HR043 - Viktimized Karcass — Violence - A Way Of Life
C90 — 1987
C90 — 1987
|
Side A:
So Long Back On The Trail High Yo You're So Wrong Got To Be If You Could Feel The Way I Feel The Way I Don't Like Side B: Strong Man Chasms Of Noise Down In The Ghetto Kicked Out Of The Scene! All tracks recorded live no overdubs May 27, 1987 except for Kicked Out, In The Ghetto, and Way I Don't Like recorded January 16, 1987 Karcass is C. Phinney, R. Martin, R. Moneymaker, M. Jackson, R. Hinson |
REVIEW by Jerry Kranitz
As of Violence – A Way Of Life, Viktimized Karcass had become the quartet of Chris Phinney, Richard Martin, Roger Moneymaker, new member Robert Hinson on bass, and Mike Jackson now transitioning from bass to tapes and effects.
The set opens with the space punk noisy rock ‘n roll of ‘So Long’. The electronic drums give the music a New Wave pulse. But the guitar absolutely kills, cranking out leads, riffs, and mangled effects. Chrome comes to mind as it often does, but VK are in their own singularly space chaos rocking world. There’s also a noise-static effect that permeates throughout, alternating between electro scratches and bee swarm swirls.
‘Back On The Trail’ is a delirious combination of dreamy atmospherics, steady paced melodic experimental New Wave Rock, and brain pummeling space-noise cacophony. ‘High Yo’ is next, on which a dark and foreboding mood is set by the plodding bass and electro drums, which anchor the electro pop synths and crazily windswept swirling tape efx’d vocals. Another insane contrast that blends relatively sedate punk alongside free-wheeling alien noise effects and vocals chaos.
‘You’re So Wrong’ is a noise-punk take on 70s rock riffage, and is embellished by zany efx’d screams plus wigged out space effects and vocals. It’s got a cool groove and great guitar leads. ‘Got To Be’ is another synth-poppy tune with an industrial edge and an aggressive storm front of space effects chaotic fun. The chunky mechanic rocking guitar gives it a Chrome feel, but the tornadic space effects chaos makes it all one big space-noise Wild Wild West. ‘If You Could Feel The Way I Feel’ is a zippy robotic rocker with oodles of in-yer-face radio scratchy noise, blistering and bubbling electronics, and it’s all offset by dreamy synths and acid-noise-razor guitar leads.
‘The Way I Don’t Like’ REALLY took me by surprise, ending the A side with a fun country punk song. It opens with, “We’d like to dedicate this tune to Hank, Willie and the boys. I’d like to say hello to Jerry Clower?” And then it launches into a pretty damn impressive early ZZ Top styled rocker. Love those Elvis-Country vocals and killer grunge-slide-blues guitar.
‘Strong Man’ opens Side B, being a steady paced blend of guitar/bass rocking riffage, tinkling bell like synths, electro beats, and dark industrial mood. The usual assault of noise and effects alternately embellishes and rains down, creating the trademark VK marriage of song and chaos.
We’re treated to a banquet of brief noise, atmospherics, percussion, and guitar/bass instrumental noodling snippets on the aptly titled ‘Chasms Of Noise’. After a while the band find their way and launch into a peppy industrial robot rocker with a ripping melodic guitar lead.
‘Down In The Ghetto’ is a slow stoned dissonant blues and tinkling synths jam, as a vocal narrative tells the hard luck story of the son of a prostitute and pimp. I really like the way the music anchors and colors the narrative. And later in the song there’s some beautiful emotively keyboard and whiney/grungy/angst guitar licks. Overall it’s like the soundtrack to an experimental punk Film-Noir in the ghetto play. And ‘Kicked Out Of The Scene!’ consists of freeform noise/blues/acid-dissonance guitar and jazzy bass soloing, surrounded by high intensity soundscapes, frenzied noisy saucer oscillations, and angry punk-poet rant vocals.
INTERVIEW with Chris Phinney by Jerry Kranitz
JK: The credits say “All tracks recorded live no overdubs May 27, 1987, except for ‘Kicked Out, In The Ghetto’, and ‘Way I Don’t Like’, recorded Jan 16, 1987”. Where were they recorded live?
