Hello EC amigos! It has been a long time since I have posted here at the EC website, and I want to tell you about six Harsh Reality Music label archival reissues from recent weeks. Jerry Kranitz, Hal McGee and I have been busy creating pages on the HalTapes website for HRM 13 through 18. All of these albums were originally issued on cassette in 1985 and they are offered up here for the first time in legit, authorized versions, which include transcriptions of the original cassette masters, reviews of each album by Jerry, and discussions between Jerry and me in which we talk about the tapes and bands.

Below I am going to paste the original cassette covers. Click on each tape cover to go to its special page, where you can stream the tape, view the cover and read our texts.

There's an Anguish solo, three compilations (Bwana, Konstruktivits, Attrition, Algebra Suicide, F/i, lots more), a collab with Mystery Hearsay and R. Martin, and an early collab with my Cancerous Growth partner, Mike Jackson.

The final album of Southern Industrial Punk Space Rock by Skoptzies, and perhaps the best, is now online in an authorized archival reissue --http://www.haltapes.com/hr012-skoptzies---on-the-edge-of-insanity.html

Album page at the HalTapes website includes a review by Jerry Kranitz, and an interview with Chris Phinney by Jerry.

Circa 1985 or so, if my memory is correct (definitely 1980's), one DJ Christophe Broqua solicited music from cassette culture artists, labels, individual artists. It didn't matter long as it was cassette and electronic. Tapes were of course sent to him for radio airplay on Radio Bordeaux for airplay and exposure in France. In return one got that and a printed playlist mailed to you.

Let's move ahead. Christophe, now known as Tristan Koreya, same individual, broadcast cassettes, LP's etc. DJing in the 90's at La Vie Au Grand Hertz! 99.2 in France. He did the same thing with playlists, exposure etc. Playlists sent mostly via email now. A true champion of the underground and cassette culture is Tristan. A year or so ago Tristan sent me a email and asked me as a fan of my music would I be interested in releasing something on his label Nostalgie De La Boue. I agreed. The music had to be brand new and exclusive or unreleased no specific time frame but also exclusive to his label. I sent him a CDR of unreleased recordings choosing out of nine CDs I had mastered but never released. I have eight more mastered CDs of unreleased material that need a home if any label is interested being that I no longer run my old label Harsh Reality Music. I do still have and maintain all the releases on HRM. These masters were recorded from 2006 or so to 2010, all mastered as a release in 2010 -2011 from individual tracks. They are all electro and experimental and were recorded during the later part of my Tapegerm years. That's a story in itself. This brings us to the release itself.

Mental Anguish - Red Eclipse

A 12 track CD of electro and experimental electronics
All unreleased material, recorded 2010-2011 at Harsh Reality Music.

Chris Phinney: synths, VSTs, sequencer, drum programs, loops, fx, guitars,
programming, mastering, etc.

A special thanks to Tapegerm for their technical support.

recorded using Audition, Mastered using T - Racks, VSTs controlled using
M-Audio's Oxygen 8 v2 25-key USB Midi Controller.

released May 17, 2019

​Here is a list of the tracks and a brief description below:

1 - Rotund Toad - A slice of strange electro with horns.

2 - Danger Humidity Cloak! - A blend of electro and experimental.

3 - Sucking The Oxygen Out Of The System - Pure electro with a bent twist.

4 - TG Day Impromptu Mix #1 - A track of experimental electronic improv played live on the internet thru my PC, software and internet provider at the time. It was broadcast all over the world on various channels and radio stations, using live streaming software with a IRC chat station so the other Tapegerm artists and other worldwide artists and listeners could shoot the breeze during performances and know exactly when to start their piece.

5 - TG Day Impromptu Mix # 2 - My second composition of the event all the same methods used as # 1.

6 - Every Good Boy Deserves Glitch - Dedicated to glitch. A strange mixture of experimental electronics.

7 - Another Day, Another Sin, That I'm Thankful For - A piece of pure electro, with a trace of trance maybe thrown in for good measure. Thanks to S.L.I.P.

8 - Walking Through The Walls - A lot of tribal African beats and samples with bits of electronics to add some flavor. Thanks to Rootsy Records.

9 - Head as a Hat, Now It's Your Turn - More electro with experimental electronics and samples.

10 - Long As She Can - A droney type experimental electronics piece with
samples thrown in for good measure and in a dark ambient mood throughout.

11 - Becoming Vitreous - A piece of experimental electronics and noise.

12 - Red Eclipse - Lots of guitar loops, with bits of ambient in the beginning
building to an electro-driven, guitar-driven piece with bits of trance interspersed.

Now this brings us to Tristan's net label Nostalgie De La Boue.

All releases on this fine label are exclusive. Famous old cassette culture artists, others and newer artists working in the electronic field.
​I list a few here: Zoviet France, Mystery Hearsay, Big City Orchestra, Vox Populi, The Haters, M. Nomized, fellow EC'r Gen Ken Montgomery, Rafael Flores, and Hunting Lodge, just to name a few of the numerous artists who have tons of outstanding releases on this net label.

