We have Whitehouse and Ramleh threads, but I think we are missing one of the best (in my opinion) artists around. I already wrote an opinion article about MO at my blog so I'll paste that since I still feel the same way and would end up just repeating myself.
http://purestench.blogspot.com/2010/11/retrospection-mauthausen-orchestra.html
QuoteRetrospection: Mauthausen Orchestra
A misanthropic appeal, the converse to quiet, a pull away from the simmering shit of mainstream music. The deafening structure of Noise is more than art to many. Not even the catch term "acquired taste" will fit each and every time down here. Sound documentation that comes in many forms - sometimes loose and chaotic, sometimes structured and tense, other times playful and settled, always unmitigated evidence that pleasure is in the ear of the beholder. Industrial has been around awhile and, because I become bored easily, I thought that I would take a stab at showing some of the best from the past. A retrospection of sorts starting with my favorite "old-school" act.
1982, Italy. Pierpaolo Zoppo starts releasing his own tapes of his project Mauthausen Orchestra under the label "Aquilifer Sodality". Combing through topics such as sexual violence, perversion, torture and murder and picking them apart with the right maneuver as to not come off as cheap and careless is not an easy task. Where the people of one decade find their horrific scenery another decade finds its jokes. Mauthausen Orchestra's atmosphere, one of true debauchery and calculated sickness, coalescing with the sobering awe of his industrial racket blanketed by the 80's true lo-fidelity, raw recording procedures has yet to truly be matched. His early sound traversed a good deal of ground from the sharp and violent piles of feedback and synth work forcefully fed to you, to long chapters of grinding precision and tape manipulation pulling pieces out of itself and building upon it. Maurizio Bianchi was such an obvious influence on most of his work, especially up until "Bloodyminded" where synth play was such a huge factor, that it would be impossible to write anything on Mauthausen Orchestra without mentioning his name at least once. In all of these early recordings one thing can be agreed upon, it was always dirty. My introduction to this project was "Anal Perversions" and it displays Zoppo's range perfectly in two lengthy and harsh tracks. Some may prefer more variation of material such as "Murderfuck", or the damaging assaults of "VLL", so I also recommend that everyone go out and find "5 Year of Slaughter", or even better, "Gravitational Arch of Sex". Both of which collect the assortment of material from his 3 greatest sound periods (check the link at the bottom of this article to download material from 1982-1986).
The project took a rest in 1986 and besides re-releases of the 1982-1986 collection, M.O. didn't wake back up until 1997 with the creation of "Raising Vapors" co-released by Body and Blood and Bloodlust! records. The sound of "Raising Vapors" took a lot from the old Italian sound they helped create and added variation to it. The violence was not as heavy and brutal as it was before, instead it was more minimalistic, the discipline was more exacting. "Lost Boys In Town" displayed a lot of the same characteristics as the previous works but, to me, it seemed even more relaxed. The reason for the change in name, from Manthausen Orchestra to M.O., is unknown to me but the change in sound is very apparent and it is often argued whether or not these two releases should even be considered "Power Electronics". In 1999 M.O. released one of their most talked about LP's, "Kiss The Carpet", an extremely violent and heavy look at human dysfunction. Wherever the last two releases lacked virility and sheer brutality, "Kiss the Carpet" displayed it in spades. From this point on I lost interest in M.O.'s material. Later material such as "Smooth Hate" and "Where Are We Going?" plays on minimalistic Noise with a deep and, in my opinion, boring ambiance.
What are your opinions on Mauthausen Orchestra? Favorite material? Where do they stand in the overall "canon" of Power Electronics and Noise? I know MO sourced other projects and artists in a lot of their work, how do you feel about that?
First thing I hear was 5 years of slaughter, which was obviously just "the best of" cuts... and actually, I DO prefer it. I may be blinded by sort of nostalgia. Next to these, I will simply put all Trash Ritual vinyl releases what were very good job done. It is a shame I believe their co-operation won't go further?
Some people responsible for songs on Xn's 10" release were quite surprised he used other people's songs with little to no modification. Whether it was intentional or simply perhaps mistake of some sort (as release was made so much after recordings), I do find it weird.
