"Discontinuity as a Main Principle"

NB - have taken these down now...

Alex at Close Your Eyes has just chosen his favourite record of 1984 but, after a little extra searching myself, I was amazed at the paucity of albums released that year which I actually like. Most of my energy around that time was spent in finishing off my own No Night Sweats material and then travelling overseas and so I didn't really notice / couldn't afford to buy music at all. And my lack of noticing hasn't changed at all, really: I can't find too much to enjoy in the mid-80s.

But, probably, my favourites are P16.D4. - if only much after the fact: I hadn't even heard of the band until 2 years ago. I should say right at the start that I admire this band much more than I actually enjoy them. The music lies at the fringe of 80s Industrial and it's intersection with Post-Punk and, as such, is hard for me to listen to constantly - I really do prefer a great tune to rampant experimentation (see my other posts below).

But unlike Coil or Throbbing Gristle or SPK (or any of the other bands with whom they are lumped together with), there's a distinct musique concrete element to the tracks that sublimates the intense darkness of these other bands while adding a little of the white coated lab experiment. This is the element of their sound that entices comparisons to fellow countrymen Faust but P16.D4. seem much more seriously inclined... to their detriment sometimes.

mp3: P16.D4. - Okay She Said With Her Customary Total Lack Of Consideration

"Okay..." is from "Trionchor" and perfectly encapsulates their sound - jagged tape cut-ups and hard stereo panning using live recordings of previous incarnations of the band and incongruous elements. Fantastic stuff.

mp3: P16 D4. - Easter Anywhere

"Easter..." is from the same album and utilises obvious tape manipulations with a gloriously intense, rising organ chord scrapped in favour of hard listeneing free-improv and then a mix of the two.

mp3: P16.D4. - 10 Up / 3 Down
mp3: P16.D4. - Das Lamm Der Dolch

These 2 are from "Acrid Acme of P16.D4." which was reconstructions of earlier material intended to "work with early rock-recordings in a non-nostalgic way analyzing the relations between actual and ealy-80 approaches". I don't know if this idea worked to their expectations but the results are quite lovely with droning elements juxtaposed with harsher stabs.



Although they only lasted a few years, the separate band members continued on in various experimental bands and, I think, most still make music in one form or another. The most prominent of these is Ralf Wehowsky whose long career of solo releases under the name RLW and his many, many collaborations (with all sorts of noise and free improv performers) points to a continuing restlessness and single minded intent to make music that stills excites him.

mp3: RLW - Gegenfall

This is 2 short pieces "Gegenfall I and II" from "Recordings 1980-1993" which maintains the P16.D4. style of re-visiting early material, this time with backwards tapes to the fore.

mp3: RLW - Über Den Plan

This one is almost all organ samples, looped and intersected. It's reminiscent of someone like Tom Rechion, if a little less cute.

Hey, not that ANY of this is from 1984, btw! P16.D4.'s release in that year was "Kuhe In 1/2 Trauer" which is probably the most consistent of all their releases.

[Go to Selektion records to get a complete history of the band or read this interview with RLW at Absurd records.]