#broken flag

FINAL — History of Slaughter (1984)

Originally uncredited on Broken Flag's "Ex: The Backlash" tape, this track went unidentified for 41 years—until now. It’s recently been confirmed as an early recording by Justin Broadrick’s band, Final.

A.C. Marias: “Just Talk” (1986)

I had this in my possession for a few years but never got around to it until this past winter. Recently I perused through Gary Mundy’s (Broken Flag, Ramleh) postings and for the most part has a great track record of them. You’re in a good place when you put yourself in his shoes during a time of witnessing a multitude of televised British pop-hits, artful obscura, early noise, and turn-of-the-decade punk. Ditto if you’re huge on The Fall, The Pop Group, and The Residents because he has you. Angela Conway, Wire affiliate and collaborator, released only a palmful of solo material as A.C. Marias starting with 1980′s “Drop” b/w “So” and ending with 1989′s One Of Our Girls Has Gone Missing. In the middle is this single in question, 1986′s “Just Talk”. Here, Marias has me now.

I felt like I been here before when in reality I haven’t, really. To get to “Just Talk” I had to travel through somewhere else already during my single-digit years, a place in passing I can’t exactly put my finger on, but I know it's familiar territory. That's the magic which this single possesses. It's that mellow Eighties' tonality that hits home for me. Imagine an intro- of a song that doesn't pick up but stays where it is. It doesn't achieve 'song' status in that sense because of it. Just Conway's strums that levitate it low off the ground, drifting slowly and finally fading away. The meditative qualities of this single requires repeated listening without fail, nothing less. For any time I visit “Just Talk”, it’s an extended stay as I try to grasp that moment in time once again.

Kleistwahr - Music for Zeitgeist Fighters - LP

http://eleventwentyrecords.bigcartel.com/

 New album by the much revered solo project of Gary Mundy (Ramleh / Broken Flag).

2 pieces of intense, emotional and purgative electronics miles away from audiophile realms. “Welcome to 2017. I’m laughing because I’m thinking of music and I’m thinking of death. Welcome to the Captagon, the room is dizzy and moving.

The DJ’s turntables are on fire and the heat hits me full on as I walk onto the dancefloor. Distorted sounds like the bass rumbles or high frequencies are moving from one wall to another, tracer fire and the screams of soldiers in makeshift cages. Perilous geography. Some coded references to sobbing teenagers on tape or scattered corpses in plazas.

I’m laughing because of what we all must look like. You perhaps with a biro scrawled note pinned to your chest. Not taped to the front of your shirt, but actually securely pinned to your flesh. Imagine us all like that. Not fucking photoshopped or some shit like that. Maybe a painting, with flames in the distance and the howling of the dogs. Can’t see in or out.

Ramleh (Gary Mundy & Anthony DiFranco) performing live at New York City's TV Eye; July 12, 2024.