Compared to previous topics of Whitehouse and Ramleh, those two bands have kept the level of music much higher than M.O., which went from great into utterly horrid or most of all worthless.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on December 21, 2011, 07:23:04 PM
Compared to previous topics of Whitehouse and Ramleh, those two bands have kept the level of music much higher than M.O., which went from great into utterly horrid or most of all worthless.
Yea I agree.
Raising Vapours was tolerable but not enjoyable, and in comparison to Zoopo's material from the 80's it's a punchline. Then from 1999 on it pretty much lost everything that made the Orchestra a incredibly great and filthy project. At least he realized that his material was different and gave himself the MO moniker instead of keeping the original name.
For me Whitehouse did go down a few levels from
Bird Seed on. But I know a lot of people who would disagree with that.
I found the box-set,
Gravitational Arch of Sex, for $150 flat but I guess it is missing the original box it came in so he put it in a new box that is the same type of box but without the sticker of the cover art on the top and the tracklisting sticker at the bottom and the
Conflict tape is missing (case and J-card is still in there, but what good is that). It still has all the inserts and tape covers though. You guys think this is a good score or no?
5 Years... is the best. I love his vocals but rarely listen to a complete tape; I have a few originals & use to have the Slaughter boxset but someone offered me alot of $ for it so had to let it go. The Trash Ritual records are must-own's!
The New Sadism is probably the best thing he was involved in.
"Other people's songs..." on the XN 10"? Probably havent' played that record since getting it. The artwork is the best thing about it. Will have to pull it & give it another spin. I stopped paying attention after that first horrid cd on Bloodlust.
the more and more i continually listen to the material, i start to think that it may easily be one of the most important harsh noise projects of all time.
i talk about it in special interests #2.
favorite five:
ANAL PERVERSIONS (overall greatest release; encompassing styles of HN)
MAFARKA (avalanches of pre-DBL style distortion)
2nd MOVEMENT (extensive crackle and crumble lines)
VERNICHTUNG LEBENUNWERTAN LEBEN (violent PE elements)
KISS THE CARPET (Hijokaidan style HN destruction)
I'd like to see that too. From what I remember there is some clear Whitehouse lifting going on in some earlier stuff, I don't remember who said it (although I have an idea) that it was Total Sex? And Kiss the Carpet has some Le Syndicat.
When I sent "Kiss The carpet" 10" to Beast666 (jap) and received very surprised and detailed e-mail about the material, saying which song was by Le Syndicat and which song was pulled out from old Beast666 comp tape... But don't have the e-mail anymore.
I don't mind recycling if it's done with taste. As said before, there's been big bands from BDN to Merzbow to Emil Beaulieau to use other people's sounds. Some more, some less. My works have been used by others, there has been 2 occasions when I sampled c. 2 seconds long loop from particular artist - but told them about it later on. As a creator, I enjoying DOING more than just having sounds.
I always wondered about my copy of the G.A.O.S. boxset I ordered from Slaughter Prod. years ago. It comes housed in a box that holds x12 cs with various inserts. Mine didn't come with individual J-Cards for each tape, all are housed in the box themselves with stickers on each of the cassettes. Are there different editions?
Never heard of a different edition. I was thinking maybe they just made copies of the tapes and kept the J-cards before selling it to you but if you got it directly from Slaughter than I highly doubt that would happen.
Is that P.Zoppo on the inserts and cover sucking a dick, or just some random porn shot?
*edit* Come to think of it I got Justmeat from Slaughter and it didn't have any inserts like the one on discogs. (If anyone has those, or would copy/xerox them for me, please PM me.) Hmm...
Yeah, MO boxset had no individual covers. Included a handful of inserts; can't remember how many. One was red, another blue. I do remember the cocksucker image that sort of looked a little illeagle(doubt it's a personal photo).
(The private copies of JUSTMEAT had all the insert i.e. those copies available from me. I didn't even save them for myself!)
The boxset that the guy is going to sell me looks like the one on discogs ( http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=868645 ) minus Conflict and the box stickers.
(That Justmeat I have is just that cover art/back cover and the tape itself. Nothing else. Is the only insert the little "Would you be interested in using my body for these purposes..." note, or was there more?)
