The Dead C
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The Dead C | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Genres | Experimental rock, noise rock, free rock, drone music, garage punk |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Members | Bruce Russell Michael Morley Robbie Yeats |
The Dead C are a New Zealand based music and art trio made up of members Bruce Russell, Michael Morley and Robbie Yeats.[1][2] Russell plays electric guitar, Morley sings and plays electric guitar or laptop, and Yeats plays drums. They have been called one of the most interesting bands in the world by Thurston Moore, and have been cited as influences by Bardo Pond, Flying Saucer Attack, Labradford, and Pavement.[3]
Overview[edit]
Formed in Dunedin in 1987,[4] the group is known for its lo-fi guitar soundscapes and improvisational take on rock music.[citation needed] Their first Auckland show was in 1989 at Russell Crowe's Venue, by which point they had already released two albums on Flying Nun, who Russell had been doing copywriting work for.[5] They became known internationally through their releases on the Philadelphia record label Siltbreeze, especially the 1992 double LP Harsh 70s Reality. Early, pre-Siltbreeze albums such as Eusa Kills and DR503 found the group still drifting between song-based work and the experimental free rock found in later albums including The White House and Tusk. Recent albums have seen the group add electronics and samples, yet still maintaining their origins in trademark hazy guitar chaos.[citation needed] Their records are typically all improvised, and not recorded in a standard professional music studio.[6]
The group performs infrequently outside of New Zealand, although they did travel to the US in March 2002 to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival (curated by Sonic Youth), as well as a couple of gigs in Los Angeles and San Francisco. They also performed for the first time in Europe in May 2004 at Le Weekend, a new music festival in Stirling, Scotland and returned to the UK to play at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival again in December 2006.[7] In 2008, they played a short tour in the United States, and returned to the UK to play All Tomorrow's Parties in December 2010. In September 2016, they played a few US dates including Cropped Out festival in Louisville, Kentucky
A compilation album covering their first 18 years entitled Vain Erudite and Stupid: Selected Works 1987-2005 was released on the Ba Da Bing label in 2006.
Discography[edit]
Albums[edit]
| Release date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | DR503 | Flying Nun Records |
| 1989 | Eusa Kills | Flying Nun Records |
| 1990 | Trapdoor Fucking Exit | Precious Metal |
| 1992 | Harsh 70s Reality | Siltbreeze[a] |
| 1992 | Clyma est mort | Siltbreeze[b] |
| 1992 | Metric | Majora |
| 1995 | The White House | Siltbreeze |
| 1996 | Repent | Siltbreeze |
| 1997 | Tusk | Siltbreeze |
| 2000 | The Dead C | Language Recordings |
| 2001 | New Electric Music | Language Recordings |
| 2003 | The Damned | Starlight Furniture Company |
| 2007 | Future Artists | Ba Da Bing |
| 2007 | Untitled Split LP (with Hi God People) | Nervous Jerk Records |
| 2008 | Secret Earth | Ba Da Bing |
| 2010 | Patience | Ba Da Bing |
| 2013 | Armed Courage | Ba Da Bing |
| 2016 | Trouble | Ba Da Bing |
| 2019 | Rare Ravers | Ba Da Bing |
| 2020 | Unknowns | Ba Da Bing |
EPs[edit]
| Release date | Title | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Sun Stabbed | Xpressway | 7" |
| 1990 | Helen Said This¹ | Siltbreeze | 12", 33 rpm |
| 1994 | The Operation of the Sonne | Siltbreeze | 12", 33 rpm |
| 2005 | Split Series 18 (with Konono Nº1) | Nervous Jerk Records | |
| 2013 | The Dead C vs Rangda (split with Rangda) | Ba Da Bing | |
| 2015 | Palisadas | I Dischi Del Barone | |
| 2020 | All Goodbyes | Language Recordings |
Cassettes[edit]
| Release date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Dead See Perform M. Harris | Diabolic Root |
| 1987 | 43 Sketch for a Poster | Diabolic Root |
| 1988 | The Live Dead See | Xpressway |
| 1989 | Perform DR503B | Xpressway |
| 1990 | Runway | Precious Metal |
Compilations[edit]
| Release date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | World Peace Hope et al. | Shock |
| 2006 | Vain, Erudite and Stupid: Selected Works 1987–2005 | Ba Da Bing |
- Notes
- a 1500 copies made
- b 450 copies made
Singles[edit]
| Year | Single |
|---|---|
| 1991 | "Hell is Now Love/Bone" |
| 1991 | "Power/Mighty/Peace" |
| 1994 | "The Dead C vs. Sebadoh" |
| 1994 | "Metalheart" |
| 1995 | "Metalheart" (reissue) |
| 2000 | "Stealth/The Factory" |
| 2006 | "Relax Fallujah Hell Has Come" |
| 2008 | "Golden/Canine" |
References[edit]
- ^ Raggett, Ned. "The Dead C: Harsh 70's Reality > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ Sprague, David (2007). "Dead C". Trouser Press. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ "Dead C". Flying Nun Records. Archived from the original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ "The Dead C". Beat Magazine. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "The Dead C Finds Life in the Shadows". Consequence. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "In Praise of Miscompetence: Noise Icons the Dead C Remain Mysterious as Ever". Observer. 15 September 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "The Dead C". RNZ. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
External links[edit]
- Archive of the Dead C. fansite with coverage of the fanzine era.
- Biography and Discography at allmusic.com
- Michael Morley interview on MonsterFresh.com Aug. 2010
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