Various Artists
Never Say When
(Fourth Dimension)
'Never Say When' is a limited edition CD reissue of this classic compilation album originally released by the Broken Flag label in 1987. Broken Flag was a unique label, in part responsible for founding the Noise genre and a key player in the early Industrial music underground (not to be confused with the very different current Heavy Metal version of Industrial). That story is covered in detail in Steve Underwood's recent book on the Broken Flag label we reviewed last month. Originally, this came out as a vinyl LP and a, now rare, cassette (the two bonus tracks included here are tracks previously found only on that original cassette version) but has been re-mastered for CD and re-released on underground label Fourth Dimension. The snag with championing the uncommercial, anti music end of the musical spectrum is that it will never achieve mass sales, streaming, or media coverage. That means labels like Fourth Dimension are perennially struggling to make ends meet and keep releasing product.
I am glad that they do though, as once you get past your programmed resistance to anything that doesn't meet the narrow confines of pop/rock/folk that most western music exists in, you open yourself up to a whole different level of experience, more akin to Musique Concrete and Eastern mantras than the standard fare covered by Mojo and Louder Than War. Opening with the David Lynch-ian soundtrack of 'Bite The Bolster' by Broken Flag chief Gary Munday's act Ramleh, the tone is set by Cranioclast's unsettling 'and still the world exists', with a bell tolling over slowed down vocals and white noise. Other highlights include The Grey Wolves cut up driven noise, Controlled Bleeding's ethereal orchestral tones, and Andree Chalks sub sonic synthesiser rumbles. Nothing on here is a song. Grinding and clanking, nursery rhyme snatches flitting in and out between feedback and metal percussion. Disembodied narrators and creaking compete for space. This is beyond music and well into aural performance art.
That this can still sound so unearthly and strange and still has the power to unsettle and fascinate in equal measure is testament to why a label like Fourth Dimension needs to keep existing, despite all the difficulties. One day, the world will thank them.
Essential Information: 'Never Say When' is available from online record stores and direct from Fourth Dimension whilst stocks last.
Main image: Ramleh back then.