YEAH! The boxset did have the covers. Definitely w as not just the tapes so that pic is correct. It's been a couple years since I sold mine. The insert with all the ass shots, that was on Aquilifer Sodality's catalog/flyer in the late '90s. Write A.S. & a year later you'd get a one sentence reply... I still have Cernotto's ridiculous lists when he was selling-trading his personal collection.
Private JM lim to 36 copies was the Slaughter tape in bag inside an envelope with xerox glued to front then smeared in red paint & several inserts that were copies of letters from people in Jack's Number Two. Can't remember how many inserts I added; seems like there were several...
(http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv167/Ewa_Aulin/MO1.jpg)
(http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv167/Ewa_Aulin/MO3.jpg)
(http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv167/Ewa_Aulin/MO2.jpg)
this is the version i have, looks different from others i've seen.
The orig MO box was super flimsy. Mine arrived with fucked up corners I had to tape up to reinforce'em. Also, I think, the Slaughter tapes were black with no labels (definitely not labelled like yours). Hate to say it but you have copies, not the originals from Slaughter. The inserts look the same (one insert looks orange- i remember that one on red paper but maybe it's just the photo?).
Got my copy directly from Marco 10-11+ years ago.. odd.
That is odd. How much did that cost you?
I dont remember, maybe like $30 or so, I got it with a huge order with Dead Body Love tapes and the Listen And Die boxset and some other stuff. I remember some of the stuff showed up broken so he sent some replacements on clear tapes with hand written titles scribbled on it. It's back when Italy still used Lira.
Quote from: RyanWreck on December 22, 2011, 04:21:53 AM
I'd like to see that too. From what I remember there is some clear Whitehouse lifting going on in some earlier stuff, I don't remember who said it (although I have an idea) that it was Total Sex? And Kiss the Carpet has some Le Syndicat.
+
Conflict has some NON music.
Quote from: Coma Detox on December 23, 2011, 03:22:15 AM
(http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv167/Ewa_Aulin/MO1.jpg)
(http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv167/Ewa_Aulin/MO3.jpg)
(http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv167/Ewa_Aulin/MO2.jpg)
this is the version i have, looks different from others i've seen.
saw the same version on Troniks years ago......mine is a carton box with stickers, inserts and tapes with j-cards (got it from Marco).
didn't his big tape-boxes (listen & die, deadbag, etc) come in different cases?
My copy of the box is white oversized white cardboard mailer box with same artworks glued to top.
My versions is thin, yet big in other dimensions. I have also seen thicker, yet therefore otherwise smaller box done.
I would guess, orders for this was taken over long period of time, and contents and the glued artworks remained the same, yet what kind of box you happened to get, varies on when it was done. It's all official and authentic, but simply many different types of packaging was made.
Just like some labels do. Think of RRR, where ordering something like Merzbow "Batz tou tai" 2xCD packaging can be almost anything. I think RRR also mentioned that some of those big plastic tape boxes were discountinued. So the original packaging of all those 5x tape sets might have already changed? For items with no specific edition number, being as big as they are, you might not be able to find the identical packaging all the time. The M.O. box is re-issues anyways, so is it first re-issue copies assebled, or one of the many editions, I doubt there is much meaning for the price...
To someone who doesn't know Mauthauen Orchestra (I do have the They Never Learn! LP but don't have a record player), would you recommend this CD? http://www.discogs.com/Mauthausen-Orchestra-Sonic-Deprivation/release/2016791
"Sonic Deprivation" would be a great place to start since you don't have a record player. If those excerpts don't appeal to you then none of his work will.
Quote from: bitewerksMTB on March 17, 2012, 01:34:39 AM
"Sonic Deprivation" would be a great place to start since you don't have a record player. If those excerpts don't appeal to you then none of his work will.
Couldn't have said it better myself. The only thing I would add is that if those excerpts don't appeal to you then take the DeWALT Sander to your nipples and stop listening to Noise.
Thanks for recommending Sonic Deprivation - will order it soon.
Hoping "Anal Perversions" reiss LP shows up in a day or 2. I have the bootleg & it's signed by Zoppo (not to me). May sell that if anyone is interested, drop me a line.
the reissue sounds excellent. You will be pleased.
No interest to talk about the recent re-issues?
honestly was rather turned off by the art used. happily jumped on the Anal Perversions LP from this year in the style of the bootleg.
