Crass were a band who was a perfect example of punk as an anarchic collective idea. In addition to their confrontational sound and an album label that embodied the spirit of collectives in their peers. Crass Records in association with One Little Independent is currently making available select records like Captain Sensible and Honey Bane as well as this pair of 12″ EPs released by The North London’s Lack of Knowledge and Sleeping Dogs from the US.
The records form part of a collection of records recorded by Penny Rimbaud and John Loder at Southern Studios in North London.
The ‘Grey’ EP from Lack of Knowledge is composed of four tracks of post-punk-infused energy.
In the opening track We’re Searching For People the drums provide fast beats, making the heavy use of hi-hats with the form of a frantic enthusiasm. In the 2nd track A Different Sunset the pace slows slightly and the synths emerge with a deeper sound. The 3rd track Girl In The Mask The band critiques depict pictures of factories, meetings and people receiving messages “to be proud of their country” and “how happy they are”. The EP closes on Radioactive Man, where we can hear the evolution using delays as well as experiments with the use of texture.
If you’re a big lover of Joy Division then you’re likely to be awed by this album however the layers and the lyrical content as well as some intriguing arrangements, means that this is a an album that can stand on the merits of its own.
The EP ‘Beware’ by Sleeping Dogs is an energetic five-track collection. The first track, Same Old Story is a welcome introduction to dubby guitar delays as well as syncopated beats from post-punk. Then comes the sound of the buzzing Concrete which tells a brutal story of concrete blocking radio waves and, consequently, that “music power is gone”. The third song “Suzy’s Songs” introduces a brand new voice that extolls their love for “Microwave ovens” and “Betamax” and is accompanied by squeals of joy. Following this, the EP seems to be getting going with (I got my Tan in) El Salvador and eventually accelerating into the final track “Soldier.
It’s definitely a less no-wave music than Lack of Knowledge, which isn’t surprising since you know the locations for the band. This is a real-world imagination, and for me the best track is Suzy’s song.
With the amount of music that comes out every day, there’s an issue to be addressed regarding the need for more copies. It is my opinion that it’s with less well-known artists that we can see the most value. Crass were a major source of inspiration for these artists and I am so happy to have discovered both of these albums today.
The original release was in the year 7″ these have been remastered for a higher quality as 12″ should you opt to purchase the physical copies.
