HR007 — Konstruktivists — Psyko-Genetika II
C60
C60
|
Side A
Mansonik (Version) Mansonik No. 3 PTI The 2nd Her Exit Black December The Theme Open Signs Side B Film_O_Sonik (Version) Alone intro Industrial Surrealist Necropolis Tuxedomoon |
Review by Jerry Kranitz
Psyko-Genetika II is an ALBUM to be heard from start to finish. Many of the tracks melt into one another to create a study of cold, dark, yet highly active SPACE. Right from the start, with ‘Mansonik (Version)’, we’re swept into an alien wind tunnel, with cavernous howls, whistles, and freaky radio waves and drone effects. The drones at times feel like a heart frantically pumping blood, and at others are steadily rumbling pulsations. The mood is dark and foreboding, with moments of sonic intensity that roll by in waves. It’s a space-ambient excursion for the Industrial crowd.
There’s a lot happening throughout the set. We’ve got ‘Mansonik No. 3’, with its video game space electronica, punctuated by futuristic gurgles, bleeps, chimes, and nifty rising/falling space waves. ‘PTI The Second’ and ‘Black December’ are both space symphonic pieces, the former being a symphony of radio signals and robotic melodic waves, and ‘Black December’ being a freaky space symphony with cool horn blaring effects. Several tracks combine somber drift with energetic intensity and flurries of effects, while others feature melancholy space orchestral electronica.
Highlights include ‘Her Exit’, which is actually a two part piece. It kicks off with playful cosmic melodies that dance about alongside ear piercing and slightly warbling synth notes. After a couple minutes it ends and a space aquatic theme begins, leading to an ominous glom of high pitched tones, a chug-a-lug heartbeat rhythmic pulse, and alien sirens. ‘Alone’ is one hell of an ambient ride along the interstellar highway, with Forbidden Planet effects and the sounds of spacecrafts whizzing by. ‘Industrial Surrealist’ is an appropriately titled Industrial symphony, though it has segments that feel like a spaced out Christmas theme. And the closing tracks, ‘Necropolis’ and ‘Tuxedomoon’, feature the most whimsical music of the set, with ‘Necropolis’ sounding like a valium drugged carnival in space, and ‘Tuxedomoon’ having a bit of a Kraftwerk vibe.
Psyko-Genetika II is an ALBUM to be heard from start to finish. Many of the tracks melt into one another to create a study of cold, dark, yet highly active SPACE. Right from the start, with ‘Mansonik (Version)’, we’re swept into an alien wind tunnel, with cavernous howls, whistles, and freaky radio waves and drone effects. The drones at times feel like a heart frantically pumping blood, and at others are steadily rumbling pulsations. The mood is dark and foreboding, with moments of sonic intensity that roll by in waves. It’s a space-ambient excursion for the Industrial crowd.
There’s a lot happening throughout the set. We’ve got ‘Mansonik No. 3’, with its video game space electronica, punctuated by futuristic gurgles, bleeps, chimes, and nifty rising/falling space waves. ‘PTI The Second’ and ‘Black December’ are both space symphonic pieces, the former being a symphony of radio signals and robotic melodic waves, and ‘Black December’ being a freaky space symphony with cool horn blaring effects. Several tracks combine somber drift with energetic intensity and flurries of effects, while others feature melancholy space orchestral electronica.
Highlights include ‘Her Exit’, which is actually a two part piece. It kicks off with playful cosmic melodies that dance about alongside ear piercing and slightly warbling synth notes. After a couple minutes it ends and a space aquatic theme begins, leading to an ominous glom of high pitched tones, a chug-a-lug heartbeat rhythmic pulse, and alien sirens. ‘Alone’ is one hell of an ambient ride along the interstellar highway, with Forbidden Planet effects and the sounds of spacecrafts whizzing by. ‘Industrial Surrealist’ is an appropriately titled Industrial symphony, though it has segments that feel like a spaced out Christmas theme. And the closing tracks, ‘Necropolis’ and ‘Tuxedomoon’, feature the most whimsical music of the set, with ‘Necropolis’ sounding like a valium drugged carnival in space, and ‘Tuxedomoon’ having a bit of a Kraftwerk vibe.
Chris Phinney interviewed by Jerry Kranitz
JK:
Great. So this was the first tape you released by somebody else. How did it come about?