Quote from: Harvest on November 11, 2017, 12:46:21 AM
honestly was rather turned off by the art used. happily jumped on the Anal Perversions LP from this year in the style of the bootleg.
Hmm I'm rarely bothered by the artwork (I'm assuming you are refferring to the artwork used on the front). These sound fine considering that they're the first lp press of old ass albums. Also bought the Murderfuck lp for example which has a more whole artwork than some of the others
i know this is an old topic, but MO remains one of my favourite projects of dirty & raw PE/HN.. happy to see all the rerelases through the years, as i think the project deserves the legacy it seems to have gotten. the stuff past the "golden years" isn't really for me, but he still remains one of the most important artists in this genre for me. my personal favourites would be..
anal perversions - dirty, raw and loud, in your face w/lots of dynamics while keeping a monotous, rotten feel
vernichtung lebenunwerten leben - the vocals on this one are insane! chaotic and intense, very minimal but very, very effective
they never learn - proto-harsh noise straight from the gutter..
mafarka & necrofellatio are also both a great listen for fans of raw industrial noise
RIP!
Found out recently that my favourite part of "Mafarka"—the intensely rattling, multilayered part of side B—wasn't original material at all.
It's "Loop-Dance" by the avant band Biota, from their self-titled album released in 1982, only two years before Mauthausen Orchestra's tape. It's played pretty much in its entirety, spliced once or twice to make it last longer, it's not further edited.
I think same thing applies to bunch of other M.O. stuff. You can hear Whitehouse "total sex" being played in way that just when vocals should hit in, pause button edit is done, hah.. Or perhaps even more weird was the later days 10", where songs related to Beast666 label projects was used pretty much "as is" as M.O. tracks...
Two great posts above
My knowledge of MO is limited. Only have a couple of releases. But the 10" you're speaking of, is that Kiss The Carpet from 1999?
Quote from: accidental on August 03, 2023, 01:41:41 PMMy knowledge of MO is limited. Only have a couple of releases. But the 10" you're speaking of, is that Kiss The Carpet from 1999?
yes, many of the tracks... I recall are works of Le Syndicat/Beast666 related stuff. So many years I was told by the makers... but I think Beast666 posts even on this forum, so not sure if follows the discussion and wants to comment on it.
First track of "Conflict" sounds like NON's "Out Out Out" (from 1982), pitched down.
Totally sure he stole that too.
It's interesting that there's talk about Noise pervs stealing Noise from other Noise pervs. Somewhere on this forum I remember reading that Con-Dom used some of Odal's recordings. Makes me wonder how widespread the practice is.
Pretty much all Con-Dom uses other peoples sound, but most often it is credited in covers. There is topic of using other peoples sound somwhere at forum.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on August 03, 2023, 02:13:55 PMQuote from: accidental on August 03, 2023, 01:41:41 PMMy knowledge of MO is limited. Only have a couple of releases. But the 10" you're speaking of, is that Kiss The Carpet from 1999?
yes, many of the tracks... I recall are works of Le Syndicat/Beast666 related stuff. So many years I was told by the makers... but I think Beast666 posts even on this forum, so not sure if follows the discussion and wants to comment on it.
QuoteThis album was released as a Mauthausen Orchestra work, but it actually contains tracks by Le Syndicat and Yellowhouse that were ripped off from a cassette I sent to Zoppo in the mid 80's. (Mauthausen Orchestra was originally planned to be included on Journey Into Pain 4MC compilation.) The track titled "Hole" is actually "Vaccine" from KILL SPK compilation, and the other three tracks are all by Le Syndicat.
https://777was666.bandcamp.com/merch/le-syndicat-yellowhouse-kiss-the-carpet-10-45-rpm
Quote from: Femeheim on August 03, 2023, 09:27:13 PMFirst track of "Conflict" sounds like NON's "Out Out Out" (from 1982), pitched down.
Totally sure he stole that too.
Oh, that's interesting. I haven't heard Conflict or the 10"
Another steal I just discovered - serious what the fuck moment - is that the entirety of Anal Perversions side A is Krang's "Dissonance" from 1981 (also on LP released by Freudwerk in 1989). Stellar material, obviously. And the flipside, which actually is MO as far as I can hear, is a great match.
