Suzanne Ciani, French Electronics & NZ Underground Rock.

Anyway what else have I been into well Suzanne Ciani's archival release on Finders Keepers Livixiation 1969-1985 is a little bewdy. Somewhere between formal undergrad avant garde, cosmic, new age, advertising and soundtrack music, this bird did it all. She did jobs for Atari, Coke and TV Stations as well as doing her own gear.

How 'bout this cover?!

Also diggin' Patrick Vian's LP Bruit Et Temps Analogues (thanks Mutant Sounds) from 1976. He was another French person doing cosmic electronics with a moog. Awesome! Up there with the best French astronautical musicians Heldon, Spacecraft etc.

And then there is an album by some other Frenchmen, this time from 1980, Ilitch - 10 Suicides. Can't describe it. Out there electronics in a world of its own. Fuckin love it! Oneothrix Point Never Must be a fan. Mental!

Last but not least I finally got my hands on Time To Go - The Southern psycedelic (sic) Moment: 1981-86, the fabulous Flying Nun Comp compiled by Bruce Russell. Can't complain about that......well... there is one track though where I couldn't really see a psych connection. The track in question is Sit Down by Playthings, which is a punk/new wave tune in the vein of Blondie. It's not a bad track per se but does it belong here? The rest of these tracks are one way or another psych post-punk in its myriad of forms. Bruce  is one of the master compilers of our times and this collection is no exception. Up there with, perhaps even surpassing, the previously mentioned Le Jazz Non on Corpus Hermiticum and The Xpressway singles comp Making Losers Happy.

Scorched Earth Policy

Johnny Frog Scorched Earth Policy

How good? The video too!

I only discovered this band about 4 years ago.  I don't know how I missed them. I'm a bit vague sometimes, I would have heard them on the various NZ music radio shows I was listening to in Melbourne in the early 90s. I knew the Victor Dimisich Band and the Terminals.  Scorched Earth Policy was kind of in the middle of these two bands existences and contained members from both aforementioned groups.  Anyway what a fuckn' delight it was to hear this record Keep Away From The Wires.  It became an instant fave and remains so to this day.  They were from Christchurch and did a couple of EPs for Flying Nun in 84/85. They were all but forgotten until in '91 Xpressway put out Foaming Out, an archival tape containing studio cuts along with documentation of some live performances. I love their kinda spooky/creepy/malevolent cultish vibe(is that just me?), their unbridled enthusiasm and the girl/boy vocals. Good guitaring too.

Too Far Gone Scorched Earth Policy

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Turn Your Eyes Away Scorched Earth Policy

Keep Away From The Wires - Scorched Earth Policy (Medication)

This is an update of the Foaming Out tape with extra tracks. Released in 2000. All you need. Track it down.

**The Youtubes didn't have all the tracks I wanted, anyway......