Friday 18 February 2011

Acid Mist

One of my favourite record labels, 'Acid Mist', was often advertised in the most unusual places. I found these tantalising snippets in the back of some old issues of an industrial trade magazine called 'Processing'. They date from 1971-73.





'Technology & Technicians' was a library record recorded in Cathedral Studios, Lincoln in 1971. Sounds and textures for the laboratory.





'Versatile Pot Recorders'. Folk quartet from Grantham who pioneered use of the the 'synthaesia' device, pictured above. A small modular instrument that induced trance-like sensations and bizarre hallucinations amongst players and listeners alike.



Eponymous debut EP of Keep It Dry, funk quartet from Biggin Hill. Design by Peter Saville's brother James.



Acid Mist's biggest selling group in 1972 was 'Let's Get Together', a proto-industrial easy listening trio of arrangers and singers from Leicester. The album they're promoting here ('The Full Force in Filtration') was released on spin-off label 'Separation'.



Acid Mist dabbled in electronics, launching the Tricon synthaesia range. They were banned on the continent following a festival in Rotterdam.



Poster advertising Dusseldorf-based krautfolk group 'Particle Free'.



Another spin-off label, launched in 1975 was 'Joy' - it used the Acid Mist in-house session musicians to record dance music for the newly nationalised Locarno dancehall chain.



A promotional poster for failed teen idol Robbie Pursey. Unsure how to promote him, Pursey's Acid Mist singles flopped. Pursey left the music industry in 1976 to form a commune in Hull.



Water was a Christian bass-drums-synth/flute trio who recorded 'Electric Drilling' at Cathedral Studios in late 1975. Founder member Davey Twilley (pictured on the album cover) composed the original music for 'Play it Safe' and the alternative faiths programme 'Kandlemas'.

All of these items are extremely valuable but very scarce. Many are not even listed in buyers guides.
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8 comments:

  1. Paul Bareham18 February 2011 at 09:22

    That's brought back some memories. I used to have 'Textiles' by The Electric Coracle, but I left it too near to the lava lamp and it melted :C

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  2. dispo18 February 2011 at 13:59

    I've heard rumours of bootleg Synthaesia devices being sold on the black market here on the continent but I could never get hold of one unfortunately.

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  3. Stensil Head18 February 2011 at 19:59

    Ah, Davey Twilley. If I remember rightly he was also a crump horn player in a short lived offshoot band called 'Barnacle Fringe'.
    Straight out of Tavistock, they were forerunners of the sadly defunct and much maligned 'acid frump' scene.

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  4. Between Channels19 February 2011 at 03:40

    I'm glad this has brought back so many happy musical memories for everyone. I'm fixing my Synthaesia module this afternoon, have been seeing arms come out of the walls ...

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  5. M—22 February 2011 at 08:17

    Damn, we were just prepping a post on these guys for Friendsound. Ah well, you beat us to it. Great minds and all that.

    Stefan M—
    http://friendsound.wordpress.com

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  6. Between Channels26 February 2011 at 09:41

    Sorry to all at Friendsound for the psychethaesia steal!

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  7. andrasklang@gmail.com14 May 2011 at 19:46

    any rips of these cool sounding gems?

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  8. Jenny Daniels24 May 2013 at 23:12

    Nice post. I like the presentation.

    ReplyDelete

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