But don't take my word for it, check it out yourself. The label is dedicated to well
established as well as lesser known and younger artists working in experimental and unconventional musics.

written by Jerry Kranitz

​The first four tapes in the Harsh Reality Music label catalog have been digitized and are available online with reviews and corresponding interviews with Chris Phinney. We are off to the races with only 330+ more to go!

HR001
​Mental Anguish — Better Pull That Plug
features Phinney’s first recordings from 1982 and is a solo effort under the Mental Anguish AKA that he used for many years. The C60 tape consists of two side long improvisations that, though raw and chaotic, showcase the young artist exploring the possibilities of free-wheeling improvisational sound. As Phinney succinctly explains, “I was just trying to make my own stuff and see what would happen.”

The techniques at this point are basic, with Phinney employing an Akai 4-track open reel-to-reel, and little in the way of editing: “It was basically just improv and recording what we had. No overdubs or anything on that particular tape.” Regardless, it’s fascinating to hear him uninhibitedly flexing his creative muscles on these embryonic efforts.

HR002
​Non Religious Sect — A Thorn In Society’s Palm!!
Recorded in 1983, Non Religious Sect is the first of what would become numerous collaborations and band efforts. Non Religious Sect teams Phinney up with fellow Memphis hometaper Mike Honeycutt, with whom he published the Malice fanzine. Honeycutt would also become a prolific hometaper, recording as Mystery Hearsay and was also a local Memphis DJ.

The tape is a C90 with lengthy workouts that are similar to the freeform improvisations heard on Better Pull That Plug. The duo have more instruments at their disposal and there are moments when the music
is downright… MUSICAL!

Still recording with the Akai 4-track reel-to-reel, Phinney explains that, “It was more just basically us kind of wanking around. He (Honeycutt) had a few more instruments than I had. But he wanted to do some recording so we did a tape for the label. Because he was starting his little label that he did a bit of. And I was doing mine so we got together and jammed.”

Non Religious Sect was an early milestone in that it launched what would become a wildly diverse series of collaborations, many of which would include locals that Zan Hoffman would dub the ‘Memphis Mafia’.

HR003
Macroglossia — Articulation Without The Tongue
is yet another collaboration from 1983, this time between Phinney and Richard Martin, who would go on to be a Harsh Reality regular and play on every tape release of Phinney’s long lived Viktimized Karcass band.

The music is still characterized by freeform improvisation that is noisy, sound experimental, and musical. But words are important too, especially ln the 36 minute ‘That’s What I Need’, which includes a comedy exchange rant in which the duo argue about red necks vs. rock vs. punk. Phinney recalls: “He (Martin) was a friend of mine. He knew Honeycutt. We got together and we pretty much did almost the same thing as everybody else. We were a little mellower except for our crazy chant that we went into about everything. Just using every derogatory word we could use as a joke.”

Phinney would later resurrect the Macroglossia name for HR031, this time featuring the quartet of Phinney, Richard Martin, Mike Jackson and Stuart Locke. Regarding the expanded lineup, Phinney’s comments provide insight into the anything goes nature of hometaper collaboration and the numerous ‘band’ names that would crop up in the Harsh Reality catalog: “I know we had Stuart Locke. He’s not even a musician, he’s just a fellow painter. We had him sit in. And Jackson of course is a musician. And that was pretty much kind of the beginning of… me and Jackson started doing our own improv with R.S.V.P., which we’ll get into. We did one tape as R.S.V.P. and then we turned into Cancerous Growth.”

HR004
Pungent Odor — Why Should We Play Their Game?
Pungent Odor is the first of the Harsh Reality ‘bands’. Though this was the only Pungent Odor tape (1983), Phinney considers it to be significant as a precursor to the band Skoptzies, who released several tapes and even performed live (stay tuned for Skoptzies in the next batch of tapes).

In addition to Phinney, Pungent Odor consisted of Mick Cock on bass and electric guitar, plus future Skoptzies members Kim Kruger on electric guitar, and Dave Grave on electric and acoustic guitars, bass and vocals. Phinney recalls: “It evolved into Skoptzies and was gonna evolve into something else, but it was me and Dave Grave and Kim Kruger, who was his girlfriend at the time who we had to teach how to play bass. We wanted a chick in the band. She was a big tall lanky redhead.”

​Though there is no shortage of experimentation, Why Should We Play Their Game? is jam packed with psychedelic punk, spaced out groove jamming, wild electronics, lo-fi funk, and manic vocals.

Stay tuned for more as we work our way through the Harsh Reality catalog!

Hal McGee and I are happy to present
our 22nd collaboration since 1989
microcassettera

1. I know myself! 15:36
2. do not turn off your computer! 15:36
3. neck vertebrae & mechanical apparatus 14:03
4. chug it, don't go without! 15:34

microcassette assemblages 
by Chris Phinney and Hal McGee 
recorded June - August 2018 
in Memphis, Tennessee and Gainesville, Florida  

sounds of everyday life 
spoken words 
violin-uke, acoustic guitar, diddley bow, and canjo 
analog and digital synthesizers

available on CDR by request 
for $8 postage paid worldwide 
PayPal to haltapes@gmail.com

Body Sounds
compilation
HR70
1988
Harsh Reality Music
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
compilation produced by Chris Phinney
originally released on C-90 cassette
cassette cover typesetting by Carl Howard

This archival reissue is authorized by Harsh Reality Music label owner and compilation producer Chris Phinney.
The digital transcriptions are taken from Hal McGee's personal copy of the cassette.

