John Murphy

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Yesterday was listening to Kang / Krang tape on Zero Cabal, good stuff. Not very good dub. Of course, it is debatable how good the original live recordings were, but knowing how nasty some of the tapes I used to get from Zero Cabal back in the 90's were, they were something Ulex decided to stop selling label stuff altogether as copies didn't meet the standard what they should be. First side other channel is basically mute, but other one fine. B-side both channels have sound, but very low volume. This is something you got used to with the old style power electronics labels, hah..

Two live gigs, both very different, but both fierce noise. Like mentioned in post before, it is curious that one of the most legendary Mauthausen Orchestra album is half Krang stuff taken from his 1981 recordings. A lot of Krang stuff was circulating in 80's compilations and easiest way to get some of this, is URO LP on Tesco. It has partially same material as about 10 times more expensive late 80's comp LP... This live material ranges somewhere between noise and early days power electronics. B-side has ripping electronics and wild screaming voice, but also screeching noise.

One curious thing is that John Murphy actually proposed me Krang 10" release back in the day. I liked what I heard, but kind of foolishly turned it down. Just since I preferred to put out new artists and Finns - who nobody cared at the time, and one would have thought Murphy would get his stuff released anywhere anytime. I suppose material never even came out? We did meet couple of times. Sort of. In various DIJ gigs and such, eyes meet, we both probably know who eachother is, but... neither one says damn thing. Haha.. One time, I'm selling merch at neofolk gig where he is playing percussions for.. OTWNTM I think. There is DiJ patch on my table. He takes patch in his hand, looks at it, I look at the patch, we look eachother, and he puts the patch back. Nothing is being said. I assume that meant it must be unofficial merch. Haha. Fuck.. Well, now thinking multiple moments one should have just blurted out "Krang rules!"... now too late, except as tip for anyone who has not heard it. Really early days noise masters.

From another topic:

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. 

Perhaps now that so many years MO has been praised for Anal Perversions being like his best efforts, the credit could be directed towards right person, mr. Murphy!

Looking what has been discussed of his work, there was couple topics. 2015 tribute compilation as well as this Notes From Chaos program, but unfortunately that mixcloud page is no longer online. I just post it here to display people who might not realize how much he was involved, and very often absolute cult projects!

Notes From Chaos: Page 55 - John Murphy (1959 - 2015)

Tracklist:

- Whirlywirld - Signals (Whirlywirld 7" / Missing Link / 1979)
- Current 93 - A Visit To Dogland (V/A - The Fight Is On LP / L.A.Y.L.A.H. Antirecords / 1985)
- The Associates - Nude Spoons (The Peel Sessions LP/CD / Strange Fruit / 1989)
- Gene Loves Jezebel - Screaming (For Emmalene) (Screaming (For Emmalene) 12" / Situation Two / 1983)
- John Murphy - Father Of Skins-Panik (V/A - Garbage Sandwich 4CS / Beast 666 Tapes / 1992)
- Lustmord - Comahon Q.Q. Comahon (Paradise Disowned LP / Side Effects / 1986)
- Orchestra Of Skin & Bone - Glory (Untitled LP / Major Records / 1986)
- Krank - Scry (Live) (Chaos CD / Dark Vinyl Records / 1991)
- Gum & John Murphy - Blood On The Floor (20 Years In Blue Movies And Yet To Fake An Orgasm LP / Not On Label / 1988)
- Andrew King & The Oval Legionary Chorale - Legionnaire In Algiers (V/A - Tutti A Casa! Ain Soph Tribute 2CD / Hau Ruck! SPQR / 2003)
- Last Dominion Lost - Ritual In The Dark (Snowdrops From A Curate's Garden LP / The Epicurean / 2015)
- Espectra Negra & John Murphy - Offering To Sanwa-Dupa (Savage Justice CS / Self-Released (Espectra Negra) / 2013)
- Gerechtigkeits Liga – Justice (Dystopia LP / Zyklus Records / 2011)
- Naevus - Like Arms (Behaviour CD / Operative Records / 2002)
- Browning Mummery - Sutured (Chants Of The Bardo Engine MP3 / Self-Released / 2015)
- Wertham - Man-Ho'-Rexia (Maladolescenza 7" / Deathangle Absolution Records / 2014)
- Knifeladder - Red Drum (Organic Traces CD / Operative Records / 2002)
- Foresta Di Ferro - Harmony Of Pen And Sword (Bury Me Standing CD / Hau Ruck! / 2003)
- Scorpion Wind - The Cruelty Of The Heavens (Heaven Sent 2LP / Twilight Command/New European Recordings / 1996)