CP: That means live at the house. Just no overdubs. Everything was all recorded at the same time. Guitar, bass, drum machine… we still didn’t have a drummer on that one either. Karcass hardly ever had a drummer. Every once in a blue moon we had a drummer. Because drummers are always a day late and a dollar short.
JK: I remember when I interviewed Doug Walker years ago, he said the biggest problem he had throughout the entire history of Alien Planetscapes was getting reliable drummers.
CP: Yeah, any time I ever jammed with Doug at his place in Brooklyn and St. Albans (New York), he always had a different drummer.
JK: This is the first Viktimized Karcass tape where the band is a quintet. This is the first one where Robert Hinson is a full member.
CP: Robert Hinson on bass and Mike Jackson switched over to tapes. Some of the songs on that tape we did before. Like ‘Back On The Trail’. You heard that on the live show with Doug (Walker).
JK: That one is coming up (HR048: Viktimized Karcass/Alien Planetscapes - Live July 18th 1987 At Harsh Reality). You guys did ‘Back On The Trail’ on that one.
CP: Karcass at one time did the same thing Skoptzies used to do all the time. We practiced. We wrote the songs. We played the same shit over and over. Until finally we said fuck it, we’re better off doing improv. We’ll just record, because we’re so familiar with each other. Only one person has to start it and boom… there we go. We know what’s going on with each other. We know what everybody’s thinking.
JK: And it’s cool because even when you did redo a song it never sounded the same. One of my favorites is the opening track, ‘So Long’. It’s a great space punk noisy rock ‘n’ roll tune.
CP: Is that the one with all the radio static?
JK: Yeah, there’s a part in the review where I describe, “a noise-static effect that permeates throughout, alternating between electro scratches and bee swarm swirls.” What was that?
CP: That’s Jackson fuckin’ with the radio. I think he used the radio on it. But it’s Jackbo making noise (laughs).
JK: It sounds like getting Robert Hinson on bass and moving Mike to tapes and effects provided him with a whole new creative outlet.
CP: Oh hell yeah! It made the band much better in my opinion. Hinson builds guitars. He was Roger’s buddy and we finally talked him into joining. Robert was with us until the end of the band. He was on every tape after this one. We had the same lineup on every tape after this until Jackson split. Jackson moved away and went to school.
JK: ‘High Yo’ is a track I like for all it’s crazy contrasts…. All kinds of vocals and noise effects.
CP: The vocals were Richard. We shared vocal duties, but he did most of them.
JK: Another highlight is ‘You’re So Wrong’, which I liked for its punky 70s styled rock but also all kinds of crazy screams and spaced out effects. Were the screams Mike’s sister again?
CP: Yeah. I think the effects sound much better starting with this tape. I think this was finally where we started getting them better recorded.
JK: Yes, I’m hearing that steadily as I work my way through the catalog. I’m assuming you’re upgrading your gear, but getting more experience too. But you thought this was a milestone as far as the recording sounding better?
CP: I think so. Better mix job.
JK: I think the craziest song on the tape is ‘The Way I Don’t Like’. It really took me by surprise. You start by dedicating it to “Hank, Willie and the boys”, and then launch into a ZZ Top styled rocker.
CP: We’ve got a cover of ‘La Grange’ on one of the upcoming Viktimized Karcass tapes.
JK: After the dedication I hear, “I’d like to say hello to Jerry Clower”. What’s he saying?
CP: (Laughs). He’s talking to Jerry Clower the comedian. Jerry Clower was this country ass comedian. I sang the vocals on ‘Strong Man’ on Side B.
JK: That was another really good combination of wild contrasts. I have to ask you about the song ‘Down In The Ghetto’. The vocals tell the hard luck story of the son of a prostitute and pimp. Was that about someone you knew?
CP: No (laughs). It’s just made up.
JK: Is that Richard?
CP: Yeah.
JK: I like the way the music anchors the narrative. I described is as being overall like an experimental punk film noir in the ghetto play. The track ‘Kicked Out Of The Scene!’. Was that a complaint about your local music scene?
