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043: Genius is a Weapon (Neil Higgins)
Shock World Service #043
Genius is a Weapon by Neil Higgins
25/11/2011 London, United Kingdom
Almost all the tracks in this mix were released between 1980-82. The outside world seemed to be full of confusion & danger: huger strikes, riots, hostages, assassinations, glue-sniffing & imminent nuclear wipeout. That paranoia & anger fed into the music, giving it this edge of urgency & anger.
1. Cabaret Voltaire - The Voice of America’ (Intro) / The Cure - Three
Almost all the tracks in this mix were released between 1980-82, with maybe a couple from 1979. The artists I love from this period were fusing punk, funk, reggae, disco and electronics, all in an un-self-conscious way, because the rules hadn’t been written yet. Also, in the early 80s the outside world seemed to be full of confusion and danger: huger strikes, riots, hostages, assassinations, glue-sniffing and imminent nuclear wipeout. All that paranoia and anger fed into the music, giving it this edge of urgency and anger. If things continue to fall aaprt maybe we will get some of that back into music? Just a thought.
2. Virgin Prunes - Ulakanakulot
Probably Ireland’s leading art-goth-pagan-death-cult band of the early 80s. Actually, the only one. In conservative, catholic Ireland of the time the Prunes were an unbelievably confusing and unsettling presence. Gotta admire them for that. This track is from their debut LP ‘If I Die, I Die’ and is a suitably sinister groove.
3. David Byrne & Brian Eno - Regiment
In 1980 Brian Eno took a couple of months out from basically inventing ambient music to make the ‘My Life in a Bush of Ghosts’ album with David Byrne. Cutting and pasting tape loops of African and Arabic vocals and percussion with found-sounds from US TV news and radio evangelists over edgy punk-funk grooves. In the process they pretty much invented a whole new approach to music production, one that paved the way for an era of leftfield sample-based music. The fusion of world music, electronics and dislocated voices sounds like an obvious formula now, but this was 1981 – there were no samplers, MIDI, or laptops.
The sampled words ‘… his insane desire to use his genius as a weapon...’ are referring to the silent movie director Erich von Stroheim, but they kind of capture the spirit of the music here.
4. James White & the Blacks - Irresistible Impulse
If anyone deserves the ‘punk-funk’ label, it’s got to be James Chance. Another slice of danceable but menacing New York no-wave funk. From the 1982 Album Sax Maniac. I saw him live in London a couple of years ago and he was still on fire…
5. The Slits - Heard it Through the Grapevine
‘Heard it Through the Grapevine’ was the b-side of The Slits first single in 1979 and follows a grand tradition of sarcastic punk versions of soul and funk classics. This slice of cynical joy mixes soul, reggae, pop and punk and delivers proper girl power. In fact there were loads of fantastic, strong and edgy female-led bands around at the time. What happened?
6. Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi’s Dead
Goth-Dub-Horror-Disco starts and ends with ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ This classic was released in 1979 as a 6-and-a-half minute 12” with a disco-style arrangement, dub effects and unashamed Hammer House lyrics. It should be ridiculous but somehow it’s majestic. Undead! Undead! Undead!
7. Yoko Ono - Walking on Thin Ice
Yoko Ono ‘Walking on Thin Ice’. Legend has it that it was while returning from the final studio session for this track that John Lennon was shot and killed, and he died clutching the master tapes. The discordant lead guitar on this song was Lennon’s last performance – a long journey from ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’. It gives Yoko’s great song a whole extra level of mystery and significance. ‘When our hearts return to ashes – It’ll be just a story…’
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By Jon Averill
5
22 ratings
Shock World Service #043
Genius is a Weapon by Neil Higgins
25/11/2011 London, United Kingdom
Almost all the tracks in this mix were released between 1980-82. The outside world seemed to be full of confusion & danger: huger strikes, riots, hostages, assassinations, glue-sniffing & imminent nuclear wipeout. That paranoia & anger fed into the music, giving it this edge of urgency & anger.
1. Cabaret Voltaire - The Voice of America’ (Intro) / The Cure - Three
Almost all the tracks in this mix were released between 1980-82, with maybe a couple from 1979. The artists I love from this period were fusing punk, funk, reggae, disco and electronics, all in an un-self-conscious way, because the rules hadn’t been written yet. Also, in the early 80s the outside world seemed to be full of confusion and danger: huger strikes, riots, hostages, assassinations, glue-sniffing and imminent nuclear wipeout. All that paranoia and anger fed into the music, giving it this edge of urgency and anger. If things continue to fall aaprt maybe we will get some of that back into music? Just a thought.
2. Virgin Prunes - Ulakanakulot
Probably Ireland’s leading art-goth-pagan-death-cult band of the early 80s. Actually, the only one. In conservative, catholic Ireland of the time the Prunes were an unbelievably confusing and unsettling presence. Gotta admire them for that. This track is from their debut LP ‘If I Die, I Die’ and is a suitably sinister groove.
3. David Byrne & Brian Eno - Regiment
In 1980 Brian Eno took a couple of months out from basically inventing ambient music to make the ‘My Life in a Bush of Ghosts’ album with David Byrne. Cutting and pasting tape loops of African and Arabic vocals and percussion with found-sounds from US TV news and radio evangelists over edgy punk-funk grooves. In the process they pretty much invented a whole new approach to music production, one that paved the way for an era of leftfield sample-based music. The fusion of world music, electronics and dislocated voices sounds like an obvious formula now, but this was 1981 – there were no samplers, MIDI, or laptops.
The sampled words ‘… his insane desire to use his genius as a weapon...’ are referring to the silent movie director Erich von Stroheim, but they kind of capture the spirit of the music here.
4. James White & the Blacks - Irresistible Impulse
If anyone deserves the ‘punk-funk’ label, it’s got to be James Chance. Another slice of danceable but menacing New York no-wave funk. From the 1982 Album Sax Maniac. I saw him live in London a couple of years ago and he was still on fire…
5. The Slits - Heard it Through the Grapevine
‘Heard it Through the Grapevine’ was the b-side of The Slits first single in 1979 and follows a grand tradition of sarcastic punk versions of soul and funk classics. This slice of cynical joy mixes soul, reggae, pop and punk and delivers proper girl power. In fact there were loads of fantastic, strong and edgy female-led bands around at the time. What happened?
6. Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi’s Dead
Goth-Dub-Horror-Disco starts and ends with ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ This classic was released in 1979 as a 6-and-a-half minute 12” with a disco-style arrangement, dub effects and unashamed Hammer House lyrics. It should be ridiculous but somehow it’s majestic. Undead! Undead! Undead!
7. Yoko Ono - Walking on Thin Ice
Yoko Ono ‘Walking on Thin Ice’. Legend has it that it was while returning from the final studio session for this track that John Lennon was shot and killed, and he died clutching the master tapes. The discordant lead guitar on this song was Lennon’s last performance – a long journey from ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’. It gives Yoko’s great song a whole extra level of mystery and significance. ‘When our hearts return to ashes – It’ll be just a story…’