Included are audio file transcriptions of the complete sides of the cassette, including the spaces in-between songs and at the beginning and end of each side, so that you can listen to the cassette sides as continuous listening experiences.

Side A
Prescott/Bohman: Whispering Wendy – Boston, MA
John Hudak: Mouth – Del Mar, CA
Indian Rope Burn: Flat Tire – Kent, OH
Minóy: Open Wide – Torrance, CA
Mental Anguish: Cough – Memphis, TN
Cephalic Index: A Jab in the Ass’ll Make You Come – Boston, MA

Side B
The Haters: Spanking – Vancouver, Canada
Semantics Could Vanish: Voweledge Accessory – Madison, WI
If, Bwana: Body By Bwana – Great Neck, NY
Die Rache: No Body –Nürnberg, West Germany
Odal: Nobody – Zaandam, Holland
blackhumour: dit dit dam isophate – Vancouver, Canada
M.A.P.: Love Mr. Bunny – Memphis, TN
spit surprise

Email to receive a free download code of BODY SOUNDS!

the Adventures of Taped Rugs Producer Charles Rice Goff III
an appreciation by Chris Phinney

Taped Rugs 06 06 Tour of the Southeast USA
Seven CDRs recorded in four states in June 2006. Includes an hour-long DVD.
Also comes with a little booklet with photos & written material.

Taped Rugs 06 06 Tour of the Southeast USA
North Carolina Disc One
​
First recordings made at Bret Hart's home. Goff had brought along several instruments & fx. Bret has tons of exotic & unusual acoustic & electronic instruments. Scotty Irving joined in on these sonic improvisations. They also recorded more sonic soundscapes at the Elsewhere Artist Collaborative. Brian Dunsmore joined in to play some Sonics as well. A great disc full of sonic mayhem. Some of the tracks were recorded by Benny Johnson also.

Taped Rugs 06 06 Tour of the Southeast USA North Carolina Disc Two

Bret & Goff did some more sonic improvisations joined by Ed Shepherd, some great music! The next day the two recorded at a abandoned cotton mill & at the site of what once was a calcium carbide factory. The two beat out & scraped out some very industrial sounding improv's. More improv of sonic proportion was recorded later at Bret's home. Some very great music indeed!

Taped Rugs 06 06 Tour of the Southeast USA Georgia Disc One

Taped Rugs 06 06 Tour of the Southeast USA Georgia Disc Two

Taped Rugs 06 06 Tour of the Southeast USA Florida

Taped Rugs 06 06 Tour of the Southeast USA Tennessee Disc One

The final leg of the tour.

​Over the next three days Goff & Phinney recorded in Phinney's tiny but functional studio. All improvisational pieces, Eight recordings in three days. Phinney mixed them into four tracks. Used in these recordings were Goff's full battery of instruments he brought with him & Phinney's collection of synths, guitars, radios & other devices. This gave them a lot to work with to record these pieces of unique sonic madness. Two pieces of a sonic blend on this disc plus a piece Goff captured on micro cassette.

Taped Rugs 06 06 Tour of the Southeast USA Tennessee Disc Two

The tours Phinney took Goff on in Memphis had a strong influence on these recordings. Two more mixes of wild sonic experimentation plus a humorous collage of readings from the fence in front of Graceland that Goff recorded on his micro cassette recorder. These were the final recordings of the tour!

Taped Rugs
06 06 Tour of the Southeast USA
​DVD Video

Video documentation of Goff's interactions during the tour.

​The DVD showcases the artists
Andrew Chadwick, Dave Fuglewicz, Bret Hart, Scotty Irving, Hal McGee, Chris Phinney,
Ed Shepherd, and Charles Rice Goff III.

It also features visual & audio recordings in all of the states plus Nashville & airways & roadways while traveling.

Jack Engard hosted the Nashville leg of the tour.

PLUS...

Bret Hart & Charles Rice Goff 3 June 2006 Improvisation Outtakes
A bonus disc of revealing outtakes! Need I say more? Nah!

For a comprehensive directory of all media related to TAPED RUGS 06 06 TOUR OF THE SOUTHEAST USA go to this page at the Taped Rugs website.

Chris:
Review, interview, video of package being opened, article, by my good friend Bryan Baker with whom I have done recordings, plus we started Tapegerm together with Scott Carr & J. Mundok.

Check out Bryan's complete friendly and warm presentation of Frozen Lake at Gajoob! 

One of my favorite bands today, Mazzy Star is very inspirational to me, especially the lyrics. The music makes me just want to do it in a electronic version. California band if you didn't already know.

The singer Hope Sandoval is originally from Memphis. She is one of my favorite female singers; has been for a long time. The band members are the ex Dream Syndicate, a great band to me in itself. Hope you enjoy as much as I do!