CP: Yup. Being pissed off about how hard it was to get gigs. Because we were different. We weren’t some kind of pop electronic band. We were playing what we wanted to play. So we decided to do that song and that’s what I named it. I named all the songs, by the way. We recorded them and then I’d name them. And I’d mix and master them. Everyone else recorded and then left.
As of Violence – A Way Of Life, Viktimized Karcass had become the quartet of Chris Phinney, Richard Martin, Roger Moneymaker, new member Robert Hinson on bass, and Mike Jackson now transitioning from bass to tapes and effects.
The set opens with the space punk noisy rock ‘n roll of ‘So Long’. The electronic drums give the music a New Wave pulse. But the guitar absolutely kills, cranking out leads, riffs, and mangled effects. Chrome comes to mind as it often does, but VK are in their own singularly space chaos rocking world. There’s also a noise-static effect that permeates throughout, alternating between electro scratches and bee swarm swirls.
‘Back On The Trail’ is a delirious combination of dreamy atmospherics, steady paced melodic experimental New Wave Rock, and brain pummeling space-noise cacophony. ‘High Yo’ is next, on which a dark and foreboding mood is set by the plodding bass and electro drums, which anchor the electro pop synths and crazily windswept swirling tape efx’d vocals. Another insane contrast that blends relatively sedate punk alongside free-wheeling alien noise effects and vocals chaos.
‘You’re So Wrong’ is a noise-punk take on 70s rock riffage, and is embellished by zany efx’d screams plus wigged out space effects and vocals. It’s got a cool groove and great guitar leads. ‘Got To Be’ is another synth-poppy tune with an industrial edge and an aggressive storm front of space effects chaotic fun. The chunky mechanic rocking guitar gives it a Chrome feel, but the tornadic space effects chaos makes it all one big space-noise Wild Wild West. ‘If You Could Feel The Way I Feel’ is a zippy robotic rocker with oodles of in-yer-face radio scratchy noise, blistering and bubbling electronics, and it’s all offset by dreamy synths and acid-noise-razor guitar leads.
‘The Way I Don’t Like’ REALLY took me by surprise, ending the A side with a fun country punk song. It opens with, “We’d like to dedicate this tune to Hank, Willie and the boys. I’d like to say hello to Jerry Clower?” And then it launches into a pretty damn impressive early ZZ Top styled rocker. Love those Elvis-Country vocals and killer grunge-slide-blues guitar.
‘Strong Man’ opens Side B, being a steady paced blend of guitar/bass rocking riffage, tinkling bell like synths, electro beats, and dark industrial mood. The usual assault of noise and effects alternately embellishes and rains down, creating the trademark VK marriage of song and chaos.
We’re treated to a banquet of brief noise, atmospherics, percussion, and guitar/bass instrumental noodling snippets on the aptly titled ‘Chasms Of Noise’. After a while the band find their way and launch into a peppy industrial robot rocker with a ripping melodic guitar lead.
‘Down In The Ghetto’ is a slow stoned dissonant blues and tinkling synths jam, as a vocal narrative tells the hard luck story of the son of a prostitute and pimp. I really like the way the music anchors and colors the narrative. And later in the song there’s some beautiful emotively keyboard and whiney/grungy/angst guitar licks. Overall it’s like the soundtrack to an experimental punk Film-Noir in the ghetto play. And ‘Kicked Out Of The Scene!’ consists of freeform noise/blues/acid-dissonance guitar and jazzy bass soloing, surrounded by high intensity soundscapes, frenzied noisy saucer oscillations, and angry punk-poet rant vocals.
INTERVIEW with Chris Phinney by Jerry Kranitz
JK: The credits say “All tracks recorded live no overdubs May 27, 1987, except for ‘Kicked Out, In The Ghetto’, and ‘Way I Don’t Like’, recorded Jan 16, 1987”. Where were they recorded live?
CP: That means live at the house. Just no overdubs. Everything was all recorded at the same time. Guitar, bass, drum machine… we still didn’t have a drummer on that one either. Karcass hardly ever had a drummer. Every once in a blue moon we had a drummer. Because drummers are always a day late and a dollar short.