Quote from: Baglady on November 05, 2023, 01:02:39 AMAnother steal I just discovered - serious what the fuck moment - is that the entirety of Anal Perversions side A is Krang's "Dissonance" from 1981 (also on LP released by Freudwerk in 1989). Stellar material, obviously. And the flipside, which actually is MO as far as I can hear, is a great match.
Insane find, holy fuck that's shameless.
Quote from: Baglady on November 05, 2023, 01:02:39 AMAnother steal I just discovered - serious what the fuck moment - is that the entirety of Anal Perversions side A is Krang's "Dissonance" from 1981 (also on LP released by Freudwerk in 1989). Stellar material, obviously. And the flipside, which actually is MO as far as I can hear, is a great match.
I am not surprised, but I have been waiting for years to know what it is. Album is such a stand out stylistically, and it has been given so much credit for being such an early noise recording, it would be curious that one should forward the salutation to Krang! For sure, for example URO LP, it is amazing too, and I recall I still have some of the Krang Uro LP's in mailorder and always sold way slower than MO... hah.
It is curious if it can be even know what is "MO", since even his own works sometimes feels like being build out of sounds pulled from other peoples recordings. I suppose early on man didn't have any gear really, and his noise may have been "mash up" made from other records. It is curious that it would eventually be just putting other guys stuff as is. Old material is so old, there is realistic possibility to find the early 80's material he used. Now that artists is no longer alive, would be hard to get actual confirmation how much of sound he actually made by himself and what was all just pulling sounds from stuff he got from others.
I am not really changing my views on MO stuff, though! "Noise making" in early stages of tape culture may have been so different. Motivation of doing or circulation meant for the tapes may have been entire different. Think of being involved in mail-art extension of experimental sound, where stuff isn't really for sale, and you are barely artist. Just putting together some found stuff, some own ideas, sending out to couple friends you are communicating with... Then 40 years later someone with re-mastered LP edition thinking this is total scam.. while back then being more like italian movie director stealing footage out of nature document and putting some sequences of cannibalism and calling it his film, which it basically is?
90's material felt like he got the keyboards and some gear and material was nowhere near as good as the early ones... Would have to revisit that stuff, but never had much urge to do so.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on November 06, 2023, 09:38:39 AMQuote from: Baglady on November 05, 2023, 01:02:39 AMAnother steal I just discovered - serious what the fuck moment - is that the entirety of Anal Perversions side A is Krang's "Dissonance" from 1981 (also on LP released by Freudwerk in 1989). Stellar material, obviously. And the flipside, which actually is MO as far as I can hear, is a great match.
I am not surprised, but I have been waiting for years to know what it is. Album is such a stand out stylistically, and it has been given so much credit for being such an early noise recording, it would be curious that one should forward the salutation to Krang! For sure, for example URO LP, it is amazing too, and I recall I still have some of the Krang Uro LP's in mailorder and always sold way slower than MO... hah.
Having played with John for about 20 years (incidentally I also performed with him under the Krang monicker live) I can comnfirm the missed gentleman was a sonic genious who could play any tangible project. But he was not very good at marketing, so if labels were not pushing his stuff, nobody noticed, while indeed he did MANY masterpieces and that URO LP has been in heavy rotation since its inception.
I think many youngsters, especially in those days when there was not the availability of devices etc, stole and reinterpreted stuff without even thinking it. I presume in the early tapes I worked on with other peoples there were parts taken from Chazev, etc but I was young and just executing orders ahah BTW MO was a very peculiar charcacter, so probably in his mind he was turning those sounds into something aesthetically different even when sounding the same. Not justifying and surely I can understand the disappointment of original authors, but I belived he was in - twisted - good faith.
For what it's worth though; Zoppo used 20-ish minutes uncut from Krang's "Dissonance" - the full piece being 40-ish minutes. The "Dissonance" on the 1989 Krang LP is edited down, a best of the full work so to speak. So having Anal Perversions is definitely essential to Krang frans who don't have the 1981 cassette.
And the flipside of Anal Perversions definitely complements the Krang side. Not nearly has refined, complex or skilled, but still in the same spirit. I definitely have my doubts whether that is Zoppo either now. But it doesn't really matter. Killer stuff.