CP:
He [Glenn Michael Wallis] contacted me and asked me if I wanted to release that particular tape and I said yes I’d be glad to. And he said would you pay me X amount and I told him the percentage profit difference in two countries, and I told him how much money I would give him per tape. He agreed to it all and he sent me a master tape. He was upset and we won’t get into bashing anybody. Because I love Gary Levermore, ok? He was a damn good friend. But Glenn was upset. He had been in Whitehouse. He was trying to do his own solo stuff with a couple of people. And he did a great job. He was doing a much better job than I was doing at that point in time, of being an actual synthesizer player. And I took it on. And I was the first person in the U.S. as far as I know to release the tape. And it did well for probably a year. And he got paid good royalties. He ended up giving all the material to other labels… the same damn tape, which cut his sales back. And Gary Levermore ended up putting out Psyko-Genetika II as an album on the Third Mind Records label*. That definitely killed sales period. So I’m not going to bash anybody but he got a little upset with me over that. And I said to myself this is the last time I’ll do this for anybody. But that tape is what started Harsh Reality on to the bigger picture we’re going to get into at some point, where I started releasing a lot of tapes besides my own. And it opened up a whole new can of worms so to speak, and gave Harsh Reality a bigger name. With Konstruktivists on the label people thought this guy’s cool. We want him to release our material. And vice versa. I’d release something of theirs and they’d release something of mine. We’d trade out per se.
* Editor's Note: Konstruktivits – Psykho Genetika (1983)
JK:
So the first Konstruktivists tape is what really drew attention to the label.
CP:
It drew attention to the label more so internationally. Not in the U.S. but more so internationally. Although it did in the U.S as well.
JK:
If that was your first and last experience with the whole royalties thing, what happened with HR011 and the other Konstruktivists tape? Did he work out a different deal with you?
CP:
No, same deal. He hadn’t given them all away yet. He hadn’t given any of them away yet. After the last one I released which I believe was Live At The King Charles Ballroom that’s when he started giving everything away and started getting nasty.
JK:
Were you getting any more reviews at this point? Especially when you did the Konstruktivists tape?
CP:
We got a few more reviews, I can’t remember exactly who. Mike Gunderloy at Factsheet Five, you could count on him for a review on anything.
JK:
Great. So this was the first tape you released by somebody else. How did it come about?
CP:
He [Glenn Michael Wallis] contacted me and asked me if I wanted to release that particular tape and I said yes I’d be glad to. And he said would you pay me X amount and I told him the percentage profit difference in two countries, and I told him how much money I would give him per tape. He agreed to it all and he sent me a master tape. He was upset and we won’t get into bashing anybody. Because I love Gary Levermore, ok? He was a damn good friend. But Glenn was upset. He had been in Whitehouse. He was trying to do his own solo stuff with a couple of people. And he did a great job. He was doing a much better job than I was doing at that point in time, of being an actual synthesizer player. And I took it on. And I was the first person in the U.S. as far as I know to release the tape. And it did well for probably a year. And he got paid good royalties. He ended up giving all the material to other labels… the same damn tape, which cut his sales back. And Gary Levermore ended up putting out Psyko-Genetika II as an album on the Third Mind Records label*. That definitely killed sales period. So I’m not going to bash anybody but he got a little upset with me over that. And I said to myself this is the last time I’ll do this for anybody. But that tape is what started Harsh Reality on to the bigger picture we’re going to get into at some point, where I started releasing a lot of tapes besides my own. And it opened up a whole new can of worms so to speak, and gave Harsh Reality a bigger name. With Konstruktivists on the label people thought this guy’s cool. We want him to release our material. And vice versa. I’d release something of theirs and they’d release something of mine. We’d trade out per se.
* Editor's Note: Konstruktivits – Psykho Genetika (1983)
JK:
So the first Konstruktivists tape is what really drew attention to the label.
CP:
It drew attention to the label more so internationally. Not in the U.S. but more so internationally. Although it did in the U.S as well.
JK:
If that was your first and last experience with the whole royalties thing, what happened with HR011 and the other Konstruktivists tape? Did he work out a different deal with you?
CP:
No, same deal. He hadn’t given them all away yet. He hadn’t given any of them away yet. After the last one I released which I believe was Live At The King Charles Ballroom that’s when he started giving everything away and started getting nasty.
JK:
Were you getting any more reviews at this point? Especially when you did the Konstruktivists tape?
CP:
We got a few more reviews, I can’t remember exactly who. Mike Gunderloy at Factsheet Five, you could count on him for a review on anything.
review in Factsheet Five #16