JK: I remember when I interviewed Doug Walker years ago, he said the biggest problem he had throughout the entire history of Alien Planetscapes was getting reliable drummers.
CP: Yeah, any time I ever jammed with Doug at his place in Brooklyn and St. Albans (New York), he always had a different drummer.
JK: This is the first Viktimized Karcass tape where the band is a quintet. This is the first one where Robert Hinson is a full member.
CP: Robert Hinson on bass and Mike Jackson switched over to tapes. Some of the songs on that tape we did before. Like ‘Back On The Trail’. You heard that on the live show with Doug (Walker).
JK: That one is coming up (HR048: Viktimized Karcass/Alien Planetscapes - Live July 18th 1987 At Harsh Reality). You guys did ‘Back On The Trail’ on that one.
CP: Karcass at one time did the same thing Skoptzies used to do all the time. We practiced. We wrote the songs. We played the same shit over and over. Until finally we said fuck it, we’re better off doing improv. We’ll just record, because we’re so familiar with each other. Only one person has to start it and boom… there we go. We know what’s going on with each other. We know what everybody’s thinking.
JK: And it’s cool because even when you did redo a song it never sounded the same. One of my favorites is the opening track, ‘So Long’. It’s a great space punk noisy rock ‘n’ roll tune.
CP: Is that the one with all the radio static?
JK: Yeah, there’s a part in the review where I describe, “a noise-static effect that permeates throughout, alternating between electro scratches and bee swarm swirls.” What was that?
CP: That’s Jackson fuckin’ with the radio. I think he used the radio on it. But it’s Jackbo making noise (laughs).
JK: It sounds like getting Robert Hinson on bass and moving Mike to tapes and effects provided him with a whole new creative outlet.
CP: Oh hell yeah! It made the band much better in my opinion. Hinson builds guitars. He was Roger’s buddy and we finally talked him into joining. Robert was with us until the end of the band. He was on every tape after this one. We had the same lineup on every tape after this until Jackson split. Jackson moved away and went to school.
JK: ‘High Yo’ is a track I like for all it’s crazy contrasts…. All kinds of vocals and noise effects.
CP: The vocals were Richard. We shared vocal duties, but he did most of them.
JK: Another highlight is ‘You’re So Wrong’, which I liked for its punky 70s styled rock but also all kinds of crazy screams and spaced out effects. Were the screams Mike’s sister again?
CP: Yeah. I think the effects sound much better starting with this tape. I think this was finally where we started getting them better recorded.
JK: Yes, I’m hearing that steadily as I work my way through the catalog. I’m assuming you’re upgrading your gear, but getting more experience too. But you thought this was a milestone as far as the recording sounding better?
CP: I think so. Better mix job.
JK: I think the craziest song on the tape is ‘The Way I Don’t Like’. It really took me by surprise. You start by dedicating it to “Hank, Willie and the boys”, and then launch into a ZZ Top styled rocker.
CP: We’ve got a cover of ‘La Grange’ on one of the upcoming Viktimized Karcass tapes.
JK: After the dedication I hear, “I’d like to say hello to Jerry Clower”. What’s he saying?
CP: (Laughs). He’s talking to Jerry Clower the comedian. Jerry Clower was this country ass comedian. I sang the vocals on ‘Strong Man’ on Side B.
JK: That was another really good combination of wild contrasts. I have to ask you about the song ‘Down In The Ghetto’. The vocals tell the hard luck story of the son of a prostitute and pimp. Was that about someone you knew?
CP: No (laughs). It’s just made up.
JK: Is that Richard?
CP: Yeah.
JK: I like the way the music anchors the narrative. I described is as being overall like an experimental punk film noir in the ghetto play. The track ‘Kicked Out Of The Scene!’. Was that a complaint about your local music scene?
CP: Yup. Being pissed off about how hard it was to get gigs. Because we were different. We weren’t some kind of pop electronic band. We were playing what we wanted to play. So we decided to do that song and that’s what I named it. I named all the songs, by the way. We recorded them and then I’d name them. And I’d mix and master them. Everyone else recorded and then left.