Small Cruel Party

[bogskaggmannen]

I got fired up when seeing the before-mentioned SCP 3CD set on Harbinger being announced, so I digged up my whole SCP collection (mostly all the vinyls) and will digest them during the coming week. I was always very intrigued to hear new (to me at least) works from Key. Even if I did not always really understand them or even like them, I feel very connected to the soundworlds he produced. I remember getting almost aggressive from listening to the "Do you believe in a pencil?" CD because it was so minimal and boring, hope it does the trick again!

Any favourites and why?

[Zeno Marx]

good listens:
In Thicket PD10"
Unroof the Houses of the Fishes C-46
Urgent Tube 10"
Aube/Small Cruel Party 12"
Small Cruel Party/Toy Bizarre 3"CD

never could get into these:
Stercoranism C-60
Islands of Sleep LP  (wasn't this the one on 250gm vinyl that sounds terrible?)
Stain on Pure Glass LP  (remember liking one side and not the other)

I believe my SCP indoctrination was with the Howard 31 CD comp.  Key's style works well on compilations, and it isn't because I like it in limited doses.  He seems to often compliment the tracks around his.  Maybe his music just plays well with others.  I don't have a good explanation for it.  Sometimes it is smart track sequencing by the label, but SCP maybe lends itself to others in ways most projects do not.  Did Jeph Jerman and Key every collaborate?  If not, that might turn a great result.

[cipher chris]

His half of the split LP with Kiyoshi Mizutani was what had me forever captivated.  It's serene yet bristling with power.

I also really like the Chop Shop split 10", but then I say that with the benefit of having an un-split copy.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Obviously, the mentioned SCP box has been out for long time now. I have yet to listen box entirely, but so far even 1st disc, (including pretty much just stuff I already have in my shelves) is great reminder of versatility of SCP. Even if one could perhaps associate him with more quiet and subtle sounds, it's merely half of truth. Some really raw and noisy sounds there too! Innovative use of sources to create neat experimental noise soundscapes.
Set looks nice too. DVD sized triple panel digipak in slipcase with track infos and liner notes. Nice.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTA8GaoV_JM
from: "Every Force Evolves A Form" 2x7"

some weirdness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKErlXK_NyQ

youtube supply seems to be small and hardly good presentation of good SCP works..

[Steve]

Just got a test pressing for the new Harbinger Sound LP ... thinking of giving SCP the full 2 hour radio programme ... beautiful stuff!

[Mattias G]

Just got a test pressing for the new Harbinger Sound LP ... thinking of giving SCP the full 2 hour radio programme ... beautiful stuff!

Is that newly recorded material?

I am late on the train, but i discovered Small Cruel Party trough the box set on Harbinger. Fantastic stuff!

[Steve]

It is a re-issue of the 1993 cassette "Unroof The House of The Fishes" that G.R.O.S.S. Tapes put out. Proving to be essential!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

The more box is listened, it reveals to be utterly great. Also shows how headphones listening may work in some cases very well to make super distinctive stereo image of sound. And is good reminder how sucky the youtube samples of same work sound compared to well done CD release...

[Matthias]

Haven't seen this one being mentioned anywhere, but the 'Three Simple Eyes Of The Insect Ancestor' CS on Apraxia was reissued on CD by the french label Kaon in 2012. Been picking up lots of SCP stuff the last months and this is one of the very best in my opinion: http://www.kaon.org/small-cruel-party-three-simple-eyes-of-the-insect-ancestor/

[64]

Aye, a magnificent work that one. Reminds me a tiny bit of Hands To's 'desert' recordings. Great atmosphere and masterful composition. I only wish the reissue came in digipak instead of digisleeve as the latter can sometimes be a rather frustrating type of envelope.

Could anyone provide a little more insight on "Do You Believe in a Pencil" and "Stercoranism", please? I'm kind of on the fence regarding whether spending 20+ euros on a second-hand copy of either is reasonable given the current economic situation here.

[urall]

I've always skipped on SCP for i don't know what reason (i guess the name ..?). But thanx to this thread i'm discovering real gems in the discography, starting with 'Unroof the house of the fishes', which is great!  Now i have lots of catching up to do.

[xdementia]

Here's my review of the boxset: http://existest.org/ee_v3/?p=6690

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Spinning finally LP this morning. I got the tape version for decades, so was not in hurry:

Small Cruel Party "Unroof the house of Fishes" LP
Harbinger
Really nice LP re-issue of GROSS tape. Together with tape on SFCR (fra) label, this was last tape SCP released, and after this just vinyl and cd's. You can sense clear development of sound from early stuff. Which is, utterly amazing, but this one shows further advanced skills of layering, picking up very clear - but sometimes also noisy sounds. Never blurring into mess, always several layers of sound remain clearly audible, without sounding totally separated from eachother (like some computer sound collages with zero saturation). A-side is more subtle and calm, screeching sounds of b-side probably hit the sweet spot of those who love Ferial Confine kind of stuff. Of course this is different from that. But lots of painful high pitched metal object screech - like grinding against grinding stones and moving on top of aluminium plates. Never aggressive noise. Just disturbing manual craftsmanship. B-side has great flow too. While some core sounds remain quite similar, it slowly flows to new things all the time. Epic droning electronics what emerge on latter part of piece, is like Daniel Menche a'la "Hymns For Sliced Velocities" would be arriving from distance, heh..

Pressing of LP is good. I won't be so anal that would start to compared GROSS chrome tape vs. LP, but it appears very good cut. Some surface noises here and there simply as vinyl appears to be kind of dirty even coming straight from the sealed cover. But while GROSS perfect tape dubs may win in sound a bit, I think LP simply is format to last for several lifetimes... Cover design here is completely different from original tape, but I'd still recommend people to pick LP instead of waiting for tape. Seems like at least in discogs last time it was for sale was 3 years ago for higher price than this LP now.

[acsenger]

I just got the recent Islands of Sleep CD reissue of an LP from 1998. It's captivating stuff. While musically it's not complex, Ransone undeniably has an ear for interesting, beautiful, and often almost sensual sounds, probably made by careful manual manipulation of various objects. The CD is available for ridiculously low prices (granted, the material is only appr. 29 minutes long), so I highly recommend it to anyone into SCP or wanting to check it out.

Will have to get the recent LP reissue of Resin, Parched, Chthonic, too.