UK D.I.Y post punk

The Tuzmadoner label put out just two releases (as far as I can tell) 1978’s Shish EP by The Different I’s and 1980’s Folk Music compilation. The latter a truly fascinating document of the post punk DIY ethic featuring two tracks each by Different I's, Infra-Red Icecubes , Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mark O'Brien.
I can find virtually no information about any of these except Different I’s and I must thank Hyped2Death.com's Messthetics pages for what I do know:
- Simon Gilham, Des McManus and Geoff Watts got together in late 1977 along with 'non musical' friend Royston
- John Peel promptly hailed Shish as the worst record-sleeve he had ever seen
- "This Week" probably features the world's first-ever duck call solo
- Geoff Watts and Royston went on to Hibi Yaki (who are equally obscure), while Simon Gillham played with Colin Newman and later paired with Simon Fellowes in New Wave duo Intaferon who released 3 singles but never an album.
- Tuzmadoner? was the stock response at the corner kebab-stand when the skint band members ordered two small doner-kebabs between three.

All of the 8 tracks share a post punk feel and are characterised by heavy bass, an experimental structure and a genuine musical ambition.

Of the four artists, The Infra-Red Ice Cubes are perhaps the most edgily experimental. Secrets is a 5'22" instrumental piece reminiscent of This Heat and the krautrock of Neu!. Common Garret seems to me to be before it's time with its use of an Eastern European folk style violin sound over drone.
Mark O'Brien offers more immediate song based fare with a pop-(post-)punk flavour.
The Different I's perhaps best exemplify the willingness of these artists to flaunt conventional song structure with their employment of a huge range of styles, technique and instrumentation (including the aforementioned duck call solo).
Chancellor of the Exchequer have elements of Joy Division in Yellow Room but are more interesting on Scientific American which juxtaposes a bewildering array of vocal styles to great effect.

DOWNLOAD:Infra-red Ice Cubes - Common Garrett
DOWNLOAD:Chancellor of the Exchequer - Scientific American

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