To Live and Shave In L.A. (TLASILA)

[Johann]

I never really hear this group mentioned anywhere, but I imagine most have heard them or at least if them. Over the years I've had friends who told me they steered clear due to the name or voice, as well as meeting others who absolutely adore them. They managed to situate themselves somewhere between completely free music and obsessively composed musique concrete, destroying and recycling everything in there path.

I tend to check out almost everything they have done (save some stuff feat. Thirston Moore as I really don't care for him) including Tom Smiths Karl Schmit Verlag and his collaboration with the Tochnit Aleph fellows on Ohne. Was curious if anyone else here was into this stuff?

Love them or hate them, they had a powerful influence on many of the people in the 90s scene.

[Deadpriest]

I completely love them, baffling variety and compositional poise, Tom's mad voice and a language of it's own. Favourite album: Les Tricoteuses.

[HongKongGoolagong]

Genuinely weird, deranged and original sounds and one of the most unique and distinct voices ever. A total one-off human being and artist.

Big favourites here are the incredible Tonal Harmony EP on BWCD and the massively eerie and uncomfortable cover of 'Television's Over' by the Adverts from their Helen Butte Vs. Masonna Pussy Badsmell album. Always love the frequent obscure underground art/pornography references in TLASILA's work.

[dddonkey]

I'm obessively, completely amazed by TLASILA. This is my first post on the forum for years, so you understand, how am I damn being serious.

I was on the last show of Ohne in their history. I had to meet Herr Loewenbrueck, trade the tapes and then leave, but I stayedfor the show. It was something... eh. GREAT. Well, one of the best gigs in my life.

[CMSFoundation]

I'm obessively, completely amazed by TLASILA. This is my first post on the forum for years, so you understand, how am I damn being serious.

I was on the last show of Ohne in their history. I had to meet Herr Loewenbrueck, trade the tapes and then leave, but I stayedfor the show. It was something... eh. GREAT. Well, one of the best gigs in my life.

I've seen To Live and Shave live about three or four times. Their set in Chicago in 1999 (the PRE-Roctober tour) was one of the most intense and intimidating (musically and physically) show I've ever been to. Really superb.

Not sure if your love of TLASILA carries over to Tom Smith's previous projects, dddonkey, but you might be interested to know that Tom and his label (Karl Schmidt Verlag) just released a massive 9CDr+1DVDr set of recordings by his '80s project, Peach of Immortality. Listening to it right now. It's a lot murkier and more 'free improv' in construction, but thoroughly skuzzy and deranged -- no AMM cleanliness fetish here. Primary ingredients are tabletop guitar, grinding cello, bass damage, and Tom's grueling set of tape manipulation systems. (Tracks 4-6 on disc 2, from the unreleased "History of Duane Allman" album, give me serious TLASILA vibes, minus the vocals.) You can also listen to it over on Bandcamp.

https://tomsmithksv.bandcamp.com/album/ksv-424-acr-x001-surrealismus-paris-prag-rockville-9xcd

[Bruitiste]

Most here must be aware of this, but just in case — pretty massive reissue of one of their classics, first time on vinyl:
https://toliveandshaveinla-wig-box.bandcamp.com/album/4lp-box-set-the-wigmaker-in-eighteenth-century-williamsburg

There's even a 5xLP version with bonus tracks that Tom had originally cut from the final running. Seems legit as I recall him saying in an interview that Wigmaker was gonna be 2 and a half hours, then he cut 30 minutes to make it an even two hours spread across two CDs, so as not to overwhelm the listener.  Give me more, I say...

[k.p.g]

Most here must be aware of this, but just in case — pretty massive reissue of one of their classics, first time on vinyl:
https://toliveandshaveinla-wig-box.bandcamp.com/album/4lp-box-set-the-wigmaker-in-eighteenth-century-williamsburg

There's even a 5xLP version with bonus tracks that Tom had originally cut from the final running. Seems legit as I recall him saying in an interview that Wigmaker was gonna be 2 and a half hours, then he cut 30 minutes to make it an even two hours spread across two CDs, so as not to overwhelm the listener.  Give me more, I say...

Listening to this record now as my first TLASILA, and am enjoying myself.  Where would I go from here?

[Bruitiste]

Most here must be aware of this, but just in case — pretty massive reissue of one of their classics, first time on vinyl:
https://toliveandshaveinla-wig-box.bandcamp.com/album/4lp-box-set-the-wigmaker-in-eighteenth-century-williamsburg

There's even a 5xLP version with bonus tracks that Tom had originally cut from the final running. Seems legit as I recall him saying in an interview that Wigmaker was gonna be 2 and a half hours, then he cut 30 minutes to make it an even two hours spread across two CDs, so as not to overwhelm the listener.  Give me more, I say...

Listening to this record now as my first TLASILA, and am enjoying myself.  Where would I go from here?

If you want similar stuff but rougher/not as refined, check out a couple of the earlier records:
30-minuten mannercreme
Helen Butte vs Masonna Pussy Badsmell

Would also peek at these two:
Where A Horse Has Been Standing And Where You Belong
Tonal Harmony

Beyond Wigmaker, things evolved, these are a couple highlights:
Les Tricoteuses
God And Country Rally

Then there's some more loop-based releases which I really enjoy, some self-cannibalizing in there:
Horóscopo: Sanatorio De Molière
Merely Ressurected
Each Day Vomits Its Tomorrow

The last thing they did while Tom was alive, went in another direction, still great:
As Gods Are Skinned