Premature Ejaculation - (Part 2) (1981) – 2xCDR - Malaise Music
- Mal 2 - 2010.
Part 2 was the second tape released by Rozz Williams and Ron
Athey as Premature Ejaculation in 1981. It was never officially released, only
copied with artwork and distributed to friends. Here it was fully remastered in
double disc form, original artwork; it differs greatly from Part 1. This was
released at the same time as Part 1 by the second version of Malaise Music as
intended by the original Malaise Music in the 1990s.
Part 1 was a series of differing experiments within the
noise /industrial /experimental genre. Part 2 is one long continuous 45 minute
work; it contains a lot of the methods explored in part 1 and it yet attempts
to work them all together. Part 2 functions as a journey (or a trip.) across
the American landscape via different field recordings. In-between bursts of
frequency assault, wind tunnel like sounds move along as if moving location
until changing to engine noise and back. Noise is pushed to unbearable
frequencies at various times throwing out sounds so warped they become abstract
and their sources undetectable. Deliberately or because of recording quality,
sounds are broken up for periods of time into fractured rhythms, all
incorporated into the entire sound.
Fractured voices appear regularly; inaudible conversations,
Preachers in the street and film dialogue. The voices are never given full
clarity, their speed is mutated to become 'other' sounds that work within the
entire equation; the voice is abstracted elsewhere. Although not the first,
this is primitive voice-based noise that lies in a chain of abstracted voice
work within experimental music. The vocals are frequent interruptions or stops within
the journey until we are moved along. At times I am sure I can hear Rozz’s
voice within the journey. Further stops
include fairground noise, domestic sounds, train tracks and TV ads. These are
not glorified, if anything it is an empty lonely dark trip. More and more upon
each listen Part 2 becomes re representation and commentary on the American
landscape that existed at this time in Rozz and Ron’s lives.
Part 2's use of noise is not pure or focused enough to be
considered pure noise or power electronics, but it tries and comes close.
However, there was already a fully formed awareness of all the electronic
extreme genres as there were still industrial concerns in noise at this point, whereas
today those concerns seemed to have returned to the forefront. What is very
evident is that after Part 1's experiments in sound, Part 2 is an attempt at a conceptualized
passage of work. This is still far from fully formed in sound, but it is strong
and bares more resemblance to PE's future work. PE would never really do one
long work in their later label released work, yet (dark) ambient passages of
sound became their forte; mental associations could always be made to strong
suggestive effect. Part 2 does prove PE to now be a project well capable of
sustaining works for long periods of time.
The bonus disc is not part of Part 2, but five separate
recordings Ron and Rozz made a year later in 1982 tackle religion (a constant
Rozz theme) and noise. However these do
show a better quality of recording and the beginnings of a more cohesive
approach to P.E's work. Choir arrangements are boiled and drowned whilst others
turn into hallucinogenic nightmares; further religious torment from Rozz. There
is a long track from a sex education video of children's voices describing the
process of sexual intercourse, the sample is not touched, just played in its
entirety and more disturbing after the nightmarish sermons that came before.
There are two final tracks that present a more accomplished, aggressive,
minimal noise assault, still very different to what there is today. This is a
primitive yet important document that shows the journey gradually beginning to
find its own direction.
The beauty of reconnecting with this project is immense.
wejustwantyoutoseethingsasclearlyaspossible
Choppy Noodles 2019.
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