The Sylvie and Babs Hi-Fi Companion | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 1985 | |||
Recorded | 1983–1985 | |||
Genre | Industrial, experimental, sound collage | |||
Label | L.A.Y.L.A.H. / United Dairies | |||
Producer | Steven Stapleton | |||
Nurse With Wound chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
The Sylvie and Babs Hi-Fi Companion is an album by Nurse With Wound.
In his book "England's Hidden Reverse", David Keenan describes the album as "some light relief in the early Nurse catalogue". Steven Stapleton told Keenan "I wanted to make a record that was stolen from other people's records". [2] Gary Levermore of Third Mind Records recalled to Keenan that Stapleton was "desperate to get his hands on a copy of Roger Miller's "King of the Road" in order to incorporate it into the forthcoming record". [3]
Although largely collaged from easy-listening records Stapleton acquired in the late 1970s and early 1980s, [4] the album boasted a large cast list of over 40 people. John Balance is one of those who are credited, but he did not actually contribute. As Stapleton explained to Keenan, "I'd just finished this album with about 40 people on it. He said, "Can I be on it?". I said, "It's finished". He said, "I know but can you give me a credit anyway?", I said "Alright then" That was my first meeting with Balance". [5]
Although all editions of this release contain these two tracks, there are several versions of this album.
An LP issued by LAYLAH came in two different editions, one subject to DMM Mastering (1988) and one not (1985). The music on each of these editions contained minor differences. The 1988 CD edition of L.A.Y.L.A.H. accidentally used the original 1985 mix. A cassette edition issued on United Dairies in 1987 contained a minute of music at the beginning of "Great Balls Of Fur" unheard on any other edition. The 1995 CD on United Dairies was retitled "The Sylvie and Babs High-Thigh Companion" and was again re-edited. The current 2CD United Dirter edition again uses the revised version and adds two new remixes, one by M.S. Waldron (irr.app.(ext.)) and one by Andrew Liles, and random non-LP tracks (some not included on 'Flawed Existence') from the mid-80s.
Coil were an English experimental music group formed in 1982 in London and dissolved in 2005. Initially envisioned as a solo project by musician John Balance, Coil evolved into a full-time project with the addition of his partner and Psychic TV bandmate Peter Christopherson. Coil's work explored themes related to the occult, sexuality, alchemy, and drugs while influencing genres such as gothic rock, neofolk and dark ambient. AllMusic called the group "one of the most beloved, mythologized groups to emerge from the British post-industrial scene."
Peter Martin Christopherson was an English musician, video director, commercial artist, designer and photographer, and former member of British design agency Hipgnosis.
Nurse with Wound is the main recording name for British musician Steven Stapleton. Nurse with Wound was originally a band, formed in 1978 by Stapleton, John Fothergill and Heman Pathak. The band's work has explored genres such as industrial, noise, dark ambient, and drone.
David Tibet is an English poet, artist and musician who founded the music group Current 93, of which he is the only full-time member.
Scatology is the debut studio album by English experimental music group Coil. It was recorded at various studios in London during 1984 and produced by the band along with JG Thirlwell; the album features a prominent appearance of Stephen Thrower, who subsequently became an official member of Coil starting with the group's following album, Horse Rotorvator. Despite its title, the album focuses on alchemy, mainly an idea of turning base matter into gold. The record contains a wide array of cultural references, including to people such as Marquis de Sade, Alfred Jarry, Salvador Dalí, Charles Manson, and others.
"Panic" and "Tainted Love" are songs recorded by British experimental music band Coil. These were released in 1985 through Some Bizzare in the UK and Wax Trax! Records in the US respectively, as the band's first single, and the sole one from their 1984 debut studio album, Scatology. Originally released on twelve-inch vinyl discs, the single was regarded as the first AIDS benefit release, and has been reissued several times on compact discs.
Steven Peter Stapleton is an English musician who is best known as the only constant member of experimental improv outfit Nurse with Wound. He is often seen as one of the pioneers of the British industrial music scene, alongside bands such as Throbbing Gristle, Monte Cazazza and Cabaret Voltaire, although in his music he has explored a wide range of styles, including free-form improvisation, folk, and even Latin American dance rhythms.
For the companion album by Current 93, see Thunder Perfect Mind.
Chance Meeting on a Dissecting Table of a Sewing Machine and an Umbrella is the debut album by British industrial music group Nurse With Wound, released on their own United Dairies label in 1979. An unusual record which blends noise and jamming, it is described by AllMusic as "one of the more glowing examples of late-70s industrial noise" and defunct UK music magazine Sounds summed up their response by abandoning their usual star rating system to award the album a full 5 question marks. FACT magazine ranked the album at #51 on their list of "The 100 best albums of the 1970s". The album's artwork includes the Nurse with Wound list, an insert which lists several dozen avant-garde, rock, krautrock and other "weird" recording artists who influenced the group. Further, the album's back cover bears the dedication: "This album is dedicated to LUIGI RUSSOLO." Russolo was himself a pioneering noise music artist of the early 20th century.
To the Quiet Men from a Tiny Girl is the second album by Nurse With Wound and the last to be made by the founding trio of Steven Stapleton, John Fothergill, and Heman Pathak. The album also features contributions from French avant-garde musician Jacques Berrocal. It was recorded by The Bombay Ducks, an alias for Nicky Rogers and Vic Ball, the former of whom had facilitated the recording of the group's first album, Chance Meeting on a Dissecting Table of a Sewing Machine and an Umbrella. The album's title comes from Tolerance's album Anonymlink
Merzbild Schwet is the third album by British industrial band Nurse With Wound.
Insect and Individual Silenced was the fourth album by Nurse With Wound.
Robert Haigh, also known as Omni Trio, is a British electronic, ambient and experimental musician.
Karl Blake is a vocalist, bassist, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. Most of his own music can be described as progressive-experimental and sometimes psychedelic.
Homotopy to Marie is the fifth album by Nurse with Wound, released in 1982.
Force the Hand of Chance is the debut studio album by English experimental group Psychic TV, released in 1982 by record label Some Bizzare. The first 5,000 pressings came with a bonus album, Themes.
Soliloquy for Lilith is an album by English experimental project Nurse with Wound, originally released in 1988 by the label Idle Hole that had been created for the album's release by project leader Steven Stapleton, and later reissued several times by varying record labels. It is considered one of the project's greatest albums, as well as a long-standing industrial drone record best known for its chance method of composition. FACT ranked it the 54th best album of the 80s with Aaron Turner of Isis calling it "one of the most listenable and enduring albums from the vast NWW catalog".
Nature Unveiled is an early full-length studio album released by the English group Current 93.
Spiral Insana is an album by Nurse With Wound.
Chrystal Belle Scrodd is the stage name and solo musical project of Diana Rogerson, an occasional member and associate of British experimental group Nurse With Wound.