One year passed since John Murphy's death and Notes From Chaos takes a look at some of his works, associations and collaborations dividing the 2 hour podcast into two sections: First hour focused in the 80's and the second hour in the 2000's paying tribute to one of the most active and multifarious musicians in Australia. The episode's sounds varied from New Wave (The Associates) and industrial (Lustmord) to Neofolk (Death In June & Boyd Rice's Scorpion Wind) including bands being member like Knifeladder and Last Dominion Lost and less known collaborations with Espectra Negra (which i thank her for her contribution) and Australian experimental band Gum.

R.I.P. John Murphy (1959 - 2015)

FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/NotesGuestsFromChaos

[tiny_tove]

I remember that 10"!!!

There are a few interesting interviews of John released in his last years on this planet.

[Ekkogravkammer]

I remember that 10"!!!

There are a few interesting interviews of John released in his last years on this planet.

Thank you for posting this

[tiny_tove]

You are welcome.

And here is a second massive one

One thing nobody ever mention about John his unique, sardonic sense of humor. Seen as a silent being by those who knew him less, somebody found him threatening for his intense eyes, he was instead an extremely entertaining fellow who could speak and make you laugh for hours talking among the craziest things and experiences. He's seen a lot and I'm glad that from 1997 until his departure we shared many of these.

[post-morten]

I do have loads of respect for John being an early player in the pe scene even though Krang is not really my thing. I much prefer the dense, ritualistic works he did with projects like Orchestra Of Skin and Bone and KnifeLadder. I ran into him a few times over the years. On the last occasion, DIJ live in Stockholm 2003, John being ever the gentleman, agreed on an interview by email. We commenced shortly after, but when the zine that was printing the piece went belly-up I lost motivation to finish the thing and the conversation kind of fizzled out. In retrospect not one of my proudest moments. I was very sad to learn about his passing, one of Three Johns that left us way too early: Balance, Murphy & Everall. 

[re:evolution]

Personally speaking, I first met John in Melbourne in 2000 at a Death In June show after we had been in touch on email for a little while. But I got to know him a bit more in the 2001-2003 period via the Hinoeuma the Malediction industrial shows at The Red Rose in London.

John was definitely a humorously sardonic person, and had a habit of playing with his goatee while talking and walking in small figure eight patterns - which was disconcerting at first but became normal rather quickly. I also remember him smoking menthol cigarettes under the reasoning that less people would scab them off him!

Anyway, in 2002 I did a long form interview with John, intended for the cancelled Spectrum no.6, but published online via Compulsion in around 2002. I ended up reprinting a streamlined version via Noise Receptor no.4 as a tribute to him after his passing. He goes deep into many facets of his creative life and numerous projects so nice to have it documented in his own words.

Original 2002 version is online here: https://spectrummagarchive.wordpress.com/interviews/john-murphy-shining-vril-knifeladder-interview-2002/

[tiny_tove]

, John being ever the gentleman, agreed on an interview by email. We commenced shortly after, but when the zine that was printing the piece went belly-up I lost motivation to finish the thing and the conversation kind of fizzled out.

do you still have these? would be great to have it in some form even if some snippet

[post-morten]

do you still have these? would be great to have it in some form even if some snippet

Thanks for asking, but I'm afraid not. The material was on a Mac that broke down a long time ago. But looking at the link Richard posted it pretty much covered the same ground. John's musical background and history of bands, although not in such painstaking detail, and a bit about his spiritual beliefs. I picked up on him using the term "Vril" which is always a fascinating topic (Heiner Gehring springs to mind, I wonder if they ever met?).

I do also remember John being open about certain health issues (diabetes related) although that was of course "off the record" so to say.