HR095 - Drive! He Said. - Charlatans - C60 — 1988
Side A:
invocation the paisley's stigmata m u t a n t 2 cancer versus the 3rd kind spartans at the steelyard m u t a n t 3 parboiled emotions |
Side B:
m u t a n t 4 follow the line piano nr. 1 plastic toy a distorted rock phenomena p-duck chatters on the gangway |
REVIEW by Jerry Kranitz
Drive! He Said. was the duo of Thomas Winter and Mickyblitz Finnkrieg (aka M. Finnkrieg, aka Ulrich Heinke). Recorded between 1984-86, the credits state that, “the sound is influenced by the industrial music of this time”. I agree!
Side A opens with 'invocation', a spiritual horns and collage intro that’s not unlike ‘Invocation (Undercover Girl)’, which kicked off M. Finnkrieg’s Down The Poppy Stairs Of Heaven (HR082). 'the paisley's stigmata' is a funkily stilted rhythmic rocker with rumbling and grating atmospherics, metallic clangs, and melodic duties shared by guitar and an eerie synth melody. 'm u t a n t 2' is a brief, grinding, disorienting, minimal piece. 'cancer versus the 3rd kind' is similar in spirit to ‘the paisley’s stigmata’, but with spacey vibes and creative use of rhythmic clatter. If Industrial R&B were a thing, this would be it. The aptly titled 'spartans at the steelyard' sounds like a group of factory workers spontaneously formed an Industrial flash mob. I like the boom-boom-clang, boom-boom-clang groove, punctuated by buzzing and flittering effects. 'm u t a n t 3' is one of the set’s more meditative tracks, being a narcotic blend of percussion throb and softly soaring and pulsating tones. In stark contrast is the 11-minute 'parboiled emotions', a frenetic electro rocker that’s peppered throughout with varying clangs, bangs, scrapes, and crazed shouting voice samples. About halfway through it transitions to what might as well be a different track, being a cool Industrial Free-Jazz combination of sassy bass groove, honking and wailing horns, hip-hoppy scratching at 78rpm, and noodling alien effects.
Side B begins with 'm u t a n t 4' a short collage piece with a funny big band vibe. 'follow the line' lays down a robotic groove, with tinkling, spring-sproing, and thundering rhythms and soundscapes, along with a voice sample going about something to do with the Soviet Union (“The Soviet Union is ready to follow this line”). Later the music is overtaken by brief, high intensity percussion madness, which may be the Industrial equivalent of a drum solo. It eventually segues into 'piano nr. 1', a freeform bit of piano noodling, guitar plucking, and more clatter. 'plastic toy' is a gloomily chaotic Industrial rocker with a cavernous free-jazz feel, periodic whooping voices, and the squeaky toy squeals that give the tune its title. 'a distorted rock phenomena' has a hip-shaking New Wave pop tune feel, plus bits of beatnik lounge jazz, while still being firmly in the Industrial and free-wheeling experimental realm. This is my favorite track of the set. Finally, 'p-duck chatters on the gangway' is a mish mash of plodding bass line, trash can grooves, goofy noise and effects, and horn squalls.
Drive! He Said. was the duo of Thomas Winter and Mickyblitz Finnkrieg (aka M. Finnkrieg, aka Ulrich Heinke). Recorded between 1984-86, the credits state that, “the sound is influenced by the industrial music of this time”. I agree!
Side A opens with 'invocation', a spiritual horns and collage intro that’s not unlike ‘Invocation (Undercover Girl)’, which kicked off M. Finnkrieg’s Down The Poppy Stairs Of Heaven (HR082). 'the paisley's stigmata' is a funkily stilted rhythmic rocker with rumbling and grating atmospherics, metallic clangs, and melodic duties shared by guitar and an eerie synth melody. 'm u t a n t 2' is a brief, grinding, disorienting, minimal piece. 'cancer versus the 3rd kind' is similar in spirit to ‘the paisley’s stigmata’, but with spacey vibes and creative use of rhythmic clatter. If Industrial R&B were a thing, this would be it. The aptly titled 'spartans at the steelyard' sounds like a group of factory workers spontaneously formed an Industrial flash mob. I like the boom-boom-clang, boom-boom-clang groove, punctuated by buzzing and flittering effects. 'm u t a n t 3' is one of the set’s more meditative tracks, being a narcotic blend of percussion throb and softly soaring and pulsating tones. In stark contrast is the 11-minute 'parboiled emotions', a frenetic electro rocker that’s peppered throughout with varying clangs, bangs, scrapes, and crazed shouting voice samples. About halfway through it transitions to what might as well be a different track, being a cool Industrial Free-Jazz combination of sassy bass groove, honking and wailing horns, hip-hoppy scratching at 78rpm, and noodling alien effects.
Side B begins with 'm u t a n t 4' a short collage piece with a funny big band vibe. 'follow the line' lays down a robotic groove, with tinkling, spring-sproing, and thundering rhythms and soundscapes, along with a voice sample going about something to do with the Soviet Union (“The Soviet Union is ready to follow this line”). Later the music is overtaken by brief, high intensity percussion madness, which may be the Industrial equivalent of a drum solo. It eventually segues into 'piano nr. 1', a freeform bit of piano noodling, guitar plucking, and more clatter. 'plastic toy' is a gloomily chaotic Industrial rocker with a cavernous free-jazz feel, periodic whooping voices, and the squeaky toy squeals that give the tune its title. 'a distorted rock phenomena' has a hip-shaking New Wave pop tune feel, plus bits of beatnik lounge jazz, while still being firmly in the Industrial and free-wheeling experimental realm. This is my favorite track of the set. Finally, 'p-duck chatters on the gangway' is a mish mash of plodding bass line, trash can grooves, goofy noise and effects, and horn squalls.