronic, rap/hip-hop, techno, house, as well as world music, reggae and many other genres. Barker also played the music of local emerging artists and Jones would send Barker promo records. To Jones’ delight, Barker played Muslimgauze records on the air and consequently was one of the few UK supporters of the music. Steve Barker recalls, “I know Bryn used to listen to my program because it was popular around the Manchester area. At the time he [would have] been listening to a lot of dub and a lot of World Music—though it was not called ‘World Music’ then. We weren’t genre’d like we are these days. We played anything that wasn’t mainstream pop music. Anything from rockabilly to dub, avant-garde to new electronica to old R&B and blues. We’d juxtapose different music together as well as themed programming. I remember when I first got in contact with Bryn, I was playing a lot of dub. One of Bryn’s interests was the percussion connects that came out of dub. Bryn would include letters with his promo copies and the usual line in his scrolly, spider-style writing—friendly, brief, to the point: ‘Who the hell was listening to his stuff?’ ‘Hi Steve, here’s another record. You’re the only one that’s playing this.’ That kind of stuff. I never met him in person, we always used to correspond by letter and I used to give him ‘shouts’ over the air. I always felt like it must seem to Bryn, from what he was saying that we were the only people playing his music on the radio. For Bryn, he was grateful not only that someone was playing his music but saying, ‘This is the top new music from Muslimgauze.’ We were also playing it in the company of other stuff that was fairly experimental or interesting by any standards. We automatically got white labels from Bryn saying, ‘This is new stuff’ and we played it.” Despite the political charge of Jones’ work, Barker kept neutral. “We were always, ‘this is Muslimgauze’s new record’. We never presented it in a political context. This is Bryn’s new album and here is a track from it. We never ranted on what an interpretation of Bryn’s intent was. It stood alone and represented itself. I remember on occasions it almost seemed like treatises on behalf of the Intifada just by playing a record. Even a record without any decipherable lyric. There might have been some samples in there on occasion that was supported by artwork that was stark and dramatic. Sometimes I picked up an album and thought, ‘Oh blimey, Bryn.’ We were happy to play his music because it was dramatic compared to a lot of things coming out at the time.”
Steve Barker now
Apparently, Steve Barker will be doing a focus on The Muslimgauze Preservation Society sometime in the near future. Meanwhile, visit On the Wire and listen to one of Bryn Jones’ favaorite radio shows. Barker’s program was likely one of the ways contemporary urban music seeped into Muslimgauze.
Murder City is a continuation of the also excellent Down by the River: Drugs, Murder, Money and Family wherein he documents the failing “War on Drugs”, American foreign and national policies that facilitate an industry which by a conservative estimate nets the Mexican economy at least 60 billion a year. Here is an interview with Bowden that offers some mind-blowing factoids on how out-of-control the illicit drug industry is and current policies only empower it. According to these books, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in the late 80′s helped create a crisis in Mexico that has now reached anarchic proportions. With the migration of manufacturing jobs from North America to Mexico with the implementation of NAFTA, wages for Mexicans have dropped to unsustainable levels such that income through the drug trade becomes the only sustainable solution for Mexicans. No legitimate revenue source even comes close. To combat this, the American Government gives half a billion a year to the Mexican government to go after the cartels. Half a billion compared to a 60 billion (very conservative estimate) makes American efforts moot. What the “War on Drugs” did do was give the Mexican army enough weapons to take control of drug revenue for themselves. 60 to 70% of the Mexican economy relies on the illicit drug trade, to stop it would destroy the country. The highest levels of the American government are aware of this, and see it as a necessary evil as they are in no position to support Mexico in case of a collapse. Since then-president Nixon’s declaration of “War on Drugs” in the 70′s, drugs are now cheaper, of higher quality, and more accessible than ever before. Who is winning this war? Among the biggest money launderers from illicit drug money are the likes of Citibank. The core focus of Murder City is the Mexican border town of Juarez, once a prosperous (for Mexico) border town that was touted as the ideal of NAFTA and now gutted by 3000 murders a year, smuggling, and illicit drug trade. The book is very dark and facts are not easy to digest, and shows why NAFTA must be renegotiated to pay a living wage for all and how our drug policies must be rethought. Please buy these books, or at the very least Murder City. I used to own a Blackberry and found out it was made in Mexico. Cel phone shops in Toronto give it away for free when you sign a 2 to 3 year term. How much damage would it cause to give it away for 20, 10, or even 5 dollars with proceeds used to pay the the workers fair wages?
The recently released Muslimgauze: From the Edge (Deluxe Edition) (picked up the batch late last night) was an honor to work on due to all the first rate talent who contributed. To recap, From the Edge is a two disc set; disc one comprised of material from previously unreleased masters while disc two is a tribute remix with contributions by Chris & Cosey, Toronto Canada’s Legion of Green Men, The Higher Intelligence Agency, along with previously unreleased contributions by Krautrock legends, Faust. In addition to music were also contributions of images and text. Chris and Cosey are also members of Throbbing Gristle and Bryn Jones cited them, along with Faust as an inspiration if not influence. Therefore it is nice when the inspirer pays homage to the inspired. It was also a pleasure to contact Faust member, Joachim Irmler who likes Muslimgauze music, as I am a fan of the band, especially the album Faust IV. Here is a track by this legendary band off this superb album.
Those who placed an order with Fathom Distribution also got the E.g. Oblique Graph bonus 3″ demo master sent to Simon Crab by Jones back in 1982. As far as I am aware, this is the only known surviving E.g. Oblique Graph master. With it comes a letter from Jones addressed to Crab in which the latter outlined the process he came up with the music.
Bryn Jones by trade was a graphic designer and specialized in collage. He went to post secondary school to learn his trade and even interned at a local studio in his home town of Swinton, a suburb of Manchester. However, Jones’ impulse to dedicate his his time and resources to making music was stronger than doing graphics. As an emerging artist, resources were limited so he applied his own graphics design skills to LP and cassette covers. It was not until he was signed to Extreme, Staalplaat, and Soleilmoon that Jones left product presentation to the labels and focussed solely on making music during the 90′s (with perhaps three or four exceptions). Labels did their own design work, or outsourced. A case in point for Staalplaat outsourcing was Jacqueline Elich, graphic designer and illustrator. Staalplaat owner, Geert-Jan approached Elich to do illustrations/design for Muslimgauze album covers and merchandise. Not previously familiar with the music or artist, Elich was faced with a challenge to represent an artist she did not really know. Luckily, inspiration occurred the moment she listened to the music as she recalls, It’s a long time ago, but it was a very nice job to make the designs for Muslimgauze. I designed a total of about ten CD’s and some other things, like a poster, a T- shirt and LP’s for (Staalplaat). It was great to have something to do with all those beautiful Arabic characters. It was not primarily the music I chose, but I got this job and had therefore a chance to listen to Muslimgauze, which I liked, great music to listen to especially while I was making the CD’s.”
Below are some examples of Elich’s contributions to the Muslimgauze oeuvre. You can also visit her fun portfolio website by clicking on her hyperlinked name in the text above. Her Muslimgauze contributions are in the “divers” category. Currently, she does illustrations and design for books, brochures, websites, and magazines.
